Portmore Municipal Council Signs Contract for New Premises

A management consultancy contract was signed yesterday (July 10) to develop and construct a new 300,000 square feet Municipal Complex in Portmore, St. Catherine.
The building will be situated on lands across from the Portmore Mall behind Captain’s Bakery.
Signing on behalf of the Portmore Municipal Council were Mayor of Portmore, Keith Hinds and Chief Administrative Manager, David Parkes while Management Consultants, Dr. Morais Wallen and Archibald Hammond signed for Global Business Support Services Limited.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the Portmore Municipal Council conference room at the Portmore Pines Plaza, in Greater Portmore, St. Catherine, Mayor Keith Hinds said phase one of the project will include the writing of a business development plan and a risk management assessment for the new building. Financing for the project will be secured after the completion of phase one.
“We expect within, at least two months to have this part of the first phase finalized, out of the way and moving to the second phase, which is looking seriously at financing and how we are going to put up this building in short order,” he said.
Mayor Hinds said the Municipal Council, which is situated in the Portmore Pines Plaza, was not conducive for disabled persons who might wish to conduct business with the Council. “It is a real difficulty,” he added.
According to Mayor Hinds, office space at the building would be available to accommodate a tax office, a court house, the Registrar General’s Department, and banks.
“We are planning to boast one of the biggest amphi-theatre in the English- speaking Caribbean with over a 1,000 seats,” he said, adding that some business owners have already approached the Council to secure office space at the complex.
Meanwhile, Mr. Parkes endorsed the new project saying it would help the Council “to earn its keep through the development initiative.”
“We are acting on our own through the advice of the department of Local Government to start that development process, whereby we can improve what is called a rental stock,” he said, noting that there is a demand for rented space in Portmore.