Mahogany Street Project Enters Second Phase
If you are a resident of Mahogany Street, you may have noticed the upgrade in quality of several street vendor stalls with the post couple months. This is a direct result of a project operated by the Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler, in collaboration with the Belize Tourism Board, and the Belize City Council that are seeking to enhance the economic activities and elevate the aesthetics within that area. We visited the stretch today to see how the project is progressing. News Five’s Britney Gordon Reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The rejuvenation project, which began in late 2022, is entering its second phase this year. The new vendor booths are but one part of a larger endeavor to transform areas of Belize in need of improvement. We spoke with project director, Josue Carballo, for more information.
Josue Carballo
Josue Carballo, Director of Industry Development, B.T.B.
“The Mahogany street corridor, is a project that was started in collaboration between Honorable Anthony Mahler, his Ministry of Tourism, the Belize Tourism Board, and the Belize City Council in an aspect to be able to enhance the economic activities within that corridor. It is a partnership to rejuvenate that section that began in late 2022, introducing. eight new vendor booths, a public restroom, public parking area, and a private parking facility for Saint Luke Methodist Primary School, extending from Evergreen to Oleander Street. Now we have already begun fully the second phase, which would include the booths from Oleander Street to Mckay Boulevard and it is done in such an aspect to be able to support existing and customers that that have been regulated under the city council. Those, that have been actively paying their trade license or people that are regulated properly because at the end, the reserve is the property of the Belize City Council and the BTB is assisting in the upgrade of the infrastructure part.”
Carballo stated that the upgrading of the booths not only play an important role in the economic activity of the area, but also contributes to the safety of the vendors.
Josue Carballo
“It includes aesthetic enhancements, filling up the area, clearing where needed even cementing the entrances of these boots, the landscaping and very important is being able to dialogue on behalf of the vendors together for them to be able to access no electricity and water. And these are the basic utilities and security is important. So we have begun as well, the installation of security cameras around the area and working in collaboration with the police department in terms of them having the feed. So it creates the idea is to create an area space that is going to have these vendors that were there before to enhance their productivity and to offer their products, their food or produce in a much cleaner and safer atmosphere.”
We spoke with Salvador Garay, a produce vendor who has been on the stretch for five years, to hear how he feels about his new booth.
Voice of: Salvador Garay
Voice of: Salvador Garay, Vendor, Mahogany Street
“This is a great opportunity so that the business is better like this with the little booths. They are very good help for us, also vendors that needed this. Because I was doing vending in here, but I had a little old tent. And with the booth, it’s a very good help because of the weather, it helped me a lot. And then I used to move my things every day up and down. I got the booth from the city council it’s very good help.”
With this second phase underway, up to twenty more booths are to be installed in the area. According to Carball, vendors do not have to pay for these upgrades, besides a land fee from the city council.
Josue Carballo
“We are right now going into the second phase, which are twenty new booths and actually five renovations because there are a couple of vendors that said, I have a nice booth. I really don’t need a new booth. Just help me renovate it. And those that are a part of the program are also getting assistance with a small grant to get equipment. So we’re talking about the second phase, composing of twenty-five vendors, ten have been built, ten more in process, maybe in the next couple of months and we’re talking about the five renovations as well are underway.”
The BTB hopes that with this project, the area can attract tourist in the area and increase the economic flow of the community.
Josue Carballo
“The end vision of this is also to create a space that can be an area for tourism to flow as well. We’re talking about also national tourism, international tourism through the cruise ships. Hopefully after all, when everything is settled in, there are a lot of cruise passengers that can then use that as part of their city tour. And I believe the city council is also in the process of creating the, of having the public transport system also pass through that corridor. So it will absolutely enhance the number of visitors to that area.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
