MoBay waterfront, Hip Strip back on redevelopment agenda

Montego Bay's waterfront and famed Hip Strip are to be reimagined as part of a major redevelopment of the tourism capital, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has revealed.

Speaking Tuesday morning at a media breakfast at the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), now under way at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios, St Ann, Bartlett disclosed that Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is expected to participate in a key meeting on the plans on October 2.

"Montego Bay is going to be redesigned, and the entire waterfront area is going to be reimagined," Bartlett said.

He said the October 2 meeting will focus on the Hip Strip and involve Holness and a number of stakeholders as the Government moves to advance designs for the waterfront and other areas of the city.

Bartlett also disclosed plans for a special development in the Freeport area as part of the transformation.

The latest proposal follows several previous attempts to redevelop the Hip Strip, now Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.

In 2021, Bartlett announced a $1.2-billion comprehensive upgrade, while in 2022, Tourism Enhancement Fund Executive Director Dr Carey Wallace said work on a $1-billion transformation was expected to begin in April 2023.

Bartlett said the Urban Development Corporation, Port Authority of Jamaica and Factories Corporation of Jamaica are among the state entities expected to work with architects and other stakeholders on the latest plans, while the newly commissioned National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) will help facilitate execution.

He cautioned that the work is still at an early stage.

"I cannot give you any more details at this time because, as you know, NaRRA has just been commissioned and our work has just begun," he said.

Bartlett also highlighted that the Government plans to undertake major redevelopment plans for Black River, St Elizabeth, and Falmouth, Trelawny, as part of its post-Hurricane Melissa rebuilding programme.

"We're going to be creating new townships in Black River," he said, adding: "We're going to change the whole physical arrangement there and move the town further inland away from the coast."

Bartlett said Falmouth is also on the government's redevelopment agenda, but provided no further details.

He said the Government intends to go beyond repairing the damage caused by Melissa and use the rebuilding programme to "reimagine Destination Jamaica".

"The damage that was done to our townships will be fully repaired, but we'll do more than just repairing," Bartlett said.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

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