Several designs in hand for new Brickdam Police Station

Several designs are in hand for the reconstruction of the Brickdam Police Station, which will be several storeys high.

This was disclosed by Minster of Home Affairs Robeson Bennon the side-line of an event on Thursday.

The reconstruction of the station which was gutted by fire last year, is a major investment that features in the $47.9 billion 2022 security budget.

“We already have three concept drawings and we are looking at the foundation and the footprint issues in relation to the building, and then the internal detailing as what we would have in consultation with the police for a new modern Brickdam Police Station, which will take us into the next 30 or 40 years,” the minister said.

Minister Benn said the $400 million budgeted is not the final sum for the building, but rather an initial sum that will get works underway, adding that the final figure will be disclosed soon.

“The foundation work would have to be piled, the design issue it will be a steel structure, there will be a more open concept, the reticulation and those issues would have to be different and modern and also the fire protection. So, this is the first tranche in relation to that investment,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister Benn said Guyana’s changing landscape is the main reason why government is investing $255 million to procure a hydraulic platform to bolster the Guyana Fire Service’s firefighting capabilities.

“The reason is of course the landscape in the city is changing rapidly now. We have more high-rise buildings. The use of the hydraulic platform with the hoses on top of them have proven very efficacious in terms of dowsing fires in those type of buildings,” he said.

Added to that, money has been budgeted to continue construction of the new central fire station on Homestretch Avenue. A $614 contract was awarded in 2021 for the relocation of the fire station to better serve Guyanese.

“That will go a long way in having better placement for the facility, better exiting from their operations because you know what the situation is at Stabroek which we have been able to overcome,” the Minister said.

The 2022 National Budget was presented on Wednesday by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh under the theme “Steadfast against all challenges; resolute in building our one Guyana.”