There has been talk about the redevelopment of down-town Kingston, with a lot of the focus on the Government's decision to redo the parliament buildings - next door to the existing structure and not in National Heroes Park, as many people have urged.

But, perhaps, the Heroes Park focus will be on rescuing it from the Ministry of Finance's cars and returning it to a welcome green space in the centre of the city, maybe with a small interpretive centre relevant to the heroes whose memorials are there, as some have suggested.

Derelict buildings

One concern in relation to downtown Kingston has been the mass of derelict buildings and any plan certainly has to consider their creative reuse, where possible. Some of the large buildings which have been virtually abandoned, as government ministries and other agencies have moved uptown, may have other uses linked to cultural - including artistic - and entertain-ment functions. This is particularly relevant in the case of large, sturdy buildings with some pedigree; some of which are under threat of demolition - and some of which have actually gone with little fanfare. At least some of the interest in the Jamaica Government Conference Centre on the waterfront lies in the way in which old sugar warehouses were tied into the structure.

Of course Kingston's old, well-maintained buildings are few. The natural disasters, especially the 1907 earthquake and fire, have left us with few of the quaint structures pictured in early postcards of downtown. All the more reason to look at creative, adaptive reuse of those we have, wherever possible, as an integral part of the develop-ment plans.

Built heritage

Similarly, the old city grid, dating to the earliest years of Kingston's existence, should be preserved.

Why? Because our built heritage is a resource, like any other. It can give us an edge in marketing ourselves to visitors, certainly. More important, it can help us to ground ourselves as Jamaicans. The redevelopment of Garvey's Liberty Hall, doubtless after much tearing of hair, is one of the few successful examples in downtown.

We need many more. Even further uptown, the existence and maintenance of clusters of housing types, such as the homes in sections of Vineyard Town or the Lady Musgrave area, can help provide nodes with their own unique character, within the city.

So, why not research and consider the old quarters in the city - like the Chinese area around Orange Street; or the Jewish connections, and so many others? Why not consider the museum and gallery sectors as a major part of the cultural heritage, and find a way to integrate all of their many facets into the redevelopment, in ways that provide modern exhibition spaces and interactions, within the old city?

Tired and cynical

These are not unique thoughts - many bright people in several sectors have recognised the resources that exist downtown and have worked on project after project; as is the case in Port Royal, across the harbour. But some of those who have worked on such projects over the years have become tired and, even, cynical.

So, can we get on with it? We seem to talk in cycles - doubtless reflecting our political cycles with their inevitable lapses in commitment for building and finding funding. Look at how long it has taken to name the many agency boards which all dutifully resigned to allow the new government full rein. Perhaps if we can come together, across partisan and social divides, to agree on plans for such specific cultural organisations as museums and galleries, which showcase our heritage and our becoming, then we could actually move forward with some certainty, rather than jerking around in circles that simply run us into the ground.

I am, etc.,

SUZANNE FRANCIS-BROWN

sfbjamaica@gmail.com