KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The park, which is being built by the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) in downtown Kingston, will create a family-friendly recreational space, while encouraging basic recycling and sustainable waste-management among citizens.

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Dr Angela Brown Burke, said that 80 per cent of the material that will be used for the project is recycled.

“This is deliberate because we also felt that we needed a project that could contribute to the issue of recycling and how we approach waste (disposal),” she said.

She noted that the KSAC spends an estimated $62 million annually on drain cleaning due to the large volume of plastic and other debris in gullies and drains.

Brown Burke was speaking at the contract signing ceremony held on October 20 at the project site at St William Grant Park.

The eco-friendly park, which will comprise playground and recreational facilities, will utilise old tyres and more than 1.5 million plastic bottles to create play equipment and structures.

So far, 650,000 plastic bottles have been collected from businesses and individuals within the Kingston and St Andrew municipality and rural areas.

Construction of the first phase of the project, to be undertaken by Seal Sprayed Solutions Limited, is slated to begin on November 3.

The park will be based on African-inspired themes and popular Jamaican music.

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has provided $20.7 million for the building of the Mother Hen Corner, Journey to Africa and The Seashell Amphitheatre.

Additional funding is needed for creation of the Mosaic Space, Reggae Avenue, the main family monument, tuck shop, walking trail, and restrooms.

The project, which is slated to be completed on a phased basis over a two-year period, is estimated to cost $90 million.