Seven Government Agencies Secure Space at Morant Bay Urban Centre

Seven Government entities have signed lease agreements to occupy spaces at the newly opened Morant Bay Urban Centre in St. Thomas.

The entities include the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs – Justice Reform Centre; the Jamaica Information Service (JIS); Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ); the Department of Correctional Services (DCS); the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA); the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), and the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation.

The entities will join more than 30 private-sector organisations that have either completed or are in the process of building out their spaces at the facility, which was officially opened in May 2025.

The official Lease Agreement Signing Ceremony for government clients was held on Thursday (March 5) at the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development in Kingston.

Speaking during the ceremony, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry with Responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, Hon. Robert Montague, said the signing of the leases sends a strong signal to the private sector that the public sector is fully committed to the facility.

“I really want to congratulate the government entities for seeing the vision and coming forward. Your decision to move into the Morant Bay Urban Centre is not taken lightly, and it may be one of the best decisions taken within the history of your entity, because you are breaking new ground,” he stated.

Mr. Montague emphasised that the signing represents the realisation of National Hero, the Right Excellent Paul Bogle’s dream of bringing development directly to the people.

The Minister further noted that the Centre will help curb rural urban drift by creating jobs and opportunities for the people of St. Thomas.

“What you’re going to find happening now is more housing starts… more investments are going to come into St. Thomas,” he maintained.

Mr. Montague emphasised that the Morant Bay Urban Centre is the first of several planned urban centres to be developed across Jamaica.

“The Government is serious about building out the centre in Portland… [and] in St. Mary. We are [also] looking at Negril, and I think somewhere in St. Elizabeth as well,” the Minister informed.

In his remarks, Chairman of Morant Bay Urban Centre Limited and the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), Lyttleton Shirley, highlighted the significance of having so many Government agencies accessible in one location.

“It is all about creating an environment for our people to be more welcome in government spaces without having to be journeying all over to different areas at a cost to them,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Arlene Williams, described the signing as a monumental occasion.

“The Morant Bay Urban Centre is really a beacon of hope. We think it is such a shining example in a parish which was once thought to be forgotten. So, we are bringing life… we are bringing economic activities to that area,” she said.

Mrs. Williams welcomed the new occupants of the facility, noting that they will be housed in ergonomically designed office spaces within an aesthetically pleasing building.

The Morant Bay Urban Centre’s development was undertaken through a public-private partnership involving the FCJ, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Limited, and the National Commercial Bank (NCB).