Bourda Market vendors welcome City Revival Plan

Vendors in Georgetown are welcoming the government’s newly announced City Revival Plan, saying it will bring much-needed improvements to the historic Bourda Market.
The plan, unveiled last week by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, aims to transform the capital into a modern, sustainable “Garden City” while preserving its cultural and commercial heritage.
At Bourda, one of the city’s busiest markets, vendors believe the upgrades will create a cleaner, safer, and more attractive environment for both sellers and shoppers.
Many expressed hope that better drainage and infrastructure will not only improve daily operations but also boost business by drawing more customers.
Vendor Nazima Khan said she is happy about the initiative as the market has been in a state of disrepair for years.
“When rain fall we can’t sell, the whole place soak. All the market do up nice, is only this market ain’t do. Everybody soak up in here,” she explained.
Vendor Sharon LaRose shared that she believes it is time for the market to be enhanced and re-established.
“The whole ‘Big Market’ indeed need to establish more better, because is a very long time it been like this. This environment is very bad what we’re selling in. If you look and see– the grounds, when rain fall the roof has a lot of holes. We need good upliftment for ‘Big Market’ so that people can come back. Right now people is hardly come here,” she said.
Additionally, Vendor Sharon Sergeant-Manjree said she is especially hopeful for drainage works to be undertaken at the market.
“The lane is full up of water when the rain fall, meaning that it got drainage problem. So what I would like y’all to do is clean up the drain and concrete inside the lane dem so that the water wouldn’t be lodging inside. That would actually be nice for everybody, because sometimes the goods does wet up when the rain do fall,” she said.
With Bourda Market at the heart of daily life for thousands of shoppers and vendors, many say the City Revival Plan is not just about restoring buildings, but about safeguarding a tradition of commerce that has served Georgetown for generations.
As the transformation unfolds, vendors remain optimistic that the changes will breathe new life into the capital while keeping its historic charm alive.