Ground Broken for Rehabilitation and Expansion of Gayle Community Centre

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, on Thursday (Dec. 13) broke ground for phase one of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Gayle Multi-Purpose Community Centre in St. Mary.

Cabinet, in September, approved the award of an $85.1 million contract to Marshall Construction Company Limited to undertake the works, which will focus on renovation of the ground floor of the centre to house a police post, renovated courthouse, conference and office areas, and, a computer room. The works will be undertaken over six months.

Other segments of the project will include an open auditorium that will be used for cultural and other community activities.

Minister Chang said the project is important in providing space where community members can come together, dialogue with their political representatives and “plan for the future.” Such interaction, he argued, helps to build dynamic and healthy communities. He noted further that having the police post at the centre will serve as a deterrent to crime.

Minister Chang urged the residents to use the facility well, noting that “this community centre can make a big difference and bring about significant opportunities for Gayle.”

He encouraged the young people to take full advantage of the training and other services to be provided.

Minister of Transport and Mining and Member of Parliament for Western St. Mary, Hon. Robert Montague, who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, said that the “entire community is happy for the centre.”

He assured of the full cooperation of the residents in order to ensure that the works progress smoothly.

The rehabilitation and expansion of the Gayle Multi-Purpose Community Centre is a project under the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP).

The objective is to create a space where training and other crime prevention services can be offered, which will aid in the development of a safe environment for community members.

Phase 1 of the initiative is being made possible through the support of the Ministry of National Security, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and Global Affairs Canada.

CSJP is a multi-faceted crime and violence prevention initiative of the Ministry of National Security, which focuses on building community safety and security. The programme provides crime and violence prevention services to 50 vulnerable and volatile communities, spanning eight parishes.