Govt. seeks 15 acres of land to build modern shopping centre at Charity

Jul 28, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday disclosed that government is currently looking for 15 acres land to build a “high-end market and “shopping mall” for vendors at Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.

Jagdeo made this disclosure at his weekly press conference and two weeks after Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn proposed a new market for the vendors following a fire that destroyed a section of the existing structure on Thursday July 6 last. Asked at the news conference if the vendors had reached out to his government for any help, Jagdeo while acknowledging that the vendors have indeed asked the government to rebuild them a shed, said, “we are looking to acquire some land there but it is very difficult in Charity, so I actually flew over the area on the way to Moruca and then I asked Collin Croal (Minister of Housing) cause we are building a new housing scheme, if we could get 15 acres of land adjoining the new scheme that we can develop for commercial purposes because ultimately they will need a high end market and shopping malls and things like those”

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Jagdeo pointed out the land on which the current structure sits is too small to accommodate any modern type infrastructure of that scale. “…and even if you look at the part that is burnt out, it will not facilitate the growth of a modern market it is a narrow strip, less than a quarter of an acre of land”, Jagdeo explained.

He related that while his government has committed to rebuilding the burnt out shed of the existing structure, vendors were notified that they should shift to “something major.” “I spoke with the people, with some of the vendors and I said that we should do something major now, let’s shift to a market of the future, you know modern facilities, parking and everything else for the area,” Jagdeo said while adding, “so we are looking to see we can identify 15 acres there that will allow us to do that like leave out plots for commercial growth in the area”

An overhead shot of the damaged Charity Market

The Vice President also noted that the government is looking for an area that will not be far away from central Charity and where vendors will be willing to move. On Saturday, July 8 Kaieteur News reported Benn proposing that a new market be built for vendors at Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) in a statement detailed the engagement, adding that Benn had “noted fire safety issues within the structure and encumbrances that contributed to the fire and hindered firefighting efforts, respectively”.

As a result, Minister Benn reportedly suggested that a new market be built with all fire protection systems. “He suggested that a new market be constructed that is fully equipped with wet riser systems and other means of protection against fires,” the GFS had stated.

Promises were also made to assist the vendors affected by the fire. The Charity Amazon Market housed some 83 stalls. The fire resulted in the destruction of 40 percent of the market. “Twenty-nine (29) stalls were severely damaged by the fire, while eleven (11) suffered water damage due to firefighting,” GFS detailed in its press release.

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15 acres of land, Bharrat Jagdeo, Charity vendors, Modern Market, shopping malls

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