The proposed new Pouderoyen Market is being designed to serve as a year-round economic and cultural hub that creates new business opportunities and attracts customers from across the country.
Addressing residents during a public consultation on the project on Monday, the President said the design was shaped by community input to ensure it reflects the needs of vendors and consumers.
“We knew this market had to be different because this market is an everyday market,” President Ali said.
He explained that the facility will include a seven-day food court, a dedicated farmers’ market and covered commercial spaces, while also accommodating cultural shows and community events aimed at increasing visitor traffic.
“We want people to come to this market because this market will have the best local food in all of Guyana,” he said.
President Ali also linked the investment to the wider transformation taking place along the West Bank Demerara corridor, noting that approximately 30,000 new homes are expected to be built between Wales and La Grange over the next five years.
“Thirty thousand new families, new opportunities for business, and that is what we will be driving in the coming months and years,” he said.
The two-storey market will feature more than 140 commercial spaces, separate sections for wet and dry goods, dedicated areas for clothing, crafts, electronics and other services, parking for approximately 60 vehicles, waste management facilities and modern amenities.