Construction Of New Houses Of Parliament To Begin This Year

Work on construction of Jamaica’s new Houses of Parliament will commence this year.

This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, who was delivering the Throne Speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Thursday (February 10).

Construction of the new Parliament building forms part of the National Heroes Park Redevelopment and Government Campus Project, which is a component of a master plan to redevelop downtown Kingston.

The design for the building was selected from entries received during a competition launched in May 2018 and opened to architects based in the island and in the diaspora.

The Governor-General noted that this undertaking is among several large infrastructure projects the Government has been advancing.

These, he pointed out, include the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project, which is at an advanced stage of implementation, with work under way on a four-lane roadway from Harbour View to Yallahs and on 10 of the planned 15 construction packages.

In addition, he noted that master planning and design for the Morant Bay Urban Centre have been completed and loan financing secured.

“This integrated town centre and commercial complex along with the highway improvements will be a game changer for the people of St. Thomas,” he said.

In addition, the Governor-General informed that the 20,000-square foot Kingston Logistics Park, located on lands adjacent to the Kingston Container Terminal, has been completed.

“This is part of the Government’s overall plan to establish Jamaica as a Global Logistics Hub,” he said.