KINGSTON, Jamaica—Ripton International Capital Holdings Limited has officially opened the Rogers Commercial Centre, a US$15.5-million mixed-use development at 56–58 Lady Musgrave Road and one of the most significant private investments in the capital in recent years.

The opening drew a wide cross-section of government, business and civic leaders. Among those present were Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Delano Seivright, Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; the Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby; Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake; and businessman Norman Horne of ARC Manufacturing Limited. Khadine “Miss Kitty” Wilkinson served as master of ceremonies.

The centre was developed and is owned by Jamaican entrepreneur Fritzwarien “Ripton” Rogers. It was completed in about two years, financed by JMMB, with building materials supplied by ARC Manufacturing Limited.

His Worship the Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, addresses the gathering at the opening of the commercial development.

Speaking on behalf of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, Mayor Andrew Swaby congratulated the team and described the project as a sign of the city’s continued appeal to investors.

“Today marks more than the unveiling of a new building,” he said. “It represents vision, determination, confidence and a firm belief in the future of our city.”

The Mayor noted that the development employed more than 600 workers during construction and now supports additional employment through a tenant mix spanning retail, dining, healthcare, wellness, automotive, and professional services. He called the centre a striking addition to the Lady Musgrave Road corridor and told the gathering plainly that “Kingston is open for business.”

Hill praised the development as evidence of what Jamaican entrepreneurs are capable of, and he used the platform to urge other local contractors to build the scale needed to compete for bigger work.

He pointed to financing now flowing to Jamaica through multilateral partners, including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, a portion of which must be spent through private organisations. Contractors who lack the capacity on their own, he said, should consider partnering with others to qualify.

“Ripton, you can be in the game,” the Minister said, “and other contractors like Ripton can be in the game.”

Horne, whose ARC Manufacturing Limited supplied the building materials and who counts the developer as a long-time friend, told the audience the centre carried meaning well beyond its walls.

“Rogers Commercial Centre is a statement,” Horne said. “A statement that Jamaican business can create world-class development. A statement of confidence in Jamaica.”

Norman Horne, Founder and Executive Chairman of ARC Manufacturing Limited, delivers remarks ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Horne, who, like Rogers and Minister Hill, is a son of St Elizabeth, said the partnership behind the project was built on trust, respect and integrity. “Jamaica needs more people like Ripton who are willing to dream big, invest big and build big.”

For Rogers, the opening was the realisation of a dream that began two and a half years earlier. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, he told the audience he came home to invest and to give something back.

“I wanted to show the little boy from St Elizabeth that you could come this far and achieve anything,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what your background is. If you put your mind to it and work hard, you can achieve anything.”

Rogers said naming the development “Rogers” was a deliberate choice, a pointed nod to the history of Lady Musgrave Road, a connection both he and Minister Hill drew during the ceremony. He thanked the partners, advisers, financiers and family members who helped see the project through, and saved a particular word of thanks for his father.

The Rogers Commercial Centre offers about 100,000 square feet of rentable space and roughly 300,000 square feet in total, including basement infrastructure, across some 56 units. The centre reached 99 per cent occupancy by opening and is expected to support about 400 permanent jobs once all tenants are operating. Rogers said he wants the development to become a leading destination for entertainment, wellness and lifestyle in Kingston. “I want it to be the hip strip for Kingston,” he said.

Ripton signalled a busy pipeline ahead, with plans to move into the hospitality sector, including projects in Ocho Rios, and around half a dozen developments due for completion over the next two years.