By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS:
AFTER WAITING for nearly seven years to have construction work on the Brown's Town Market finished, the St. Ann Parish Council wants priority attention to be given to the completion of the project.
Superintendent of Roads and Works, Arthur Hosang, said he is worried over the long delay in having the work completed and the negative impact it has been having on displaced vendors, shoppers and overall business in Brown's Town.
Work on the Brown's Town Market began in 1996 under the Parish Infrastructural Development Programme (PIDP) and was billed at $50 million. The contract was awarded to the Kingston-based company Coopers & Associates Limited and work was to be done in phases with oversight responsibility from the Ministry of Local Government and the St. Ann Parish Council.
After much delay, the market was slated for completion by July last year.
However, problems developed with the project which led to the contract being terminated, and further delaying the completion.
Mr. Hosang told last Thursday's monthly meeting of the Council that since the closure, the Council has been getting a new start-up date each month, which has never been honoured. He said he was informed recently that the Government and the contractor have resolved their differences and that a Memorandum of Understanding is about to be signed so that work on the market can resume.
"We have run out of patience; the people have run out of patience and it is time this new agreement be signed and the work restarted," Mr. Hosang said.
