BARVEN happy with new market project progress

The Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN) is pleased with the setup of the Fairchild Street Market Village, currently under construction in Bridgetown.

The market which is one of the biggest projects in the portfolio of the Urban Development Commision (UDC) for the year will have facilities for 112 vendors upon completion of Phase 1 and 2. Valentino Barrow, Chairman of Fairchild Street Market Vendors and Public Relations Officer for the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN) expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley for answering his call for a state of the art facility for the vendors of Fairchild Street and acting immediately to put the project into motion.

However, Barrow admitted that one of the drawbacks of the path to being organised was that some of the vendors were accustomed to more space and less restrictions.

“One of the drawbacks is that although a lot of tenants are here at Fairchild Street Market, they included a lot of space in their setups that was not theirs to start with, more than their allotted amount. Obviously those who are accustomed to more space will have to adapt.”

Despite those concerns by some of the vendors the PRO stated that the fact of the matter was that the new facility would be significantly organised than the current situation which  in some cases could be seen as an eyesore.

The market will have a village feel, with the roof of each vendor stall having an angle of 45 degree pitch. Director (Ag) of the UDC, Sonia King said this feature was to portray Barbadian history.

“They are to be cladded in such a way that the Barbadian architecture will still be maintained and at the end of the project, you will see a village concept. It allows us to promote Barbadian culture and to ensure that the vendors have a special place within the Urban aesthetics.” said the Acting Director.

Manager of Markets in the Ministry of Agriculture, Sherlock King explained that there was also a maintenance plan in place for the property after its completion.

“Basically in our estimates we allocate funds for the maintenance of the property. We know that it is something that we have to maintain and we will work with the tenants as well so they can have an appreciation for the facility and preserve the good condition it is in,” explained King.

King added that for the maintenance plan to happen seamlessly, the relationship and communication between BARVEN, the government and the over 100 tenants must also be maintained. (AS)