NEARLY THERE

WESTERN BUREAU:

RICHARD VERNON, chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC), says the organisation is now closer to formalising a lease arrangement with Montego Bay Multi Sports Development Limited for the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James.

Speaking with reporters during a press conference yesterday, Vernon said that within the next three weeks, the document is expected to be on the desk of Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie for review and final approval.

“The supporting document that we’re waiting on is the valuation document of the stadium, which will help us get the proper market value price for the lease. Once we get that, we will know the range of the lease,” said Vernon.

“We are waiting on the National Land Agency to provide us with that information. We made the request; we have received some, and we are awaiting additional information. As soon as we get it, it shouldn’t be longer than three weeks, and then we will send the package off to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development,” he explained.

The Yoni Epstein-led Montego Bay Multi Sports Development Limited, which is the umbrella company under which Premier League club Montego Bay United operates, made an attractive investment bid, where it plans to invest close to $700 million towards developing the Montego Bay Sports Complex into a multisport complex for football, track and field, swimming, and racquet sports.

Vernon argued that this investment package is a significant one, capable of enhancing the development of the facility and sports in the parish and region.

“The proposals speak to approximately $700 million in investment, which we believe will significantly improve the capacity of the stadium and diversify the sporting disciplines that are offered,” Vernon said, noting that Western Relays, Jamaica Independent Schools Association, and the County of Cornwall Athletic Association track and field meets, among others, can be returned to their rightful home.

Montego Bay Multi Sports Development was the lone company to offer a bid when the bidding period ended at noon on November 18 last year.

Vernon said when the stadium is formally leased and the development is completed, Montego Bay will be the perfect city to host regional and international games.

“We will continue to pursue the Olympic-size swimming pool … so that when there is a regional competition, it can be held here. We have the rooms, we have the capacity to host international and regional games, and if there is a city in Jamaica that is made for sports tourism, it is Montego Bay, so we will have to do what we must do,” he argued.

At the same time, the StJMC chairman is dismissing what he considers to be rumours that the corporation had leased the facility to Montego Bay United.

He noted that there has not been any lease arrangement with Montego Bay United at the stadium, pointing out that the corporation and the football club have “an understanding” that is reaping success thus far.

“What we have with Montego Bay United is an understanding — Montego Bay United needed a home, and we provided one. There is no way that we could operate as an administration in such a way that the only team in the Premier League from western Jamaica is from Montego Bay and has to travel elsewhere (out of parish) to play a home game, so we provided an opportunity,” said Vernon, who is also the mayor of Montego Bay.

“We extended ourselves to the football club so that they could pursue a football competition in a productive way, and they have done so — they are now in the play-offs for the first time in a long time, and we are now happy to have been a very good partner to the football club, so that they can reap success,” he added.