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City officials warn…Partly demolished Astor Cinema in danger of collapsing
By Rehanna Ramsay
City Hall officials are warning of the danger that the partly-demolished Astor Cinema poses to passers-by.
They have expressed concern at the manner in which the historic structure, located at Church and Waterloo Streets, is being torn down.
During a recent forum, officials at City Hall had noted that in its current state, the old cinema is “a threat to life and limb.”
The Council had noted that they received complaints about the dangers of exercise from members of the public including the owner of the building located nearby.
Based on the complaints, the Council said that they are of the view that best practices are not being employed to carry out the demolition exercise.
The Council had therefore issued a call for the new owners to supervise the demolition exercise.
The building was sold to the owners of Discount Store located at Regent Street, Georgetown.
After demolition work started last month, a representative of Discount Store had explained that members of the public were welcome to make use of the material from the old movie theatre.
But that offer resulted in several individuals, including vagrants, descending on the property.
The shaky edifice which once housed Guyana’s oldest cinema, is being unsafely ripped apart by these individuals, who are seemingly unaware of the danger that looms.
The old Astor Cinema has become a haven for vandalism.
But with the foundation of building destroyed, commuters and observers have noted that the skeletal remains of the old wooden structure can come crashing down at any given moment.
Several persons have noted that while the notion by the new owners to offer the remains to charity is commendable, the demolition of the building poses serious safety hazards.
“Everyday junkies can be seen ripping off parts of the building or rummaging through the debris at the site.
“Some of them climb to the top of the building to remove the boards. They are ripping away at the building without stopping to take into consideration that the building can come crashing with them or on some random passersby,” one concerned commuter had remarked.
This newspaper recently paid a visit to the site.
During the visit, a group of men could be seen using crowbars and hammers clawing away at the remnants of the building in the midday sun.
Those present noted the wood and “other good” material taken from the old building will be sold.
“When we sort out the good wood we does sell it to people who want, “one of the men explained.
Questioned on whether they are aware of the danger associated with their activity, one of the men said that it’s a risk he is willing to take.
“We know, but we still got to hustle. If we want to make a sale we got to break the place.”
Astor cinema has been in operation for more than seventy years.
After struggling to stay afloat financially and remain vital to Guyana’s cultural landscape, the entertainment landmark finally closed its door in 2013.
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