No Vending in Front of the Parish Church: Kingston’s Mayor Moves to Clear the Steps of a 1911 Landmark

• The KSAMC will enforce a no-vending rule outside Kingston Parish Church
• The rule has existed since at least 2003 but was not consistently enforced
• Vendors will be given notice before enforcement begins
• The mayor promised to improve conditions at the 65 Mall Arcade

The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation says it will enforce a ban on vending in front of Kingston Parish Church and along the upper King Street sidewalks, the Jamaica Observer reported on September 11, 2026.

Mayor Andrew Swaby met vendors from the 65 Mall Arcade to announce the move. The no-vending rule has been in place since at least 2003, but enforcement has been patchy, and the number of vendors outside the church has grown. “We have had that understanding with the vendors but in recent times we have seen an increase in the number of vendors there and that cannot be tolerated anymore,” Swaby said.

No start date has been set, and vendors are to receive proper notice. The mayor also said he would deal with conditions at the arcade, including bathrooms and lighting, to encourage vendors to use designated stalls.

Reactions were mixed. Vendor Kerisha Lee said: “Whenever the time come fi clean up the real way, we have to mek we own decision.” Another vendor, Carlene Matthews, backed the move: “I think it needs to be done because it don’t look good.”

Kingston Parish Church, at the corner of South Parade and King Street, was consecrated in 1911 after the 1907 earthquake and is one of downtown’s defining landmarks. As the city pushes to revive the old commercial district, the space around historic churches, and how it is used and policed, has become part of a wider conversation about heritage, trade and the value of downtown property.

For church members, returnees and investors watching downtown Kingston, the move shows how closely the fortunes of historic churches are tied to the streets around them. A cleaner, more orderly frontage can support worship, tourism and property values, but lasting change will depend on giving vendors a workable alternative rather than simply moving them on.

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