Residents say ‘rundown’ Kitty Market is a hazard

While rehabilitation of the Kitty Market remains at a standstill, citizens who live in proximity are raising concerns about the dilapidated structure, describing it as a hazard to the immediate surroundings.

A section of the derelict Kitty Market structure.

“We have a lot at risk here, should this structure go up in flames or suddenly collapse; hundreds of people live and pass through here every day and we are calling on the authorities to rehabilitate the market or demolish it,” one resident who wished to remain anonymous, noted as he pointed to the run-down building. Meanwhile, the western fence of the market has caved unto the property of businessman Patrick Holder. “I brought up the issue with the City Engineer and they promised to look into it but things are getting progressively worse. The fence is falling to pieces and it’s a breach of my security because people can walk through the market and into my property at anytime. It is unfair for any person to have to fix a market fence especially when we are paying taxes.” Other residents noted that the condition of the Kitty market is a direct result of neglect by its administration. “This market was built before I was born; I grew up coming here with my mother… Everyday vendors and stallholders put their lives at risk to earn an honest living here. The building is constantly decaying you can see that more boards are falling off and vagrants even sleep inside the market … what happened to this market is due to lack of maintenance. If the Council or the administration had kept on maintaining the market bit by bit, it would not have reached to this state.” However, although the market remains derelict, stallholders claim that the revenue department has been regularly collecting fees for vending. “Every week, and sometimes monthly, we have to pay our dues and if we don’t pay they will take the spot but we can’t see what they have been doing with the money that they have been collecting for so long… sometimes people ask why we don’t move but we been here for years. What alternative do we have,?” the stallholders questioned.

A portion of the dilapidated fence.

According to the disgruntled vendors, the market administration had acquired funds to repair the structure but it never got underway. “In 1995 they got over $13 million to fix the market roof. They changed one zinc sheet and left it. In 2008, they started to repair the building; built a long, long scaffold and bought a truck load of wood just to take it back a couple of weeks later. We never got an explanation for that.” Last September, Deputy Mayor, Patricia Chase-Greene explained that even though the market was identified as a major hazard by the fire department,  it cannot be merely demolished. Chase Greene explained that the Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) is adamant on preserving the architectural design of the market since it is a heritage site. She noted that while efforts were underway to rehabilitate the building, ensuring that the vendors of the market are not displaced is of chief concern to the municipality. However, while repairing the market remains on the agenda of the MCC, lack of consensus among administrative officers has the process at a standstill. Chairman of the Market and Public Health Committee, Ranwell Jordan recently revealed that the process to rehabilitate the Kitty landmark has been placed on the back burner. “The Council would still hope to restore the Kitty Market to its original state but to date no advertisements has been sent out inviting suitably qualified persons to answer the call for tenders… The Town Clerk and her team were tasked with sending out the advertisements” Jordan said.