Temple Yard Craft Market Artisans to be Temporarily Relocated to Pelican Village for Redevelopment: Progress in Cricket World Cup Upgrade Plans

Shut out of a promised upgrade for June’s Cricket World Cup, Temple Yard Craft Market’s artisans are to be temporarily relocated to Pelican Village by Christmas, paving the way for the long-awaited improvements of the popular city space.

The announcement comes after a crucial meeting between the craftspeople and government officials, marking a significant step forward in the redevelopment plans unveiled in April.

Amid pledges of immediate work to develop the area into one of several shopping spots for World Cup visitors to nearby Kensington Oval, the artisans enthusiastically participated in the demolition of their own makeshift kiosks at Temple Yard.

But despite repeated calls for attention, the spot remained unimproved.

This is the second time the predominantly Rastafarian leather craft workers will have to move after enjoying lucrative trade in the Shepherd Street Alley between Cave Shepherd (now Bridgetown Duty Free) and Norman Centre in the 1980s.

Revealing the outcome of Friday’s talks, Joy-Ann Haigh, communications consultant with Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) said: “We’re on the same page, and this is why the meeting took place today, to make sure we can finalise the move to their temporary location, which we can announce now will be Pelican. We had some other issues that we needed to iron out, and we’re actually looking to do that, but for the most part, the artisans, the businessmen, the small business owners of Temple Yard—they’re actually very happy about the government’s move.”

The meeting, which took place at the Urban Development Commission’s offices on Bridge Street, brought together representatives from BTII, UDC, and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Markets Division.

No specific date has been set for the relocation and subsequent construction. Haigh emphasised the need for realistic expectations.

“We wanted to make sure we adjusted the expectations. We have to move the artisans to Pelican, then we have to dismantle the old shops and obviously look to rebuild,” she explained. “We’re hoping, God willing, everything goes to plan, and weather permitting, that we can start the construction of the new Temple Yard this year. However, we do not believe, and we want to be realistic; we’re not going to be able to build that in six months.”

Haigh added: “We’d already explained to the artisans that we expect them to be in Pelican around Christmas. They understood that, and we’re going to keep them informed, but I know for a fact that we will not be able to do that between now and December. However, the designs are in. We are tweaking [them] somewhat because we’re looking at storage now in The City. As you know, we’re always cramped for space in The City, and we need additional storage going forward. So we’re looking at that in the design as well for the artisans.”

Addressing concerns about potential reduced foot traffic at Pelican Village, Haigh assured that efforts would be made to enhance visibility for the relocated artisans.

“The fact that we have so many cruise ships coming, I believe we can share information about the existence of Pelican and artisans so that when they visit the shops inside, the next shop that you’re actually going to get to will be Pelican,” she stated. “Yes, it requires a little bit more promotion just to improve on whatever is there because we don’t want them to feel that they’ve moved out and then they’re disadvantaged where they are. I’ve given them a word on behalf of BTII that we will do everything we can to promote Pelican.”

The announcement was met with approval from the artisans, who have been eagerly awaiting a resolution. Visual artist David Guru highlighted the community’s resilience, stating: “We are all in at this moment, and we are all ready to go forward with the government’s plan. All parties are interested, and we are invested in the same spirit, and that is the spirit of unity, love, and a new Temple Yard facility. After all the trepidations, after all the tribulations, we are ready to go forward.”

Sherry Ann Knight, another tenant of the village, echoed similar sentiments but emphasised the need for improved communication.

“We have come to finally a decision [about] where we will be relocated. We are most happy at this point, and we’re just looking forward to better all the time,” she said. Knight also stressed the importance of “stronger unity, love, and being more transparent for the future, so we won’t have so many hiccups and misunderstandings”.

Haigh acknowledged past communication issues but highlighted the collaborative effort to move forward.

“We recognise there was a lot of mixed communications. Even though people meant well, sometimes the wrong timing for the communication caused issues,” she admitted. “We know it was like that, not only between the Temple Yard artisans but also between the officials and Temple Yard. We accept that and are doing something about it today.”

Stressing the importance of the project for the artisans’ livelihoods, the BTII spokeswoman said: “We just have to speak with them and build better relationships. At the end of the day, this is their business. This is for them to make money for their children and their families.”