MAY PEN, Clarendon — The Clarendon Parish Council is hoping to develop the site of the old May Pen police station into a recreational facility, Mayor of May Pen Scean Barnswell has revealed.

The area, located in the heart of the parish capital, has been occupied by vendors since the station was relocated to Brooks Avenue, but was recently given a facelift and used as a cultural village during the parish’s Jamaica 50 celebrations.

With the vendors now removed, Barnswell said that the immediate plan is to lease the property from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security,

which owns the land.

“We have put our request in writing to the owner, which is another government agency, to lease the property to us and probably allowing us to purchase it eventually,” Barnswell said.

Barnswell told the Jamaica Observer in a previous interview that persons vending at the old police station “were asked to go into the market house because the property will be fenced and turned into a green space”.

“The vision,” he added, “is really to create something like a mini Emancipation Park where persons can relax and enjoy May Pen — a place where concerts and so on can be held.”

While not disclosing a cost for the project or a completion date, Barnswell said it should not cost much to finance the project, adding that a number of non-government organisations in the parish have indicated a willingness to assist.

Meantime, the mayor said that the vendors who were removed from the area have since found alternative locations to ply their wares.

“Some of them have moved into the market, while others have found alternative locations,” he said, adding that, “they were given six months notice from over the Christmas season.”

The vendors had protested the council’s initiative to move them into the market house, noting that other vendors opposed the idea of them sharing the facility.