1 YEAR AFTER POS FIRE —

One year ago today, the People’s Mall at the corner of Frederick and Queen Streets, Port-of-Spain, was destroyed in a fire. Prime Minister, Patrick Manning promised that a new multi-storey structure would be built on the burnt-out site for 213 displaced businesses. But all there is today is an empty space where some of the businesses that once comprised the People’s Mall have set up tents around the perimeter of the burnt-out site. There is also a car park.

The rest of the 213 small businesses are scattered around the city. Those who can afford it, are renting spaces in malls in Port-of-Spain, like Hadeed Centre, New City Mall and Shops of La Mirage, and struggling to recapture lost sales. Some are taking chances on the street.

Others, like chairman of the People’s Mall Company Limited, Glenford Jones, are selling their goods from homes and cars.

The popular People’s Mall was burnt flat on April 9 last year and Manning announced shortly after that he directed Udecott to fast track plans for a new structure on the site. Udecott was also told to make public announcements of its plans. An eight-member committee was also set up to make interim physical arrangements to help the vendors continue to ply their trade. The committee included several Government ministers, and Port-of-Spain Mayor, Murchison Brown. Some vendors received loans from the Government.

Yesterday Jones said he was still very hopeful that construction of their new multi-storey structure would begin this year.

According to Jones, the arrangement was that Government would provide the land, and the People’s Mall would finance the construction of the new structure by borrowing money. Udecott was supposed to just be the project manager.

Jones said all they are waiting on is for the lease for the land to be processed.

“From the way I see it, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t start building before the end of the year. The lease is the only keep back. But we prefer if the proper process is followed, no matter how long it takes. All the architects and consultants are on standby,” Jones stated.

According to Jones, the lease is almost ready.

“The Attorney General’s Ministry sent a draft copy of the lease to Cabinet for approval twice already. But there were the usual queries. But I believe all queries are answered now. And the next step is to make up the final lease and send it to Cabinet for approval,” he said.

Going back a little, the People’s Mall chairman disclosed, “We have been trying to put a building there for the past 15 years. But we needed our own land. Everything became extremely urgent after the fire. Since last year, we really started pushing for the lease.”

Newsday met a virtual brick wall in attempts to get any information on the People’s Mall from the inter-ministerial committee. Committee member, Senator Abdul-Hamid, when asked if he could give any information on the project, said, “I am not the person to answer that question. You know that. Because I sat on a committee a year ago, doesn’t qualify me to answer.” Asked who, then, would answer, he replied, “Good question.”

Brown said Udecott would be in the best position to answer the question.

“All I know is that discussions were held about it,” was all he would say. Udecott, when contacted, said all queries should be e-mailed to the company and when we did, they only returned an e-mail promising to respond.

The Planning and Development Ministry, under which Udecott falls, did not return calls, and the Attorney General’s Ministry, which vendors said was seeing about processing a lease for the land before construction could start, was unable to comment on the matter, only saying these things take time.

But Jones said the inter-ministerial committee was only supposed to assist vendors in re-establishing themselves in business, and had nothing to do with the actual construction of the new structure.

“They helped vendors re-establish by offering us interest-free loans with a one-year moratorium,” he said.

“This meant that we were given a grace period of one year before we start repaying the loan. The year is not yet up.” Jones said any businessman would be happy with such an arrangement, but was unable to say if the businesses were able to recapture sales, and would be able to repay the loan. “There are all types and levels of businesses in the People’s Mall and it’s difficult to say,” he said.

As for the committee, Jones said, “The committee’s purpose was broader than just assisting the People’s Mall businesses after the fire. They were supposed to help other affected businesses in Port-of-Spain. But I’m not sure if they still exist.” The People’s Mall was set up in 1979 after Government decided to relocate street vendors to the site at the corner of Queen and Frederick Streets.

They formed the Vendors Association of TT under the Trade Union Act but later changed the name to the People’s Mall Company Limited, with vendors becoming shareholders.