Vendors who were removed from the Kitty Market in 2016 are seeking answers regarding when rehabilitation works on the market would be completed and they would be able to return.
The Kitty Market has been undergoing rehabilitation works since 2016. During a visit to the market yesterday, vendors present expressed their dissatisfaction with the pace at which the works at the market are moving. The vendors also spoke about how unhappy they were after hearing of the proposed stall rental fees.
“The council doing a bunch of nonsense. Is about three years now they take we out the market to repair it but on to now it ain’t done. When they first move we, they seh three months,” one man, who asked not to be named, said. The vendor related that he was happy when he was told that the market was set to undergo repairs as he had wanted it to be rehabilitated for a while. “When them tell we that we got to move from the market so they could do it over, I was ok with it cause it was in a bad condition for years,” he said.
Another vendor agreed that moving from the market was never an issue but they are upset with the length of time that it is taking to have them return. “Everybody think we had a problem with moving but that’s not it, we thought they would fix um up quick time and we would be back in there, but look at how much years man,” the vendor lamented.
Another expressed hope that the market would be completed before year-end. The man said he knows that some of the outside stalls are completed and some are already given out. In this regard, he was concerned as he said that he has heard of persons from other markets acquiring some of the completed stalls before vendors who were originally based in the market.
“I hope they finish with the market by the year end. It taking real long and it ain’t easy out here. Business real slow. I hear when they finish the outside stall they would give it to some of the people and that we would get first preference. You can’t got a stall at Stabroek Market) and then want to come here and take from us. When you see we get business, is we loyal customer them does come,” he said.
At a recent press conference, city officials stated that the first phase of rehabilitation of the Kitty Market was completed. Eighteen outer stalls on Barr and Alexander Streets were completed and ready to be occupied. It was also stated that the office of the Clerk of Markets would be relocated to the Kitty Market and when completed, rental rates for stalls would range from $11,000 to $30,000 along with other fees.
