WILLEMSTAD – Tensions are rising among small business owners at Marshe Nobo in Punda just days before the renovated market is scheduled to reopen. Several vendors are unhappy with new operating requirements and a mandatory rental agreement introduced by Fundashon Marshe, while the organization says the changes are necessary to create a safer, more professional and financially sustainable market.
Among the points causing concern are requirements for vendors to wear standardized clothing and purchase uniform signs displaying their business names. Vendors are also being asked to sign new rental agreements that will take effect September 1.
Under the new contracts, rents can increase by up to 5 percent, with higher maintenance and security expenses cited as reasons for the adjustment.
Some entrepreneurs have also raised questions about safety and whether all renovation work will be completed before they return to the building.
Interim Fundashon Marshe director Remy Ricardo disputes suggestions that vendors were suddenly confronted with the new conditions. According to Ricardo, entrepreneurs were informed about the arrangements during a meeting on August 1.
The new operating structure also requires vendors to have no outstanding debts. Smart Aqualectra meters have been installed as part of efforts to prevent new utility arrears from accumulating.
The disagreement comes at the end of a lengthy and considerably more expensive renovation project.
Marshe Nobo closed in September 2024, when approximately 80 vendors were relocated to temporary facilities around Plasa Wilson “Papa” Godett and other nearby locations in downtown Willemstad. The renovation was intended to address serious structural deficiencies and modernize the market, including improvements to safety and hygiene.
The work subsequently encountered significant complications. Initially, only eight of the 32 columns supporting the building’s distinctive folded roof were expected to require replacement. Further inspection found concrete deterioration affecting all 32 columns, forcing a much larger intervention.
The reopening was previously expected in May but was delayed again. Minister of Economic Development Roderick Middelhof said last month that unforeseen work, including replacement of the electrical system, contributed to the delay. The renovation has now cost more than Cg 5 million, more than Cg 1 million above the original budget, according to local media reports.
The delays have already caused political concern. In July, Member of Parliament Sandy Losiabaar asked Middelhof for explanations about the prolonged renovation and the conditions under which vendors had been operating at the temporary location. She also raised concerns about security and possible loss of income among the entrepreneurs.
Fundashon Marshe has maintained throughout the renovation that modernization is necessary not only to repair the aging building but also to give the market a broader economic role in Punda. The organization says its objective is to improve safety and hygiene while creating an attractive market capable of drawing both residents and tourists throughout the day.
That approach forms part of a wider restructuring of Curaçao’s downtown markets. In April 2025, Fundashon Marshe and the Ministry of Economic Development signed a new management agreement covering 2025 through 2028, with an emphasis on professionalization, transparency, entrepreneurship and development of the markets as economic, social and cultural centers.
For the Marshe Nobo vendors, however, the immediate issue is what those changes will mean for their individual businesses.
The soft opening of the renovated market remains scheduled for August 20. The new rental agreements are due to take effect on September 1.