Tamagnini Barbosa Market next in line for revamp with new food court

The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has been steadily rejuvenating local wet markets through customized spatial redesigns, facility enhancements, and the reactivation of idle spaces, with Tamagnini Barbosa Market set to undergo a major overhaul this month featuring the creation of a cooked food center or food court.

According to the bureau, the renovation project is scheduled to commence this month and will involve a complete reconfiguration of the market’s layout. Under the plan, the first floor will be converted into a cooked food center or food court featuring 16 stalls.

A covered walkway connecting to the Tai Fai Building public car park is also planned, while space will be reserved for the future construction of a footbridge linking the market to the Civic Sports Park.

As part of the market’s redesign, the bureau has reorganized the ground floor to accommodate 23 stalls. A senior IAM official explained: “The 23 stalls will include fresh fish, meat, chilled meat, and fruit and vegetable sections.” He also noted that, given the operational characteristics of fish stalls, the area would be divided into dry and wet zones, with separate areas designated for sales and back-of-house operations.

Residents of Our Lady of Fátima Parish were briefed on the latest municipal developments during a recent community consultation, where the bureau announced a public tender for 14 cooked food stalls this month – 10 at S. Lourenço, Patane, and Horta da Mitra markets, and four at Iao Hon Hawker Building.

Meanwhile, the Rua Dois do Bairro Iao Hon hawker reorganization, completed in March, had created nine units from 36 stalls, with two-meter spacing between stalls and the addition of a landscaped seating area.

In a separate initiative, the bureau announced plans to upgrade the dog-walking area along Av. da Ponte da Amizade in September.

The improvements will include an expanded space, separate zones for large and small dogs, and an extension of the cobblestone pavement. New facilities such as dog-washing pools, sunshades, and benches will also be added to enhance comfort for both pets and their owners.

During a symposium, residents raised concerns about dripping water from air-conditioning units, a common issue in densely populated residential areas. Committee member To Sok I responded that, in some cases, the problem stems not from condensation but from wall seepage or burst internal pipes, which can be difficult to trace. She added that authorities would handle such cases through interdepartmental coordination, given the complexity of identifying the source and assigning responsibility in multi-storey buildings. Yuki Lei & Ricaela Diputado