Dickie Bradley tours southside projects
During their election campaign, the People’s United Party, and Queen’s Square candidate in particular Dickie Bradley, said the southside of Belize City had been neglected for too long. Among the promises they made was to improve the recreational facilities as well as commercial areas. Today the Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal Dickie Bradley showed how his government is already delivering improved facilities and the plans it has for the near future. News Five went along for the tour.
The first stop on the “Southside Upliftment Tour” was the old Belizean Beach. According to Minister of Housing Richard Bradley the time has come to bring back the beach which is not only historical but also has sentimental value for many.
Richard Bradley, Minister of Housing
“We are even discussing with people in the private sector to start off by sponsoring a bring back Belize bashment out here. We would have beach volleyball, modeling, dancing, rap contest – wholesome enjoyment for the family. We want to build a pier out here. I imagine me and the mayor will discuss the matter of some dredging taking place later on. Plant some beautiful trees out here. Put up some additional stands. Maybe even build a dancehall with a lot of lights and security. We can come and dance and do a little recreation.”
Bradley says although there are people living on the land they will not be displaced.
Richard Bradley
“They have an interest to make sure that this beach is looked after, taken care of and about some aspect of security. They live right here so they can keep an eye on things for us.”
Bradley says reclaiming the beach shouldn’t be that difficult since the land is high and that a major event could be held at Belizean Beach as soon as the Commonwealth Day weekend. He says the cost of rehabilitation will be recovered by fees charged to rent the facilities. The second stop on the southside tour was a project already completed: the Vernon Street Fish Market.
Richard Bradley
“This, you are looking at about fifty to sixty thousand dollars total. They had to drive some special concrete piles into the canal in order for it to be extended out so you could still enjoy the side of the street. The mayor and the city councilors are here today to see how they can improve the surrounding areas.”
David Fonseca, Mayor, Belize City
“We need to meet with all the fishermen and vendors utilizing out here from all the way back. We will meet with them and to get them to form their own fish vendors association and have representation from that body and along with the City Council.
We at the Council will want to see that once they have been established as an association they will take over the management of this place so they will have more involvement, more care of keeping the entire place. We have learnt from the past where the Council is totally responsible for it some of us as citizens and as fish vendors don’t really put the interest into it because they don’t have the cost to take up at the end of the day.”
Fonseca says there will be a fee for vendors who use the market, but this has not yet been set. He says it could accommodate up to 21 vendors. Minister Bradley continued the tour at the Queen’s Square Market which is being refurbished and expanded.
Dickie Bradley
“This place was neglected, overgrown with high grass and rodents and everything was right here. And then they would go over to the market right next door to cause a lot of mischief.
The vendors are out on the street alongside the filthy drains there because and I am sorry I have to say this, but just in case anyone have to say that this is a P.U.P. City Council. They were being starved of finance by Central Government and they could have barely kept things whole together.”
The deplorable condition of the North Creek will also finally be addressed. It has become clogged with mud and filth and is a health hazard to residents.
Al Chanona, Developer
“That used to go on and used to create a constant dredging operation that used to maintain that river. And it is not long ago that fifty-eight foot boats used to come through the Belize River. But with the loss of the hopper dredge that the Ministry of Works used to maintain in the harbor, it’s been gone like twelve years. Fifteen years we are constantly seeing a constant silting up.”
