By Shabna Rahman
The West Central Mall was opened yesterday with the Executive Director, Hemraj Albert stating that it was much needed in Region 3 and he was glad to contribute to its development.
The mall at Groenveldt, Leonora will be open to the public today. Albert said after purchasing the land, he and his family thought of many business ideas that would help to develop the region, which is close to his heart. The cost of the mall was not stated
Among the special invitees and those speaking at the event and offering congratulations, were Vice President, Bharat Jagdeo; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Chairman of Region 3, Inshan Ayube and president of the Region 3 Chamber of Commerce. They also assisted the family in cutting the ribbon to officially declare the mall open.
Albert remarked that the thought of leaving the region or the country never crossed his mind. As such, his passion for business started from a young age when he took some bananas from his father, put them to ripe and sold them at the Leonora market.
He noticed that there was a gap for “social entity, cohesion and entertainment in the region” and because of that, the idea for the mall was birthed. He was pleased that the two-and-a-half-year- long project was finally completed through the blessings of God, and through the teamwork of his wife and his three children.
He said they worked tirelessly and endured sleepless nights. “Some-times we argued, what to do, what not to do, what to put where, what not to put where. Sometimes we vex with each other and afterwards we come back and think about the mall again.”
Albert pointed out that “the road to the finish line was not an easy one. We faced many challenges in logistics, weather, increased prices for materials and significant shortages of labour. As we all know, Guyana needs about 100,000 skilled labourers right now…”
He made special mention of some of the people involved in the construction, especially Taslim Baksh, who designed the mall and followed up regularly to ensure it was built to standard, and to see its successful completion.
He thanked his financial institution, Go-Invest “and our investors for the guidance and support of this mall. …I am proud to be a part of this historic transformation of Region 3.”
Managing director, Bhabita Albert, the elder of Albert’s two daughters, remarked that the “initial plan for the project was for a simple, but elegant design of a two-story building…. The mall occupies 98,000 square feet of space, complete with 84 businesses, which are unique in their nature, design and services.
“The vision was to have an entity that would meet the needs of all stakeholders. Our kiosks consist of plant shops, electronic gadgets, jewellery, crafts, souvenirs and books, amongst others.”
He said Baksh, along with his team, was the most capable individual to design the mall. He took into considerations ease access of businesses in strategic locations, including ATM machines, 32 businesses ranging from clothing, cosmetics and lingerie.
The mall also has insurance companies, salons, cafes, general merchandise and foods such as KFC, Churches and Korean fried chicken on the ground floor. Additionally, a seating capacity of 250 persons is dedicated to the food court for the convenience of shoppers.
The second floor has fresh flowers, stylish clothing, ice cream, a 1200 square feet indoor playground, which includes a 12,000 ball pit pool, an S-slide and two major slides, a mini trampoline, a zip line and a dedicated 800 sq ft outdoor space for families. She also recognised owner of Zimi, a 2200 sq. ft store that offers diverse products at affordable prices.
Bhabita pointed out that the West Central Movies was one of her favourite spaces in the mall, with a two-screen theatre that is equipped with Dolby Atmos surround sound systems.
She told the huge gathering that the theatres offer an experience with their luxurious and comfortable seatings, that they would not find anywhere else in Guyana.
Apart from that, the mall offers the only themed fine-dining restaurant in the country, as well as the Ace Club & Lounge, both of which were previously opened to the public.
She was grateful to her “father for his support, love and trust in us to explore our ideas and to make them a reality. …We had many ups and down, many sleepless nights, we have complained here and there, but he will always have the trust in us. We would say, ‘dad, this is the new generation, we should do it this way’ and he will say, ‘okay, go ahead and he would give his input into it and this is what we have accomplished today; the West Central Mall…”
Albert’s other siblings, Aviskhar and Tina also gave brief remarks and vote of thanks, respectively. There was entertainment from students of Stewartville and Uitvlugt secondary schools, while the students of the West Demerara Secondary School showcased their talents in playing the steel pan.
