Proposals for retirement home, health hub at Silica City to be evaluated soon – Housing Minister

The Guyana Government has received a number of proposals for the construction of a retirement resort and a healthcare hub at Silica City – its model smart and sustainable city – and these are expected to be evaluated over the coming weeks.
Back in October the Ministry of Housing, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from qualified developers to design, finance and construct an eco-focused retirement resort and a healthcare-focused, mixed-use development hub within Silica City, along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. Guyana Times understands that the tender box with the proposals will be opened today.

However, during a presentation over the weekend on the Government’s five-year plan for the sector, Housing Minister Collin Croal explained that the period for submission of EoIs for both facilities have closed and the technical teams will be conducting evaluations of the proposals received. “We have a number of responses [from those] who have responded and so now the team will move forward to be able to evaluate those expressions of interest,” Minister Croal stated. In addition to the retirement resort and healthcare hub, there are also plans for the establishment of sports tourism within Silica City and this project is currently being developed, according to the Housing Minister.
The CH&PA had explained in the invitation for EoIs for the healthcare hub that the initiative aims to integrate modern healthcare services with commercial and residential spaces, supporting the city’s vision of innovation, sustainability, and improved quality of life for its residents.

Proposals
The proposed Healthcare Hub will span 80 acres and include a state-of-the-art hospital and speciality medical facilities, innovation and research centres, a university campus and residential development consisting of approximately 580 households. The project will also incorporate integrated green spaces, parks and ecological landscapes to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly urban environment. The invitation further emphasised that proposals must demonstrate strong environmental sensitivity, efficient land use and the integration of renewable energy and smart infrastructure, such as solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, and energy-efficient building systems. As it relates to the retirement resort, the project will span 20 acres and will cater to residents aged 60 and above, offering a sustainable and wellness-orientated living environment consistent with Silica City’s broader green vision. The planned development will feature 40–50 individual eco-homes ranging between 500 and 600 square feet, a wellness and outpatient clinic, a community kitchen and dining hall, a community garden, renewable energy systems (including solar and wind installations), as well as native trails and a forest buffer to maintain environmental balance. Interested developers were required to demonstrate capacity and experience in designing and developing retirement or senior-living communities, applying sustainable and low-impact spatial design, integrating smart technologies and renewable systems, and financing and delivering design–build projects. Conceived in 2009 by then Housing Minister and now President Irfaan Ali, Silica City will be Guyana’s first modern, sustainable city and is part of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s climate change mitigation initiatives under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030). The Government has set aside some 3800 acres of land for the new city with approximately 15,000 houses to be constructed in various phases over the next two decades. In its first five years, the city is expected to cater to just over 3000 households, all of whom will enjoy access to high-end developments, including smart homes equipped with the newest energy-saving technologies. Located approximately 40 kilometres (km) from Georgetown and 5 km from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Silica City is designed as a climate-resilient urban ecosystem that integrates innovation, nature and smart technology. The retirement resort, healthcare hub and sport tourism facilities all fall under Phase Two of the Silica City project. Phase Two also caters for the development of over 374 lots that will have various aspects of construction including these three facilities. This aspect of the project will target the Guyanese Diaspora including for investment opportunities. Meanwhile, Phase One of the Silica City Project focuses on the development of some 290 lots. Already, Government has constructed the first 110 Young Professional houses under this first phase. These houses comprise four designs with prices ranging between $27 million and $35 million. According to Minister Croal, a number of these houses are already completed and allocated to beneficiaries. “We have persons who have signed their agreements and they can use that…as part of acquiring a mortgage,” he noted. The Housing Minister went onto add that, “We’re talking about in the first phase of the massive rollout for the Silica City, which is over 3,000 acres of land being developed on the Highway. And so, one can look forward in a massive way to see investments happening on the Silica City.”