Chairman of the board of Port of Spain Shopping Complex Ltd Montgomery Guy has said East Side Plaza, one of the malls under the company’s purview, was set for significant reconstruction as part of the urban development thrust of East Port of Spain.

He said the project will cost "a few million" dollars, but funding will be accessed through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank.

Guy said plans were under way to identify a temporary building to relocate the existing tenants so the project can begin. It may take 12-18 months to complete.

The board visited on Thursday to speak with tenants and to see first-hand the current condition of the plaza located between Charlotte and George streets.

Guy told vendors the project was a high priority for the board, and the vision is for all 143 tenants to engage in successful entrepreneurial activities that would create wealth for them, as the mandate is to develop entrepreneurial businesses through a business incubator model, while providing training opportunities to ensure their success.

East Side Plaza is set to be the West Mall of East Port of Spain, according to Guy, as the modern facility is intended to create a sense of pride and purpose amongst the tenants and residents of East Port of Spain.

He noted that Port of Spain Shopping Complex Ltd (POSSCL) was already working towards a partnership with National Entrepreneurship Development Company (Nedco), so tenants can receive formal training and loan facilities to grow and expand their businesses.

[caption id="attachment_1005127" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Tenants of East Side Mall -[/caption]

There have been discussions with iGovTT on making East Side Plaza a free WiFi zone to enhance the customer shopping experience and give tenants readily and reliable access to the internet, so they can take their businesses online.

Guy said POSSCL, a company under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, aims to develop sophisticated entrepreneurs of the 21st century who can ply their businesses online, be strategic in business positioning and operations, and put customer service at the pinnacle of their businesses.