St Bess chamber boss welcomes clarity on Black River plans

WESTERN BUREAU:

Kadian Myers-Brown, president of the Black River branch of the St Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, has welcomed Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ explanation of the bureaucratic hurdles hampering the redevelopment of Black River, saying it brings clarity to a situation that required answers.

She said that while the Government had undertaken consultations with stakeholders, information about the proposed redevelopment had been communicated in fragments, leaving business owners with more questions than answers.

Myers-Brown, a practising attorney-at-law, said Holness’ disclosure that bureaucratic red tape and government procurement procedures were contributing to the delays had provided some reassurance to business operators who had been questioning the apparent lack of progress.

“Some of the business operators are now of the understanding that it’s not that work is not being done, but based on the bureaucracy, it is not much further than where it is today,” she told The Gleaner.

Myers-Brown said the explanation was particularly important because many business operators were reluctant to commit scarce financial resources to rebuilding their hurricane-damaged properties without knowing whether they would eventually be required to relocate to make way for the proposed urban centre.

However, she was careful to distinguish between an absence of consultation and what she described as shortcomings in the communication of information to affected stakeholders.

She acknowledged that representatives of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the National Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (NaRRA) and other agencies had engaged business operators on aspects of the proposed redevelopment.

However, she maintained that the information reaching the wider business community had been insufficient to provide the certainty needed for long-term investment decisions.

“As I said, how the information has trickled down, it has left more questions than answers. Hence, as a result, the anxiety that came from that,” she said.

Myers-Brown further explained that uncertainty was particularly troubling for business operators along High Street, where commercial properties suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Melissa.

Some operators, she said, were questioning whether rebuilding in the same vulnerable coastal locations would be financially prudent, particularly without assurances about protective infrastructure against future storms.

Despite the concerns, Myers-Brown said the prime minister’s explanation had helped to clarify the Government’s position and the challenges associated with advancing the redevelopment.

“It was the anxiety that is within the space, not knowing what was and what will be, but based on what was discussed, we now understand a bit clearer as to what the position is,” she said.

She acknowledged that the scale of the destruction meant the redevelopment could not be accomplished overnight but stressed that business operators were eager to restore their livelihoods.

“People are suffering. Businesses are suffering. Businesses want to really regain some sort of restoration at their peak level, but at the same time, given the gravity of the situation that we are faced with, it is not going to be an overnight fix,” she said.

With the Government indicating that work on the development plan should advance over the next six months, she said the Chamber would be looking for progress.

“So, we were told six months. We’re holding to that, hoping that things can change or turn for the better even before that,” she said, while noting that the immediate challenge was ensuring business operators received clear and timely information to help them make informed decisions about rebuilding, reinvesting or relocating as Black River charts its recovery.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com