Photo: Mahogany Street Market Place plaque revealed
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 12, 2024
Today marked a major milestone for the Lake Independence community with the inauguration of the Mahogany Street Reserve Project, an initiative aimed at revitalizing one of Belize City’s central areas.
The project, which began in 2022, has welcomed eight new vendor booths, public facilities, parking, and a dedicated area for St. Luke Methodist Primary School, all enhancing the area from Evergreen Street to Oleander Street.
The ongoing second phase promises further transformation with an additional 20 vendor booths, reorganized vendor spaces, street improvements, and heightened security measures, including a state-of-the-art surveillance system.
The inauguration ceremony saw numerous stakeholders and distinguished speakers like the mayor of Belize City, Bernard Wagner; Area Representative of Lake Independence, Hon. Cordel Hyde; and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Anthony Mahler.
“It’s a big deal for our people, man. Our people just want to work, and so it’s about bettering our communities, bettering our families, one person, one family at a time, and I think that through this initiative, we are making our people more self-reliant, making our people more independent … And that’s the ultimate goal, to have our people reach the point where they want to reach where they can lift themselves out of poverty and take care of their families, and really push out their chests and be proud of what they’re doing [with] their lives …” shared Minister Hyde.
The Mahogany Street Reserve Project not only prioritizes infrastructural enhancement, but also actively supports the vendors by offering $1,500 grants for business equipment, in order to meet the individual needs of each vendor. The carefully designed booths, varying in size to accommodate different operations, and the opportunity for expansion reveal the project’s adaptability.
“Every booth on the Mahogany Street stretch will be upgraded, and we have supported the people who operate in those booths with some cash whereby, if they need to upgrade their stoves, their fridge or whatever equipment they need, we don’t give them the cash, but we buy what they need,” explained Minister Mahler.
“We are here to always serve the people, and I stand here today as a servant for the people. And when our people are able to earn livable wages, and they are able to stand proud and strong, that, listen, ‘I dih make my day, I dih mek my wages for the day’, in these little shops all along Mahogany Street, and we continue to expand … so that everyone has a share of the pie,” stated Mayor Wagner.
With this initiative, the Belize City Council, in partnership with the BTB and other departments, has set an example for community upliftment, prioritizing South Side residents and business owners of Mahogany Street.