Henry Says Railway Critical to City’s Redevelopment

KINGSTON — Minister of Transport and Works, Hon Mike Henry, says that the redevelopment of idle railway facilities on Pechon Street in downtown Kingston is critical to the restoration of the city.

"Pechon Street, or that area of the railway, must be developed so that we can form a proper hub downtown for the movement of persons across the country,” Mr. Henry said. However, he noted that funding is needed to rebuild the bridge for the railway to come into Kingston.

Mr. Henry said this will complement the redevelopment going on within the city, commending stakeholders such as telecommunications company, Digicel, which is building its new head office in the area.

He was speaking at the 2011 National Economic Forum, under the theme "Pluggin" into downtown”, at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Wednesday (October 26). The topic for the day was: ‘Transportation & Its Critical Effects on Urban Development’.

The forum, which opened Wednesday and ended Thursday (October 27), was hosted by the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and Digicel.

“The railway can run right now from Williamsfield (Manchester) all the way to Ewarton (St. Catherine). We are still maintaining and running the railway between Linstead and Spanish Town, but mainly for students. So, basically, with a new board in place, we are looking to expand and implement the development and the privatization of the railway,” he explained.

Mr. Henry also noted that the Ministry was aiming to take heavy duty vehicles off the road, and move more cargo by rail, in addition to road and sea.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digicel Jamaica, Mark Linehan, remarked that downtown Kingston, as an economic hub, is vital to the development of Jamaica, and with improved infrastructure and planning has tremendous potential to be a viable, accessible, and highly business friendly environment.

He noted that Digicel has been investing in the area for some time, with its most significant investment being the erection of its 11-storey building.

Mr. Linehan said that one of the reasons for relocating its offices was to ensure that its staff can move in and out of the area, efficiently, with improved public transportation and parking facilities, which are critical to the process. He gave a thumbs up to the new bus park and increased parking facilities which, he said, should lead to increased economic activity in coming months.

Guest speaker, President of US-based town planners, Civitas Consultants, David Feehan, said the critical factors associated with downtown Kingston’s revitalisation were improvements in public space management, demographic changes, reduced crime and technology and transportation accessibility.

He noted that since his last visit, there has been “progress” towards the development of the city, which is a step in the right direction.

He said that the construction of Digicel’s head offices, the bus park and the refurbishing of the Coronation Markets, among other things, were critical.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter