By Dennise Williams, Staff ReporterA MIDST the hustle and bustle of Ocho Rios lies Island Village, the brainchild of entertainment mogul and hotelier Chris Blackwell.
This plaza, officially opened on February 20, 2002, offers tourists something different. Yes, one is beckoned to shop, shop, and shop. But unlike the other air-conditioned plazas or even the 'bend down' plazas of Ocho Rios, Island Village is a total and complete experience.
It is the retail-shopping equivalent to the All-Inclusive Hotel, where everything is right where you are. The village allows the tourist to shop, eat, drink, party, visit the beach, play volleyball, or just stretch out on the grass for a few minutes of shuteye. A safe encapsulated world where the tourist is king.
The plaza, designed by architect Ann Hodges and her team, is literally an old time country village. Reminiscent of colonial Jamaica, the shops are cottages painted in bright, vibrant colours of burnt red, green, brown and sand. The tourist can meander throughout the village shopping here, browsing there. And with the prime location of the Ocho Rios waterfront adjacent to the Cruise Ship Pier, the village boasts a beach that allows the tourist to cool out for the afternoon. The village was conceptualised to cater to every whim of the tourist, the target market of this project. And their market has responded. Between 1,500 and 2,000 tourists visit the village each day.
THE FIRST YEAR
But this did not happen overnight. Said Frances Yeo, general manager of the property, "The first year was rough. This is no secret. One would think because of our location that the cruise ship passengers would just come to the village. But it took time to break in. With promotions and marketing, we did convince the tourists to visit us. And now I have happy tenants." However, local persons do venture into the village. During the day, locals visit Cable & Wireless' shop to pay bills, buy cell phones or surf the Web at the Internet Jungle. Yeo tells The Financial Gleaner that locals also enjoy the Reggae Hall of Fame and the shops that sell arts and crafts. In the evenings, the Cove Theatre cinema showing current movie titles is also a favourite spot with locals. Information reveals that at any given day, around 200 Jamaicans visit the village. But even with this amount of foot traffic, the benefits to the tenants of the village are mixed. At one retail shop visited by The Financial Gleaner, the beads, necklaces, shirts and other clothing items sold very well, according to staff members.
They reveal that when two cruise ships are in dock, the daily average intake would see 200 persons shopping and spending about US$150.00 each. And this was the case at most of the retail shops that sell clothes and other wearable items. At Bookland, around 300 persons spend an average of US$20.00 weekly. According to the staff members, "Novels and magazines sell, but right now, Jamaican cookbooks are really taking off. Tourist have a real interest in how to cook Jamaican dishes." However, the spice and cosmetic/perfume shops say that the Christmas time of year is not their busy season.
The Financial Gleaner was informed that summer is the time of year when tourists patronise these stores heavily. But no one does brighter business at anytime of the year at the village than Margaritaville. This bar/restaurant/entertainment/hang out is the first stop for most tourists. It could be the energy, the vibes, the good food, the swimming pool or the free drink given to cruise ship passengers. No matter the reason, it is packed. Consistently.
FAST, FROLICKING, FUN
The two-storey entertainment complex caters to the fast, frolicking, fun that tourists seem to not get enough of. So much so, that during our visit, The Financial Gleaner spied construction workers busily expanding Margaritaville over into the adjoining shop space. And as a testimony to Yeo's 'happy tenants' other occupants are also expanding. Said Yeo, "Besides Margaritaville, three to four other shops are expanding, such as Reggae Yard and Island Leisure. Plus, we have three new duty-free boutiques coming in January 2004." Even the beach next to the village does good business. The entrance fee to the beach is US$3.00 per person and for an extra US$2.00, one can rent a lounge chair. But, while the vibes are nice and the US dollars flow, it does cost a pretty penny to be a part of the action. Rumoured to charge the most expensive rents in the Caribbean, Yeo revealed to The Financial Gleaner that monthly rents range from US$30 per square foot. Stated Yeo, "The rents really depend on the location and size of the store." Published reports on the project stated that the payroll for the construction phase of the building consisted of J$120 million for construction workers and J$150 million for operations. The local expenditure on the project consisted of J$120 million on construction and J$550 million on operations. Three hundred persons worked in the construction and operations phase respectively. According to Yeo, "The actual cost of construction was US$16 million. Funding for the project was sourced from a 50 per cent investment by Island International and 50 per cent from solid Jamaican companies such as Gleaner Company, Guardian Life and Sigma." The Island Village resort complex is a part of the Island International/ IslandJamaica brand conceptualised by Chris Blackwell. Among other tourist resort properties held by Blackwell are The Caves in Negril, Westmoreland; Jakes, in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth; Goldeneye in Oracabessa, St. Mary, and Strawberry Hill Spa in Irish Town, St. Andrew.
NEXT FOCUS
Currently, Yeo tells The Financial Gleaner, that enhancing the entertainment side of Island Village will be the next focus of management. Stated Yeo, "We have spent 18 months getting the shopping aspect right. The entertainment side will be the new focus to entice the local market to the village. We have made it into a promoter-friendly location. We can block off the shops and have the place ready for anyone to keep a show. For the Christmas season, we will be having a free concert billed the 'Choir Fest'. In reaching out to the community, we have invited the Emmanuel Mass Choir, the Bethel Tabernacle Choir and the Rock Choir to give a concert on December 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m."
