Businesses unite to tidy and transform downtown Kingston

A corporate-led initiative aimed at promoting civic pride and maintaining clean, safe, and welcoming spaces in downtown Kingston has been launched under the banner ‘Keep It Clean’.

The campaign is part of the Downtown Kingston Redevelopment Initiative (DKRI) and seeks to recognise and encourage businesses that actively maintain their shopfronts, sidewalks, and surrounding areas. Organisers say the effort is designed to reshape the image of downtown Kingston into a vibrant and prosperous business district.

Speaking at the launch event held recently at Broadbent Optical on Duke Street, Michael McMorris, chair of the DKRI Committee and past president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), emphasised the importance of shared responsibility.

“Keep It Clean is more than a programme; it’s a movement,” McMorris said. “We are celebrating, motivating, and demonstrating our joint civic responsibility for cleanliness in downtown Kingston. There is no successful city with a dysfunctional downtown. Our goal is to make this city centre a beacon [that is] clean, vibrant, and full of pride.”

The DKRI, operating under the ‘Our City Kingston’ brand, includes partners such as the JCC, Kingston Restoration Company (KRC), Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), and private-sector sponsors including GraceKennedy, Scotiabank, Pan Jamaica, and VM Group.

Privately funded janitors have already been deployed on select streets to work alongside state agencies, showcasing visible improvements and setting a standard for what’s possible.

“This phase with ‘Keep It Clean’ is about participation of the business community for expanded and sustainable impact,” McMorris said.

Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby praised the business community’s leadership and pledged continued support from the KSAMC.

“A clean Kingston attracts investment, encourages tourism, and, most importantly, fosters civic pride,” Swaby said. “We all share responsibility for ensuring that downtown transforms for the betterment of our people and our businesses. This partnership shows what can happen when we put our pocket where our mouth is.”

Swaby also urged commercial entities to adopt proper waste management practices and to collaborate with the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to ensure efficient garbage collection.

Jonathan Swire, second vice-president of the JCC, highlighted the campaign as a model of public-private collaboration.

“This campaign only works because businesses are leading the charge in collaboration with city authorities,” Swire said. “We are taking responsibility for our surroundings and showing pride in downtown Kingston. When we all display that decal, the movement grows stronger; it’s about every shopfront reflecting care, pride, and community spirit.”

So far, about 30 businesses have registered for the programme, with plans to double that number in the coming months. Organisers hope the effort will spark a ripple effect across the commercial district.

“This is about harnessing the power of ‘us’, for our city, business by business, block by block, to make downtown Kingston everyone’s bright-eyed baby once again,” McMorris said.