In a bid to revitalise and expand the offerings at the Catherine Hall Sports Complex in Montego Bay, the local municipal corporation says it is exploring the option of private investment.

Montego Bay Mayor Councillor Richard Vernon says discussions are set to take place to address the issue.

“I will be meeting with Minister [Olivia] Grange shortly to discuss Catherine Hall Sports Complex and we have had discussions with persons who have keen interest in the development of the stadium,” he said about the entity.

VERNON…we are not averse to even looking at a type of partnership that may come in the form of a lease (Photo: Observer file)

He was speaking at a press launch on Friday for the Jamaica Independent Schools Association Western meet that is scheduled to be held on Thursday.

The meet will be held at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School Grounds as the facilities at the Catherine Hall Sports Complex are not open for such activities.

The complex has fallen into various stages of disrepair and despite different efforts to rehabilitate the space over the years, there has been limited activity at the facility.

Following a $7-million rehabilitation work, football has once again returned to the facility but its other main offering, the running track, remains out of use at present.

He explained that to get the facility up and running again, the municipal corporation would consider investment from private interests.

“The St James Municipal Corporation is not averse to partnering and within that context we will be, where possible, leveraging public-private partnerships to enhance the stadium to ensure that it meets its multipurpose goals,” he said.

In fact, Vernon said that they would consider looking at the overall management of the facility if it meant greater investment for the facility.

“We are not averse to even looking at a type of partnership that may come in the form of a lease,” he said. “We believe in the interest of the people and whatever actions we take will put the people at the forefront.”

With this investment, he is now hopeful that there will be an expansion of sporting opportunities within the facility.

“A space for football to be played at the highest level in St James, a space for us to look at the Carifta Games, even for swimming, a space for us to play professional tennis and a place for futsal, which will be one of the major events we are looking at going forward.”

Vernon says the facility boasts a lot of potential and therefore, they need to get it back to a level of readiness to benefit the citizens.

“We want to utilise that piece of facility that we have sitting right here in the middle of Montego Bay, in the middle of the tourism mecca, ensure we have access to it,” he said.

“We want to ensure that sports tourism becomes a reality within the space and we are committed to doing that.”

The running track at the Montego Bay Sports Complex