PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday unveiled a plaque commemorating the new look of the Kingston Waterfront after its $15-million facelift courtesy of FirstCaribbean International Bank and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

Designed by architect Ann Hodges and landscape designer Suzanne Spence, an extensive section of the Waterfront now boasts mounds of lush, green grass rimmed by ornate borders, palm trees and light orange concrete flooring made to look like bricks and wooden planks. FirstCaribbean has also pledged to bankroll the maintenance of the refurbished area for the next three years.

Speaking at yesterday’s commemoration service, managing director of FirstCaribbean International, Milton Brady, urged visitors to help see to its longevity.

“To the residents and workers of the Downtown Kingston community, this is your property. I implore you to treat it as one of your prized possessions. Guard it, protect it and treat it and most of all enjoy it,” he said.

Guest speaker at the ceremony, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller echoed Brady’s sentiments.

“Our Waterfront is [a] very important historical site and a major contributor to our economic livelihood. Keeping the area well-cleared, beautiful and people-friendly is a sacred national duty,” she said, adding that “clutter, debris and decay can only serve to rob a people of its self-esteem.”

Yesterday, president and CEO of the UDC, Marjorie Campbell, announced several other projects to enhance the surroundings of the Waterfront. Among them are the illumination of Ocean Boulevard from the Bank of Jamaica to the Kingston Craft Market, which was completed in February, and the illumination of the Waterfront promenade for which arrangements are currently being made. There are also plans for the refurbishing of the sea wall capping by the Waterfront and the Kingston Craft Market.