MONTEGO BAY, St James— Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Homer Davis has reiterated that plans are afoot to expand the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall into a multi-sports complex that will include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and will be able to accommodate sporting events other than track and field and football.

According to Mayor Davis, plans have already been drawn up for a 50-meter swimming pool on lands at Catherine Hall and there are hopes that the all-weather running track at the stadium will be replaced this year.

Speaking at a function to honour CARIFTA Games Swimming triple gold medallist Leanna Wainwright at Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club last week, Mayor Davis stressed that he is “working tirelessly” to make the complex one that will be able to host several sports.

Twelve-year-old Wainwright of the Montego Bay-based Sailfish Swim Academy was part of the Jamaica team that won nearly 60 medals at this year’s CARIFTA Swimming Championships, and was toasted by the club and a number of well-wishers.

Arlett Archer Campbell of Sailfish Swim Academy, who noted that “Montego Bay was bursting with talent”, argued that a proper swimming facility would be able to help unearth even more swimming champions.

Mayor Davis told the gathering that designs have been done for the swimming pool project, which is expected to cost just over $100 million.

“We are continuing to make representation for the construction of an Olympic-sized swimming pool in Montego Bay, we have already identified the location for the pool, on lands adjacent to the Catherine Hall Sports Complex and we are hoping to partner with corporate Jamaica and corporate Montego Bay in making this a reality,” he pointed out.

“The establishment of the pool forms part of a larger plan for the development of the Catherine Hall Sports Complex, and I am working tirelessly to achieve this major game-changer for Montego Bay.”

He added that he is aware that plans to construct the pool had been announced a long time ago.

The mayor noted that plans were drawn up by noted architect Martin Lyn, who was the president of the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), for the proposed swimming complex that is expected to include adequate seating for spectators and other amenities.

“We have the designs, but we are not at a stage where we can sell it to the public or corporate Montego Bay yet, I am in talks with a lot of persons who are also interested, and I will ride their generosity,” said the mayor.

In recent years, a number of major track and field meets that were held at the Montego Bay venue have had to be moved away as the Mondo all-weather running track that was laid in 2001 at the facility is not fit to host those events.

Mayor Davis said, however, that representation has been made through the Ministry of Sports and “it is my understanding that it [running track] should be relayed this year.

“We want to make the stadium a multipurpose stadium, it is two disciplines now, track and field and football, which are not enough to carry the complex. We are looking to include more sports….swimming, basketball, badminton, boxing, and we have to approach it in a multifaceted way and to bring a greater level of sports to Montego Bay, and we are determined to make it a reality,” Mayor Davis argued.