Question for People Who Really Know Kingston - Downtown

[Tropicana]

Okay come tell me about Rum Lane and Mark Lane. Not as they are now.....the history. They were part of the original plan of Kingston.



This is too large to post:

http://www.bigmapblog.com/maps/map03/GBEVhdldKWTNkxmz.jpg

What is in the area that was shown as the Negro burying grounds.

Houses on those streets and surrounding lanes are some of the few that survived the great earthquake and the great fire.

I am particularly interested in what the area was like in the 1880s and the people who lived there.

[Tropicana]

[Tropicana]

In Canada, heritage buildings are preserved. Why are they allowed to run down in Kingston when there are relatively few surviving heritage buildings?

[Tropicana]

I guess I had better send a PM to de smaddy who knows Kingston. Now if I can just remember who it is. He hardly comes down to this section of the board.

[RichD]

In Canada, heritage buildings are preserved. Why are they allowed to run down in Kingston when there are relatively few surviving heritage buildings?

Toronto has a very bad record of protecting heritage buildings .

what happened to this one?



its all about money . who is going to pay to maintain these buildings?

[Gen]

there is a unicorn in JA that hands out money to the landmark preservation group. I expect them to begin renovation in the next 3 months. plans have already been submitted by various architects and preservation experts. once the final proposal has been accepted dem will put up scaffolding and tings and start the delicate work of restoration.

[Tropicana]

Toronto has a very bad record of protecting heritage buildings .

what happened to this one?



its all about money . who is going to pay to maintain these buildings?

All over downtown Toronto, there are buildings with historical markers. Some even tell you when the building was built and the profession of the first person who lived there. You don't see the deplorable conditions that you see in the downtown core of Kingston.

I agree money is the issue but when there isn't much left of one's heritage, I think it is worth preserving, don't you?

[Tropicana]

there is a unicorn in JA that hands out money to the landmark preservation group. I expect them to begin renovation in the next 3 months. plans have already been submitted by various architects and preservation experts. once the final proposal has been accepted dem will put up scaffolding and tings and start the delicate work of restoration.

Unicorn? Surely you jest.

Let me give you another example. In Germany, there are some towns that are over 1,000 years old and the buildings have been preserved.

Even in the areas that were destroyed by bombing, some of the ancient buildings have been re-built from the original plans.

[RichD]

just because a building is old does not mean its historical and worth preserving.

[Tropicana]

If it is one of the few remaining buildings from within the grid that was Kingston, you don't think that is worth preserving?

[RichD]

If it is one of the few remaining buildings from within the grid that was Kingston, you don't think that is worth preserving?

it depends on a lot of factors?

who owns the building? Why isn't the owner maintaining it? is the owner giving it to the gov(or the historical society)?

do you have a specific building in mind ? and what is the historical significance of that building? when was it built?

[Tropicana]

I have two specific buildings in mind but my question was a general one. I have no idea who owns the buildings. They are really run down and I think rented out to tenants. The whole area has been allowed to become really run down.

Residents of Rum Lane in Kingston and business owners alike are complaining bitterly at the authorities for not addressing several complaints about two bad drains in the community.

The drains located at the intersection of East Queen Street and Rum Lane, according to the residents, have been deemed improper and hazardous for several years, spanning a period of eight years, while both political parties were in power.


THE STAR was escorted to the area to view first-hand the real-life encounter these residents and business owners complain constantly about.


While on site, our news team spoke with Adson Bryan, a resident of the community and restaurant owner.


He expressed his disgust stating, "This is causing a strain on my business as the stench is unbearable ... my restaurant is my livelihood so that I can function, a it mi live off. I use to bail away the water and each time it cost mi like $1,500 to pay people to clean it, and within 30 minutes the water settle again."


THE STAR was told by residents that because of the drain problem mosquito breeding has been enhanced, coupled with other diseases and illnesses that is likely to occur.


Another resident, known as Dino, gave us his take. "When di cars dem drive through the dirty filthy water, the water is carried on the wheels of the vehicles to further up in the community ... It get serious now and something need to be done about it," he said. "A little girl coming from school last Tuesday evening and drop in the water because she was trying to clear way for a bus to pass ... all a blind man drop in it last week, there is no where to walk and mi feel it for the elder folks in the area, who have to walk all the way round to avoid it."


The residents say if the relevant authorities did not acknowledge their concerns this time around they will be staging a peaceful protest.

http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20121203/news/news8.html

Note the date, nothing has improved.

Rum Lane Ready To Talk

Published: Tuesday | July 3, 2012

NEWS THAT the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) is to hold consultations on the planned redevelopment of downtown is being welcomed by residents of Rum Lane who have long complained that their voices are not being heard.According to the residents, there are several problems in their community and despite the talk about a rebirth of the city, no one has had discussions with them.
"Right now, I don't see anyone come in our community walking and asking us what we want and the lane is an eyesore," said one woman asThe Gleaner visited the area recently.
"We would like a full clean-up of the community overall," said another resident, as he pointed to a blocked drain at the intersection of Rum Lane and East Queen Street.
The residents use sticks, shovels and other tools to clear the drain daily and create a channel for the water to run.
That is unacceptable to them, but they see it as part of the general neglect of residents of downtown Kingston.
According to the residents, even state facilities are being ignored.
"Even the Central Police Station wants a facelift. You don't see that it want some paint," added one resident who identified himself as Patrick Francis.
He argued that a proper garbage-collection system needs to be put in place with recycle bins placed in the area for the thousands of plastic bags and bottles that are discarded daily.
"I need the authorities to come prune up some trees and get rid of some unwanted ones. They also need to fix the drain at Rum Lane and Sutton Street, and they need to remove the shacks, which are on the sidewalk," said Francis.
"If they want to fix downtown Kingston, they have to talk to the people who live and work here," added Francis.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120703/news/news6.html

[Tropicana]

This is how the area used to look.




I am talking about the areas around Beeston St., Mark Lane, Rum Lane...all the lanes running south of East Queen Street where there are buildings that survived the 1907 eathquake and the numerous fires in the area.


The area should be restored like the Distillery District in Toronto. There were a lot of buildings in downtown Toronto that were run down hovels where bums slept and mice crawled. They have now been beautifully restored and they are drawing tourists to the area as well as lucrative movie shoots.

[Tropicana]

I wonder how I can find out who owns the specific buildings in which I have an interest?

[RichD]

utopian dreams..but very far from the reality of downtown kingston.

Next time you are in jamaica head down to that area after dusk ......