By Kurt Campbell
With a keen focus on developing tourism hotspots across the country, President Irfaan Ali has talked up a massive Seawall Redevelopment Plan to be launched early next year.
This is not the first time there is talk about developing the tourism potential of the seawall that runs along the coastline between Kingston and Kitty in Georgetown. And with First Lady Arya Ali already starting transformational work in that regard, the President said more is to come.
“We will be using best practices and the greatest economic value of the seawall for the sector,” the President said to loud applause as he addressed the 2021 Tourism Awards Gala on Wednesday night at Parc Rayne.
Under the First Lady’s National Beautification Project, the redevelopment of the once-thriving commercial and cultural hotspots has started. What was intended to be a moderate facelift of the bandstand area has now become an elaborate plan to boost tourism in the capital city.
In addition, Dr. Ali also announced plans to clean and develop the reserves that run along Lamaha Street, between Main Street and Vlissengen Road currently occupied in parts by the Ministry of Public Works, the Guyana Revenue Authority and other private businesses using it as parking lots.
It formerly served as the railway lines for trains coming in and out of what in Colonial Guyana used to be old Georgetown; and then previously home to scores of squatters, the area also has several high voltage wires belonging to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).
“What we will do there, we are going to rehabilitate old the train wagons and the entire station and create from Main Street to Vlissengen Road ‘the Guyana Walk’.
“We are going to transform it with local art galleries and craft, local restaurants and food courts. It will be paved, trees planted and sitting arrangements for families,” the President said.
He committed that this will be done before the first half of next year.
Dr. Ali said it was part of creating new interest and he thanked the private sector for its support.
