Whitter Village 10 Years Later

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 13 NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 12 “ “ WHITTER VILLAGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY WHITTER VILLAGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY I T HAS been seven years since his passing, but the towering figure of the late Joe Whitter continues to be a perpetual presence in the city of Montego Bay and in communities across St James. Actually, with his penchant for spotting a deal “from a mile out”, it probably could be said – and without any fear of contradiction – that there might not be another person who has had such a profound influence/impact on real estate in Jamaica for at least the last 50 years. Remembered as fair but no-nonsense and as someone who“didn’t suffer fools gladly”, Whitter was also seen as an unostentatious philanthropist, a visionary and clearly “a man before his time”. “What was remarkable about my husband is that nothing came easy for him … even back in his early days in England,” Whitter’s widow, Angella, the current managing director of the Whitter Group of Companies, explained. MrsWhitter said her late husband was also an astute businessman who saw and conceptualised the idea of the Whitter Village in Ironshore, St James, and who, even up to the time of his death, knew he had something special on his hands. She said even when they encountered un- expected problems with bureaucratic interfer- ence and overzealousness which stalled and unnecessarily delayed what should have been a 17-month development, her late husband re- mained undaunted and never once doubted that his vision for a high-end multipurpose shopping centre – nestled neatly between the upscale Coral Gardens and Ironshore communities – would one day be one of the premier plazas anywhere on the island’s northern coast. Whitter Village, now in its 10th year of opera- tion, is an elegant, upscale 245,000-square-foot shopping centre with what someone once de- scribed as having“the ambiance and charm of a traditional Jamaican village”. One of Joe Whitter’s signature accomplish- ments, it sits on another of his“out of this world” developments – Ironshore Estates – and is neigh- bour to the Ironshore Golf Club. This exquisite shopping centre caters to some 92 shops, which include a state-of-the-art 29,000-square-foot supermarket (Progressive); 6,000-square-foot pharmacy, Clinicare; a world- class gaming lounge; several gift shops; fast food chains, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut; and many other businesses, including Payless Shoes. MrsWhitter said that, despite all the challenges, including the financial crisis of 2008 and where the village was basically under siege and debt mounted, “my husband would be happy to see that we have pulled through – against all odds – and where we are today”. Thegroup’s chief executiveofficer alsonoted that her late husband, in addition to theWhitterVillage, hadmade significant property developments in the Ironshore area, which included the construction of the Golden Triangle in 1995, the establishment of the Ironshore Golf and Country Club, and the construction of theWhispers Apartment complex. The Whitter Village was officially opened in 2010 by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding. At that opening ceremony, Golding told the gathering that the Whitter Village venture was an example ofWhitter’s commitment to Jamaica. “He (JoeWhitter) represents inmyminda symbol, an icon that shouldbeheldupto investorsbothhere and abroad. He represents the kindof spirit thatwe want tobringback to Jamaica,”Goldingnoted then. JoeWhitter originally came from St Catherine but decided to make Montego Bay his home in the 1970s after he returned from the United Kingdomwhere he amassed a large fortune, hav- ing owned and operated successful businesses there for more than three decades. He was bestowed with the Order of Distinction, Commander Class (CD) in 2011 and was heavily rumoured to be the“first black millionaire”in the United Kingdom. “My husband gave back a lot to Jamaica – that’s the type of person he was. He has always been the person to give to sports, to health, to the churches, to the indigent, to education, the Cornwall Regional Hospital,”MrsWhitter added. “He was a professional – always on time, prin- cipled – and a man of his word. He was what you would call a solid citizen who has made signifi- cant contributions to the development of western Jamaica, particularly in the Ironshore area in St James. If you remember what Ironshore was be- fore Joe got involved then you would understand the magnitude of what I am talking about.” Whitter died at the Cornwall Regional Hospital on Monday, August 19, 2013 after ailing for sev- eral years. He was 81. JOE WHITTER’S LIFE My husband gave back a lot to Jamaica – that’s the type of person he was. He has always been the person to give to sports, to health, to the churches, to the indigent, to education, the Cornwall Regional Hospital Remembered as fair but no-nonsense and as someone who “didn’t suffer fools gladly”, Whitter was also seen as an unostentatious philanthropist, a visionary and clearly “a man before his time”.