Wielnica council votes to close "Stara Hala" market for a car park

WIELNICA, Poland — By a vote of 13 to 10, the Wielnica city council decided on Tuesday evening to close the 90-year-old covered market "Stara Hala" and replace it with a five-storey car park. The market will shut its doors in six weeks. Around 200 people gathered outside the town hall during the session, holding signs reading "Hands off our Hala".

Background

Stara Hala opened in 1934 and is the last covered market in the region. It houses 64 traders selling vegetables, meat, cheese, flowers and household goods; many stalls have been run by the same families for three generations. The mayor's office says a technical survey found cracks in the roof structure and that keeping the building open costs the city about 1.4 million złoty a year.

Who is involved

• Mayor Andrzej Kowalczyk and his office: the building is unsafe, repairs would cost 11 million złoty, and the town centre badly needs parking. They promise traders temporary stalls on Lipowa Street.
• Halina Wróbel, head of the traders' association, has sold cheese at the Hala for 31 years. She calls the vote "a death sentence for small business" and says the temporary stalls have no roof or water.
• The Wielnica Heritage Society, led by retired architect Tomasz Nowicki, wants the building listed as a monument and has commissioned its own survey.
• Kuba "Kubix" Lis, a local video blogger with 180,000 subscribers, posted "They are killing Stara Hala" — 410,000 views in two days.
• Councillor Marta Zielińska (opposition) voted against and is collecting signatures for a local referendum.
• Wielnica24.pl, the local news site, and TV Region Południe, the regional channel, are covering the story daily.

Key facts and numbers

• Council vote: 13 for, 10 against.
• 64 traders, roughly 3,000 customers a day on Saturdays.
• Planned car park: 420 spaces, cost 26 million złoty.
• Closure date: six weeks after the vote.
• A referendum needs about 4,500 signatures (10% of voters).

What happens next

The heritage society expects its independent survey in three weeks. Traders plan a protest market on the town square this Saturday. The mayor will hold a public meeting next week, but Kubix has already called on viewers to "fill the hall".

This material is fictional and was created as an example for a simulation.