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It would seem the construction of the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall, which started nearly 10 years ago, has become a well-guarded secret.
Efforts to get what one would suppose would be information that should be available to the general public has met with a deafening silence.
As per company regulations, an e-mail was sent to the Community Relations department of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), requesting answers to a number of questions including when it was expected this phase of the work would be completed and what would the next phase of work included.
This email was sent on February 25 and a day later a response form Lorna Clarke inviting us "as a first step to visit our website at www.udcja.com for information on the Catherine Hall Sports Complex project."
Suffice it to say the information on the website was woefully inadequate and since then at least one reminder has been sent but we have not been favoured with another response.
This is a marked departure from previous times, prior to the naming of the new board of the UDC, when answers could be expected within one working week, answers that more or less would address the questions asked.
Ofcourse this cannot be the way forward and the UDC must be cognizant that sporting interest in western Jamaica and Montego bay in particular have been very patient in the nearly a decade this venue has taken so far to reach where it has.
Obviously there has been some progress at the venue as visits up to this week has shown that at least the bleacher stands has been complete, we think, since we are not engineers and would have to be guided.
It appears that work is also progressing on the main stands, which will house several important aspects of the facility.
All we are asking is for a progress reports and certainly this cannot be asking too much of the bright and very qualified persons at the UDC.
Sporting Edge learned last year that work was held up, extending the late 2008 completion date, due to the non-arrival of vital components of both stands.
Certainly one cannot seek to blame the UDC for this and one could only hope for better organisation from the parties overseas.
We are hearing now from informed but unofficial sources that the haphazard arrival of parts is still a major problem.
We hear that parts arrive and have to be kept in storage as other parts still to arrive would have been be in place before the ones here can be assembled.
We would love to be able to confirm this but maybe the powers that be at the UDC either think informing the public as to the progress as Catherine Hall is not important or they have better things to do with their time.
But while they fiddle precious time is being wasted and the venue lies idle while it could be used to stage several important track and field meets.
The Milo Western Relays and Western Champs had to be held else where this year as the venue was not available and the recent Trials to select the national team for the Junior CARIFTA Games which was held on the badly work track at stadium east could have been held here.
The upcoming National Junior Track and field Trials to be held in early June would be perfect for the newly opened Montego bay Sports Complex as well as at least one warm up meet for the Senior Trials to be held in late June could also be staged here.
It is not expected that any members of the UDC board or management would be conversant on local or international track and field but there is usually a one-month gap between the last major meet and the Senior Trials where a meet staged in Montego Bay could attract even American athletes to take part.
Certainly if the venue is marketed properly we shouldn't be hearing 'white elephant' tags that have been hearing about other facilities.
Efforts to get what one would suppose would be information that should be available to the general public has met with a deafening silence.
As per company regulations, an e-mail was sent to the Community Relations department of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), requesting answers to a number of questions including when it was expected this phase of the work would be completed and what would the next phase of work included.
This email was sent on February 25 and a day later a response form Lorna Clarke inviting us "as a first step to visit our website at www.udcja.com for information on the Catherine Hall Sports Complex project."
Suffice it to say the information on the website was woefully inadequate and since then at least one reminder has been sent but we have not been favoured with another response.
This is a marked departure from previous times, prior to the naming of the new board of the UDC, when answers could be expected within one working week, answers that more or less would address the questions asked.
Ofcourse this cannot be the way forward and the UDC must be cognizant that sporting interest in western Jamaica and Montego bay in particular have been very patient in the nearly a decade this venue has taken so far to reach where it has.
Obviously there has been some progress at the venue as visits up to this week has shown that at least the bleacher stands has been complete, we think, since we are not engineers and would have to be guided.
It appears that work is also progressing on the main stands, which will house several important aspects of the facility.
All we are asking is for a progress reports and certainly this cannot be asking too much of the bright and very qualified persons at the UDC.
Sporting Edge learned last year that work was held up, extending the late 2008 completion date, due to the non-arrival of vital components of both stands.
Certainly one cannot seek to blame the UDC for this and one could only hope for better organisation from the parties overseas.
We are hearing now from informed but unofficial sources that the haphazard arrival of parts is still a major problem.
We hear that parts arrive and have to be kept in storage as other parts still to arrive would have been be in place before the ones here can be assembled.
We would love to be able to confirm this but maybe the powers that be at the UDC either think informing the public as to the progress as Catherine Hall is not important or they have better things to do with their time.
But while they fiddle precious time is being wasted and the venue lies idle while it could be used to stage several important track and field meets.
The Milo Western Relays and Western Champs had to be held else where this year as the venue was not available and the recent Trials to select the national team for the Junior CARIFTA Games which was held on the badly work track at stadium east could have been held here.
The upcoming National Junior Track and field Trials to be held in early June would be perfect for the newly opened Montego bay Sports Complex as well as at least one warm up meet for the Senior Trials to be held in late June could also be staged here.
It is not expected that any members of the UDC board or management would be conversant on local or international track and field but there is usually a one-month gap between the last major meet and the Senior Trials where a meet staged in Montego Bay could attract even American athletes to take part.
Certainly if the venue is marketed properly we shouldn't be hearing 'white elephant' tags that have been hearing about other facilities.
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