‘Wind’ is demolition contractor on Stabroek Wharf

Mar 26, 2015 News

…facility extremely unsafe
Given the neglect meted out to the Stabroek Market wharf, City Hall officials say that the British-designed structure was left to the destructive hands of the wind. The wind apparently became the main contractor in the demolishing of the Stabroek Wharf.
Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, made the insinuation yesterday based on information she would have received from City Engineer, Colvern Venture.
“The winds did the demolition,” the Council’s CEO said during a telephone interview. The paper was at the time seeking an update on the market facility after the western end of the wharf crumbled over the weekend.
The safety of vendors and shoppers trading in that section of the market has become more prominent now that the strong winds continue to cause loose material to fall from the more than 20-foot high ceiling.
City Council is working with its City Engineer to determine when work will begin to remove what is left of the deteriorating structure.
According to reports the structure, which is in an advanced stage of dilapidation, and beyond repair, began falling apart since late last year. Material has gradually slackened and separated from the wharf.
A source at City Hall said that the agency had its contractors performing only “patch work” on the wharf. “That is all that has been done to the wharf”; hence the market has now met an “advance stage of deterioration and is beyond repair.”
He added that it would be unsafe for anyone to remain within that area. He said that to safely remove or address the situation of the wharf, the council will have to get a pontoon with a long crane to remove the dangerous section of the structure.
He said, “It is a very dangerous job to address the deteriorating wharf, especially since it is standing above water.” He lamented that it would be very unsafe to have workers climb the structure to remove debris.
The contractor, ‘wind’ also used the opportunity to remind of other city markets also in dilapidated states. It pointedly began to focus on the Bourda Market fish pond area. That structure too can collapse at any time, and urged for the matter to be addressed so as to prevent injury or even death due to unwanted incidences.
Last Saturday, a significant portion of the Stabroek Market structure came crashing down, crushing some stalls below.
When Sooba was contacted, she refused to accept blame for the procrastination of works on the wharf. She said that following the incident on Saturday she conversed with Venture about the wharf. She alleged that she was told that the “winds had done the demolition. There is only a small portion left as the wind has done the majority of the work. A scaffold is no longer needed.”
Venture yesterday said that he is unable to comment on the matter. However, a decision as to how and when the situation will be addressed is still anticipated.
Sooba had told the Kaieteur News reporter that vendors were served notices to remove from the area but they had paid deaf ears to the written warnings. Vendors have since denied the claims by Sooba, and have indicated that they would be willing to move if offered a replacement spot.
Sooba also said that for four months she has been anticipating works to begin by Venture and team. However, she said that Venture was having delays due to a lack of scaffolds.
Contrary to the claims of Sooba, Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, told Kaieteur News that resources are not available to address the Stabroek wharf situation. He also said that the decisions by the Mayor and Council are being challenged by the Town Clerk. Kaieteur News understands that this “poor management by Sooba” is the roadblock to the rehabilitation.

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‘Wind’ is demolition contractor on Stabroek Wharf

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