Government enhances Stabroek Market Square without displacing vendors

The government’s ongoing works at the Stabroek Market Square will not only improve the public space but also increase the experience of vendors and consumers in and around the vicinity.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development launched an initiative to beautify the market square, while ensuring minimal impact on vendors, shoppers and commuters.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, on Monday, during a segment of GoMoseley Radio, stated that the ministry has been clear that “vendors are not going to be moved… they will not be moved at this point.”

The works include raising the flooring, something vendors themselves have requested, reducing garbage by installing new bins along with a dedicated sanitation schedule, and creating what the minister referred to as a family-friendly space with seating, music, and cultural activities.

Only two vendors operate within this exact square, and neither has been asked to leave. “Nobody has been stopped from selling… business has not gone down”, she noted.

The Minister positioned the Stabroek Market project within a broader push to rescue the city of Georgetown, stressing that the government’s vision prioritises historical preservation alongside modernisation.

“Restoration is not necessarily replacement”, she stated, pointing to the newly rehabilitated City Hall and the awarded contract to repair the leaking of the Stabroek Market roof so that vendors will no longer get wet when it rains.

With major upgrades planned for public avenues, drainage systems, and heritage structures, the minister said the long-term goal is a Georgetown that is clean, safe, shady, and walkable, one that will once again become a place where people want to experience.

“We want to restore Georgetown… keeping the look, feel, and history, even as we build out modern public facilities”, she affirmed.