The $6-billion Morant Bay Urban Centre in St Thomas was opened on Thursday by Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness.
The facility, which will serve as a centralised location for businesses and government services, is expected to spur economic development for the transformation of St Thomas, once deemed the ‘forgotten parish’.
“St Thomas, I did not forget you,” Holness told the hundreds who gathered to witness the ribbon-cutting exercise.
“Today, we definitively close the chapter of decades of underdevelopment. Today, we emphatically declare that St Thomas is firmly on the path for the fulfilment of its true vision,” he declared, noting that the moment comes 160 years since the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865. Holness told the residents that their parish is now at the frontier of new developments in Jamaica, with the centre being the blueprint for similar developments in other parishes. He acknowledged and thanked the residents for their patience throughout the journey, from the genesis of the project in 2017 to its groundbreaking in 2019 and the ribbon cutting.
Situated on approximately 436,000 square feet of land where the old Goodyear Factory once stood, the urban centre is the first of its kind in the country to integrate public and private-sector services in a one-stop commercial hub. One by one, some of the clients who will occupy the facility received their keys. They will have three months, rent-free, to design their units to their specifications. During this period, the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, will also complete landscaping, roadworks and remedy any identified defects.
In attendance at Thursday’s massive ribbon-cutting ceremony were several members of the Cabinet, members of parliament (MPs), dignitaries, heads of agencies, business interests, residents and friends of the parish. Even as the mid-afternoon showers fell at intervals, the symbolism of the event remained ever shining and a feeling of pride lingered through the air as each speaker emphasised the potential of the project to transform the eastern parish. MP for St Thomas Eastern, Dr Michelle Charles, who invited on stage former MP, Dr Fenton Ferguson, declared the urban centre as “more than infrastructure; this is impact”.
MP for St Thomas Western, James Robertson, said, “We have waited 160 years since Paul Bogle championed our cause. Chairman of the Factories Corporate of Jamaica, Lyttleton Shirley, for his part, said that the day “we are not merely cutting a ribbon”.
“We are carving a path for the future of the people of St Thomas, for the nation of Jamaica and for generations to come,” he said. He noted that the urban centre is “a testament to what we as a country can achieve when leadership, collaboration and determination take the forefront”. Shirley hailed the development as a “true manifestation” of Holness’ vision to decentralise development and uplift every parish. Greetings were also brought by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, in light of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation occupying a main, stand-alone building at the facility.
Phase two of the project will see the building of two additional blocks – a medical complex and more space to facilitate other government agencies.