IN its current deplorable state, the Kitty Market has been described as an accident waiting to happen, even as vendors continue to endure the threats posed by the dilapidated structure. Sitting on the corner of Barr and Alexander Streets, in the ward of Kitty, the derelict market once served as a livelihood for many vendors, and acted as a symbolic representation of historical structures.
Upon arriving within the vicinity of the market, one would logically assume that such a structure did not possess any characteristics making it capable of facilitating vendors. From rotting boards, to cases where there were no boards, the top flat could be best described as a shell.
This shell however, is anything but polished. With hundreds of holes which the sun beams through during sunny days, one can vividly draft an image of what a rainy day results in.
Dented zinc sheets expected to provide protection against the weather could be described as having outlived their lifespans, with bright orange rust on its surface replacing a once smooth, red texture. Wooden boards were even being used as weights to pin the zinc sheets from blowing away.
Boards on the shell too, had been in total disarray; some even hanging by one nail. Clearly there were no windows, except square openings in the structure which acted as an entry point for birds seeking shelter.
The gutters, or as they once were, were broken at intervals, allowing seepage of water when there were showers. But what was surprising was that vendors were still occupying this half-collapsed building.
During his routinely slow business hours, this newspaper was able to solicit a comment from ANDRE FOSTER, a vendor, who described the conditions he faces daily as “severe and deplorable.”
Knowledgeable on what is required to rehabilitate the market, Foster offered that once the roof is repaired, the rest of the rehabilitation project should not be costly. He explained that the upper flat of the building could even be used as the community’s post office instead of having it at a point where it is not used.
“It will be very easy for people to come here and it will generate more business activities in the area,” he said, adding that this building is so big, that it once facilitated the community centre and the health centre. Forster noted however that those institutions have all shifted and no maintenance work is being done.
But while these are the conditions the vendors are forced to endure, the saddened man lamented that they are still required to pay the full rental fee of the market which he thinks is unfair.
As if it were not surprising enough, a closer examination of the market revealed that brave sellers were even occupying stalls in the market and not just on the outskirts.
NANDRANIE PERSAUD was one of these persons who expressed similar sentiments to that of Foster. The burdened woman who retails clothing, detailed her daily encounter of having to put up with the leaking roof when there is rainfall.
She related that rainfall is not the only threat, as the sight of the building has forced customers to abstain from shopping there. “Sometimes people don’t even know we sell here… they think the market is no longer functioning,” Persaud said. These have been contributory factors to her small business not being capable of meeting her family’s financial expenses.
Furthermore, the woman explained that just three months ago, she decided to visit the Mayor of Georgetown to plead for his intervention, but was told that there was not any money to rehabilitate the market. Persaud said she sees this as unfair treatment, since they are still required to pay their rental fees in a timely manner.
Last year, promises had been made by Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green and the Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba, to examine the state of the market and immediately provide a solution to avert the expected collapse of this structure. To date, no action has been taken in this regard.

By Ravin Singh