Marine Drive Investment Project gathers steam

Attachy Construction Limited, developer of the Marine Drive Investment Project, has said 90 percent of debris on the 240-acre land has been cleared.

Structures of traders and craft workers at the Arts Centre are what remain to be cleared

There was initially an estimated 990,000 cubic meters of unsuitable materials on the designated project land out of which 713,000 cubic meters have been cleared; however, Attachy Construction is hopeful that the rest of rubble will soon be cleared to pave way for official construction of the project to begin.

Speaking to the Goldstreet Business, Tourism Minister, Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku, said traders and craft workers at the Arts Centre have agreed, through negotiations, to vacate the place to enable work to progress.

“Looking at the volumes that we have cleared, once the green light is given, we are sure to demolish and prepare the rest of the land within a month”, Attachy’s MD, Kwame Atta Acheampong disclosed.

Before its official launch, there were complaints by a section of the public, especially traders and artisans around the Arts Centre, that the project will deprive them of their livelihood and render them jobless since the project covers their area of economic activity.

But government assured the traders of plans to resettle them on a piece of land located behind Kawukudi, in Accra, until the project is completed.

Currently, the Arts Centre contributes about US$3 million to the economy each year with the amount projected to double in the next three years.

“The stay of the traders and artisans is the only challenge delaying the work but after the June deadline from the Tourism Ministry, we are optimistic to expedite work on clearing to begin the project,” Acheampong said.

Meanwhile, a visit to the project site by the Goldstreet Business revealed serious issues about sanitation in the area.

The situation particularly calls for major concern, as it poses health risks to the hundreds of labourers on the site.

“We usually try to give friendly advice to perpetrators to stop dumping refuse and other unsanitary acts in the area. Apart from that, there’s nothing that could jeopardize the project’s image,” Acheampong said.