TEF commits $17.5M to Duke Street museum project

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has committed over $17.5 million to mobilise Jamaica’s first Walking Street Museum on Duke Street as part of downtown Kingston’s redevelopment plans.

Dubbed the Duke Street Refurbishing Project, the walking street museum will include placement of street art depicting Duke Street’s history along various locations of the roadway.

These include sculptures, murals, low and high relief figures and storyboards.

The work, which is expected to commence by the second quarter of 2019, will also include upgrading and paving of sidewalks in the area.

The Kingston Restoration Company is managing the project, which is part of a public-private initiative to upgrade the target area, which falls between Port Royal Street and East Queen Street.

The Ministry of Tourism is seeking to further diversify Jamaica’s product offerings by developing downtown Kingston as a tourist destination.

Director of Projects at the TEF Yohan Rampair told JIS News that the walking museum is seen as a way to create an enduring and unique attraction for visitors while serving as a vehicle to preserve an important part of the nation’s history.

“Duke Street is already a popular street. It represents the business district of Jamaica [and] is, probably, one of the most traversed streets in downtown Kingston. We are trying to establish our city for locals and tourists to enjoy [and] this project will make the impact that we are looking for in the redevelopment of downtown Kingston,” he pointed out.

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