Freeport News Reporter
Although the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) had indicated that effective Monday, November 9, all fish vendors will be relocated from the downtown area to the former Goombay Park, several vendors could still be found conducting business in the parking lot of the old Grand Union building yesterday.
As the landscaping and irrigation works progress for Phase I of the Downtown Revitalization Project, the GBPA said it has become necessary to relocate the vendors from their current location until the new Farmers Market is completed. As a part of the initiative, landscaping and increased parking will be introduced to the Grand Union parking lot.
In order to facilitate a more beneficial move, the relocated vendors are expected to have access to electricity, fresh and salt water on a timer-control basis, the GBPA said.
The Freeport News spoke with some of the vendors, who expressed mixed views on the relocation exercise.
The vendors said they originally received letters indicating that the temporary relocation would be effective on Monday past; however, GBPA officials later told them the site would not be ready until Wednesday.
One vendor, Arthur Sands, said he hoped the GBPA would reconsider moving them at least until the Christmas season is over.
Their present location, he said, is optimal for business, whereas the Goombay Park area is too far removed from the downtown area and would cause them to lose many of their customers, who may be be walking though the downtown area or catching a bus.
"They should wait until the beginning of the year, until January or February, before they think about moving us. Coming down to the Yuletide season, when we counting on putting a little turkey on the table, they should really give us that opportunity," Sands said.
"I wish they could think about it and give us until January. This is where everybody is going to be shopping. This is going to be the main area during the Christmas time, where most of the money is going to be spent and we would like to get a little piece of the pie."
While Sands noted that it is an offence for vendors to be selling goods at any location without the proper authorization and that it is "only through the mercy of the powers that we are doing these things," he said he believes the location should still be one that allows the vendors to be profitable.
"The location has to be established, and it's not established as yet. This is where the customers are, this is established."
Sharing similar sentiments was vendor Shawn Johnson, who said 70 percent of his customers were pedestrians.
"Right now that will cause us to lose the walk-in customers. That will be devastating for business. The Bazaar area, that whole are is like a ghost town right now maybe if the hotel opens back up I guess business will pick up," he said.
"And with the economy messed up now, to catch a bus downtown, you do most of your stuff in the town area and to jump on another bus to go to the Bazaar area just to get fish, ain't much customers going to go out of their way to do that so it will be bad for the fishermen."
Johnson said that the new location would mean that vendors would be 'out of sight, out of mind," causing them to loose impulse buyers.
Meanwhile, Jermaine Plakaris was more optimistic, saying he believed that his customers will still patronize him, even if he changes locations.
"People will come, We will have new customers over on that side," he said, adding that he had told the majority of his customers that he would be moving soon and most pledged their support.
"Some say they would catch the bus and some say when they get a ride, whenever they get a chance they will come, at least they know where we are. It will be a little difficult at first, but just give them a little time."
Plakaris said he is looking forward to the move and hopes that once the farmers' market is completed he will have the necessary facilities to expand his business.
"If we setting up better, then you could sell more things, a little grill conch, fish and all that too... Change is good too, when you get something you have to work with it."
Last month, the GBPA announced that the former Goombay Park had been chosen as the site for the new Farmers Market, which will include fish, fruit and vegetable vendors.
In August, the GBPA had carried out a demolition exercise at Goombay Park, knocking down the structures which they said were unsafe, especially during the hurricane season.
Now, the site is expected to be revitalized with new water, drainage and electrical systems installed.
Once completed, the marketplace will also feature room for expansion, which may allow some vendors from the already existing produce market downtown to also set up shop in the new farmers market.
The GBPA says the new Farmers Market is an integral part of its new Downtown Turnaround initiative.
"We are mandated to create new economic activity and provide an environment in which businesses can flourish. The new Farmers Market is one way by which we can breathe new life into the downtown area," GBPA president Ian Rolle said in a press release.
Initially officials had looked into putting the fish market on the Fishing Hole Road, where some vendors have already set up shop, as well as a location on West Atlantic Drive, near the downtown area.
