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Phsar Kandal Vendors Concerned Over Development Talks
by Ouch Sony | May 24, 2016 | អានជាភាសាខ្មែរ
Plans to rebuild Phsar Kandal have struck fear into the market’s community of longtime vendors, who gathered on Monday over concerns they will become the latest victims of Phnom Penh’s surging inner-city development boom.

Despite officials’ assurances that no expansion would happen without their consent, traders said on Monday they had become worried they would be forced out after hearing local news reports about plans to construct a high-rise building above the market...

Mr. Chamroeun said that seeking vendors’ approval was essential and development would not go ahead without it.
“It is up to the vendors whether they want it or not,” he said, adding that the condition of the market—not profit—was the motivation behind the plan...

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/phsa ... ks-112934/

Jesus... "Yes, your thoughts are important to us". They need a market there as it's the main one for the riverside. I guess they're thinking of doing some high rise with a market in the ground floor?

It's sure that something needs to be done about Kandal market. The vendors agree but they are all afraid of losing their stalls or paying more for them.

The dilapidated Phsar Kandal market, only a few blocks south of Phnom Penh’s Phsar Chas, now houses about 800 stalls. It is held up by cracked columns and covered by a leaking roof that many fear is on the verge of collapse.

“I don’t support dismantling the whole market, but we want the roof of the market repaired. However, we are afraid that those of us who have stores will lose them or have our stores reduced in size after the construction,” a vendor who asked to remain anonymous said.

As usual, there are problems with the lack of confidence in the local authorities, lack of information and lack of transparency (etc).

Another vendor, 53-year-old Taing Kim Eng, said that feelings of unrest on the part of vendors came from a lack of information.

“The market committee and the district and city authorities have never given us information [on the development] or let us discuss it,” Ms. Kim Eng said.

She then expressed concern that if vendors did not agree on the development plans, a fire could break out in the market...

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25285/ ... velopment/

The Cambodia Daily article mentions that the plans for the market are still in progress, so its difficult to know exactly what the vendors are supposed to be agreeing to at this stage.

Mean Chanyada, a spokesman for the Phnom Penh municipality, confirmed that City Hall had plans to rebuild the market but said feasibility studies were still underway.
...“Engineers, architects and our experts are studying options for the building.”
... He said that feasibility studies were still in the early stages and that he did not know how extreme the renovations would be or whether they would involve adding extra stories.

Cosmetics seller Soam Pisey, 38, however, said almost no one was aware of the plans until hearing about them on television and radio broadcasts.
“We denied that we knew about the renovation of the market,” she said. “We did not get any information from the market committee…. They did not tell or ask us.”

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/phsa ... ks-112934/

According to the Phnom Penh Post, previous plans to renovate Psar Kandal were scrapped in 2009 due to protest : http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/k ... ation-plan

I actually drove passed psar kandal today thinking what a fucking mess it is and wondering when someone would either repair it or knock it down and build apartments.

Given the area floods to waist height in a strong rain, I would imagine anyone building apartments might want to sort the drainage before putting in underground parking.

This is nothing new, they were floating plans for the development of the market at least 5 years ago and the stall-holders were bitching. It's just a bit cleaner these days but it's still stinking and needs to be developed.

Looks a real fire hazard to me.
would not be at all surprised to see it burn.

Renovating Kandal Market is long overdue. The market has a certain rustic charm but it's a potential fire hazard as it stands. Does anyone know how much the rents went up at the Old Market after the re-build? If they went up at all.

I walked through there the other day after it had rained. It reminded me of the farm and how every day you should make sure you have your gumboots on.

frank lee bent wrote:Looks a real fire hazard to me.
would not be at all surprised to see it burn.

This is a concern :

She then expressed concern that if vendors did not agree on the development plans, a fire could break out in the market.

“Please help us because I am afraid that there will be a fire like at Kratie market. There is always a fire before the construction. We are afraid of the fire,” she said, referring to a fire that broke out at Kratie province’s Chhlong market last week that destroyed 35 stalls. The official cause of the fire was electrical malfunction.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/25285/ ... velopment/
The old market in Kratie town also burnt down when vendors refused to make way for a new market. These things happen. It is widely believed not to have been an accident.

And Stung Treng recently - was there any reported cause/plans to 'renovate'?