Kingston Seawall Esplanade officially open to the public

The Kingston Seawall Esplanade officially opened to the public on Friday, providing a secure and inviting recreational space for families and individuals.

The initiative is part of the First Lady Arya Ali’s National Beautification Project in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works.

The area has undergone significant improvements, including a renovated Bandstand, freshly paved paths, a new restroom facility, two promenades, a new children’s play area, 18 food vendor stalls in an expansive food court and designated parking spaces along the seawall.

A police outpost was also established for security, and surveillance cameras installed, along with improved lighting. Free Wi-Fi is also accessible to the public.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony at the Kingston Seawall Bandstand, First Lady Ali expressed that when she assumed office three years ago, her primary goal was to utilise her position effectively for the betterment of Guyana and its people.

Consequently, she made it a top priority to clean and beautify recreational spaces across the country, while creating safe, wholesome spaces for citizens. She believed that this initiative would contribute to the development projects happening across the country.

The seawall project was a significant undertaking, as it has always been a popular gathering place for Guyanese to socialize.

“For  as long as anyone of us can remember, we have come here to worship, we came here to relax, to find moments of solitude and to feed our soul.

And so in considering what we do in this area, we talked about making it more comfortable, more organised, more safe, and more accessible,” she noted.

The First Lady encouraged Guyanese to take pride in and care for the facilities.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, emphasised that as the government leads the transformational agenda nationwide, it is important that spaces are create to promote wholesome family entertainment.

“We will continue to work not only here in Georgetown, but wherever we can make safe spaces, green spaces, family oriented spaces on the direction and initiative of Her Excellency,” he stated.

He mentioned that the entire project was executed by local contractors, pointing out that around 30 small and medium-sized contractors were actively involved in the project.

Also in attendance were Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar and other cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic core, the private sector and civil society.