The Campbell Street market will undergo a major upgrade next year to give it a new lease of life.

The century-old market, located at the junction of Campbell Street and Carnavon Street, has experienced a drop in business in recent years as the building’s structure deteriorated over the years.

After over two years of planning and consultations, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has finalised an upgrade and restoration plan for the market.

“About RM5 million will be allocated for the upgrading and restoration works of the market where new elements will be introduced to inject new life into it,” said local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow during a site visit today.

The state executive councillor said the MBPP started the process in 2014, first by engaging the stakeholders, getting public feedback and working with a consultant architect and Think City to come up with a Heritage Management Plan for the project.

“After two and half years of planning, it is time to call for a tender of the project by March next year as the consultants needed to make final adjustments to the plans,” he told reporters this morning.

Chow said the work on the exterior of the building is expected to start in the middle of next year.

“The upgrading works will be conducted phase by phase so that it will not affect the daily business of the remaining traders here,” he said.

Chow said the market trading dynamics have changed over the years as both the number of customers and traders have dwindled.

“After the heritage inscription, the way of operations have changed, the number of walk-in customers have reduced, many stalls have closed and wholesaling activities have also reduced,” he said.

The market was first established in the 1900s when the then municipal council bought the land and relocated an existing cemetery there to another site.

In the 1930s, the market received its first upgrade. It was upgraded again in the 1960s.

Throug the years up till the heritage inscription in 2008, the market was one of the main wet markets in the inner city after Chowrasta Market just a few hundred metres away.

With the proposed upgrade, the old market building will be maintained and restored but new features will be added.

A modern Food Street section will be built next to the market to attract new businesses and new customers to the market site.

“We hope this effort will add new elements to the market as the market stalls will be rearranged to give it a new face and new look,” he said.

All existing traders will be maintained at the market and they hope to attract new traders and businesses to the market after the upgrade.

“The Food Street will open new opportunities for other businesses including cafes to attract crowds to the site,” he said.

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