Black River is set for a major transformation as Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Thursday announced plans to relocate key infrastructure away from the historic town’s vulnerable coastline and develop a new inland urban centre designed to withstand future climate shocks following Hurricane Melissa.

He also announced that some residents living in high-risk coastal and low-lying areas will have to be relocated, as the Government moves to reduce long-term exposure to storm surge and flooding while reshaping how vulnerable communities are developed and protected.

Making his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, Holness said the destruction caused by the Category 5 hurricane on October 28 last year has forced a fundamental rethink of development patterns, warning that rebuilding in the same way would leave Black River exposed to repeated disaster.

“We will not rebuild Black River as it was. We will rebuild it as it should be, and in so doing create something this town has never possessed in its 300 years of history — a real, planned, consolidated urban core,” Holness said.

He also outlined a redevelopment plan being led by Urban Development Corporation (UDC), which will shift essential public functions inland to areas considered safer from flooding and storm surge. Under the proposal, facilities such as hospitals, courts, government offices, markets, and transport hubs would be consolidated within a newly designed urban centre.

He said the redesigned town will feature a civic square, public green spaces and modern infrastructure engineered to withstand Category 5 hurricane conditions, noting that buildings are to be elevated and supported by upgraded drainage systems, utility corridors, and built-in redundancy to ensure services can continue even during extreme weather events.

At the same time, the historic waterfront, which suffered extensive damage during the hurricane, will be preserved and protected through coastal defence systems.

Holness framed the Black River redevelopment as part of a broader national shift in how Jamaica approaches planning and infrastructure in an era of increasing climate risk, arguing that the lessons from Hurricane Melissa must be applied across the island.

“The same questions that Melissa forced on Black River must now be confronted everywhere, and the answers must be guided by the same logic applied consistently, deliberately, and at national scale,” he said.

He outlined four guiding principles for future development, including risk-informed planning, relocating infrastructure away from high-risk coastal zones, building redundancy into critical systems, and integrating economic activity with resilient infrastructure networks.

As it relates to relocation, the prime minister acknowledged that the transformation will require difficult decisions, particularly for residents living in the most vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas, where long-term habitation may no longer be sustainable.

He indicated that the Government has already begun identifying suitable lands to support a structured programme of relocation, with a focus on ensuring that affected residents are moved to safer areas without compromising their quality of life or economic prospects.

Holness stressed that the process will be consultative and carefully managed, recognising the social and economic implications of relocation for families and businesses that have been rooted in the area for generations.

He noted that discussions will also extend to commercial stakeholders within the town, with the UDC expected to engage property owners on acquisition and relocation where necessary to facilitate the redevelopment plan.

“Early next month various agencies from the Government will begin the consultations and sensitisation with specific communities in Black River and along that corridor regarding relocation of their communities. The truth is that there are some communities that are in proximity to the swamp and the threat from the sea, and when you look at all of the risk maps, the best option is to relocate. We know what this is, and so we will handle this in a very sensitive way. We will ensure it is done in a very transparent way, [and] we will ensure that nobody is at a loss and that livelihoods are enhanced,” Holness said.

The relocation effort forms part of a wider strategy to reduce Jamaica’s exposure to climate-related risks, particularly in coastal communities that have historically developed without the benefit of modern hazard mapping or climate projections.

Holness argued that Hurricane Melissa effectively ended any justification for rebuilding in high-risk zones without adjustment, warning that failure to act decisively would only recreate the same vulnerabilities.

Beyond relocation, the redevelopment is expected to stimulate new economic activity by linking the inland urban centre with surrounding housing developments, agricultural zones, and tourism assets along the south coast.

The plan also ties into broader proposals for the south-western region, including investments in eco-tourism at Font Hill, expansion of infrastructure in nearby communities, and the development of new growth corridors intended to drive economic recovery and long-term resilience.

Holness maintained that the Black River project is intended to serve as a model for other parts of the island facing similar threats, particularly low-lying coastal towns increasingly exposed to stronger hurricanes and rising sea levels.