Fire victims confront People’s Mall president

Glenwford Jones, president of the People’s Mall Tenant’s Association faced-off with angry fire victims yesterday in the heart of Henry Street. Hundreds of stall owners demanded to know what will happen to their livelihood. Anthony Ash said he had been at the People’s Mall from the beginning and the vendors needed to communicate with the president. Jones listened to their arguments and was told by his entourage, “it was looking bad.” Ash told Newsday that for the past five years the tenants of the People’s Mall were told a project had been in place and the cost would be approximately $35 million.

“Now I hearing it would cost $50 million, and that plans are in progress,” he said. He added that they were told to pay $20,000 down-payment and $4,000 a month for a stall in the new mall. “I ask them how could the small man who selling plum and mango make that? They said they don’t care!” When Newsday approached Jones for an interview, he declined, saying he had a meeting to attend. Alwin Davis, father of two, and a tenant of the People’s Mall for the past 25 years, said that the firefighters did not do their job.

“I see it for myself. I was there! They had no tools, and they talking 20/20 vision, at that time it wasn’t big and it could have been contained. I lost everything!” Davis said he had made a living selling craft with his family to make ends meet. “We just brought in stock and I want the Prime Minister to be able to compensate us for our stocks and businesses. We need compensation. I wanted to start another business,” he said. He added that they needed to rebuild the site as soon as possible. “That belonged to the people. It was the People’s Mall. We don’t want to be tenants, that was our own,” he said.