Oh, for a coat of paint

Arthur Hall, Gleaner Writer

THE UGLY state of many buildings in downtown Kingston is turning off potential shoppers, but merchants claim tight cash flow is preventing them from giving the place a spruce-up.

From the corner bar to the popular cookshop, and the busy wholesale, many buildings in the commercial district are bawling out for a coat of paint.

The Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), which is leading the rebirth of the city, is well aware that the dirty state of downtown is detracting from the shopping experience.

While the KSAC is dealing with the public infrastructure, it is up to business owners to paint their buildings.

"We have tried. We have even offered them the paint," Town Clerk Errol Green told The Gleaner recently.

James Josephs, whose family business has operated in downtown Kingston for decades, said it is not that business operators do not want to brighten buildings.

"Money is tight. I tell you, my electricity bill on King Street is between $900,000 and $1 million per month and, I'm going to tell you something, that electricity bill was $250,000 five years ago," Josephs told The Gleaner.

"Joseph's has just started a full, frontal refurbishing. I tell you, it is looking awful, especially next to Ammars, which is the prettiest store in Kingston," added Josephs.

It was a similar story from the operator of a popular bar in the city.

"The profit small and sometimes yuh hardly make back enough money to buy back the goods and pay the bills, so there is no spare money to paint the place," said the bar operator, who requested that his name be withheld.

"I would paint the place, but fi buy di paint and pay painters is more money dan di bar mek fi di whole year," added the bar operator.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com