Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

A vending stall at the Kingston Craft Market. - photos by Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

WITH JUST over three months to go before the start of cricket's showpiece event, the much-talked-about redevelopment of the capital city in time for the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) is still to take shape.

Kingston Harbour remains polluted; St. William Grant Park continues to beg for a facelift; and, vendors in the Kingston Craft Market are shouting for help. Except for the beautiful wares and craft on display at the craft market, the facility remains an unwelcoming sight.

A section of the craft market that was destroyed by fire almost five years ago now remains in disrepair. The roof, vendors say, serves only to keep the sun out. One elderly vendor showed TheSunday Gleaner a bucket which she stands on whenever the elements intervene, adding that "a boat can sail inside here whenever it rains."

No timelines

The craft market, which the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) said would have received a facelift by replacing the roof and generally cleaning and painting the facility, has been touted by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of CWC as one of the many attractions of Kingston.

Work on the craft market was slated for completion in December. But so far, only persons with measuring tapes have turned up at the facility, vendors report. It seems no timeline has been set for the work to begin and the vendors are livid. "What work can they do in three months? ... They have just three months to the World Cup and nothing is being done," a female vendor said.

"It makes no sense to look forward to any World Cup because the place is not in any good condition and I don't think they have enough time to do the work. And if they start now, they are going to rush it and that will force us to leave," another vendor contended.

"The condition inside here is deplorable," said one vendor inside the seemingly-dormant craft market.

"When we heard that the World Cup was coming, we saw it as an opportunity to make some money but it seems unlikely ... I won't even bother to think of the World Cup and visitors any more," another vendor lamented, adding that the craft market was not aesthetically pleasing enough to attract or invite visitors there.

An unkempt yard, laced with dog mess, and a section which is home for the homeless, the craft market is the premier location for local ware and craft in Kingston. And with the world's seventh-largest natural harbour washing it, the area behind the craft market could be turned into a romantic or relaxation zone. Don't try it now though, or you could be attacked by wasps which have made their homes on the outer walls of the market.

Earlier this year, the LOC said the Kingston Harbour would have been cleaned and redeveloped to attract ships, especially during the time of the Cricket World Cup. Cruise ships have not drifted into this harbour since the 1960s. The craft market, home to over 150 vendors, was slated for a massive facelift, but to date nothing has been done.

The UDC, who is acting as project managers on behalf of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company for the refurbishing of the St. William Grant Park and the construction of the Transport Centre in downtown Kingston, has not given a definitive date on when serious restoration work would begin. Not only does UDC have the Kingston Waterfront - from the Bank of Jamaica building to the craft market - to tend to, but they have been charged with rehabilitating the Victoria Pier Building. The UDC says the projects are expected to cost in the region of $70 million, but this is still to be finalised.

In responding to a Sunday Gleaner query about the timeline for the completion of the restorataion work, the UDC said:

"The procurement process has begun and phased completion will be achieved, with work slated to start for example, on the hard and soft landscaping along the Kingston Waterfront, by the end of November, for completion in February 2007."

The western end of the island was also given a commitment for the upgrading of their craft markets, with the announcement of a $26.2 million rehabilitation project for the craft markets in Montego Bay.