The ‘iconic’ City Hall building, which was previously described as an ‘eye sore,’ is currently being restored, and Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall says the project is well on track to be completed in the estimated timeframe of 18 months.
Several sections of the building were deteriorating, and many citizens and City staff were concerned that this legacy would have been erased. However, last September, a contract for $780 million was signed for the restoration of this historic structure.
“Yes, we are on our way to completion; we don’t have any major challenges in terms of anything that has to happen outside of the current design that the contractors are being asked to execute. So when City Hall is restored, it is still going to be the most iconic structure in Georgetown or one of the most iconic structures in the country,” he said.
However, should there be challenges along the way and the project timeline needs to be extended, the Minister urged Guyanese not to become “frustrated.”
“We should not get frustrated even if it goes beyond the 18 months period because the structure has left to deteriorate for so long, for so many years… City Hall, when it is restored, is going to be for all Guyana.”
The Minister did not go into details about how much of the work is completed but based on observation; works are well underway.
City Hall was in need of repairs for many years, and because of neglect and a lack of funding, the structure further deteriorated.
The restoration project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the European Union, and the Mayor and City Council.
