St. George's boasts plenty of business opportunities regardless of its shortage of cruise ship visits, according to former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith.

Dame Jennifer, the MP for St. George's North, says the supermarket, drugs store and bank are already thriving in the Olde Towne — indicating families provide an ideal market for other services such as dry cleaning.

The former Premier also says some properties in the former capital — dubbed a ghost town by some locals — currently lay empty because their owners refuse to let them out to would-be businesses.

Responding to the ghost town claims, Dame Jennifer told The Royal Gazette: "I'm more interested in taking care of the residents.

"This is a historic 17th century town, but there are people here every evening and at weekends. What about their needs?

"I know there's a need for pickup and drop-off for dry cleaning. If you had a service and made sure you are open after five o'clock and open in the morning you would have a market. It's about serving the needs of the community.

"People who say it's just a dying town don't take into account we have a market here. We have children and families who have needs. The supermarket serves the community, the drugs store doesn't have a problem.

"St. George's is a 17th century town and, yes, we have to change the model. Yes, 100 years ago we had little gift shops and sold to tourists. We move on."

Many residents and traders have complained Government has allowed St. George's to stagnate, but Dame Jennifer argued money has been ploughed into historic sites such as Fort St. Catherine and Fort Cunningham, whose viability is just as important to the town.

"Government has to balance all the needs and demands," she said. "Having seen the town move along, it turned its attention to the forts."

While giving this newspaper a tour of her constituency as part of our Up Your Street series, the former Premier said she was frustrated by the number of properties in the main shopping area with boarded up windows.

"People who own the properties don't want to let them out," she said.

She said she remained optimistic for the future of St. George's — declaring her faith in developer Carl Bazarian's word over the former Club Med site on account of the amount of money he's sunk into the project.

Dame Jennifer, the area MP since 1989, cited the reopening of the hotel, improved lighting and roads as her constituency's top priorities, but also pointed to the need for better access to playgrounds and supporting walls that need fixing.

Barry Road has been repaved but a long section remains without lights, she said, while some residents have called for a one-way system on a narrow section of the road.

Born and bred in the Olde Towne — and able to recall her days picking cherries in Cherry Jungle and running around in caves which have long since been blocked up — Dame Jennifer has long been lobbying for better community facilities in the area.

Drew's Bay Community Area was opened two years ago as part of the Community Areas Programme, and Dame Jennifer says plans are afoot to add steps to make it easier to get to. Meanwhile toilet facilities have recently been set up at the popular Achilles Bay.

However, plans for a playground including a little wooden fort at Alexander Battery hit the rocks when Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield was replaced by Minister Elvin James in late 2007.

"We haven't given up on the idea. I haven't given up on the fact that the Community Areas Programme in some shape or form will come back," said Dame Jennifer. "Anything that adds to the fabric of families should be important."

Over the passing of time, supporting walls have begun to creak under the weight of increasingly heavy traffic. Vegetation is creeping through cracks on the wall holding up Cut Road, leading to some concern among residents.

Dame Jennifer said: "You have to look at limiting certain kinds of traffic on certain kinds of road."