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SAN Fernando mayor Robert Parris has written to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar appealing to her to save him from “embarrassment” and prioritise restoration of two of the southern city’s most treasured but neglected historic buildings – the old San Fernando police station building and the Carnegie Free Library.
The letter dated October 6, 2025, follows the PM’s recent assumption of responsibility for heritage buildings, the National Trust, and the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) as part of a ministerial realignment.
Parris, a PNM mayor, congratulated the prime minister on her expanded heritage portfolio, describing it as “a renewed emphasis on the stewardship of our national patrimony.” He said the shift presented “a unique opportunity to bring long-standing local aspirations into tangible realisation.”
In his letter, Parris called for “priority attention, investment and actionable planning” for the iconic and prominent police station along Harris Promenade which was gutted by fire in 2009. He said has remained in disrepair for more than a decade which is a source of embarrassment for him.
Saying this structure holds personal significance for him, Parris explained, “My great-great-grandfather, Mr Samuel Atherly, served as the architect for this very building.
“It is a source of quiet embarrassment to me that, though I now hold public office, the edifice still lies neglected.”
Parris lamented that successive administrations have made promises but failed to deliver restoration.
He appealed to the prime minister to make the project a heritage rehabilitation priority, complete with a defined time line, budget, and institutional oversight.
The mayor also raised alarm about the worsening condition of the Carnegie Free Library, describing it as a “landmark of immeasurable cultural value.”
This fading pillar of learning was built through a £2,500 donation from Scottish American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It was opened in 1919 and served generations of students and researchers across south Trinidad.
Parris recounted that the initiative was first proposed in 1909 by then mayor JD Hobson, who successfully petitioned Carnegie for the funds.
“Over time, the library became a focal point for study, literacy and community gathering,” he said. “Sadly, over the past decade, the building has suffered increasing deterioration – roof leaks, falling galvanised sheets, and closure of key areas.”
He noted that reports by the National Trust, NALIS, and the San Fernando City Corporation have already recommended its restoration and official listing under the National Trust Act, but “such plans remain aspirational rather than executed.”
Given Persad-Bissessar’s new oversight of both heritage and library services, Parris suggested that the Carnegie structure be transformed into a flagship cultural centre for the south, perhaps housing a national archive or Prime Ministerial collection.
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