Development of a hotel is expected on a large swathe of land facing the Atlantic Ocean in the city, following court resolution of a dispute, sources say.
Situated where Sophia begins on the Rupert Craig Highway, the area is owned by diamond miner Ryan Pereira and clearing of the lands has begun.
Efforts to contact Pereira yesterday proved futile but sources told this newspaper that a hotel development is planned for the prime real estate property.
The area had been in court for some time. Pereira had purchased the lands but plans for its development had been stalled due to the court action, this newspaper understands.
However, the businessman is forging ahead with development as earth works have commenced.
When Stabroek News visited the area yesterday, parts of the property had been cleared and an excavator was parked there.
Residents informed that they too had been told that a high-end hotel was planned for the area.
One man who lives in the area, which is separated from Liliendaal by a narrow street, recalled that when he was a child villagers would play cricket and football on the land as they did not know who the owners were. He said that it was then called the Liliendaal Pasture because villagers would also graze cows and horses on the property.
However, he said that as time progressed children were not interested in using the space and it was overtaken by grass.
He said that residents welcome the development as it would bring “light and more value” to the area.
Last year, the Ministry of Finance’s mid-year report for 2021 stated that construction would have started on a total of 20 hotels. It is unclear if the said hotel is included in that number.
These hotels are expected to add an estimated 3,450 rooms, more than doubling the existing country-wide capacity.
“This has surpassed the initial target of six new hotels and an additional 1,000 rooms. Further, construction …commenced for five of these hotels during the first half of the year, while eight hotels should commence construction during the third quarter, and seven are anticipated in the fourth quarter”, the report said.
It added that after more than a year of varying degrees of travel restrictions, there is finally a glimmer of hope with the COVID-19 vaccine which signals that countries might slowly return to some semblance of normalcy.
It had noted that the Guyana Tourism Authority had directed its focus on supporting tourism businesses to reopen safely within the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Taskforce, and on marketing Destination Guyana as safe for travel.
