WILLIAMSFIELD, Manchester — Business people in this south-central town are optimistic that it can be developed and incorporated into the well-needed expansion of Mandeville, following the recent opening of May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000, toll-free until year-end.

The proprietors of at least five businesses, including a leading manufacturing company in Williamsfield, a few miles north-east of Mandeville, told the Jamaica Observer that the area has the potential to attract commerce, if mined-out lands can be utilised.

Managing director of Jamaica Standard Products John O Minott Jr said Williamsfield is ideally situated for commerce, based on the coming of the highway.

“When you leave Kingston, essentially this is your first stop without coming off the highway. So I expect that it will bring more business to the area,” he said last week.

“For us, the highway has no negative impact thus far, and I think it will only enhance movement for us from Manchester on a whole. For our business with distribution, it is a lot easier on our vehicles. We move goods all over the island, so the road networks are much more accessible, quicker, safer, better road conditions, etc, so we see it as a big positive for our community,” said Minott who is also owner of Sanco’s trucking and haulage.

The leading businessman of a fast-growing third-generation coffee business said Manchester can attract commerce.

“I just think Manchester on a whole is poised for some positive and good development with this level of infrastructure,” he said.

However, he pointed to a challenge with access to lands in Williamsfield owned by Russian aluminium conglomerate UC Rusal, being associated with the now mothballed Windalco Kirkvine Plant.

“I know a lot of the lands around are owned by bauxite, you know these are mined out lands that are there, some of it already leased out, but many of them are still there sitting,” said Minott.

“It would be nice if UC Rusal would consider either leasing them or developing. I think the area has potential for other factories, warehouses, because we are really an hour’s drive from Kingston now. Highway point to point is 45 minutes, so an hour can take you basically more or less without traffic in Kingston anywhere. For commerce, there is vast opportunity for development in the community in the area,” he added.

He said Williamsfield is the industrial belt of Manchester with six factories.

“Williamsfield, of the entire Manchester, has more of the production facilities than any other part of the parish when you think of it combined, so it is already set up for that. It can further enhance what is already there,” Minott said.

He pointed to the nearby town centre of Mandeville, which is bursting at its seams.

“Williamsfield is literally five miles as the crow flies from Mandeville town centre. When you think of the Corporate Area, Kingston, five miles from downtown to anywhere is still Kingston, so if you want to make that analogy, it would be quite in order to say Williamsfield could be become a part of the greater Mandeville, so naturally as the town grows and reaches capacity, which it has, then you have to start going outside,” Minott said.

“Not only Williamsfield, you have Newport, Spur Tree, Mile Gully, you have other areas that make up Manchester that are within a 10-mile radius from the town centre. It is only natural with growth that you have to start looking outside,” he added.

Alva “Jaro” Jarrett, proprietor of Jaro’s Lucky Charm Jerk Centre in Williamsfield, said Mandeville needs to be expanded.

“Sooner or later, they won’t have any other choice, because Mandeville is basically crammed and lacks commercial space badly. Williamsfield is ripe for development right now,” he said.

He too sees the potential for commercial development in Williamsfield.

“We expect to see a boom in terms of the business that we do in the sense that from you enter the highway, once you are not doing a detour, the next town would be Williamsfield,” he said.

Jarrett also pointed to the land ownership challenge in Williamsfield, but hopes the Government will intervene.

“In terms of land for development that is not short. What I think is short is legislation. They need to do the necessary legislation in order to develop the area. I don’t think it would be a problem to be able to access suitable land based on the relationship between the bauxite company and the Government, so it is just a matter of will to develop the area for commerce,” he said.

David Peart, proprietor of Peart’s Hardware in Williamsfield, said he has been lobbying for mined-out lands to be made available.

“I have been saying it over and over to let go of some of the lands that bauxite [companies] have and are not using, so that people can get it for development. Right now I want more space. They need to free up some of the land at Williamsfield, so that people can get it to develop,” he said.

When asked for his perspective on the Government’s plan for the expansion of the services of the Jamaica Urban Transport Company (JUTC) to Williamsfield, Minott supported the plan announced by Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz.

“I think now with the highway, the accessibility to the area makes the opportunity even more great and I am hopeful that it will bring more business generally to our parish, whether it is for commercial activity, or residential. People can live in Manchester and work in Kingston, live in Manchester and work in Clarendon, live in Manchester and work in Portmore,” said Minott.

“Travelling, even though the highway is there, it can be expensive, so if you have to consider toll and gas, you can rack up quite a cost over a period of time. Naturally, any option for transporting is going to be feasible, you know you have Knutsford Express and others that commute, but the Government subsidised system certainly would bring a positive to people’s affordability, so it can only augur well. Certainly, I would be in favour of it. I think it will give people a greater opportunity and open up the market a lot more for people to really take the opportunity to live out of Kingston and work in Kingston, because there is fairly affordable transport access,” added Minott.

“There is lots of land around to have a transport centre. We can find hundreds of acres of land right in this general area, so that is the least, it is just to get it, which can be done,” he said.

Dale Downie, proprietor of Don D’s Mini Mart and Sugar Dip, said Williamsfield is poised to become a rest stop area.

“There are numerous opportunities with the new highway, because I believe Williamsfield is now the new Clarendon Park whereby before people start the highway, they can grab whatever they need here for the journey,” he said.

“I believe right now Williamsfield is lacking a barber shop, hairdressing parlour, tailor shop, and other businesses apart from the regular bars. I believe that right now, we have too many bars now in the communities…We have a lot of idle lands which belong to the bauxite company. It would be good if the bauxite company could probably lease those same lands to farmers,” added Downie.

Fruit vendor Donald Peterkin said Williamsfield is safe for investors.

“We need some good investors in the place, so that the community can get uplifted. Williamsfield is a nice place. Less violence here. Anything bad that happen a to people [targeted] weh a pass through,” he said.