2 months ago
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BY THE beginning of the next football season, Yoni Epstein, director of Multi-Sports Development Limited (MBMSDL) anticipates that the lease and contract will be completed for the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
Epstein is the lone bidder for the stadium.
Several months have passed since the company leased the stadium from the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC).
“From all intents and purposes, I believe that we are nearing the end. We should be in receipt of the lease and contract before we go into the season next. That is the hope and all indications are we are on track for that,” Epstein told The Gleaner.
“The last update that I received was that they were in the final stages waiting on a land valuation report and that is to be received imminently,” added Epstein, who is waiting for the Ministry of Local Government for final sign off and approval.
The bid opened in September 2024 and was officially closed on November 18 at noon.
The Yoni Epstein-led MBMSDL is the umbrella company under which Jamaica Premier League club Montego Bay United (MBU) operates.
Multi-Sports Development made an attractive investment bid, where it plans to invest close to $700 million towards developing the Montego Bay Sports Complex into a multisport complex for football, track and field, swimming, and racquet sports, over the next three years.
Operational funding will amount to $51,150,000 per year.
Rent will be paid in the form of one per cent of annual revenue generated from ticket sales and fees.
LONG OVERDUE
Meanwhile, Gina Haughton, president of the St James Netball Association believes the stadium is long overdue for development.
“It is more than time now. This is more than the election slogan, the time come long time, full time,” declared Haughton.
Haughton admitted that she is against the stadium being leased to a private entity and should be strictly managed by the government.
“Leasing it is going on too long. What is going to happen there? It is going to be privatised. Will the different sporting entities have access or be able to afford going there or have easy access?” Haughton questioned.
In April, Richard Vernon, chairman of the StJMC announced that the document shouldn’t take longer than three weeks to be reviewed for final approval by the Local Government and Community Development minister Desmond McKenzie once he receives it.
The chairman indicated that the StJMC was waiting on the National Land Agency to provide them with that information. The request was made and while the STJMC received some information, they are awaiting additional information.
The 7,000-capacity stadium was developed at a cost of US$14.9 million and opened in June 2010.
The track has deteriorated tremendously over the past few years, and was taken out of service over fear that continued use could result in athletes suffering serious injuries.
Since 2018, the track inside the stadium has not been used for track and field and it has had negative effects on the region’s track and field athletes, with many having to travel as far as St Catherine for major meets.
This has negatively impacted athletes of western Jamaica.
The stadium was closed for five months in 2024 to allow for $7 million worth of repair work to be done.
Since its reopening in January, it hosted all of Montego Bay United’s Jamaica Premier League home games and had been used for some matches of the 2024-2025 ISSA schoolboy competitions.
The seating was also refurbished and minor repairs were done to increase water pressure at the venue in January.
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