7 News Belize

Commercial Center Vendors Upset With City Hall’s Eviction
posted (August 7, 2014)
And while the BML situation is in hand for the time being, Mayor Darrell Bradley's week of worries hasn't quite finished yet because his Municipal Administration is now coming under fire from the vendors and business owners who operate out of the Commercial Center, at the foot of the Swing Bridge.

The Council wants to temporarily move them out so that the commercial center can be renovated. The vendors have no complaints there, because all the problems that they're facing inside the old building will be resolved.

The issue is that the Council has fast-tracked their exit, some have been given until next week Monday to get out, and if they don't, the council allegedly - and we stress, "allegedly" - has plans to change the locks on their doors and forcibly evict them.

Though it's been in the works for several months, the vendors say that there has been a breakdown in communication, and then the sudden eviction notice. They called us out today to discuss how this will negatively affect their business:

Elsy Dyer - Shop Owner, 18 Years
"When you have a house for rent and they give you notice you supposed to get 3 months' notice to give you time to move, but they come just like that with a letter saying that you have to move. They gave us the letter on the 4th of this month, so we don't have time to look for a place because right away they put you out. They tell us we might come back, but they didn't give us a letter saying that, so I don't trust him."

Daniel Ortiz
"Are you upset that they want you to move?"

Elsy Dyer - Shop Owner, 18 Years
"If I have to move I have to move. It's not only me, everybody have to move. In the future they gave me a chance to come back then maybe I come back. It depends where I am going; if I make it good, I will stay where I am going and if they give me a chance to come back, I will come back."

Daniel Ortiz
"Are you known for your business being at this place and do you think it will affect the amount of business you get?"

Elsy Dyer - Shop Owner, 18 Years
"Ahh yes, I will be afraid of the people outside because I have security here, so we are not afraid here. But where I am going I don't know if it's a good area or bad area."

Selbert Butler - Florist, Businessman
"We are poor people, we are small business owners trying to survive and to get a rent anywhere in this area you have to find at least two to three thousand dollars to move. Most people can't come up with three thousand dollars. We are fully aware that there is a need for the commercial center to be renovated. All we are asking the mayor is to give us a little more time or maybe some financial assistance in moving and guarantee us that after the building is renovated we will have an opportunity or the first opportunity to come back into the market."

Daniel Ortiz
"Where are you moving and how will that affect your business knowing that people won't be able to find you so easily?"

Selbert Butler - Florist, Businessman
"Presently I am moving to Marble Art building, it's the building right adjacent to Brodies beside Romacs Plaza. People will now have to try and figure out where I am. Like I said we are poor people, so we can't afford to run all these commercial telling people where to go. Maybe that's one way the mayor could also assist us."

Daniel Ortiz
"How long have you been doing business here at the Commercial Center?"

Irene Swazo - Vegetable Vendor, 22 Years
"Well from the beginning - 21 years."

Daniel Ortiz
"And now they are asking you to move."

Irene Swazo - Vegetable Vendor, 22 Years
"Yes one month to move and I think it's too quick. They should have gave us some time because they are not relocating a place for us to go. Yesterday the market manager told me that she will give a spot in the next market."

Daniel Ortiz
"How will it affect your business having to move from here and people knowing that this is where you are located?"

Irene Swazo - Vegetable Vendor, 22 Years
"It will affect me a lot because I am known to the world, like people go away and come back and still find me because I am here all my life. My oldest daughter is 46 and I raise her in the first market to this market."

Daniel Ortiz
"How many years have you been located in the Commercial Center?"

Ethan Medina - Owner, Medina's House of Jewellery
"I have been here for over 10 - 15 years I think. We have been given a letter that we are supposed to move I think by the 4th of August if I am not mistaken. We were presented with a letter at our location that we need to move."

Daniel Ortiz
"Of those we've spoken to all of them are upset, they are saying that they would rather not move and a part from that they would prefer that they'd be given more time. What's your reaction to having been discussed?"

Ethan Medina - Owner, Medina's House of Jewellery
"Well I have my own perspective on the whole issue. I think development sometimes you have to step back a bit to have development and I take the mayor's promise in good faith and I hope he lives up to what he says he will do and I see a lot of development throughout the city and I am all for that. Yes it will hurt me a while by moving, but in the long run; I look on a long term basis and in the long run I will be in a better situation, a better location and that's my means for supporting the whole project."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, where will you be locating temporarily since your business has to move for this development?"

Ethan Medina - Owner, Medina's House of Jewellery
"We have moved right across to the Abdo building #1 Orange Street right next to Hop Sing. I try to put a close location for the customers, so we are in the same vicinity."

Voice of: Monica Usher - Monica's Pawn Shop
"I feel disrespected because the mayor said he would have a meeting with us and everybody in here pays their rent and everybody in here is trying to make a living. This business I could find somewhere else to go but a lot of people in the market they don't have any other option after this. Most of them when they close in here that's it, they are close. I think at least the mayor should have stood by his word and come in and said something and then also what was the main thing that everybody assuming in the meeting that after the renovation are we going to get back our places that we have here. They told us that when the mayor come to the meeting with us that would be discuss. So how do you expect us to find somewhere now and we don't know if we are going to come back here. We don't know what kind of leases we are supposed to get into with whoever we are going to rent from - if it's a 6 month lease or a year lease or try to find something permanent."

We contacted the City Council today, who told us that the Mayor was unavailable. We're told that he has tentatively agreed to grant a response tomorrow. We'll keep trying to discuss this issue with him.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize