Kingston Jamaica the creative city

BY WAZARI JOHNSON

The city of Kingston has always been close to my heart, primarily because I was born and raised in the corporate area; St. Andrew to be exact.  During the course of my life I have visited cities abroad and I would always make comparisons with them and Kingston; cities like: New York, Toronto, and Miami. Though these cities do have their share of problems, the collective efforts of the people who reside, work, and find their recreation in them, have made them world famous for their appeal; whether cultural, aesthetic or commercial.

I believe that over the years Kingston, to a great degree, has been left to its own process of de-evolution. What makes matters worse is that it is Jamaica’s capital. I have often thought to myself about those who have served as Prime Minister of Jamaica; if any of them have ever felt any degree of embarrassment over the state of this city/ capital. I know I would but, being an artist, I am naturally concerned about matters of aesthetics, though I have come to believe that it is an innately human trait.

What is noteworthy is that Kingston was recently designated, in December of 2015, a creative city for music specifically. But Kingston is the hub for many forms of creative expressions. Despite my heartfelt, previous statements, I must applaud the efforts I have seen in recent times by some of our politicians where Kingston is concerned, and I will now take this opportunity to extend my thanks and respects to some members of both major political parties.

Under the tenure of former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, and I say without any reservation, that it was one of the best moves ever made to start Kingston on the road to restoration. Some government members argued that the land should be converted into a business district, while others felt a multi-functional entertainment complex should be built on the site, but in 2002 Cabinet granted approval for the transfer of the land to the National Housing Trust on the condition that a park would be built and maintained at that location. The land was transferred for one Jamaican dollar. In July 2002, Emancipation Park came into being. I think this kind of practice must be taken into consideration while plans to restore Kingston go underway, as lower prices on lands and buildings downtown will result in more people being able to buy and be responsible for the renovations of their individual buildings.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made her contribution, which I also deem of great significance, by guaranteeing and overseeing the construction of the Half Way Tree Bus Terminal during her tenure. This architectural marvel has served to propel the corporate area into the twenty first century, and it really has contributed to the overall aesthetic appeal of Half Way Tree. Funded by the Belgian Government and built entirely by Jamaican construction workers, former Minister of Transport Mike Henry said the new transport center will be used as a template for others that are to be established in other major towns and cities. I look forward with great anticipation to this, as it would really enhance the overall architectural landscape of Jamaica.

Former Mayor Desmond McKenzie must be congratulated for his great work also; he made untiring efforts to clean up the city of Kingston and to keep it clean. It has been a long time since I had seen this degree of consistency in keeping the roads and major thoroughfares of our beloved Kingston in such amazing condition, and as citizens of Kingston and St. Andrew we should do our part in keeping this city clean regardless of our political affiliations, for this is our city and we should become stake holders in it.

Last, but not least, I must applaud former Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s efforts to bring back life and luster to downtown Kingston, and I do think it is insightful of him to also include the incentives, that he has, for investing in downtown Kingston.

I believe restoration for Kingston can be achieved because restoration of a similar nature has been achieved elsewhere in the world. Harlem is a perfect example of this; it has been experiencing its renaissance. Housing prices are going up everywhere you look; brownstones, Gothic and Victorian piles are being restored to their former glory, and people (who five years ago wouldn’t venture past 96th Street) are moving in in bundles. Though it is currently being rediscovered, this is not the first time Harlem has been in this state. In the 1920s through to the mid-1930s, Harlem was not only the biggest black community in the world, it epitomized chic. Harlem extends, strictly speaking, from 95th to 155th Street, in northern Manhattan.  After the feverish speculation of 1905, the depression came. As fortunes went downriver, there was large-scale demolition in Lower Manhattan and a huge influx of African-Americans from the South. The catalogue of poverty, drugs, and crime, which in the late 1930s characterized the slow decline of this once great neighborhood, and this state of affairs continued well into the late twentieth century.

I think Harlem could be the blueprint for Kingston’s restoration, though it is imperative that commercial interests become more involved in downtown Kingston. The arts and culture should be included in its restoration: since Jamaica’s National Gallery, The Institute of Jamaica, The Ward Theater, and other areas of artistic and cultural interests are located downtown.

I think more cultural and entertainment interests should invest into downtown especially around the waterfront area. An approach similar to what has been taken to Miami’s south beach can be taken downtown. Many of the vacant buildings downtown could be converted into low cost artist/artisan studios and residencies, and an area could be allocated for an indoor entertainment center as issues such as noise pollution would not pose such a problem if entertainment centers were located away from concentrated residential clusters.

I hope to see a Kingston reborn, where the citizens of Kingston can look at their city with great pride and admiration, but this can only be achieved if we all work together and build a vision.