Transfer ownership of markets not true
published: Saturday | August 14, 2004

By Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter

ERROL GREENE, executive director of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCCIC) says there is no truth in Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie's recent allegation that plans are afoot to transfer ownership of the markets in the downtown Kingston area from the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) to the Urban Development Corporation(UDC) affiliated KCCIC.

"I am not aware of any such discussions to take over ownership of the markets; as far as I know there is no truth in the allegation," Mr. Greene told The Gleaner yesterday.

The former Town Clerk added, however, that upgrading the markets in the area was integral to the plans to restore Kingston to its former glory. "The markets are a very critical part of the business district and it cannot be developed without looking at the markets."

UPGRADE

Mr. Greene said any plans to upgrade downtown Kingston would be done transparently and not without negotiations that would most definitely involve the Mayor McKenzie-led KSAC. Mr. Greene, who formerly worked alongside Mayor McKenzie at the KSAC before taking up his current post at the KCCIC said there was a meeting scheduled for August 19, 2004 with the Mayor to discuss the markets and other issues relating to the overall improvement of downtown Kingston.

In response to questions from The Gleaner, the UDC said they were "anticipating that any misunderstandings which may have arisen will be clarified at the meeting on August 19."

Ann-Marie Rowe-Mittoo, communications specialist at the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport told The Gleaner that the Ministry could not respond to the allegation as it seemed to be "hearsay".

On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor McKenzie told reporters that sources, which he refused to name, had tipped him off that plans were in high gear to have the ownership of all the markets in downtown Kingston transferred.

"Any such decision to take away the markets from the KSAC will be met with the strongest possible resistance that we can put up," said Mayor McKenzie. "We will not subject ourselves to that kind of embarrassment anymore and as I said the Council will resist any effort whatsoever to take away responsibilities of the markets from us here in downtown, Kingston."

While the Mayor was adamant that his administration would fight against any sort of hostile take-over, he said that the Corporation would embrace any assistance that came its way.

"We welcome any assistance in upgrading the physical conditions of the markets because we know that the markets are in need of desperate repair and we are willing to sit with any organisation to look at it but we are not willing to give up the markets."