Cash-strapped City Hall mulls bank loan to complete Kitty Market

Jul 09, 2018 News

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council is looking to garner at least $60 million more to complete phase one of rehabilitation works to the Kitty Market. But Town Clerk Royston King revealed that the cash-strapped Council is considering approaching a commercial bank for a loan to complete the project.
King explained that the project has seen significant delays due to the lack of financial resources. He rejected the notion that there has been careless spending and inadequate planning by City Hall.
He noted that reconstruction began over a year ago with direct support from the Council and later, Central Government by way of the Ministry of Communities, pitched in $25 M to help with the work. According to the Town Clerk, an estimated $45M has so far been expended.

Kitty Market

However, he noted that the Council still needs more money to finish the project.
At present, King said that the Council is considering taking a loan.
“In the next few weeks, we will be moving to relocate some of the vendors back to spots inside (sections of) the Market that have already been repaired. Some of those persons were placed on the pavements to facilitate the rehabilitation.” King explained.
More than two years have passed since the project to restore Kitty Market got underway.
And although phase one of the restoration is 75 percent complete, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council has been blamed for poor planning and management of the rehabilitation project.
The restoration of Kitty Market is estimated at $250 million but the City appeared unsure about the funds to start the project, let alone complete it.
The project which is being executed by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has been faced with numerous delays due to cash flow among other issues.
Central Government intervened to rescue the rehabilitation of the Kitty Market when it awarded a contract of $25.1 million to BML Construction Services. This essentially took the remaining project works out of the hands of the City Engineer’s Department that started the rehabilitation project on February 12, 2016.
The Council has since been receiving technical assistance from the Ministry of Communities to complete the project.
However in March, the Ministry of Communities received criticism for the project.
An engineer from the Ministry was being blamed for the slow pace at which the restoration of Kitty Market is progressing.
Back then, Councillor Oscar Clarke, who is head of City Hall’s Finance Committee, had visited the site and was told by the contractor that the works are being delayed because an engineer from the Ministry has instructed that external works be completed before the internal works are done.
The M&CC had been adamant that preserving the architectural design of the 19th century structure, as well as ensuring that the original vendors are not displaced were among the priorities for the municipality.
It was stated that the rehabilitated Kitty Market would feature a traditional health centre, offices for payment of rates and taxes, and a space for community councillors.
Shortly after the works started, the Council encountered difficulties. The work was reportedly stymied by the inability to procure materials and also because the Council had owed contractors.
M&CC Councillor, Khame Sharma, has continually raised questions about the completion date for the project, which was announced to be completed last year.
Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has staved off criticisms over the delays, noting that the reconstruction of the market was being financed mainly by the M&CC, and that works would have continued as funds become available.

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