ST JAMES, Jamaica — Southern Cross Boulevard in the Freeport area of Montego Bay, St James, has been renamed Anthony Hart Boulevard in honour of the late businessman and humanitarian.

Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, attended the road renaming ceremony held on Saturday.

He hailed Hart as a visionary, who was instrumental in the development of the Montego Bay Freeport in the late 1960s, and which today, is a central business hub in the second city, hosting a deep-water pier, industrial hub, and free zone.

He noted that the businessman, who died on August 20, 2020, was a “big thinker” whose vision for local economic growth was inclusive and charted pathways to a bright future.

“He had the commitment and the passion to ‘do’ because vision is not merely a dream. A vision is what you do while conscious, open, active and so the visionary got it done. The visionary inspired others to do it,” Holness said.

“So Tony was a great visionary, he had a big vision and he got it done and he inspired others to keep the vision going,” he added.

The Prime Minister further lauded Hart as a philanthropist who cared about people, noting that he took up public office as a councillor.

“So, he stepped on the field. He wasn’t just talking about what he believed in, he stepped on the pitch and put himself forward because he not only believed in what he says, he wanted to put into action what he is saying,” Holness noted.

The Prime Minister said that Anthony Hart Boulevard, which is a seamless corridor for commercial, maritime, residential, hospitality and pleasure activities, reflects the multi-faced nature of Hart, who conceived the idea of reclaiming the lands to construct the peninsula and the deep-water port.

“The dynamic nature of the development, the graceful evolution and the continued transformation of the area would be what Tony envisioned when he created the Freeport.

“So, the tree that he planted will grow and will bear many fruits for us to continue to benefit,” Holness said.

For his part, Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Leeroy Williams, said that Hart is synonymous with the development of the infrastructure and business landscape of Montego Bay and the wider Jamaica.

He said it is not uncommon for the Corporation to rename roads in honour of people, who have made invaluable contributions to the development of the city and communities over the years, and Hart is one such visionary, who fits the bill.

“I use this occasion to encourage the citizens of St James to emulate the work of this visionary, humanitarian, astute businessman and nation builder,” Williams said.