The two-year wait for historic City Centre’s artisans to return to Temple Yard may soon be over as the area undergoes redevelopment. But some legacy vendors relocated to Pelican Village say they have not received any updates since speaking to Barbados TODAY last year.
Minister of Housing Chris Gibbs said Tuesday that the first phase of the redevelopment of Temple Yard was due to be completed before Independence Day.
Craftswoman Sherry-Ann Knight, who had previously welcomed the visible progress while remaining cautiously optimistic, said she no longer knows what is going on.
She said she had heard rumours about the project, but no one has officially met with the vendors.
“Not personal, we’re just hearing rumours; nobody has come and called a meeting with us. No official has contacted us yet since last year.”
Knight said she could see the structure nearing completion, but business at Pelican Village had been extremely slow: “Zero plus zero equals zero; these folks ain’t come out, food man ain’t come out, only one leather man come out.”
One section of the Pelican village that was assigned to vendors from Temple Yard. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham / Barbados TODAY)
Knight, who appeared despondent, said she could not express how she felt about the situation: “I just watching everything.”
The vendors have been away from Temple Yard for almost two years.
Vendor Tyrone Howell was more optimistic after observing the progress at the construction site opposite the General Post Office along Cheapside. But he, too, said officials had not communicated when the vendors would return.
Trevor Howell, a leather craftman in the process of making a shoe for a customer. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham / Barbados TODAY)
“When we first come there she talk to we but since that day we ain’t had no more meetings.”
Howell said he had noticed additional stalls being installed at the back of the development, which he believed could mean more work was still to be completed.
He said he expected the original Temple Yard vendors to be among the first to return: “Yeah, we’re gonna be the first set. I’ll be the originals, doing business there first.”
Howell said customers continued to ask when the vendors would return to their original location, as many people did not venture to Pelican Village.
“A lot of people can’t come on here. I missing customers. A lot of people don’t even know who on here.”
He said he was now hoping for a return before Christmas, ideally giving vendors time to re-establish their businesses before the busy season.
But the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTII) says the vendors’ return is moving closer.
BTII communications consultant and spokeswoman Joy-Ann Haigh said the application process for the new Temple Yard was already complete and will first be shared with the legacy artisans. “We’ll continue to communicate with them, and we will be sharing the application process with them shortly.”
Haigh said legacy artisans who were temporarily relocated would be prioritised before BTII considers other vendors who fit the purpose of Temple Yard.
The application process would include information such as lease agreements and would outline the responsibilities of both vendors and the government once the new facility opens, she said.
“We will be meeting with the vendors shortly to share that information. But we will be speaking with the legacy artisans of Temple Yard first.”
But Haigh could not give a specific date for the meeting, saying the vendors would be informed first.
“It’s gonna be shortly because we don’t have a date yet, and I would rather tell them first than to tell you because they’re not supposed to read about it in the newspaper first.”
(LG)
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