PLANS ARE IN the works for the restoration of the environs of the former Codd’s House, led by the efforts of real estate magnate Paul Altman.
It is a part of the work he started nearly 30 years ago to repair the Jewish Synagogue in the City.
“We have an application in at the Town Planning department, under the World Heritage designation, to complete . . . an entire city block. The plan is to restore this area to put a park like the park [developed] at Church Village, and also to build a significant monument to celebrate the fact that the Emancipation Act was signed in Codd’s House,” he said after the Crop Over Heritage Lecture and tour at the Codd’s House carpark on Sunday evening.
“We will [also] restore the other old buildings that are on this site. With a little luck and with all of the assistance that we hope to get we would like to get that started before the end of this year,” he said.
Altman believed the project would take about a year. And while he was uncertain of the final price tag, the developer said the project was going to be an “expensive endeavour” – but also an important one.
“It will beautify this area and it couldn’t come at a better time when we need initiative to kick-start the overall efforts for this World Heritage opportunity… I think that there is a lot of inspiration around and we have to find ways to fast-track this effort because if we don’t do it, first of all buildings get knocked down and buildings fall down and people lose their excitement.” (LW)
