ALMOST three years after ground was broken for the development of a state-of-the-art park in Maverley, St Andrew, there has been little development and residents claim they are getting little or no updates from their political representatives.

During a recent return visit to the area, at the corner of West Main Drive and Molynes Road, where ground was broken by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, then Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew North Western Dr Nigel Clarke, and others in August 2022, the
Jamaica Observer saw overgrown trees, bushes and no development.

Efforts to get an update on the status of the project from the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Duane Smith, who was elected MP for the constituency in a by-election in November 2024, following the resignation of Clarke, have so far been unsuccessful.

When the Observer initially spoke with Smith last week he said he was in Parliament and unable to facilitate an interview until a few hours later. That interview did not materialise.

Days later, contact was again made with Smith, who indicated that he was still “seeking updates” from the relevant individuals regarding the project.

Last August, Andrew Harris, councillor for the Hughenden Division, assured the Observer that work on the park — which had stalled since ground was broken — would resume within a week.

At that time the only sign of work on the facility was the planting of some trees and the partial erection of a perimeter wall.

Harris then blamed the contractor for the lack of progress on the park.

“We had issues with the contractor. He is a bit tardy. He had some project in Portmore, St Catherine, when he took on this one and based on what I was told, they gave him some ultimatum over there, so our project got neglected,” Harris said at that time.

During the Observer’s return visit last week one female resident said she felt they have disrespected the entire community by not ensuring the project was completed three years later.

“Me deh here from me a 16 years old and me a 55 now and me never see the park look so,” said the woman as she pointed to the overgrown trees and shrubbery.

She charged that the area is now a security risk with people being robbed by criminals who use it as a cover.

One male resident charged that, “all they did was build the wall”.

“This is a disgrace. They said there would be swings for the children. At the ground breaking when the prime minister was here, they said they had the funds in hand. People are being robbed in there. When madmen want to relieve themselves…that is where they go. During Christmas, it wasn’t like this. The people demonstrated and the councillor provided some money and got tractor to clean up over there and now it bush up back again,” added the obviously upset man who asked not to be named.

Another male resident appeared even more upset based on his rant when the Observer approached him for a comment.

“Look from when this work yah a gwaan and dem seh a how much millions spend, but mi nuh see it. The park turn woodland. It is better they made it stay how it was from before. There was a church that was in the park and the church used to ensure that the park is cleaned.

“I don’t have anything good to say about the park right now. The situation is past disgraceful. It’s better they had left it how it was and leave the church in there to do their thing,” said the man in reference to a branch of Faith Chapel Pentecostal Church which was forced to relocate to make way for the development.

One member of the church claimed that the residents of Maverley were very happy when the church was there.

According to the church member, when it operated from a tent in the area the park was well lit, which made it easy for everyone to see what was taking place there.

“There was no bush and the people could see right through the park. We used to weed it out. We never fussed when they said we had to leave. We did our time and we left when they said to leave but we thought they would have done something in there by now. It looks bush up and deplorable,” declared the church member.