Temporary roof at President's House to be removed

NATIONAL Trust chairman Margaret McDowell is happy the temporary roofs at President's House and Mille Fleurs could be removed soon. The roofs are made of long galvanised sheets and were placed over both buildings to protect them.

The Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) recently issued a request for proposals to remove and sell these roofs.

McDowell said people at the trust "have been praying for this day for a long time." She was aware that considerable work needed to be done at President's House because of dilapidation there.

While she had not heard any news about Mille Fleurs recently, McDowell was hopeful about restoration work there.

A conservationalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the removal of the temporary roofs meant that exposure to the weather would not cause a repeat of the deterioration which the buildings suffered. An engineer, also speaking anonymously, confirmed that. The engineer said sufficient remedial works had been done in preparation for the removal of the roofs.

There were no visible signs of work taking place at Mille Fleurs, on Queen's Park West, yesterday. The gates were locked and the building looked dilapidated. In contrast, there was activity taking place at nearby Whitehall.

Last January, Udecott chairman Noel Garcia said work on President's House could be completed by mid-June.

When Newsday visited President's House, several sets of scaffolding were visible under the temporary roof over the building. They appeared to be new and to have been in frequent use. Parts of the walls leading up to the original roof have been reconstructed.

A section of the roof of President's House collapsed in May 2010. Restoration work began there in July 2012. Last year a local contractor was awarded a $90 million contract for restoration and rehabilitation work on President's House.

An additional $17 million will be spent on the Office of the President, which is in the grounds of the President's House , along with the President's Cottage where previous presidents have lived in recent years. President's House was the home of the Governor of TT from 1876 to April 30, 1958. In that year it became the residence of the Governor-General of the West Indies Federation. When TT gained independence, the house was used as a museum and art gallery for a while. When TT became a republic in 1976, the building became the official residence of the President.

Mille Fleurs was built in 1904 by George Brown. In 1923, the house was sold to Joseph Salvatori, and then to George Matouk in 1973. The government bought it in 1979 for approximately $1 million. Mille Fleurs was the headquarters for Carifesta V in 1991 and the Culture Ministry was responsible for it until June 2000, when it was assigned to the Environment Ministry.

The Prime Minister chairs a Cabinet sub-committee which is overseeing the restoration of of several historical buildings. These include Stollmeyer’s Castle, President’s House, Whitehall, the Red House and Mille Fleurs. In February 2016, the Government promised to restore these buildings by 2021.