Albert St vendors not happy about move to park

If you have recently visited downtown Belize City, you would probably be both amazed and amused at the sight of Battlefield Park. The historic park, you see has been denuded of trees, the birds no longer come to the park as they did for years and now the park is home to some unconventional colored booths for vendors. Jose Sanchez has a report on whether the vendors will take up residence at the new stalls.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Albert and Regent Streets have been paved but there is one detail remains. That is the proposed shifting of vendors from the street and sidewalks into the historic Battlefield Park. On January eighth, Belize City Councillor Wayne Usher addressed the issue of vendors and the transformation of the park into a commercial area.

Wayne Usher, Belize City Councillor
“We are still working on the park. You will see construction taking place on the side of the Belize Bank area. Its part of our plan for the upliftment of that entire area. We are building a public toilet there for the residents of the city, for the visitors and we promised that when we took office we would bring upliftment to that area. So we will have public toilets out there, so that passersby can have use of the toilets.”

“After this interview I will be privy to a meeting going to be held in this very room, with the vendors in this very room with the vendors from Albert Street. I think we have over twenty something vendors who will be coming here and we will be explaining how we want shift from the Albert Street side into the park side; how that is going to work, get their views, their suggestions.”

Jose Sanchez
“Will the vendors have to pay a fee for the use of those booths?”

Wayne Usher
“The very same fee they were paying for the sidewalk they will continue to pay. The council is going to put that as part of our upliftment project.”

Jose Sanchez
“One of the criticisms I’ve heard from vendors is that the stalls are too small for what they want to sell. Do you agree or disagree with that. What will they be able to do? Just use the booth or the surrounding area?”

Wayne Usher
“That same comment has been made and we will be addressing that in the meeting this afternoon.”

After Thursday’s meeting, most vendors have been tight lipped to speak, however Cordelia Taylor made it clear that she is not happy.

Cordelia Taylor, Albert Street Vendor
“Well, for starters, they want us to move immediately tomorrow. I explained to the guy from since the fire on Albert Street here, I moved to the park without they even say to move off the Albert’s. I noticed centipedes, those four legged things and forty legged things running around in the park. I told the guy we don’t have a bottom for those things. We need a bottom to stand on. Those animals live on the ground. It’s not safe for us.”

Jose Sanchez
“And will you move tomorrow morning?”

Cordelia Taylor
“Well, they say if we don’t they will send the guys in brown and blue to escort us along with the black. I don’t think they should treat us like a criminal because we aren’t criminals.; we’re just doing the right thing. And for me all over the world, you find vendors on the street side. First time I hear in Belize no vendors on the street side.”

Jose Sanchez
“This will be a permanent transition of vendors from Albert Street to the park?”

Wayne Usher
“Permanent in the sense that we need to find a more permanent solution to these vendors. And I’m not sure this is the one but for the time being this is what we’ve come up with. If it works and it takes some semblance of permanence then so be it.”

Jose Sanchez
“So will you be across the street tomorrow?”

Cordelia Taylor
“Well, I don’t want to be embarrassed. Before I am embarrassed I’ll go along with the program… for now.”

Jose Sanchez
“Have you picked out a stall as yet?”

Cordelia Taylor
“Number one right where I was before; the pink one.”

Jose Sanchez
“If there is any resistance to the move, what’s going to happen? Even when they did the paving, some vendors did not even want to move until they were actually paving. What if they resist, what then?”

Wayne Usher
“We will be encouraging everyone to make the transition. Failing that, if everybody else is in agreement and we have one or two, we have to work on that, if not then we have to let some legal matters then apply. We’d have to go the legal route.”

Anthony C., Pedestrian
“They did a right thing. Get a spot for them to sell their stuff and they could pay tax, and everybody can make money. Then everybody gonna know where to go and get the stuff. So if everybody is one place. Then everybody can make money. It’s a good idea and I hope everybody work together and help each other because everybody have kids to feed and they want to make a money. It’s good to try to make your own business but you have to cooperate with the system and the government that’s all.”

So on Saturday the fruit vendors, the jeweler, CD lady and the cashew seed man will all make the short albeit unhappy trek across the street to a new home built for them by the Belize City Council. All that should remain behind on the new sidewalks are benches, potted plants and the destitute street nomads who also need a home. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.