MORE than 100 days after Hurricane Melissa battered Black River, St Elizabeth, uncertainty over redevelopment plans has left business owners in limbo with sections of the once-bustling commercial hub along High Street virtual ghost towns.

Black River Mayor Richard Solomon says discussions with proprietors indicate reluctance to rebuild amid concerns they could later be required to relocate because of hurricane risks and coastal vulnerability.

Their concerns are not unfounded, as St Elizabeth South Western Member of Parliament Floyd Green — whose constituency includes the Black River Division — says it is too early to determine whether private businesses will have to move, noting that the Government is conducting studies as part of a research-driven effort to sustainably rebuild the seaside town.

While agreeing that a comprehensive plan is necessary, Councillor Dwight Salmon (People’s National Party, Black River Division) expressed concern over the time being taken to finalise a strategy, warning that prolonged uncertainty could jeopardise the town’s economic future if long-standing business operators become frustrated and choose to leave.

St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, and St James were the parishes most severely impacted by Category 5 Melissa in October 2025. The catastrophic storm claimed at least 45 lives in Jamaica and caused an estimated US$8.8 billion in damage — equivalent to 41 per cent of Jamaica’s 2024 gross domestic product.

Black River, described as “ground zero” by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness in the wake of the storm, was among the hardest-hit towns, prompting Holness to pledge a sustainable rebuilding of the historic parish capital.

Solomon noted that since the weather system’s passing, only one business operator has submitted an application for reconstruction approval, with discussions ongoing to address the concerns of other proprietors.

“At the local level, we understand what the business community is facing at this time, so we are here not only to enforce but to also facilitate and provide the necessary support and guidance, and that is why my technical team stands ready, and we ask them to come in if they have any challenges,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Mayor Solomon appealed for patience as feasibility studies continue, adding that the Government is working to determine the most sustainable path forward and is making every effort to coordinate the recovery process effectively.

Providing an update on restoration efforts, Green said Black River remains in phase two of its clean-up operations, with approximately four weeks remaining before the town moves into the rebuilding phase.

“We don’t want to rush and move forward in a direction that still would have us extremely vulnerable, considering that we are a seaside town. We have to ensure that we have the best building methodologies, and what are the different environmental solutions that could reduce the impact of any further weather events…” he said.

“Also, because this has given us a chance to look back at the overall layout of what fits where best, and especially in relation to the Government infrastructure that has been destroyed — like the parish council and the courthouse and the tax office — I think already the direction is ensuring that, in the rebuilding of Black River, that we bring all of those things together so that we have a space where one can go to visit the tax office and the courthouse and the parish council, all in the same vicinity, much like the urban centre that has been done in Morant Bay, [St Thomas],” the Member of Parliament told the Sunday Observer.

He added that stakeholders want redevelopment to highlight Black River’s heritage and culture, attract visitors, and integrate tourism into the town’s planning process.

Addressing potential relocation for private businesses along the shoreline, Green said it “would be more [about] whether the Government has an interest to purchase the area that they now occupy”.

He added that the authorities are reviewing the pros and cons for affected businesses.

“Most of them were damaged by the sea, and if they are to continue, clearly they would want to hear about what works would be done to make the threat of the sea less, or reduce that, and then clearly the costs for those sort of works — whether those be breakwater systems or sort of seawall revetments,” he said.

On a positive note, Green said Black River Safari has reopened and is welcoming tourists, while a new gaming lounge and sports bar has also resumed operations, signalling that the town is gradually re-emerging. He added that until plans are finalised, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce will roll out support programmes for businesses across western Jamaica.

However, Councillor Salmon criticised the slow pace of rebuilding, warning that long-standing businesses are being driven away.

“We are actually…four months now since the hurricane, and I think the delay kind of caused one little problem, because you already have people who start to leave the business market like, for instance, the bakery.

“I’m hearing word that the bakery will be no more. Most people know that the bakery in Black River, which is Sunrise Bakery, is the main bakery here in Jamaica, because people travel from abroad to buy cocoa bread,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He added that some business operators with lease agreements have been informed their leases will not be renewed, raising fears that small businesses could be pushed out in the name of rebuilding stronger.

“I’m not predicting the future but, based on how I’m seeing it going now, I can almost assure that I believe business will continue, but you’re going to see new faces, and most of the older businesses will be backed in the corner where they probably would have to sell in order to survive. I don’t really see any future as it relates to the present business owners because majority of them don’t have the resource or the capital to rebuild,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Salmon encouraged residents and business owners to remain resilient.

“We are resilient people, we are strong people; we are people built on [a] foundation of courage, and I believe one day we can smile again,” he said.

Councillor Dwight Salmon (People’s National Party, Black River Division) speaking to the Jamaica Observer in Black River, St Elizabeth, last Wednesday. Photo: Karl Mclarty

GREEN… we don’t want to rush and move forward in a direction that still would have us extremely vulnerable, considering that we are a seaside town Photo: Karl Mclarty

A business on High Street in Black River, St Elizabeth, that was destroyed during the passage of Hurricane Melissa, remains in a state of disrepair. Photo: Karl Mclarty

SOLOMON…we understand what the business community is facing at this time, so we are here not only to enforce but to also facilitate and provide the necessary support and guidance