KINGSTON, Jamaica — Cabinet has given approval for the inclusion of the construction of the St Catherine North Police Divisional Headquarters in the Public Sector Investment Programme for the provision of a fiscal space to support its implementation.

This was disclosed by Information Minister Robert Morgan during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House. 

Morgan revealed that the estimated cost of the construction is approximately $1.8 billion which is inclusive of $107 million for the cost of the land. The construction period is estimated to be 18 months and work is anticipated to commence in the 2022/23 financial year.

It was announced in December 2019 that Cabinet had approved the acquisition of five acres of land located at Darling’s Pen, in Spanish Town, St Catherine, for the construction of a divisional headquarters for the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

The move was described as part of efforts to improve the working environment for police officers. It was disclosed then that the Spanish Town Police Station needed repairs and that there was not enough parking space at the facility with no possibility of expanding the current location.

Meanwhile, Cabinet has also given approval for the Housing Agency of Jamaica to remove one hundred one-bedroom starter housing units from the Shooters Hill project which has been renamed Hellshire View and replace them with two bedrooms, one bathroom units.

This, according to Morgan, is in keeping with the approval of the Shooters Hill Joint Venture Committee to maintain financial viability in the project and to optimise the highest and best use of the land.

The Hellshire View project, which is being done in phases, will see the construction of several hundred housing units. It is located on the man road leading to Hellshire.