LUCEA, Hanover — Residents of Point in Hanover are being reassured that steps are being taken to ensure no criminals are hired for the long-awaited second phase of Grand Palladium Jamaica and Lady Hamilton Resorts and Spa.

There are plans to hire 1,500 skilled labourers for the construction phase, and 3,500 employees once the property opens.

The assurance that bad apples will be kept away was given during a recent town hall meeting with the community to present findings of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) done for the project for which the price tag Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett gave as US$180 million when it was announced in 2010.

“The proponent will work with the municipal corporation and the police to conduct background checks during employment drives to reduce the possibility of hiring people with criminal backgrounds,” environmental scientist and managing director of CL Environmental Consultants, Dr Carlton Campbell said during his presentation last Thursday.

He declined a request for a follow-up interview but there have long been concerns, across the country, that construction sites sometimes attract unsavoury characters, and crime tends to trend upwards in surrounding neighbourhoods. There is also a history of informal settlements springing up near major developments as workers move closer to their jobs.

The expansion is expected to generate approximately 2,600 to 5,700 indirect and induced job opportunities. The existing hotel has 100 apartments for 244 staff members; another 96 apartments are to be constructed to accommodate 384 people under phase two.

In addition to comments on staffing issues, the EIA also sought to put to bed concerns that the planned development will deprive residents of an already limited supply of water, and overwhelm the existing sewage plant. According to Campbell, the hotel will source its potable water supply through reverse osmosis seawater distillation, and the capacity of the sewage plant that serves the existing hotel will be doubled from 1500 m³/day. In addition, he noted that the expansion and modification of the plant will also address odour issues.

The consultant also told residents gathered that the expansion will utilise the existing tri-generation plant, which will operate off the grid and generate efficient electricity and thermal energy from engine heat sources. The plant will also be supported by diesel generators and a rooftop photovoltaic plant with a battery energy storage system to optimise the management of the hybrid power system. He said the energy needs of phase two are based on consumption patterns of the existing hotel.

Turning to concerns that inadequate parking on hotel property may lead to a spike in motor vehicle collisions on the main road, Campbell said the development will include 325 parking spaces, and an additional temporary bus stop will be provided during construction.

He also revealed that a traffic impact assessment was undertaken to specifically address potential traffic management issues due to increased traffic within the already congested nearby town of Lucea.

Meanwhile, there had been concerns that the project would pose a threat to the livelihood of fisherfolk who would lose access to areas now used for fishing. But Campbell explained that, based on observed spatial fishing patterns, designating the waters in the area of the hotel as a protected area would have minimal impact on fisherfolk. On the other hand, he argued that the establishment of the Lucea Fish Sanctuary has the potential to increase the fishing stock.

Grand Palladium Jamaica opened its doors to the public in 2008, with the 1,054 rooms completed under phase one. The proposal is to begin working on phase two within the first quarter of 2025; work is expected to last up to two years.

Once approved and completed there will be an additional 475-room family resort and a 473-room adult resort (including 16 overwater rooms) on a section of the 28-acre property. It will be located between the existing resort and the Caribbean Molasses Company (Jamaica) Limited port.

Some of the buildings will be up to six storeys high. When completed, the hotel will boast a convention centre and an industrial centre.

Grand Palladium Jamaica is operated by Fiesta Group out of Spain.