The Horta da Mitra wet market will reopen tomorrow, after its renovation was completed at the end of last year, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has announced.
The renovation has kept the market’s architectural façade intact, restructured its internal layout, and installed various new equipment and facilities.
The 13 stalls that were operating before the renovation will resume their business tomorrow, while five extra stalls will only start operating after the completion of the bureau’s still ongoing assessments of bids submitted for its public tenders launched in October last year for the five stalls’ lease and operation.
The bureau made the announcement in a statement on Friday.
The Horta da Mitra wet market has been temporarily closed since February 28 last year for renovation, which got off the ground the following month.
The Cantonese name of the Horta da Mitra Municipal Market is transliterated as Jeuk Jai Yun, which is literally translated as Little Bird Garden.
The Horta da Mitra Municipal Market, built in 1939, is located behind Rua do Campo.
According to the bureau, there was an urgent need to renovate the Horta da Mitra market because its equipment and facilities such as sewerage network, ventilation system and lighting facilities had worn out.
Friday’s statement noted that the renovation, which was completed at the end of last year as scheduled, has preserved the Horta da Mitra market’s architectural appearance, installed an air-conditioning and ventilation system, and improved the lighting system. In addition, the renovation has also adjusted the ratio of male and female toilet cubicles, i.e., increasing the number of female toilet cubicles in relation to male ones.
Moreover, the renovation has also improved the market’s sewerage system and installed barrier-free facilities there.
The renovation has increased the number of stalls to 18 from 13. The 13 stalls that were operating before the renovation will resume their business tomorrow when the market reopens.
The statement noted that the 13 stalls comprise seven meat stalls, four fish stalls, one vegetable stall, and one stall selling chilled and frozen meat.
5 extra stalls
The bureau launched public tenders in October last year for the lease and operation of the five extra stalls in the Horta da Mitra market. The bid submission period ran until the middle of November last year. The bureau said on Friday that it has now “entered its final phase” of bid assessments for the five stalls.
According to previous IAM announcements, the five extra stalls will sell pre-packed light meals and cooked food, pre-packed frozen and chilled aquatic products, global groceries, and spices.
The new law regulating the operation of the city’s wet markets took effect on January 1, 2022, according to which the lease and operation of available stalls must be granted by public tender except in special circumstances, a change from the previous practice in which available stalls were simply allocated through lucky draws.
The bidding process for the five extra stalls in the Horta da Mitra market was the first held since the new law took effect.
Friday’s statement also noted that separate entrances and exits have been installed for the market’s shopping area and work area with the aim of separating shoppers from those delivering fresh and live food to the market.
The photos taken on Friday shows the renovated Horta da Mitra market and its stalls. – Photos: IAM
