Concern is growing among business operators on the Carenage about the state of a building in the area owned by British-born Real Estate developer, Peter de Savary.
Flanked on one side by a small restaurant and on the other by barbeque vendors, the building has become not just an eyesore but a major health hazard because of the activities which take place inside it.
Business operators who have been affected by the situation say it is a drug den, inhabited by vagrants.
When THE NEW TODAY visited the building we observed that the first floor was littered with all types of garbage and the stench or urine and feces was overpowering.
There are reports that the vagrants who occupy the building also urinate and defecate there.
During heavy rains recently and during past flooding of the area, garbage and feces from the building have been seen floating into the road and the Carenage sea.
A large, uncovered tank on the property has also been collecting water and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, adding to the seriousness of the health problem, given that Grenada is again in the midst of a dengue fever outbreak.
The Carenage building is one of many properties scooped up by de Savary for development and resale and that particular one has been on the market for some time, with an asking price of US$500, 000.
THE NEW TODAY was informed that complaints have been made to Barry Collymore, who is now the Chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) and also a director with the de Savary Properties.
“The people around here stop him (Collymore) many times to complain because he is in charge of the building and nothing has been done,” said one person.
The person added that, “there are people around here cooking food and the building smelling so bad.”
The current state of the building breaches public health regulations.
The Carenage has some of the most valuable real estate in St George’s and the area is marked for major redevelopment under the Blue Growth Master Plan that involves raising the level of the area surrounding the Carenage waters, building high-end shops, relocating the St George’s Port and converting that area into a cultural arts centre.
Unlike other properties purchased by de Savary’s company such as Port Louis, Mount Cinnamon Hotel, Tufton Hall Estate and Mount Edgecombe, there has been no upgrade work done on the two-story building which once housed the offices of a local trading company.
When THE NEW TODAY spoke with Director Collymore, he acknowledged that the situation with the building on the Carenage is an ongoing problem.
“The problem with that building is that people keep breaking in to it. In the past Mr. de Savary has locked it up but people keep breaking in. Unless you have twenty-four hours security there, but that is impossible,” he said.
For the last two years one indigent man has been living permanently in the building.
Collymore confirmed that he had received a telephone call last week Thursday morning from a business owner operating next door and that steps would be taken to fix the problem.
“We will send people to clean it up,” he assured.
Collymore said they hope the building will be developed as part of the larger project planned for the area under the Blue Growth initiative however if a buyer comes along before that it will be sold.