St Elizabeth poised to host Jamaica’s first purpose-built city, PM Holness says

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says St Elizabeth is being considered as the site for Jamaica’s first purpose-built city since colonial times, describing the move as a “big deal” and a step toward balanced national development.

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Speaking on Saturday at the opening of a new KFC outlet in Black River, Holness revealed that the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) had been tasked with finding the best location for a “third city” that would not replicate Kingston or Montego Bay.

“Several years ago I had mentioned that Jamaica needs to purpose built a city. We haven’t really purpose built a city. We have never done it. Certainly not since colonial times. Maybe Spanish Town was the only purpose built city,” Holness said.

“Two areas were in close competition and I am not going to say specifically where, because… you don’t want people to go and start to buy land and stake claim and then you can’t do what you need to do, so we don’t give the details as to where, but suffice to say that the area that we have been advised is the best area to do an entirely new city and it is because all the requisite elements to create a new city exists here,” he added.

“You don’t want to create a city that replicates Montego Bay and Kingston, you want to create something unique and therefore this parish, St Elizabeth, would be where we would be looking to develop our new city. That is a big deal, big announcement,” the Prime Minister said.

Holness linked the plan to a broader set of public and private investments now being made across the parish in tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure.

“You can now start to make sense of why we are now making certain massive investments in the parish which will include the bypass for Spur Tree to go down and then the bypass to get to here which will effectively bypass Santa Cruz. It will involve a development of south coast tourism, because we have a product here that is really great and we need to maximise that tourism product,” Holness said.

He also pointed to the ongoing Pedro Plains Irrigation Project as a key initiative supporting the parish’s agricultural potential. “We have a massive investment in irrigating the plains here. We have launched the Pedro Plains Irrigation Project which is now underway, so we are focusing on the agricultural potential of the parish and that will essentially take water from the Black River.”

The Prime Minister also urged residents of Black River to help preserve the town’s historic buildings, noting their potential future value as the region develops.

“For this town of Black River you have so much history, so many heritage buildings that it pains my heart when I hear that the buildings some of them have suffered from fire. Some of them have been destroyed by fire and I would make an appeal to the residents of Black River, to those who own some of these historic buildings, if you know what I know, you would preserve those buildings. Preserve them, because very soon they are going to be exceptional in value,” Holness said.

Looking ahead, Holness hinted at a broader plan to diversify the island’s tourism offerings, including a new industry.

“Something that we have not taken advantage of but we should is education tourism and we are going to target this part of Jamaica for that new industry,” he said.

He added that future development would be done with input from residents and stakeholders, noting that his government intends to prioritize strategic, localized investment.

“You are going to see strategic and direct infusion of investments in such a way as to improve the quality of life of the people to provide the infrastructure that they need to create the business environment and ultimately to give the people the ability… work and earn where they live,” Holness said.