From fence to water access: major upgrades for Merriman Mall vendors

Mayor of Georgetown Alfred Mentore on Wednesday outlined several planned improvements for Merriman Mall, including better access to water, sanitation and a fence.

Mentore was accompanied by City Councillors, Constabulary Officers and other stakeholders during an engagement with vendors at the mall located near Bourda. He told the vendors that the Council is committed to creating a cleaner, safer and more functional environment for traders operating at the location.

“We want to have a more clean and habitable city,” Mentore said.

On sanitation, the mayor said work on a sewage plan is imminent. He said that arrangements are being made to run a sewage line along the drain to allow for a proper sanitary facility to be established at the mall.

“Any moment now the execution of the sewage plan to have the sanitary facility here will be put in place,” he said.

Mentore said that water access for all vendors at the location is also being pursued. He explained that the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has committed to work with the council to make this possible.

Another area of concern was security, which Mentore said he believes the mall should be fenced off, and that a design unique to the location could be considered.

Mentore said he has seen videos of certain activities at the mall in the evenings which has led him to believe that the security of the area is paramount.

“From a security standpoint it is my view that we should have this place fenced off. We could look at something unique for this location so that we can have a fence to reduce certain type of activity in the evenings and we can even have a presence of security personnel from the constabulary here,” he said.

He said the council will access its finance to include security.

The mayor also addressed the issue of pallets, noting that a buildup has been observed along Robb Street and Regent Street. He said the city has been working to remove the pallets and find alternative solutions. He said that the process requires careful management as the removal moves forward.

Mentore called on vendors to work alongside the administration.

“We want to fix those issues, we want to address them and we want you to partner with us to do it,” he said.