Regent street in transition? This picture taken yesterday shows vending on the Regent Street on the very spot which, almost 12 years ago, a huge fire engulfed several business premises including the premises housing the Guyana Import/Export. (GIMPEX)
Fires have made their own considerable contribution to the transformation of downtown Georgetown, particularly Regent Street. One notable characteristic of that transformation has been the swift occupation by vendors of spaces created by fires that destroyed established businesses.
In the case of this particular fire, the section of Regent Street gutted by the fire also housed the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU), the Guyana’s Rice Producers Association (GRPA), Alicia’s Wholesale & Retail Store, Daswaney’s General Store, Shamdas Kirpalani store, Hall’s Piano Warehouse and Colgrain Dental Laboratory.
That particular fire was said to be one of the many manifestations of a turbulent political period though many of the subsequent fires in the commercial section of Georgetown are widely believed to be the result of practices within the commercial community that remain indifferent to municipal, fire safety and other by-laws. At this juncture no one is prepared to bet against the further proliferation of such fires and the further transformation of streets like Regent Street into scarred spaces that await the further proliferation of vendors.
