Rose Heights Community Centre Designated St. James Labour Day Parish Project

The Rose Heights Community Centre in Montego Bay has been designated as the St. James Labour Day Parish Project, with renovation works planned to enhance the facility for residents and community activities.

The planned works include re-roofing, painting, and extensive cleaning of the facility, which sustained significant damage and was left in a deplorable state following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Volunteers are invited to join the Labour Day activities, which will commence at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 25.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, told JIS News that the community centre was chosen, not only because of the urgent need for improvement but also because the scope of work was achievable within the Labour Day period.

He noted that while several other community centres were considered for the parish project, the cost of the required works exceeded the available budget allocation.

“We received an allocation from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development of $500,000, but the other projects were at the tune of $5 million to $4 million, and this one was at the tune of $3 million. So, we are now able to subsidise that amount to ensure that we complete the project on the day,” the Mayor said.

He explained that the Rose Heights facility was strategically chosen for its dual role as a community centre and emergency shelter, particularly as St. James works to strengthen disaster preparedness ahead of the 2026 hurricane season, which begins on June 1.

“In some areas, we have a situation where once that community centre is situated within a particular community, they do not necessarily welcome outsiders. In the event of an emergency, we need them to have outsiders to have that access, especially now, where we have lost several shelters,” Mayor Vernon pointed out.

Addressing concerns about the use of community centres as alternatives to schools designated as emergency shelters, he emphasised that while community facilities are valuable, they cannot fully substitute for schools in the parish’s disaster response system.

“We will not be able to completely replace schools as emergency shelters… it will cost us millions of dollars to do that. But what we are doing is utilising [community centres] as a complement or as an alternative,” the Mayor explained.

Councillor Vernon reiterated that previously established emergency centres will remain in use, noting that schools were designated as primary shelters because of their strategic locations, suitable design, and accessibility.

“ I hope that, through the efforts of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, many of these institutions will be ready [in due course], so they can be properly utilised once more,” he said.

In the meantime, St. James will undertake Labour Day projects across all 17 divisions.

The St. James Municipal Corporation is welcoming the submission of additional project proposals.