Whitter Village 10 Years Later

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 4 W HILE THE late JoeWhitter’s name will forever be etched in real estate folk- lore, his greatest legacy – hands down – has to be his widow and heir, Angella Whitter. Of course, there are those who would quickly point to the many land deals; the landmark developments; the transforming of Ironshore into an upscale com- munity, and yes – even that stroke of genius in having the vision to create the prized Whitter Village, arguably one of the premier and breathtaking plazas on the island’s northern coast. Any one of these – on the surface at least – would be a popular choice. But there is nothing that is listed here that could be said to be Whitter’s defining legacy – no … not even close! That role unreserv- edly belongs to the woman who has kept it all together for the past seven years – through thick and thin – and a visionary in her own right – the indomitable and indefatigable Mrs Whitter. As she explained, when her hus- band died, the road ahead was an- ything but smooth. She described a period of turmoil, if not uncertainty, when the walls felt like they were closing in, and when the Whitter empire came under threat from creditors – and when all doors ap- peared closed; no friends to turn to; no takers. “It was a case that after Whitter Village was completed, then came the recession of 2008 where we just had no takers for the shops … we just basically had a building sit- ting there with one of the biggest loans in the Caribbean at the time,” Whitter noted. “Then along the way my husband passed in 2013 and then it was left on me now to manage the whole issue minus the main breadwin- ner of the family … and the true visionary. We also had to manage everything in a financial crisis where everywhere I turned they just told me no. “Doors were just closing down … all the financiers in the country were saying no … I mean we just didn’t knowwhat to do,”she further added. Whitter said that was when she turned to her faith. “My unwaver- ing belief in God and that he will always provide the answers,”which eventually came and“we were then able to pay off the debt”. “Some of the shops had to be sold at the time of the restructure and we had to sell some of the proper- ties so as to pay off the debt which just wasn’t your normal debt,” she added. Whitter said that her company was able to weather the storm to the point where they started attracting some high-profile clients and where 2019 – prior to COVID-19 – was a very good year. She added that Whitter Village, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has started to realise its potential as a multipurpose plaza, just like her husband would have liked, and is poised for even bigger things. Whitter was also very quick to credit her late husband in guiding the way she operates today, noting that he has always – by his tempera- ment and personality – showed her an image of her own future. “He was just a man who whatever he believed in, he would fight to the very end for it. I lived with him for 32 years and he taught me a lot. I see a lot of him in me and I know that sometimes it rubs some people the wrong way,” she further explained. Whitter said that as a female in a male-dominated land development field, she finds that at times persons will take her for granted before real- ising that “I am no pushover”. She said she is also proud of the role the Whitter Group of Companies has played in the devel- opment of Montego Bay, pointing to Ironshore, the Golden Triangle Mall that today houses Burger King, in addition to the land that was sold to RIU Resorts“when nobody thought a hotel could be built in that area”. “Whitter Village is a trailblazing development,”she added.“The con- struction, the ambience, the layout. It is ideally located with access to visitors and locals. In Montego Bay, a number of developments have a problem with parking; we do not have that problem. It’s secure and anybody can feel comfortable com- ing here. We maintain the place, and we ensure that the development lives up to the expectations. I think it’s a tremendous development and the atmosphere is awesome.” WHITTER VILLAGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY ANGELLA WHITTER The defining legacy of her late husband and land developer Angella Whitter Contributed