TRELAWNY, Jamaica – The Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) has announced plans to construct a new two-storey multi-purpose complex to replace its present 250-year-old office building in Falmouth in the parish.

The announcement was made by the mayor of Falmouth and chairman of the TMC, Councillor C Junior Gager, during the second staging of the Friends of Falmouth Symposium in New York, last weekend.

According to a release from Friends of Falmouth, Gager disclosed that construction on the multimillion-dollar complex should commence soon. The new building will be located at the former Roads and Works compound, adjacent to the fire station in Falmouth.

Gager reportedly disclosed that the drawings and costings for the new structure were in final stages.

“We are working with the National Heritage Trust to make sure that the new building fits within the guidelines of the Georgian historical structures,” the Friends of Falmouth release quoted Gager as saying.

Upon completion, the new structure will house all the departments of the municipality under one roof. This, Gager said, will make it easier for citizens to access all the municipal services without having to walk all over the town.

The Falmouth Mayor explained that repair work on the roof of the over two century-old building, which had partially caved in some months ago, was now under way.

The Trelawny Parish Court was housed on the second floor of the TMC headquarters building but, after the roof caved in, it was relocated to the Duncans courthouse.

“This [centuries old] building is important to the town as it was one of the important Georgian structures and we as a Council intend to keep it and to transform it into a historical and cultural centre,” Gager said.

The Falmouth Courthouse, which was built in 1815, was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1926.