Friday, October 26, 2012

West Side Bazaar moving to new location


Vendors at the West Side Bazaar are eagerly anticipating the move to their new location next month.
            The Bazaar, which is currently located 242 Grant Street, will be moving to 240 West Ferry Street after some final renovations are complete. The move to the new location is made possible by a $100,000 grant given to the Bazaar by Westminster Economic Development Initiative (W.E.D.I.) earlier this year.
            With the grant, the West Side Bazaar hoped to build a kitchen in their new location; a plan that is now in action.
            Bonnie Smith, economic development director at W.E.D.I, said, “There has been great progress made possible by the grant.”
            Guysma Thik, a vendor at the Bazaar and a native of the South Sudan, said, “They are fixing the floors and the walls. They started on the kitchen this week.”
            “I feel excited because now we are only 6 six vendors. At the new location, we will have more than 20 vendors,” said Pou Ma, a vendor from India. “Also, another good thing is over here we just have a small washroom, and in the new location we will have a separate dressing room. Right now, when people come in and they want to try on clothes, they have to use our washroom.”
            In addition to the kitchen, the new location will house larger spaces for vendors, an eatery and a seating area for customers. The Bazaar plans to be moved into their new location in November of this year. By Sara O'Brien and James Wright