Community leader for Rae Town in downtown Kingston Vincent Gordon outlines problems facing his community as well as his gratitude for help coming under the Innercity Renewal Programme, launched yesterday at the Jamaica Conference Centre. - Norman GrindleyFOR RAE Town community leader Vincent Gordon and residents, Mavis Jarrett and Jane Lowe, yesterday represented the rebirth of hope that the beauty of Rae Town and other depressed communities would again flourish.
The two, who live along Laws Street, downtown Kingston, have been surrounded by poverty and decay in the community for so long that their only comfort has been photographs, taken years ago. These remind them that Rae Town was once a beautiful residential area, not a place where a basic school and community centre are home to seven families, where unemployment, gang activities and illiteracy flourish and where they watch the light die out of the eyes of academically brilliant students and budding musicians, robbed of the opportunity for great achievement.
But all that is about to change as it was made official yesterday, with the launch of the Innercity Renewal programme, that their community will be the first of 48 communities to benefit under the project's second phase.
In fact, while presenters declined to discuss the cost of the venture with Prime Mini-ster P. J. Patterson even quipping that costs will be discussed in his budget presentation Dr. Vincent Lawrence, Head of one agency, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) conceded that work in Rae Town would begin "in another week."
The project aims to restore the infrastructure and further develop depressed communities in the Corporate Area. It is part of a response to growing urbanisation and a wider move to restore dilapidated towns and cities across the island, to develop their ability to attract investment, tourists and so improve their economies.
Facilities
"Emphasis will be placed on facilities to improve health, education, provide recreational activities, opportunities for skills training and the development of income-generating projects," Dr. Lawrence told yesterday's gathering, which comprised Local Government Minister Arnold Bertram, other ministers of government, Members of Parliament including that of Central Kingston, Ronald Thwaites, Mayor of Kingston, Marie Atkins and Councillors of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC).
Also on hand were representatives from the downtown business district and parish committee, among them Chairman and Managing Director of the Gleaner Company, Oliver Clarke, Morin Seymour, Executive Director of the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) and community leaders.
"I feel more than alright. I'm overwhelmed. That community Rae Town is a long time we want to see something done to that community. We had visions of Rae Town. Visions," Ms. Lowe gushed, following a passionate listing of Rae Town's problems and gratitude by Mr. Gordon ." I only hope I will live to see the real Rae Town come to what it used to be."
It took a few moments before Rae Town's councillor, Jennifer Newman, who had long complained about derelict buildings and other problems affecting her division, could express her joy.
"The residents really deserve this. They have been living like this for years. I'm so happy that, for once, they will get to see what the place was like in years gone by. I'm really happy," she said, smiling.
Through joint ventures, a number of public and private sector, civic and non-governmental organisations will be upgrading, cleaning and installing roads, drains, sanitation, utilities, commercial, industrial and historic buildings. Teams will also look at improving housing and related amenities, traffic, solid waste management and Kingston Harbour.
The first phase, which covers physically improving the downtown business and market districts and maintaining law and order was started in the middle of the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2001.
The third phase will include the development of major facilities for recreation, entertainment and tourism.
Rae Town was chosen as a pilot area because it was "on the doorstep of the major economic centre of Downtown Kingston and along the newly-constructed coast road. Its ability to contribute to its own local economy via the Sunday Night Rae Town dances and the fishing village made it ideal," Mr. Patterson said.
