Work on the dilapidated Stabroek Wharf is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has said.
During a press briefing, Chase-Green explained that the Mayor and City Council would be signing a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure before works begin.
In the meantime, she noted that the council will have to map out an action plan for the vendors who ply their trade in the vicinity of the wharf.
“We have a big task ahead of us to relocate the vendors and minibus operators. We cannot have them operating next to the wharf where materials would be stored and heavy duty machinery operating,” she stressed.
The mayor added that they would need to find a spot for the bus park, and viable for business before relocating the vendors. It is likely that the council, through the Markets Committee will have to seek external help, and hold consultations before relocating the vendors and minibus operators.
In 2016, Town Clerk Royston King had met with vendors and informed them that they would have to move once construction began.
Sections of the roof of the wharf collapsed in September, 2014, and March, 2015, but vendors have continued to ply their trade; despite the danger that lingers overhead, the area remains abuzz with commercial activities.
A modernised design of the wharf has been unveiled and the council is focused on starting the project soon. The new municipal market wharf which was designed by civil engineer Kabila Hollingsworth, features a two-storey building with a terrace on the top flat, and a stelling for boats to dock.
