St Thomas Municipal Corporation Takes Possession of Yallahs Market, Renovations Planned

St Thomas, Jamaica — The St Thomas Municipal Corporation has officially taken control of the Yallahs Market, following the expiration of a 25-year lease previously held by a former councillor. The announcement was made by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, during a handover ceremony for a new two-bedroom unit under the Indigent Housing Programme in Seaforth, St Thomas, last Friday.

For years, vendors in the Yallahs area have been forced to operate outside the market’s gates due to the private lease arrangement, which prohibited them from using the market space. This restriction hindered local business activities, preventing vendors from conducting trade in a secure and sheltered environment. However, Minister McKenzie assured that with the Municipal Corporation now in possession, longstanding issues surrounding market access will be resolved.

“The vendors had to sit outside the gate of the market; they couldn’t enter,” McKenzie noted. “We gave a commitment that when the lease expired, we would not extend the lease to any other individual. That lease has expired, and now the St Thomas Municipal Corporation holds the market.”

The Minister further explained that the government is finalizing renovation estimates for the market, with the Ministry set to allocate funds to restore and improve the facility. The goal is to create a viable marketplace where vendors can “ply their trade and be better than they are today,” he emphasized, affirming the government’s commitment to revitalizing the community’s economic infrastructure.

The move to renovate the Yallahs Market is expected to bring much-needed relief to local vendors and provide a safer and more suitable space for their businesses, helping to foster economic growth in St Thomas.