Susan Smith, Staff Reporter
BLACKWELL
THE ISLAND Village shopping and entertainment complex should be minting money for its owners. It is not.
Christopher Blackwell, chairman of Ocho Rios Beach Resorts Limited, the majority shareholder for Island Village, told Wednesday Business there are plans to remodel key areas of the complex to make it more attractive for locals.
Built three years ago at a cost of US$20 million, the multipurpose beachfront complex is located beside the cruise ship terminal in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, which is also the centre of Jamaica's cruise business.
The original concept for the centre was to create an attraction that would serve as an automatic draw for the disembarking passengers.
Located on a four-and-a-half-acre property, it is owned by primary shareholders, Ocho Rios Beach Resorts Limited, Guardian Life, Sigma , The Gleaner Company and Ray Chang.
At present, Island Village relies mainly on the support of the visitors alighting from cruise ships only in the mornings and on particular weekdays.
LIMITED USE
But Mr. Blackwell said this is a very limited use of the facility.
Eight Rivers Club Company Limited, the management company, has since had to adjust its strategy to keep the concept viable.
General manager for Island Village Ocho Rios, Sue Morris, said the complex was originally designed to be a very active entertainment centre but that focus was quickly changed when the multi-purpose service, entertainment and shopping facility failed to offer the kind of entertainment to draw large numbers of patrons.
"We really want to get more from Island Village so that people renting villas and staying in the hotels can find entertainment there," said Mr. Blackwell.
In addition to catering more to that market, he said the operators of Island Village want to attract more locals to the complex.
Attracting more traffic is critical for the success of the complex as its location is not a cheap one for its tenants.
The shops are leased at prices between US$10 to US$50 per square foot per annum depending on the location of the space and the type of service offered.
RENOVATIONS
"The whole stage and live appearance effect will be more enhanced and we are changing the entrance to make it more attractive," he explained.
He estimated the renovations would cost about J$19 million.
The entrance and the stage area of the facility are to be remodeled to boost its night entertainment and attract more locals. Construction started in August and is slated to be completed by November.
Ms. Morris further explained that the entrance and the stage were targeted because of the shift in focus of the complex.
"In the beginning, the structure that we had was originally there because we were going to charge an entry fee to come in and because we were going to have more entertainment," she said, referring to the turnstile at the entrance of the complex.
But the turnstile at the front of the complex is not an attractive feature for a shopping and food centre, Mr. Blackwell said.
"About two years ago, we looked at the entrance and thought how we could make it more user-friendly," Ms. Morris said.
She said the operators have observed the pedestrian flow into the complex and have been noting the things which impede this.
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
Island Village is also working to develop its evening entertainment with an ongoing series of local theatre productions.
"Putting the evening entertainment programme back in line was one of the missing factors," she stated, explaining that the entertainment area is also not very user-friendly for shows.
As such: "We are making the lawn and the stage area more accessible for shows. The lawn is a bit low and so we need to make it closer to the height of the stage," she outlined.
She said already the local plays that are staged have been well received.
Ms. Morris said the owners, who are directly in charge of this aspect of the complex, are set to benefit from the new initiative as well as tourists and locals who want evening or night entertainment.
