Beautification Works Begin at Liberty Hall in Downtown Kingston

Visitors and staff of Liberty Hall can look forward to enjoying more beautiful surroundings right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown Kingston at 76 King Street.
This has resulted from beautification works that began at the museum today (May 23), one of the two major Labour Day 2007 projects spearheaded by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Speaking at a ceremony held on the grounds of the Hall today, Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie said the KSAC was pleased to be associated with the projects and would be undertaking three phases of work at Liberty Hall. The first phase, he informed, involved the commencement of beautification of the front of the premises, which include tree-planting and the general creation of a green space.
“We know Marcus Garvey was associated with beautiful things and a nice green open space is something that will remind us all as Jamaicans what Marcus Garvey stood for in his struggles,” he said.
Mayor McKenzie explained that as the authority on ensuring that all aspects of the building regulations are adhered to, the KSAC also intended to make the upper floor of the building accessible to the physically challenged, as the current structure did not have proper access for such persons.
“The KSAC is committed and we will put in a lift to ensure that persons who are physically challenged can get upstairs, and that will be a part of our ongoing efforts. We will also be looking at putting in awnings upstairs to make it a little bit more comfortable whenever there are functions. We are committed to that because we feel that in selling Kingston, Liberty Hall has to be one of the prime areas of sale because of what Liberty Hall stands for,” he said.
Mr. McKenzie also pledged that the Council would, out of funds set aside for special projects, finance the ongoing maintenance of the new green area by an individual. “Because this institution is important to the city,” he noted. Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture, Aloun Assamba thanked the KSAC for considering Liberty Hall as a Labour Day project. She also stressed the importance of Liberty Hall as a landmark in Kingston, which she described as “one of the most vibrant tourist destinations in the Caribbean…Kingston is a historic town and there is no other town in the Caribbean that can match Kingston.” The Minister added that she was very pleased to see space and beauty being created at Liberty Hall, “right here in the hustle and bustle of downtown, Kingston.”
“I am pleased to see so many members of the community turn out, because Labour Day is only successful when our communities become involved and stay involved to make sure that the projects we do on Labour Day are sustainable,” she said. Speaking on behalf of the Curator for the museum, Nicole Patrick-Shaw said the beautification project was symbolic of the KSAC’s desire to serve the community and that the garden was Liberty Hall’s initiative to create a safe haven for adults and children. In his remarks, member of the Kingston chapter of the Lay Magistrates Association, Michael Lambert, emphasized that the multi-media museum on Garvey’s life and work, was the only one of its kind in the world and encouraged persons to visit the facility to learn more about the National Hero.