KENROY Campbell, a former resident of St Andrew who has found solace in the seafront community of Robin’s Bay in St Mary, is pleading for help from the Government and private investors to allow his new hometown to achieve its potential.

According to Campbell, Robin’s Bay is facing neglect and yearns for an economic boom. He pointed to the poor condition of the access road to the community as one sign of the neglect the area has faced over the years.

Campbell opened a bar in Robin’s Bay shortly after he relocated from the tough Corporate Area community of Arnett Gardens, and expressed joy that he is able to regularly entertain residents, and a few visitors, with music as they sip on cold beverages.

But Campbell and other Robin’s Bay residents are convinced that the community could become so much more of a beacon, attracting far greater traffic, if a road was constructed to provide a direct link to Port Maria.

“You would never hear seh somebody get gunshot in Robin’s Bay — a must somebody from out a road come do it. Robin’s Bay people don’t fight and they don’t war. We have good beach and villas around here but round here set one way. I would love for the change to happen,” said Campbell.

“When you drive into the community you can see there is a lot of bush from here go straight back to Islington. Nuff hotel, business place, hardware, a real supermarket can build. Round here doesn’t have a barber shop or a nail technician. If we want a haircut we have to go to Annotto Bay.

“Mek it worse, the Government nuh seem fi understand say we need a taxi route. Police run dung di taxi man dem and have problem with them because there is no route; the taxi man dem still run di risk, though. At the end of the day mi love the place but it needs a lot of change. More time the road fi fix, a we have to fix it. If the park want to cut, wi take wi money and get people fi cut it because Government nuh really do those things,” added Campbell.

He told the Observer that he would love to see his bar business flourish, and shared plans of starting an air, bed and breakfast (Airbnb) business and a restaurant soon, to attract more people to the community.

Jaheim Mitto, who is in her 20s, shared the same vision of Robin’s Bay experiencing major growth but bemoaned what she described as abandonment.

“This is a beach area with no crime; a sick people sick and dead around here. Otherwise, we just need more hands and help. A nuff people deh yah and if di road did cut go straight to Port Maria, it would be better. If Strawberry Fields, which has luxurious cottages and villas around the road, could get a zip line and some four-wheel bikes, a crazy money dat.

“Tourists used to come to Strawberry Fields every Saturday and Sunday before COVID-19; all five big bus full a tourists and eight Coaster bus used to come because around here is nice. They need to cut the road fi mek more people come,” said Mitto.

Jacqueline Smith, who has been a resident of Robin’s Bay for decades, shared that since she was a child the area has has been brimming with potential that has never materialised. According to Smith, it is time for development to explode in the community.

“Around here need a lot of things. We have the potential for development but I think one of the problems is that we are bordered by two estates, Green Castle and Sheerness. The major business we do here is fishing and farming. Everybody wants to come to Robin’s Bay because it is a peaceful community. It is nice because you have the beach. but nothing nuh deh yah fi di youths dem.

“This road right here, from I was a child they said it would be a coastal road to Port Maria. Work started and it stopped many years ago. If it was developed we would get more business in Robin’s Bay. Businesses would come, but because this is a dead end people have to come and turn back. We have to wait on taxi for hours. When di police dem deh pon di road di taxi dem can’t move because they don’t have licence to operate around here,” Smith said.