$60 million to rehabilitate St. William Grant Park in Jamaica

Thursday, December 25, 2003

KINGSTON, Jamaica: As the thrust to clean up and beautify the city of Kingston continues, rehabilitation work is to be carried out on the St. William Grant Park in downtown Kingston at an estimated cost of $60 million.

The work is part of the business district improvement programme in downtown Kingston, a project that falls under the mandate of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCCIC).

The rehabilitation work is to be implemented in three phases, beginning with the current on-going basic clean up of the park, repairs to the fountain, re-planting of flowerbeds around the main walkways and sanitization of the perimeter walls. 

This is being carried out by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) on behalf of the KCCIC, Metropolitan Parks and Markets and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). One of the aims is to make the park more conducive for activities during the Christmas season.

Plans for phases two and three of the programme are still being finalized and will involve the relocation of the current bus terminus facilities that adjoin the park, to the vicinity of the rural bus terminus. 

Town Clerk at the KSAC, Errol Greene, confirmed that the Council was contemplating plans to rehabilitate and develop the city's parks.

The St. William Grant Park, which was previously known as Victoria Park in honour of Queen Victoria of England, and was renamed in 1977, is located in the centre of downtown, Kingston. It was renamed in honour of the 1938 black nationalist, William Grant, who was an associate of the Rt. Excellent, Sir Alexander Bustamante, National Hero and former Prime Minister. 

For his role in the development of modern Jamaica, Mr. Grant was awarded the Order of Distinction in 1974.

The area surrounding the park is still known as 'The Parade', reflecting its original use. In the plan of the city of Kingston, the whole area, including the park and the surrounding streets, was an open rectangle and here, a great deal of the life of the early town was centred. 

In the park are several monuments, the main one being that of Queen Victoria. To the south of the park is the statue of Sir Alexander, while the statue of National Hero, Rt. Excellent Norman Manley is positioned to the north.

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