Savanna-la-Mar’s Old Fort to be redeveloped
WESTERN BUREAU: SEVERAL PROMINENT stakeholders in Westmoreland are clamouring for the Old Fort site in Savanna-la-Mar to be developed as both a tourist attraction and a logistic hub for commercial goods.
In the era when sugar was the central part of the parish’s economy, the fort was used as a loading dock by the West Indies Sugar Company to transport sugar via small marine vessels to ships anchored offshore.
Moses Chybar, president of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, said Old Fort is now a remnant of its former glory days and he wants to see it restored to economic usefulness.
“The Savanna-la-Mar fort is like a gold mine that is left to just go to waste. For years it has been neglected and no visible efforts have been made to renovate or restore this valuable asset. It’s time to put an end to the neglect and start the development plan to execute and transform downtown Savanna-la-Mar. The chamber stands ready to support any initiative that can get this development on the road,” said Chybar.
In looking back at the glory days of the fort, the reflective Chybar, a native of Westmoreland, said the fort was once a beautiful place to hang out, eat and have a drink. He said a return to those days would be good for the town’s economy.
PRIME SPOT
“This is the only place we know of in all of Westmoreland that has the depth of water that can accommodate large vessels. This is a prime spot for development that can serve both tourists and locals,” said Chybar. “It could also become a transportation hub to move goods from Westmoreland to Kingston by sea. There are many opportunities available here … the place is full of potential.”
In recent years, business leaders in Westmoreland have been clamouring for the redevelopment and modernisation of Savanna-la-Mar, which would include initiatives such as relocating the municipal market and reshaping the area in the vicinity of the fort into a tourist-friendly location.
While admitting that the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation has no immediate plans for the development of the fort and the areas around it, Savanna-laMar’s Mayor Bertel Moore said he was willing and ready to support any effort to redevelop the town and ultimately put it on a sound commercial footing.
NO PLANS
“There are no plans at the present moment. We have someone who is looking to lease the property, but we have not come to a decision on that request as yet,” said Moore.
As it relates to making that section of the town a tourism centre, Moore said it is something he would gladly support.
“That is something that could be done, but it will take big bucks (money) which the council would not be able to handle. It would be a good trans-shipment area, where we could have cruise ships coming into the parish,” said Moore.
Businessman Michael Jackson, the immediate past chairman of the Parish Development Committee, said developing the port was part of a local sustainable development plan but he could not say what is the current status of that plan.
“There was the l ocal sustainable development plan which was commissioned by the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation. I know there were plans to expand and develop the fort to become a tourism attraction to generate income for the people of the parish,” said Jackson. “However, as to where it is now, I don’t know.”