THE Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), between 2001 and 2007, invested US$2.7 million in Navy Island, which is located near to Port Antonio, Portland, but to date, the island remains in ruin.

The 64-acre island property, once inhabited by the British Navy in the 1700s, is now a shadow of what it once was. Closed for more than a decade, the island remains a haven for fishermen, farmers and animals.

In 2002 when the PAJ bought the property it outlined a slew of plans earmarked for its development, among them the construction of a five-star hotel and villas. The sale of the property — which has changed several hands over the years — had generated much optimism in the town, with many Portlanders and others breathing a sigh of relief that Navy Island would finally be developed.

However, in a report on a special audit of the PAJ by the Auditor General’s Department (AGD) tabled in the House of Representatives in July, the AGD contended that it saw no evidence that the PAJ had conducted the requisite feasibility studies to assess the viability of the island.

Jamaica Observer North and East shares with readers photographs of the current state of Navy Island.