As the St. John’s Development Corporation (SJDC) moves with haste to address the myriad issues affecting tenants at the Craft Market, Saiid Greene, the Director of City and Urban Renewal, is taking responsibility for not having addressed them earlier.
Last week, in an open letter to the SJDC management, the tenants voiced their dissatisfaction over the poor maintenance of the facility and the Corporation’s failure to ensure that they are treated fairly.
Among the many issues complained about was their inability to access the bathroom facilities, as well as the apparent infestation of rodents in the building.
Greene says the Corporation is not making excuses for the problems the vendors are having. Instead, it is shouldering its responsibility and trying to correct them as quickly as possible.
Greene says discussions already have been held with the Corporation’s Maintenance Department, in addition to private contractors, to set out a timeline by which the work can be completed.
Meanwhile, he says that work on the issues that can be addressed immediately has commenced.
According to Greene, the Corporation and its partners have to become more assertive and more available to the tenants – not only on matters that negatively impact them, but on a daily basis.
He says the SJDC wants a better working relationship with the vendors, since the conditions under which they have to work are not acceptable by any standard.
