MAJOR repairs and upgrades are coming for two of Clarendon’s largest public vending facilities — the Spalding and May Pen markets.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie made the pronouncements following a recent tour of Spalding Market.

He said the ministry will be working closely with the municipal corporation to redesign the framework for the market to make it simpler, using the method that was adopted in Buff Bay, Portland.

“This is a new concept for markets which will eliminate the electricity costs and allow for more ventilation and it will be an open expanded area for vending. I am giving the team three weeks to complete the redesign, do the submission so that we can commence what needs to be done,” he told a gathering at the entrance of the market.

The unfinished building, which is to house a modern market, was started many years ago. McKenzie said his ministry will engage the municipal corporation to see what is possible.

“We understand some limited funding is available but that can’t do much, but once we have completed the assessment we will move to see what we can do. Vending is critical, especially in communities like Spalding where a lot of people rely heavily on vending. Once the design has come back then we will move to the next phase of putting the necessary funding in place to commence the work.

“We are hoping once we expedite the process — within the guidelines — we will be able to put up a structure that will be of benefit to everybody in and around this community,” McKenzie added.

Responding to McKenzie, chairman of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation (CMC) Joel Williams pointed out that the corporation has been grappling with some issues and welcomed the visit from the minister.

“We are happy he is here to help to guide and give us the necessary assurance to deal with some of those issues,” said Williams, who is the mayor of May Pen.

In the meantime, Councillor Trevor Gordon (Peoples’s National Party, Spalding Division) said he, too, was happy for the visit and is expecting that the long-overdue upgrades will begin on Spalding Market, which has more than 50 registered vendors.