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Self-serving Montegonians
Published: Sunday | May 29, 2011 0 Comments
Allen
Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:
AN EXCLUSIVE group of affluent "self-serving" Montegonians is being blamed for the manifestation of urban blight, which threatens the commercial viability of downtown Montego Bay.
"Montego Bay is controlled by a little clique and what we have here is the last subdivision of Montego Bay, where everybody is grabbing land whether they can develop it, yes or no," charges community activist O. Dave Allen.
"Montego Bay is a contradiction - the resort on one hand and the gully banks where small and micro-enterprising businesses are elbowed out of the mainstream development opportunities."
Allen was among panelists at a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in Montego Bay last Thursday.
He referred to the Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Company plan that was fashioned in 1996 to embrace a holistic development order that would guide the expansion of the Second City.
'Pulling and dragging'
But Allen was not alone in his scathing criticism of a "mercantile class which is hampering the further growth and development" of the tourist city. Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association President Wayne Cummings says the "pulling and dragging" in Montego Bay is inhibiting investment and growth.
"I've been watching the discussion from afar regarding the Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Plan. ... I find that there are always groupings; there are always disagreements. A case in point (is) Sam Sharpe Square," he explained. "We were talking about the pedestrianisation of Sam Sharpe Square, it came up when we were talking about the traffic lights, moving the water fountain possibly putting it a little closer to the civic centre, so that the road works better. It was shot down."
Added Cummings: "Now that the roads are repaved and the traffic lights are put up, we are back to talking about pedestrianising. That's nonsense; it is a waste of time. Let me tell you something, the best developed places are where trained planners lay and map out a framework that gives you options."
But Allen is adamant that the development plan had consensus on issues, such as a catalyst project for the rehabilitation of the city centre.
"We recognised that the town would expand to Fairview, so we looked at developing Montego Bay waterfront as a catalyst to bring commerce and business downtown to save the inner city. We looked at the waterfront which would be developed similarly to Pier 52 in the United States," he explained.
Fairview to the west of the town centre, along with Whitter Village to the east, are the two new commercial hubs in Montego Bay pushing investments away from the inner city.
"All downtown Montego Bay is now, a glorified Pechon Street where we'll soon be selling pig's tail," said Allen.
"It's a question of whom knows whom, so they (the clique) are not concerned about development or conformed to what we had proposed as the waterfront district. We should now be attracting high-end yachting right here", he asserted. nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com
Published: Sunday | May 29, 2011 0 Comments
Allen
Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:
AN EXCLUSIVE group of affluent "self-serving" Montegonians is being blamed for the manifestation of urban blight, which threatens the commercial viability of downtown Montego Bay.
"Montego Bay is controlled by a little clique and what we have here is the last subdivision of Montego Bay, where everybody is grabbing land whether they can develop it, yes or no," charges community activist O. Dave Allen.
"Montego Bay is a contradiction - the resort on one hand and the gully banks where small and micro-enterprising businesses are elbowed out of the mainstream development opportunities."
Allen was among panelists at a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in Montego Bay last Thursday.
He referred to the Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Company plan that was fashioned in 1996 to embrace a holistic development order that would guide the expansion of the Second City.
'Pulling and dragging'
But Allen was not alone in his scathing criticism of a "mercantile class which is hampering the further growth and development" of the tourist city. Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association President Wayne Cummings says the "pulling and dragging" in Montego Bay is inhibiting investment and growth.
"I've been watching the discussion from afar regarding the Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Plan. ... I find that there are always groupings; there are always disagreements. A case in point (is) Sam Sharpe Square," he explained. "We were talking about the pedestrianisation of Sam Sharpe Square, it came up when we were talking about the traffic lights, moving the water fountain possibly putting it a little closer to the civic centre, so that the road works better. It was shot down."
Added Cummings: "Now that the roads are repaved and the traffic lights are put up, we are back to talking about pedestrianising. That's nonsense; it is a waste of time. Let me tell you something, the best developed places are where trained planners lay and map out a framework that gives you options."
But Allen is adamant that the development plan had consensus on issues, such as a catalyst project for the rehabilitation of the city centre.
"We recognised that the town would expand to Fairview, so we looked at developing Montego Bay waterfront as a catalyst to bring commerce and business downtown to save the inner city. We looked at the waterfront which would be developed similarly to Pier 52 in the United States," he explained.
Fairview to the west of the town centre, along with Whitter Village to the east, are the two new commercial hubs in Montego Bay pushing investments away from the inner city.
"All downtown Montego Bay is now, a glorified Pechon Street where we'll soon be selling pig's tail," said Allen.
"It's a question of whom knows whom, so they (the clique) are not concerned about development or conformed to what we had proposed as the waterfront district. We should now be attracting high-end yachting right here", he asserted. nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com
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