Kitty Market to be completed by November 1

By Ramona Luthi

The rehabilitation work on the Kitty Market will be completed by November 1, 2016, Town Clerk Royston King disclosed at Monday’s statutory meeting of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

The rehabilitation of the Kitty Market began earlier this year, and the announced deadline at the time was before Guyana’s Independence Jubilee on May 26. However, construction halted, causing many persons to speculate that the (M&CC had become cash-strapped and was unable to pay contractors for the restoration.  This was later confirmed by the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green.
During the latter part of June, Guyana Times was informed by City Engineer Colvern Venture that the reconstruction of the Market had already resumed but was delayed because of the rainy weather.

Additionally, upon visits to the Market after this claim was made, this publication was informed by City Hall officials that construction had indeed been halted but work was to resume in early July.
At the meeting on Monday, King expressed appreciation towards the stall owners who have patiently been awaiting the completion of the Market. “I wish to express my gratitude to all the cooperation and understanding of the stallholders who continue to wait to restart their businesses in that facility.”
The Town Clerk further highlighted that a total of 178 new applications for stalls at the Kitty Market have been received by the M&CC to date.
To this end, Mayor Chase Green asserted that until they were certain that there was enough space to accommodate the original stall owners, new applications for stalls would not be accepted.
According to King, he has been informed by the “engineer on site” that the development of just the ground floor of the Market would cost approximately $30 million to$ 35 million to complete.
It was disclosed last week that the Council had already spent an estimated $110 million on repairs.
Initially, restoration of the structure was to cost $240 million.
The Town Clerk further highlighted at the statutory meeting that the rehabilitated Kitty Market structure would accommodate a health centre on the upper floor, which would be focused on postnatal and prenatal child care.
He said under the previous Administration, the Kitty Market had once housed a health centre, but after the building began to deteriorate, the space allotted for health care was abandoned with promises of repairs.
King also voiced that the Council was contemplating the placement of a Council Office at the Kitty Market and other municipal buildings located in Agricola and East Ruimveldt among other areas.