By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterIT WILL cost about $24 million to fund the re-development of downtown Kingston, according Errol Greene, who has been appointed executive director of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCCIC).
He told The Gleaner yesterday that Prime Minister P.J. Patterson would shortly announce several projects under the proposed redevelopment plan.
ON SECONDMENT
Mr. Greene, the resolute Town Clerk at the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), left the corporation on secondment to assume the top job at the one-year-old company on July 1.
"It is a new company that is being formed...You have legal matters you have to deal with, you have statutory matters and I am looking at those now, and at the same time I am busy developing a business plan for the redevelopment," he said.
SECURITY IS CRUCIAL
According to Mr. Greene, topping the redevelopment agenda of the commercial district is security, projected to cost $400,000. He said it was proposed that closed-circuit television (CCTV) among other systems would be installed.
Mr. Greene said while the funds for the security aspect would be sourced locally, the capital market will also be approached. The KCCIC will also be seeking the support of members of the business community to deal with some issues.
"We have quite a bit of commitment from some businesses which will not be putting in money directly, but which have committed themselves to undertaking some work within the defined areas," he noted.
Mr. Greene also noted that promoting Kingston as a cultural capital would be prioritised and that an 'area of excellence' would be established which would include a number of historic places.
In the meantime, Michael Ammar Jnr., president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, one of the partnering organisations in the KCCIC, said the proposals for the advancement of the capital city was "an excellent plan, which if implemented, will go a far way in redeveloping downtown as a place to do business".
According to him, the biggest problem with downtown Kingston was the perception that it was not a safe place. "I am feeling very comfortable with what is being done because we recognise that there is a problem and it is solvable," he noted.
The KCCIC will be consulting with the public to solicit ideas as to how the city may be further developed, but in the meanwhile, persons are invited to submit their ideas in writing to the KCCIC, c/o the Urban Development Corporation, 12 Ocean Boulevard, Kingston Mall.
