Dear Editor,

The Portmore City Municipality moves to dispel claims made by Robert Miller, Member of Parliament (MP), in a recent Jamaica Observer article that $160 million has been spent so far on the establishment of the Portmore/Hagen Climate Change Park.

The establishment of the park, which was a partnership between Hagen and the Portmore City Municipality, initially cost $66 million, which was later revised to $176 million to complete.

The park, which was to be made from natural resources, features a jogging trail, parking area, freshwater pond, administrative buildings, irrigation system, amphitheatre, solar lighting, storm water drainage system, and tree planting areas.

The Portmore City Municipality has been unable to move forward with the completion of the state-of-the-art recreational park due to the monumental cost associated with its completion.

Based on a recent discussion with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), a similar park that was developed in Montego Bay took over $1 billion to complete.

To date, the Portmore City Municipality has received $25.498 million from the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) and $14,025,879.31 from Hagen — a total of approximately $39.5 million — and spent $42 million.

The park is at varying stages of completion which can be verified by an independent audit.

The Portmore City Municipality welcomes MP Robert Miller to visit the council for any further information or to satisfy any inquiry he may have.

Vanessa Davis

Community & Public Relations Officer

Portmore City Municipality

St Catherine

portmorepr@gmail.com