MONTEGO BAY, St James

Plans to develop the 'old hospital site' into a public recreation park are finally set to begin after almost a year's delay and aggressive lobbying by the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Work is almost ready to take place. The UDC (Urban Development Corporation) has advised the TEF (Tourism Enhancement Fund) that they can proceed," TEF chairman Godfrey Dyer told the 76th annual general meeting of the chamber last week.

In 2006 the TEF, on recommendation of the Chamber, agreed to fund the development of the park at a cost of $27 million.

The facility should have been completed in time for Cricket World Cup 2007.

It is not clear why the project did not get off the ground under the People's National Party's (PNP) administration, which ended in September last year.

But just months after the Jamaica Labour Party was voted into office, the UDC which owns the three-acre property, reportedly said that they were not going ahead with the project.

At that time, it was suggested by the UDC that the money be used instead to develop the Dump Up Beach property, located on the Howard Cooke Highway.

The decision however infuriated the chamber, which subsequently intensified its lobby to get the project going.
Following the announcement last week that the project will in fact get off the ground, president of the chamber, Pauline Reid told the OBSERVER WEST that the project will go to tender by month-end.

"The designs are complete and the documents are ready so now that the TEF has signed off on it, the project will go to tender within another two weeks," she explained.
She believes that the recreation park will be completed by year-end.

On completion, the facility will include a children's corner, three kiosks, an information booth, bathrooms, a police post and two confectionery stands to provide snack items.

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