Manager of Markets Henderson Greaves is shedding some light on issues pertaining to the Fairchild Street Market complex in The City.
One thing he said was continually being misrepresented in the media was the arrangement made for vendors who were displaced by the asbestos removal work.
“There are two [main] types of vendors in the forecourt [of the market complex] – there are the food vendors and there are those who sell ground provisions and fruit.
“That [latter] group were told they could go over to Golden Square Market where space exists but those who sell food, we have no place available for at this point in time, but we are preparing Probyn Street for them where we will have a food court as well as areas for shoemakers, barbers and the like.
“We are trying to get that project completed so that the vendors can move over in the shortest possible time,” he explained.
Greaves said Golden Square Public Market was the official name of the market on Probyn Street. He said the produce vendors were supposed to be relocated to the existing market while the food court and such were to be built on land leased from the Methodist Church across the street.
Greaves was speaking to the DAILY NATION on Sunday as he was supervising contracted workers who were destroying derelict kiosks at the complex
and rearranging others so the equipment being used to remove the asbestos would have clear passage.
He said the workers were originally intended to be able to return today but it looked like the work would take at least another two weeks.
“What is going to happen is, [when] the asbestos is completely removed, the area will be washed and sanitized to remove any remains of fibres or particles as we don’t want to endanger the health of the vendors in any way.
“Once the Environmental Protection Department gives the all-clear, the vendors will be notified via the printed and electronic media. Of course, there will [also] be a site meeting prior to their return where we will establish the dos and don’ts,” he said.
However, Greaves said he could not give a more definitive timeline at this point.
He also took issue with a problem highlighted in the SUNDAY SUN – garbage dumping, specifically the ever growing refuse and coconut shells piled up against the eastern part of the barricade.
“This pile of rubbish should not be here. A lot of it is not being generated by anyone in the forecourt, so I would like the property owners [in this area] to follow the Health Services Regulations Cap. 44 and not dump their garbage over here.
“I have had this area cleaned before but I will not be doing so again and over the course of the next 24 hours I will be erecting No Dumping signs here to ensure this does not happen anymore,” he said.
Greaves said the skip previously located in the area had been removed as there was no longer any activity going on in the forecourt. He advised businesses near the market to utilize the Sanitation Service Authority’s commercial services and pay to have their waste removed.
“I will also implore the coconut vendor[s] to desist from doing this [dumping] as well,” he said.
Greaves said when the asbestos was removed, there were plans to demolish the rest of the market and rebuild a new one “in time” but such work was under the purview of the Ministry of Transport and Works.
