MONTEGO BAY, St James — Residents of Granville in this parish are being urged to organise, improve their community, and develop a clear vision for the future as the once-volatile neighbourhood positions itself to attract new investment opportunities.

The appeal came from businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett during the Greater Granville Investment Round Table, held at Granville Primary and Infant School. Organisers billed the event as a high-level community forum focused on investment, urban planning and sustainable development.

“What is essential is that we ensure that what exists now is in the best-possible shape that it can be in to lure investors into the community, to improve it for everyone,” Kerr-Jarrett told those gathered Monday evening.

He is managing director and owner of Barnett Limited, a family business he has led since 1989. The company has a solid track record of major projects including Barnett Tech Park, Barnett Logistics & Distribution Hub at Northbank, as well as Fairview Shopping Centre and Office Park, which is a joint venture with Edward Azan and Fredrik Moe.

“What I am sharing with you is what I look at before I make an investment, is what everybody looks at before they make an investment. It’s just the truth and it’s reality,” Kerr-Jarrett said in his typical no-holds barred style.

He stressed that meaningful change would be required if Granville were to achieve its long-term vision.

“How do you get investment into a community? How do you get people to come in and say, ‘Yes, Granville is somewhere I want to invest in because I see potential and, at the end of the day, for every dollar I put in I can make eight, 10, 12 per cent on that investment’?” Kerr-Jarrett asked.

“The community must prove it is worthy of the investment because the investors want a return — and that is not possible in chaos,” the businessman advised as he answered his own question.

Highlighting the need to address issues such as crime, public safety, the condition of public institutions, and the need for strong community advocates, Kerr-Jarrett said Granville has considerable work to do before it can become an attractive destination for investors, particularly those from outside the community.

“We have to ask ourselves what does the community currently look like and does the community have the necessary civic pride to improve the situation,” he said.

“Is the community clean? Is the community considered safe? What is the situation with crime?” he added.

His company is part of a push to make Granville safer. It is engaged in ongoing efforts to secure a new location for Granville Police Station which was destroyed by fire years ago.

Businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett (left) makes a point during his address as O Dave Allen, chairman of the Granville Peace, Justice & Resource Development Foundation, which organised the event, looks on.

“Barnett [Ltd]… will actually be meeting with the Ministry of National Security tomorrow (Tuesday) at the [St James] Municipal Corporation with regards to the new police station site that we have put forward, which is double the size of the Granville site and located just down the road from it,” Kerr-Jarrett disclosed.

“It is logistically a much more adaptable site and better suited to a police station that is going to be for the region, for a number of different communities,” he stated.

The long-time businessman and philanthropist also revealed that land near Cartagena Basic School had already been earmarked for development. However, he said he would not make it available until the community demonstrates a stronger commitment to improvement.

“I have the land reserved but I will tell you right here and now: I am not going to release it until I see that the community has the structure and the commitment and the infrastructure — human and physical — to make that investment of that land profitable to the community,” Kerr-Jarrett said.

“It would be irresponsible for me to throw it in the mix for it just to be added to the chaos,” he explained.

He urged residents to take ownership of the community by becoming more organised and improving its appearance.

“Let’s make it presentable and attractive for people to come in and invest in cash and or kind,” he urged.

Kerr-Jarrett also highlighted potential opportunities from major developments taking place in and around Montego Bay and the wider parish of St James.

“Right now, the time is ripe for getting Granville in order. You have the bypass coming which can provide a tremendous amount of allure to this community because it will be very close to a rapid transit network,” he said.

He also pointed to the newly established National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) as another potential catalyst for development.

“You have NaRRA which has been inaugurated and created in order to expedite development and, in my understanding, it is to build resilience and reconstruction. In so doing, it will be able to cut through a lot of the bureaucratic processes which currently bog down, and make development faster,” he explained.