St. Thomas Population Growth Expected to Drive Business At Morant Bay Urban Centre

Clients at the Morant Bay Urban Centre in St. Thomas can anticipate strong business growth, driven by the population expansion taking place in the eastern parish.

This declaration comes from Chairman of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), Lyttleton Shirley.

“We know it’s going to be a dynamic success on this campus. A lot of housing developments are going around the area to help to support these businesses,” he told JIS News.

Mr. Shirley revealed that the facility, spanning more than 500,000 square feet, is now 80 per cent occupied, with clients expressing satisfaction with the electricity, water, and sewerage systems.

He highlighted that the historic Centre – the first of its kind in Jamaica – complements major road infrastructure upgrades in St. Thomas through the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), along with other notable investments that are reshaping the parish’s appeal and driving new interest.

The Chairman assured clients that the ongoing population expansion, including new housing developments, will help drive business growth.

He added that government entities employing large numbers of staff and serving clients from the 22 surrounding communities will also be based at the Centre, providing further support to businesses there.

Mr. Shirley stated that clients are continuing to build out their spaces in preparation for business operations. He reminded them of the importance of installing panels to facilitate connection by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

“You can’t sit back and say there’s no electricity… if you don’t do your buildout. I would say 90 per cent of all the space has been given GEI (Government Electrical Inspectorate) certificates.

Therefore, everyone who does their buildout will have access to electricity now… so, we’re in a good space,” the Chairman said.

Mr. Shirley also noted that apart from the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), completing defect liability works, the physical space is fully completed.

“For a large project like this… you’re not going to see it fully occupied overnight, you’re not going to see everything perfect. It’s going to take time for the contractor to go through the defects liabilities,” he stated.

Mr. Shirley further indicated that following recent rainfall, the contractor is conducting checks to ensure there are no leakages throughout the buildings.

“We have no drainage issues, because we have one of the most modern drainage systems on site. We want to make sure that all the drains are clear, so it goes to the retention pond. So, all those works are now being done by the contractor, and I must congratulate them for the work that they are doing,” he added.

The Chairman pointed out that, overall, he is pleased with the progress at the Urban Centre and expressed gratitude to clients for their patience.