By Val Matthias. Updated 4:46 p.m., Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Vendors operating at Little Tokyo in Kingstown could face significant changes to how they conduct business under a proposed redevelopment that Housing Minister Andrew John says will require a fundamental restructuring of the area.
John has indicated that the Government is unlikely to accommodate the existing number of iceboxes at the site, estimating that nearly 100 were present when he visited on Independence Day morning. He described the area as having effectively become “a big rum shop” and said its current commercial character was inconsistent with the Government’s vision for the redevelopment.
Speaking on NBC Radio on Wednesday, November 11, the Minister of Housing, Land Management, Urban Development and Informal Settlement Upgrading said he was shocked by the number of iceboxes he saw at the location.
He argued that transforming Little Tokyo into a greener and more organised space would require changes to the way business is conducted there.
“We have to change that whole mindset,” John said, while insisting that the Government did not intend to deprive people of their livelihoods.
However, he was less reassuring about the future of the existing icebox operations, questioning whether the redesigned facility could accommodate them.
“I doubt that we’ll be able to make allowances for that number, the iceboxes. It just cannot work,” he said.
The minister suggested that some operators could instead move into more formal commercial arrangements by renting shops that the Government intends to introduce as part of the redevelopment.
“We want to add a few more shops as well, so maybe some of these people can take on a more serious sort of business idea and get into renting one of these properties rather than just putting up iceboxes,” John said.
But while the minister has outlined the Government’s preferred direction, he did not explain how the transition would be managed or what protections, if any, would be available to existing vendors.
There was no indication of how many shops would be constructed, what rental rates might apply, whether current operators would receive priority in accessing the new spaces or how those unable to afford commercial rents would be accommodated.
It also remains unclear whether the Government has conducted consultations with the affected operators or assessed the number of people whose income depends on the existing arrangements.
John’s comments therefore introduce a potentially significant livelihood issue into a redevelopment that has so far been presented largely as an effort to improve the appearance and functionality of the area.
The project itself has undergone several developments. In May 2026, John indicated that refurbishment could begin in June and spoke publicly of an estimated EC$1 million for a greener redesign. However, the latest approach involves discussions with Japan, which assisted with the original development of the Kingstown Fisheries Complex in 1987.
John said the Japanese ambassador visited Little Tokyo on Independence Day, accompanied by his assistant, where he was shown the condition of the facility and presented with concept designs prepared by the Ministry.
The Government is now exploring a partnership with Japan, but John said the administration would provide the initial investment if securing external assistance took too long. No revised project cost, confirmed Japanese contribution or construction date has been announced.
The redevelopment is expected to extend beyond the main Little Tokyo facility to surrounding commercial areas, including shops opposite Courier’s, the vicinity of the lumberyard, the drain between the properties, the area in front of the barracks and the former meat-market location. John said the work would be undertaken in phases.
For vendors, however, the most immediate concern is not simply how the redeveloped Little Tokyo will look, but whether they will have a place in it.
The minister’s assurance that the Government does not want to put people out of their livelihoods will now need to be matched by details of how existing operators will be accommodated in the proposed commercial arrangement.
Until those details are made public, the future of the vendors and their businesses remainsuncertain.
END
About the Author: This story was written and submitted by freelance journalist Mr. Val Matthias, a trained communicator with more than two decades in the media sector. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication (UWI Mona), a Master of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management (UWI Cave Hill), a Certificate in Digital Marketing, and has years of broadcast journalism experience rising to ranks of a programme manager. All supporting materials for this story have been presented, vetted, and verified. Mr Matthias can be reached at valmatthias188@gmail.com
