During the colonial era when sugar was “king”, the port of Falmouth – then one of if not the busiest in the western hemisphere – enjoyed what historians call the “glory days”.

It was normal then for between 25 and 26 ships to be simultaneously docked in the Falmouth harbour on any given day.

Life hasn’t been as busy since then for the now sluggish, historical northcoast town.

However, the glory days are to be resurrected when the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) secures authorisation from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)- the government body responsible for issuing building permits- to establish a cruise terminal in the Trelawny capital.

The PAJ intends to construct “a finger pier” capable of concurrently accommodating two “megaliner” cruise ships.

The first phase of the project should be completed by August 2009 and should hopefully accommodate the world’s biggest cruise vessel-the Royal Caribbean’s new project, the Genesis- on its scheduled inaugural voyage to Jamaica in November 2009.

The PAJ project in Trelawny should employ about 600 people in the construction phase and during the operational stage, about 1000 people.

But are business interests in Trelawny prepared to reap the rich long-term economic benefits that the project will undoubtedly allow? They should begin to position themselves for these new economic gains now! Two years will go by in a flash!

A variety of shops will be available for lease to offer services in catering, entertainment, travelling, craft items and so on.

If the commercial interests in the parish do not grab these golden business opportunities, investors outside the parish will.

Therefore the onus rests on president of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Seivwright, to ensure that the business community capitalises on the opportunities.

To his credit, he says a letter has already been drafted to be dispatched to the PAJ “to indicate that the local business should be first considered before looking outside of the parish.

Meanwhile, residential and commercial buildings will have to be relocated to facilitate the transformation of the waterfront.

In light of human resistance to change, have the developers already located suitable resettlements for residents who will have to be uprooted from their present place of abode?

The residents should be given ample warnings as to where they will be relocated.

Also, talks with established business persons whose businesses will be relocated should get underway as soon as the requisite permits are obtained for the project to go ahead. Nothing should delay the start of construction of the project which will herald the arrival of the Genesis, a ship which will tower above the tallest buildings in Falmouth and which is capable of carrying 15,000 passengers, twice the population of the historic town.