THE St James Parish Council this week assumed control of the Montego Bay Civic Centre, three months after it was officially opened by Prime Minister P J Patterson.

According to the Jamaica Information Service, the Urban Development Corporation — which was the executing agency on the project — turned over the keys to the Council during a brief ceremony on January 8.

A management committee, which was established to oversee operations at the $155-million facility, will now move to furnish the building and push it towards public use. The St James Parish Council has submitted to the Local Government Ministry, a $17.3-million estimate of what it will take to outfit the building.

The centre has remained unfurnished and unused over the past three months as the contract had only included construction of the structure, and not the supply of equipment.

The centre stands in a corner of the historic Sam Sharpe Square on the site of the old burnt-out courthouse and the Albert Town Market which went up in flames about 33 years ago. It is slated to house a museum of pieces that reflect the history of St James, as well as an art gallery that will showcase the works of artists from the western end of the island.

The Civic Centre will also be the venue for theatrical productions and performances, and a stage is among the items needed to be installed in the building.

When the centre was first opened, there was concern about the lack of security at the facility. However, that problem has since been addressed with the presence of 24-hour security guards.

Deputy mayor of Montego Bay, Gerard Mitchell, had promised that the facility would have been ready for use by Christmas, but that timetable was not met as the council was still not yet in possession of the building as the contractors were still making minor adjustments.