Almost a decade after rehabilitation works began on the historic Kitty Market, the project remains unfinished despite repeated completion deadlines, and the Mayor and City Council(M&CC) is now saying that the facility should be opened “soon.”
The rehabilitation project, which commenced in 2016 and was originally expected to take just a few months, has been beset by years of delays, contract changes and funding challenges, leaving vendors displaced and the market closed far longer than initially anticipated.
“Kitty Market Restoration Hits 97% Completion; Opening Date to be Announced Soon,” the M&CC posted on its Facebook Page last May 7. “Town Clerk (ag) Candace Nelson and Assistant City Engineer (ag) Kabila Hollingsworth are pleased to announce that the restoration of the Kitty Market is now 97% completed with only minor finishing touches remaining,” a short statement explained.
“We are in the final stretch,” Nelson had said, adding, “We look forward to delivering a modernized yet historic space that serves the heart of our community.” It was then said that a formal opening date and ribbon cutting ceremony was going to be announced within that coming week.
More than two months later, the project has again hit a snag. On the sidelines of the sod turning ceremony for a new East Ruimveldt Market last Saturday, Nelson told Kiskadee Watch that the M&CC is still working with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to have meters supplied to the individual stalls. “As soon as those are supplied, we will be opening,” she assured.
A stallholder recently told this publication that the prices for the stalls in the new market are exorbitant, in some cases doubling and tripling what the vendors paid before.
“Given that it’s a new space, an upgraded space, and the plans that we have for it, we couldn’t go back to the old price range that we had,” Nelson countered, adding, “So it was a slight increase and it is based on the size of the stall; it’s not a fixed price for all of the stalls.”
Nelson said she could not share at this time how many vendors will occupy the market when it is reopened.
Meanwhile, the restoration works include electrical installations, plumbing, painting, flooring, fencing, drainage improvements and external beautification.
The prolonged timeline stands in sharp contrast to the original expectations when repairs commenced in February 2016. At the time, the municipality had projected that restoration would last between three and five months, with vendors relocated in phases while work progressed. The project carried an estimated cost of approximately $240 million.
Over the years, however, the rehabilitation encountered repeated setbacks. In 2019, vendors were uncertain about when they would be allowed to return to the facility after three years of construction. At the time, a further $17.7 million contract had been awarded to complete portions of the first phase, including market stalls, floor tiling and ceiling works. Vendors also expressed concerns over receiving little information from City Hall regarding reopening plans and the allocation of stalls.
An earlier $25 million contract had also been awarded under the Georgetown Restoration Programme to complete sections of the first phase.
The market is designed to accommodate more than 100 vendors, including sections for fresh produce, meat, fish, groceries and clothing. City officials have maintained that the completed facility will provide improved sanitation, better drainage and modern amenities while preserving the historic structure.
For vendors, however, the repeated postponements have meant nearly a decade of operating from temporary locations surrounding the market, with uncertainty continuing over when they will finally be able to resume business inside the rehabilitated facility.
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