Jamaica Post to rent out space
USED to renting mainly post boxes, Jamaica Post now seeks to increase its income by renting out a much larger space.
The multi-storey headquarters of the Post and Telecommunications Department (Jamaica Post) in downtown Kingston, dubbed the Central Sorting Office (CSO) aims to rent out space on its second floor for some $1.9 million a month to technology or manufacturing firms.
It’s the latest move by a government entity to pitch its underutilised office space in Kingston to fast-growing outsourcing firms which create hundreds of jobs.
Realtor Coldwell Banker, which placed the listing recently, described the property as offering roughly 60,000 square feet of open space and reasonably priced for immediate rental.
“Located on the second floor of the Central Sorting Office (Jamaica Postal Head Office) it is easily accessible by bus as it is near the downtown business district. Building amenities include elevator access, 24-hour security, generator and water tanks. Forty-five parking spaces are alloted,” stated Coldwell Banker about the space up for rent.
Mailed queries from last week to Jamaica Post for comment were not immediately returned up to print. The open office space requires retrofitting — but on the upside it allows the tenant to build to “exact specifications” and needs, indicated the realtor.
“Our project management team can offer assistance in this area. It is perfect for an Information & Communication Technology (ICT) centre, factory or warehousing,” stated the realtor.
The Government’s strategy for the business processing outsourcing sector is to facilitate the creation of 15,000 new jobs over the next five years.
Jamaica Post recorded a $408-million deficit for the 2014 fiscal year on some $1.5 billion in revenues, compared with a deficit of $355 million the previous year.
Last month, courier problems halted the processing of mail destined for the UK, Europe and beyond for nearly two months. Although Jamaica Post lifted the suspension of Express Mail Service to the UK on August 25, a backlog continues into September.
