UDC signs Segment 2 design contract for Kingston Harbour Walk

KINGSTON — The Urban Development Corporation has signed a contract for feasibility studies and detailed design work on Segment 2 of the Kingston Harbour Walk, advancing plans for a continuous climate-resilient waterfront linking downtown Kingston to Port Royal.

The ceremony was held at the Caribbean Cement Company Limited staff sports club and wellness centre. Urban Development Corporation Chairman Norman Brown said the assignment covers roughly 10 kilometres from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to Harbour View, financed by the Government of Jamaica and the Caribbean Development Bank. He described the wider scheme as among Jamaica’s most ambitious public infrastructure, urban regeneration and climate-resilience undertakings.

Dr Orande Small of the Caribbean Development Bank said Segment 2, advancing from Rae Town to Harbour View, is expected to benefit about 32,000 residents directly and deliver broader gains for more than 660,000 people in the Kingston metropolitan area. The CDB is supporting the work with a US$1.4 million grant from its Special Development Fund, with contributions from the Government of Italy and the European Union through the Caribbean Action for Resilience Enhancement programme.

Brown said the full Harbour Walk is being delivered in phases. The first phase is already under way through the Kingston Waterfront Improvement Project, led by the UDC with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and World Bank financing. Later stages are to extend along the Palisadoes toward historic Port Royal, completing a promenade of about 25 kilometres.

A City Forest–Felix–Aquantara joint venture will prepare shoreline characterisation, hydrographic and urban studies, stakeholder analysis, environmental and social impact assessments, climate risk reviews, engineering investigations, detailed designs, cost estimates and technical documents for delivery.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica must reclaim downtown Kingston’s waterfront after generations of underuse, and rebuild with ambition after Hurricane Melissa. He urged consultants to produce an iconic, functional and cost-effective design that communities will embrace, and linked the corridor to wider works including SPARK 2 upgrades on Sir Florizel Glasspole Boulevard and related Windward Road traffic routes, plus Port Royal pier, reception, museum, sewer and water investments.

Caribbean Cement Managing Director Jorge Martinez welcomed partners to the shore-side venue and pledged continued corporate support for communities along the corridor, including Rockfort and Harbour View. UDC General Manager Robert Hunigan closed by recalling that the Harbour Walk vision dates to 1968 and thanking government, development partners, the project steering committee and corridor communities.