Greene

The Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) has put on hold its plan to begin the demolition of a building at 14 Caledonia Avenue in Cross Roads, St Andrew, today.

But that is nothing more than a stay of execution for the more than 20 small business operators at the facility.

Town Clerk Errol Greene said yesterday that the court-approved demolition has been pushed back because the KSAC has not completed its preparation.

"We have to look at the procurement process, we have to look at finding the appropriate persons to do the job, we have to inform a number of agencies which we have already done, so it is very unlikely that we will start the process this weekend," Greene said.

More time

The town clerk met with a group of the business operators yesterday to listen to their plea for more time.

But, while sympathetic, he left them with no doubt that the wrecking crew would be outside the building as soon as the KSAC completed the necessary arrangements.

"Something like that will most probably have to done on a weekend or at nights when there is a minimal amount of traffic in order not to cause too much disruption," Greene added.

He said the KSAC has identified two shops on property that it owns which will be made available to some of the business operators while other shops on the building, which are not precariously placed, could be spared for as long as possible.

The KSAC will be spending approximately $10 million to demolish the building which it says was built without a permit and where additional construction was continuing up to a few days ago.

The corporation fought an almost five-year legal battle with the owner of the premises before getting the permission of the court to pull down the building which is a fire and safety hazard.

But operators of the small stores on the property argued that they have been there for years and need more than the five-day relocation notice served on them by the KSAC.