ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL - Repair of hurricane-damaged facilities advanced

Significant strides have been made in restoring sporting facilities in western Jamaica, one year after Hurricane Melissa left a trail of destruction. However, considerable work remains before several venues can return to their pre-hurricane condition.

The Montego Bay Sports Complex, Jarrett Park, Wespow Park, and BREDS Sports Park & Academy are at varying stages of restoration. While some facilities are already back in use, others continue to undergo repairs.

Yoni Epstein, leaseholder of the Montego Bay Sports Complex and chairman of Montego Bay United (MBU), said football will return to the facility on December 13.

“We’re about 75 per cent there at this point and the focus is the pitch, lights, electrical system and general cleaning to be prepared,” Epstein told The Gleaner.

“We are moving at pace now, as we are eight weeks from opening the stadium once again. Our focus is on getting football going again, so there has been a lot of ongoing work to the pitch, lighting, electrical system, perimeter fencing, main gates, seats and overall cleaning to the facility,” added Epstein.

Epstein said the December 13 fixture against Racing United FC would be a fitting occasion for MBU’s return to the stadium.

“It is fitting to be a Sunday evening and against Racing United FC, who we played last at the stadium before Hurricane Melissa.

“The dressing rooms, floodlights, seating and other essential facilities will be fully operational by the time of the reopening,” he added.

Asked about measures to prevent a repeat of the extensive flooding and damage caused by the hurricane, Epstein said responsibility rests with the Government and municipal authorities.

“We are ensuring that the quality of work being done to the overall re-development is in keeping with the development plans for the area so as to not disrupt the natural habitat.”

MBU have been using Jarrett Park as their temporary home venue since December 2025. Montego Bay Multi-Sports Development Ltd officially signed a 25-year lease agreement with the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) in February.

At Jarrett Park, meanwhile, the focus remains on restoring the facility while keeping it available for use.

Bryan Miller, chairman of the Jarrett Park Management Committee, said work continues daily to improve the venue, which is in much better condition than it was six months ago.

“I can say that it is a work in progress. We set ourselves targets, and we try to achieve them as we go along,” said Miller.

He estimated that the facility is operating at between 65 and 70 per cent capacity, despite the outstanding rehabilitation work.

“We want the community to know that it is open for use once again, despite whatever shortcomings might be there,” he added.

Jarrett Park has long been regarded as the home of football in western Jamaica and has hosted generations of memorable matches and other sporting events. The venue has a seating capacity of 4,000.

The property was purchased in 1957 by the StJMC, then known as the St James Parish Council, fulfilling the need for a permanent recreational venue for residents of the city.

Miller said assessments by the StJMC’s engineering department suggest that one of the spectator stands may have to be demolished and rebuilt, requiring a multi-million-dollar investment.

The four existing light stanchions have also been assessed as structurally compromised.

“Inspections have shown that all four stanchions are compromised right now. The structure is not as stable as it ought to be. We have just been made aware that Montego Bay Sports Complex plan on changing out the lights over there. A negotiation team is being formed to discuss acquiring old lights from the stadium,” said Miller.

At Wespow Park in Tucker, St James, the playing fields have returned to full functionality, although key support facilities have yet to be restored.

Owner Orville Powell estimated that the overall facility is operating at 90 per cent of its pre-hurricane capacity.

“All our three fields are fully functional now. Our team, MoBay City Football Club (MBCFC), are training here. Everything is going well, we are just waiting for the start of the season,” said Powell.

However, the pavilion and VIP area have yet to be rebuilt, while one spectator stand remains down.

“We got flooded a couple days ago and was affected a bit but it’s nothing to talk about. One of the spectators stands is still not back up yet but we are working without it. The pavilion and VIP area are still not constructed yet either,” said Powell.

Powell said the facility had been restored to approximately 80 per cent capacity six months earlier as recovery work continued.

Meanwhile, BREDS Sports Park & Academy in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth is approximately 65 per cent restored, according to its latest assessment.

Co-founder Jason Henzell said a key priority is the development of the Treasure Beach Resilience Campus, which aims to expand the role of the existing 17-acre sports park beyond recreation and sporting activities.

“One of the priorities at this time for BREDS is the development of the Treasure Beach Resilience Campus. The work to repair the main pavillion damaged by hurricanes Beryl and Melissa is well under way.”

“Our vision is to transform BREDS’ existing 17-acre Sports Park into an integrated, year-round community resilience campus serving Treasure Beach and surrounding rural communities on Jamaica’s south coast,” said Henzell.

The initiative builds on the role played by the sports park and BREDS during the response to hurricanes Beryl and Melissa, with the aim of strengthening the community’s preparedness, resilience and recovery capacity.

“I have been very encouraged by the response from sponsors to help us rebuild the sports park, not only to what it was before, but with some new and very important components. These include putting a slab roof onto the community centre, which will be much stronger, building, repairing the fencing, and rehabilitating the irrigation well,” he added.