Haiti Landmark Rebuilt

The Marché en Fer, a 19th-century era food market and a favorite Haitian hangout, has reopened its doors to the delight of locals.

1 minute read

January 12, 2011, 8:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


The Marché en Fer is an unusual landmark, built in Paris and originally intended to be a train station in Cairo. It was rebuilt largely due to the efforts and funding of one man, Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien. Reporter Pooja Bhatia quotes Mr. O'Brien as calling the market "the economic and cultural fulcrum of the city."

Bhatia writes:

"The project has become a lone bright spot in Haiti's stalled reconstruction. Built to international codes, equipped with solar panels and resistant to hurricanes and earthquakes, the renovated Iron Market epitomizes the hope of the international community that Haiti might 'build back better,' in the words of former President Bill Clinton, the United Nations special envoy for Haiti."

Monday, January 10, 2011 in The New York Times

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