Photo By Spc. Ben Washburn | Neighborhood leaders from Baghdad's Doura area cut a ribbon to commemorate the opening...... read more read more
by Cpl. Ben Washburn
4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD – To have a vibrant market economy, a society must have security. With security increasing across the Rashid District and greater Baghdad over the past few months, the city's once flourishing economy is slowly making gains as well.
After months of hard work, Iraqi businessmen, with the assistance of Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, opened a new market in the Doura neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Feb. 28.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Dragon, have worked since arriving in theater to complete the project.
"We originally started two months ago, and as you can see it's what it is today – it's a great thing," said 1st Lt. David Wrighten, a Panama City, Fla., native, and member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-4 Inf. Regt., in speaking about the market, which contains individual stalls for the vendors and is covered by a roof. The market also contains a restroom as well as animal pens for goats, sheep and other livestock to be sold.
The market can accommodate 200 vendors and will make shopping more convenient for the people of Doura.
"It's kind of like a one-stop shop. (They can) come down here and get all the stuff done, do all the shopping," he said. "It's great for the economy."
The $1.2 million project has been handed over to the Doura Business Committee.
"This is a project we did, but we turned over to them for management," said Capt. Emiliano Tellado, the effects coordinator for the "Warriors."
"The head guy came from (a local neighborhood) and hired local workers to do the project," Tellado said, about an Iraqi contractor from the area who led the construction efforts.
The new vendors will move from street carts and make-shift shops that currently reside on the railroad tracks inside the Doura Market. They will move their business with the help of the Doura Business Committee, Tellado said.
"With the business committee taking a more active role, they're seeing this as a positive thing and they're actually looking forward to moving to that area," Tellado said. "They've got more people that want to come to it than actual stalls."
It is hoped that the creation of the market will provide a viable business location for Iraqi vendors to improve on their business opportunities.
"Eventually, when they get down here and they move in, I think they'll understand how much of an important move this is for themselves and for the people of Doura market," said Wrighten.
In addition to an enhanced aesthetic effect on the neighborhood, the new center will also make it safer within the Doura market, he added, because trains will now be able to pass through with a lower risk of hitting someone that may have set up on the tracks.
Tellado said he is optimistic about the impact this market will have on the area.
"Projects like this, which increase the business area, will greatly improve the business capacity and way of life for Doura," he concluded.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2008 08:02 |
| Story ID: | 16900 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 204 |
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