Work on the restoration of the iconic City Hall building is moving apace and will come to an end soon, acting Town Clerk Walter Narine said on Thursday last.
“So far, the work is coming along excellently. So very soon, City Hall building will be completed,” he said in an interview with Stabroek News at his office. The government granted an extension to the contractor, which is expected to end soon.
Even as the project is being co-managed, the majority of it is being done by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Contacted, Minister Sonia Parag said she was aware that the work was moving along, but could not definitively pronounce on the March 2025 deadline. The restoration of the building was originally slated for completion in March 2023.
Parag said she will pay a visit to the site next week in order to provide an update. An engineer, who had preferred anonymity, told Stabroek News last December that only final tasks such as painting and minor internal adjustments were left to be completed.
The restoration project, awarded in 2021 to Trinidad-based contractor, Fides Limited, for $780 million, initially had an 18-month timeline. However, delays led the Ministry of Local Government to grant an eight-month extension in August 2023, moving the target to November 2023.
This extension, however, had little impact as the project remained unfinished. As of June 2024, workers were still active on site, though progress had slowed. Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore had said that friction between the contractor and the government contributed to the delays.
The restoration team has had to balance structural integrity with preserving the historical value of the three-storey building. These challenges have required meticulous planning and manual labour, further extending the project timeline.
Once completed, the restored City Hall is expected to provide not only a rejuvenated architectural landmark, but also a symbol of Georgetown’s commitment to preserving its history while modernising its infrastructure.
City Hall was designed by architect and Roman Catholic priest Fr Ignatius Scholes SJ in 1887 and was completed in June 1889. On December 23, 1887, Governor Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for City Hall at the north-east corner of the main building, along with a glass jar containing original documents relating to the building. City Hall was officially opened at 15:00 hours on July 1, 1889 by Governor Jenico Preston the 14th Viscount Gormanston.
