Port Royal residents to play key role in development

PORT ROYAL'S 1,200 residents are to be fully integrated in the development of their community into a tourist attraction, says Robert Stephens, managing director of the Port Royal Development Co.

To this end, a $10-million learning centre has been constructed and it will be formally handed over to the town's residents on Saturday. It contains state-of-the-art equipment including 15 computers and an art-and-craft and performing arts centre. The centre, according to Mr. Stephens, will be used to educate the residents about the planned development of the area. Mr. Stephens was speaking on the weekend, during an interview with The Gleaner at the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.

"What we are doing is using this to prepare the people of Port Royal to be able to take advantage of opportunities that are going to come up in the project down the road," he said. He pointed out that residents will get first preference for jobs. "The first people we are going to look at are the Port Royalist and determine if there are any that fit the job," Mr. Stephens said. "If not, we will go outside".

As part of the development plan, all existing houses will be upgraded and improved, and a new water and sewerage system put in place. He said this would be at the "core of the development as we do not want to make the same mistakes of some past developments". Additionally, he said, the planners wanted construction to be continuous once it got under way and as such, a lot of preparatory work was being done.

Development, marketing and retail plans and an interpretative master plan for the project have been completed and are to be taken to Cabinet soon for approval. They will be presented in the form of a summary report. "Once it is approved we can go out and find the money," Mr. Stephens said, disclosing that the feedback from potential investors both local and foreign has so far been positive.

The first phase of the project which includes infrastructure work, housing, restoration of historical building and cruise ship pier should get under way by April 2001 and should cost about of US$110 million. The first cruise ship, according to Mr. Stephens, should arrive in time for New Year's Day party in January, 2003.

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