After protests from traders, Tân Bình District authorities have delayed plans to replace the 50-year-old Tân Bình Market with “a six-story traditional, civilized market,” and 17-story shopping center, reports Tuoi Tre.
The decision to rebuild the market had drawn criticism from traders who said that they were never asked for feedback on the new plan and complained that they will lose frequent customers while they wait for a new one to be built.
“We’ve been selling at the market for 25 years, and it seems we nearly lost everything overnight without being informed of anything in anticipation,” said Thien Thanh, a trader at the market.
“It would be like people replacing my house with a new one, and then making me pay rent to live in my own house,” complained another, reacting to the fact that traders will lose their booths (worth up to $470,000 at the current market) and be forced to buy back in at ($7-19) per square meter for a 30-year term once the new market is completed.
Over the weekend hundreds of traders surrounded the district headquarters on Truong Chinh Street, causing traffic jams, according to newswire Mot The Gioi.
In response, Tân Bình officials have agreed to put demolition of the market on hold until further discussion between parties involved in the demolition plan - the government, traders and the project developer.
The new market, along with a 17-story trade center, were scheduled to break ground in May 2016, and to open in November 2018 at a cost of $94.14 million.
[Tuoi Tre]
