St. John’s Development Corporation: refurbished mall will have space

All the vendors who were temporarily relocated from the Heritage Quay mall will be given spaces at the newly-renovated site upon its completion.  
This is according to Bernard Percival, chairman of the St. John’s Development Corporation (SJDC).
Responding to Anthony Stuart’s claim that some vendors would be displaced and that the tourism minister and the chairman and management of the SJDC had shown a lack of care and respect for the vendors, Percival said that although Stuart was once the SJDC executive director, “Mr. Stuart no longer works with this department.”
The chairman stated, “We are the persons to contact in the event that there’s going to be a change, and we have not indicated to anybody that there will be a change in terms of the number of vendors who will have spaces available to them.”
He further said, “We are operating on the premise that all the vendors who are there now will be afforded the same opportunity to return to the vendors mall when it’s finished.”
Percival advised that a “re-application” process is not taking place.
He explained that the “existing vendors were given new leases for the terms under which they are going to operate,” and those leases are still valid and in effect.
Additionally, the chairman said, “From all indications from the contractor, we are on time and scheduled to open on the 15th of December.”
In closing Percival also stated that although he didn’t have the information in front of him in terms of what the vendors currently pay for rent, the SJDC as far as they are discussing, have no plans to raise the rental rates for the vendors.