Street kiosks make way for pedestrians

AS  BUSINESSES  and families  began removing their Christmas decorations on Saturday Jan.7, workers directed by the mayor’s office moved to demolish about 150 kiosks on El Terraplén,  opposite Centennial Park.

The demolition was established in an agreement signed in December between the Mayor of Panama and the Association of Microentrepreneurs Unidos S. A., who will be relocated in the new Market of the Americas.

The owners of some of the kiosks in El Embankment were “compensated in a previous census”, while others were leased by foreigners, which is prohibited by law, said Mayor  José Isabel Blandón.

The mayor said  that, in total, there were 60 owners, of whom 40 will go to the Market of the Americas and 20 to the Cinco de Mayo Market. According to the authorities, the Market of the Americas, in Calidonia, will open its doors on  January 10.

The demolition area will  become the pedestrian  gateway to Casco Viejo , and Salsipuedes, ” said Blandon.