The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE Nassau Straw Market will remain closed until Saturday due to incomplete remedial work on stalls, according to the Ministry of Public Works.

The market was initially expected to reopen on Saturday, February 29, after a week of repairs.

However, that deadline has changed “due to incomplete work to the stalls.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Public Works said the Straw Market Authority has requested and received permission for the closure of the site for another week.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Rev. Esther Thompson, president of the Straw Business Persons Society, said vendors agreed at a meeting on Friday to extend the closure period after initially being upset by the process.

“Well, according to them, they (Straw Market Authority officials) were ready because they said the work that needed to be done was not life threatening so they could have done it while the vendors were in the market,” she told The Tribune.

“Half of the stalls were repaired and the other half were not repaired so we decided that we would give them another week to prepare all of the stalls so when the vendors go in, all of the stalls would be completed.”

In the letter issued by the SMA, vendors were told that the Straw Market would close at 8pm on Saturday, February 22, and would re-open on Saturday, February 29 at 7am.

Vendors were asked to remove all merchandise, and personal items from their respective stalls on or before Saturday, February 22.

The letter also advised that no vendor would be granted access to the Straw Market building or surrounding patio from February 22 until its scheduled re-opening.

It was noted that any items left in the market after the designated closing time would be “discarded without further notice.”

Some vendors were initially upset over the closure, saying they were given short notice about the remedial work.

Mrs Thompson had previously said she felt the market’s closure was a ploy to get rid of vendors.

However, Works Minister Desmond Bannister in denying this allegation, said it was necessary to close the site to address health and safety challenges, such as corroded pipes and a termite infestation.