Shaping the Future of Our City Center:Shaping the Future of Our City Center

Curaçao has a beautiful city center – from its broad streets to little alleys, its unique architecture and eclectic charm appeal to tourists and locals alike. Rooted deep in its colonial past, buildings are reminiscent of those in Amsterdam, but are painted vibrant shades of blues, pinks and yellows. The oldest part of the city was built in the 17th century, while others derive from the 18th and 19th centuries. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the possibilities for ‘Punda’ as it is known to the locals are endless. In recent years however, the island’s vivacious city center has lost its way.

TEXT NEELAM MELWANI

The deep-water harbor is central, and visitors can spend hours sitting on the banks of the harbor, sipping on piña coladas or an “Amstel Bright,” eating a fresh red snapper, and watching as the ‘swinging lady’ bridge opens and closes making way for the variety of ships that come and go. From jewelry stores, to tourist shops and big brand names, the city center already has so much to offer, but has so much more potential.

Curaçao Business Magazine had an opportunity to interview Mr. Kevin Jonckheer, and speak to some other members of the board of the Downtown Management Organization (DMO), a group of business owners who are responsible for the upkeep and development of ‘Punda.’ According to Mr. Jonckheer, its president, “We need to equip ‘Punda’ to become the ‘cute, cozy downtown’ that we all want it to be. It’s up to all of us, and not just DMO, to inject life back into our historical capital, so we can enjoy the ‘Punda’ we all once knew.”

Challenges
Many locals say that going to ‘Punda’ is not what it once used to be. Empty store fronts indicate how retail businesses and local commerce has shifted from the downtown areas to the numerous malls and strip malls that are more accessible and ‘central.’ The lack of parking makes coming to Punda relatively difficult and inaccessible for some, and the lack of adequate public transportation makes it increasingly inconvenient to come downtown.

Additionally, as the kinds of tourists that visit Curaçao continue to change, calculating sales based on the tourism market is increasingly unreliable. Mr. Jonckheer’s biggest fear however lied not in the lack of accessibility to Punda, but rather in the number of opportunities that Curaçao hadn’t taken advantage of – something that’s central to his vision for Punda’s future development. “We have to move forward,” Mr. Jonckheer stated, “and the private sector and government must trust each other to do their part.”

Opportunities
“We are excited for the future of our downtown historic city. It is great to see so many positive initiatives taking place in our downtown area. Imagine what we can do if we implement all of these plans. The downtown area is mentioned in the Tourism Master Plan, the tourism industry is focusing on this, so it is just a matter of time.” – Miles Mercera, Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association

Rather than focusing on the numerous challenges the downtown area faces, Mr. Jonckheer was certain that with the right recipe, Curaçao would be able to pump new life into its historical city center before it is too late. The development of Punda is highlighted as a key point in Curaçao’s Tourism Master Plan, 2015 – 2020 (http://www.curacao.com/media/ uploads/2015/10/07/CUR_TMP_Oct-05-15_ Final.pdf). ‘Punda’ is what sets Curaçao apart from other islands in the Caribbean and around the world, and all stakeholders and political

parties agree that this is the island’s distinctive charm. The plan calls for “transform[ing] the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Punda/Otrobanda, into a vibrant rendezvous area for tourists.”

According to Mr. Jonckheer and the rest of DMO, the future of ‘Punda’ lies in ownership – something that’s also very much highlighted in the Tourism Master Plan. ‘Punda’ is a raw display of Curaçao’s history and evolving culture, with influences from the region, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Most importantly however, it’s the people of Curaçao, from the business owners to the public servants, that will ultimately create the full ‘Punda’ experience – one that will leave both locals and tourists coming back for more.

Finding a Balance Between Culture, Cuisine, and Shopping
According to Miles Mercera of the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association, “The downtown area has so much potential. Currently we see a rise of small pubs and restaurants opening up, which is exactly the kind of passion we need in our city. We should continue to foster these types of developments and most importantly continue to dream big; moving forward with passion and vision! It’s all about partnership, that’s us!”

When speaking to politicians and business owners alike, the development of ‘Punda’ lies in making it an area where culture, cuisine and shopping need to meet. It’s important that ‘Punda’ offers opportunities and activities for everyone – the foodies, the adventurers, the shoppers and the explorers. The vision is a ‘Punda’ where everything is possible and anything is available. “Focusing on attracting people – both tourists and locals – back to Punda is central; making this a place where people come together, walk around, shop and most importantly enjoy the experience.”

The Tourism Master Plan creates the common vision for accomplishing this – and it is clear that a lot of opportunities are available for investors.

With a new plan to revamp the city center, the possibilities are endless – new museums, little cafés, and new boutiques are popping up left right and center in the Pietermaai district, and area located very close to the World Heritage protect site.

According to the Tourism Master Plan, “Data suggests that this Punda/Otrobanda area has a unique opportunity for combining cruise tourism and stay-over tourism in terms of opening hours, shopping mix, and food and beverage, as well as entertainment in general.” It’s all about us being able to tap into these opportunities to create the right mix.

Leaving a Legacy
For many building owners, while they are looking to rent, selling is not an option. Many of these buildings have been in their family for years, and is just part of their family The most unique part of ‘Punda’ is the the connection that locals feel in relation to the area. Mr. Jonckheer’s biggest fear was the building being sold off to a big-time developer and not remaining in his family. The only reason he could provide for this was his love for the island and his attachment to this place he’s called home for his whole life.

For many, ‘Punda’ remains close to their heart. They remember growing up strolling through the streets, spending time looking in storefronts, walking alongside the floating market eating a juicy watermelon, or simply hanging around after school. Most other islands have downtown shopping districts specifically built for tourists, which is something Curaçao does not have – the idea is that ‘Punda’ should belong to everyone and be for everyone, and as such, everyone should take its development into their own hands. It’s because of these long traditions that Punda’s magic remains intact, even in these pressing times.

The Possibilities are Endless…
“The Tourism Master Plan provides a new common vision for Curaçao, one which everyone can support. That, in itself, is something that we can celebrate… now it’s about execution. We need to move quickly to make something out of our downtown area,” Mr. Jonckheer fervently added. As our tourism industry continues to grow, as more cruises pick Curaçao as a destination, we need to ensure that they get to experience the ‘Punda’ we all once knew, giving short-stay tourists a whiff of Curaçao that will leave them coming back for more.

Needless to say, the opportunities for investment in the city center are plenty and the opportunities endless. It’s all about making the right kind of investments and looking for the right kind of client, striking a mix and appealing to all. Mr. Jonckheer continued to encourage young entrepreneurs to make realistic investments, and be more aware of Curaçao’s unique position: “We are not the center of the universe,” he explained, “rather, we are a corner of the universe, and we need to focus on making Curaçao and ‘Punda’ a diamond in the rut.”

An International Touch
The history of Curaçao is built on immigrants and explorers – and over the years it has transformed into a melting pot that people of so many different cultures and traditions have come to call home. It is the foreign investment that keeps the economy working, and it is the island’s welcoming nature that keeps people interested. According to Mr. Jonckheer, “‘Punda’ and its development are the future of Curaçao… it’s about making the investments that count, injecting growth into our tourism industry, and boosting our multi-sectorial economy that will bring Curaçao into the future. That’s something that we all need to do together.”