Spalding Market to Be Renovated

The Spalding Market in Clarendon will be redesigned and renovated to provide a more comfortable shopping experience for vendors and customers.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development,  Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who toured the facility on Wednesday (May 14), said that the Ministry will be working with the Clarendon Municipal Corporation to design the framework for the market.

He said the design will be much simpler, using the method adopted for the Buff Bay Market in Portland.

The new-look market will have a spacious, open concept, taking advantage of natural lighting.

“It will eliminate the question of electricity costs, give more ventilation to vendors and it will have a much more open, expanded area for vending. So, we are going to be using that method here,” Minister McKenzie said.

“I am giving the [technical] team three weeks to complete the redesign and the submission so that we can commence whatever needs to be done,” he indicated.

The Minister said the Government recognises the importance of markets to communities like Spalding, where people rely heavily on vending.

He noted that under a programme that commenced in 2024, significant investment has been made in renovating and improving markets, and further announcements of upgrading projects will be made during his upcoming Sectoral Debate presentation.

“May Pen market will be among the markets slated for extensive repairs under the new programme but Spalding is long overdue, and we will find resources once we are satisfied [with] the assessment,”  he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister informed that the Social Development Commission (SDC) is undertaking an islandwide survey of markets.

“We have used them in St. Thomas for the Yallahs Market and I am going to be using them here in Clarendon again to give us some feedback as to what the general vending population is,” he informed, noting that the survey will also gather the concerns of persons, who engage in vending.