Falmouth Urged to Get Ready

Citizens of Falmouth are being urged to get ready to take advantage of the vast economic opportunities that will flow from the development of the cruise ship pier.
“The potential of the upcoming development is almost boundless,” said Urban Development Corporation (UDC) General Manager, Joy Douglas, while encouraging residents to avail themselves of training through the HEART Trust/NTA, among others.
She was addressing the first in a series of community expos in Falmouth square on Saturday (July 24), to inform residents and interest groups about plans for the upgrading of the town, as they await the completion of the cruise ship pier and the arrival of the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, in early 2011.

Residents of Falmouth flocked the HEART Trust/NTA education booth at the Urban Development Corporation (UDC)-organised community expo held recently in the Trelawny capital to outline upgrading activities to be undertaken as part of the cruise ship pier development project.

Ms. Douglas said that in addition to the cruise ship project, which should be completed by December 2010, “the rest of the town will be placed in a state-of-readiness, to complement the new development and to receive the visitors.”
The UDC is undertaking upgrading work, which will enhance a number of other developments, such as the Falmouth Safari, Burwood Beach and the addition of hotel rooms and tourist attractions.
These include rehabilitating roads and sidewalks, and erecting street and directional signs to facilitate easy traffic flow, and story boards to highlight places of historic interest.
There are plans for the pedestrianization of the town square to allow the town centre to be the focal point for recreational, historical and cultural presentations.

The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) model, outlining plans for the upgrading of the town of Falmouth, has the interest of (from left) General Manager of Historic Falmouth Jamaica, Carl Hendricks; Custos of Trelawny, Hon. Paul Muschett; General Manager of the UDC, Joy Douglas; Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager; and Secretary/Manager of the Trelawny Parish Council, Gerald Lee. Occasion was a UDC-organised community expo held recently in the town to outline activities to be undertaken as part of the cruise ship development project.

Mayor of Falmouth and Chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council, Colin Gager, in his remarks, said he welcomed the projects being undertaken by the UDC, which are providing employment for citizens and making the town and parish more economically viable.
“As the local authority, the Trelawny Parish Council welcomes every type of development that is not inimical to the betterment of the parish. We intend to continue working with the private sector body in Trelawny as well as all other stakeholders to ensure that these developments will make Trelawny a better place,” Mayor Gager stated.