Clinton opens Port-au-Prince's Iron Market restored by Denis O'Brien

IRISH BILLIONAIRE Denis O’Brien funded the reconstruction of the iconic Iron Market in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, which was officially reopened yesterday by former US president Bill Clinton.

It is the first public building in the city to be rebuilt since the earthquake one year ago and is being portrayed as a symbol of the country’s resolve to recover.

The 11-month, $12 million (€9.24 million) reconstruction of the structure, originally built in Paris in the 1890s, occurred despite obstacles such as the rainy season, the cholera outbreak and a tropical storm, not to mention the normal difficulties associated with doing business in Haiti.

The official opening ceremony was attended by the mayor of Port-au-Prince, Muscadin Jean-Yves Jason, who has praised Mr O’Brien’s commitment to the city.

The market, which was originally intended for a station in Cairo but was bought by a Haitian president when the Egyptian deal fell through, was a central part of the life of the capital before the city’s destruction.

The rebuilding project was funded and spearheaded by Mr O’Brien and his wife Catherine. Mr O’Brien’s Bermuda-based Digicel Group began operations in Haiti in 2006 and is the largest investor in the troubled and very poor country.

It is estimated that more than 900 vendors will operate from the new building selling arts and crafts, fruit and vegetables, dry produce and beauty products.

The reopening of the building on the anniversary of the earthquake is receiving worldwide publicity, with publications such as the Observerand the New York Timescovering the event.

“Denis O’Brien has been a catalyst for many of the good things that have happened in Haiti, both before and after the earthquake,” Mr Clinton said. “Since last year, he has been the facilitator for our Clinton Global Initiative’s [CGI] Haiti Action Network, and to date, CGI members have made more than $224 million in commitments.”

Mr O’Brien described the market as an economic engine for so many families. It is “as important as a social and community entity as it is a place of trade”.

He said the rebuilding of the market was an important symbol of the country’s recovery and a window to a brighter future for the Haitian people.

Digicel has invested more than $350 million in Haiti and has 2.4 million subscribers.

Ispan, a Haitian organisation concerned with the preservation of the country’s heritage, worked with Mr O’Brien on the reconstruction project.