Following several reports in Stabroek News that the historic Promenade Gardens had been closed to the public, city Mayor Alfred Mentore yesterday stated that it needed to be open.
The mayor was speaking at a Statutory Meeting of the Mayor and City Council. Stabroek News had reported that for months the gardens had been closed to the general public though special events were permitted at a fee. Who permitted this is still unclear but over the months of its closure, limited access was also allowed by guards to members of the public.
The City’s Town Clerk, Candace Nelson yesterday told the meeting that the council has since met with the security guards assigned at the location and she shared insights into their discussions. She said that the security indicated that certain individuals were allowed to use the gardens with prior permission, a practice that was in place during the COVID-19 restrictions.
Moreover, it was noted that security personnel were not informed of the garden’s reopening to the general public between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., a practice which was to be reinstated since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
Mentore, reacting to these revelations, emphasized the need to open the gardens to the public as a means of providing the community with additional green spaces for relaxation and recreation. He acknowledged that additional security measures might be necessary to prevent littering and misuse.
The issue at hand came to the fore when Stabroek News visited the gardens on several occasions following reports by members of the public that the facility was closed. On the occasions that the garden was visited, Stabroek News was told by security guards that the facility was closed to the general public. However, it was revealed that there existed a provision for individuals on their lunch break to enter, though their stay is limited to no more than 30 minutes.
In a Facebook post on August 11, 2023, Nirmala Ramroop-Ter Welle questioned what was happening with the garden. In her post, she said, “What is up with the Promenade Garden? Is this now a private garden? It is definitely not open to the public. I read on the internet that the garden belongs to the M&CC but nothing about opening times, entrance fees, etc., only that you can use it for events. The place is locked up, and no one can visit this garden unless you pay $2000 per person to the guard to have a look around.”
She added: “While I support paying to visit the garden to help with the upkeep and maintenance, it doesn’t augur well with me to pay a private person to visit a facility owned by the people of Guyana. Something is not right! Maybe someone can enlighten me.”
It was this post that prompted the newspaper to investigate. When Stabroek News visited on Thursday, September 7, 2023, the reporter was told that the gardens were closed and that members of the public were not allowed in. However, the guard allowed the reporter in for 30 minutes.
