$28M Scarborough market upgrade to benefit agriculture

Lois Leslie, Chief Executive Officer of the Eco-Industrial Development Company of Tobago (E-IDCOT) Limited, last Thursday assured the Scarborough Market Remodelling Project will stay on budget at $28 million and will be completed in one year’s time.

Alpha Engineering and Construction Limited of Trinidad was selected as the contractor for the project from among four bidders. Tenders were invited in June 2016.

Speaking at a function to sign the contract for the project at the conference room of E-IDCOT at the Cove Eco-Industrial Business Park, Leslie said the main purpose of the remodelling was to meet the demands of the agriculture sector.

She said upgrade of the market would “promote agriculture as a viable business in order to increase the number of commercial agro-processors and in order to improve our agricultural production in Tobago.

“This facility upgrade will help to enhance and ensure that all vendors produce and sell in ways that comply with food safety regulations, provide effective service to the public and allow us an experience as never before with respect to our market purchase options,” she said.

Matthew Devaux, Managing Director of Alpha-Engineering and Construction Limited, promised two guarantees – “the project will be completed on time and within budget.”

E-IDCOT’s Chairman, Neil Wilson, also speaking at the event, noted that in planning the redevelopment of Scarborough several years ago, relocation of the market from its former location uptown Scarborough to its Wilson Road location was the first item considered as it was critical to the redevelopment of the area along with the Scarborough port. “As in recent times, we have witnessed the tremendous development of the Wilson Road area, as businesses have mushroomed from the Wilson Road traffic light to the Scarborough wharf area.

“Undoubtedly, the presence of the Scarborough market and the carpark have served as a catalyst for the building boom that has occurred on Wilson Road. There is currently a dire need to further uplift the profile of Wilson Road by enhancing the Scarborough market,” he said.

Communications Manager at the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries, Alezmoy McKenzie-Grimshaw, representing Food Production Secretary Hayden Spencer, noted that the Scarborough market on Wilson Road had been in dire need of extensive repairs for a number of years and had become uninhabitable and unsuitable for operations.

“Some of the issues that plagued the users of the market were multiple roof leaks, rodent infestation, unsanitary internal and external conditions, people congestion and depleted structural integrity.

She noted the relocation of some 150 vendors at the temporary market at Orange Hill Road, Shaw Park but noted that they, staff, customers and the Tobago populace were eagerly awaiting the unveiling of a brand-new market facility in Scarborough.