All in place for Good Times despite controversy

Good Times promoter Robert Chantrelle is confident that his event that's set to mark the opening of "all-night partying" at Fort Rocky, Kingston, will show the venue's full potential of being Jamaica's first entertainment zone.

Despite the controversy around the space, Chantrelle said though he is sensitive towards the concerns, he assured the public that the show will go on.

"I have heard that there are some environmental loving people that took a bit of an offence to what the ministry did in terms of [expanding] the car park. So certainly, there must be some negatives resulting from the controversy. But I have never got so many requests for tickets... I haven't heard anybody complain about it otherwise and I'm getting more requests for tickets than I've ever got," he declared.

"But overall, I don't know that the publicity has been negative...[and] no publicity is bad publicity," he added.

However, in an aim to clear the speculation relating to damaging natural habitat in the area, Chantrelle said "No mangroves were touched there; there's bush that was there where the parking lot was, that they cleared... But no mangroves were damaged."

This staging of Good Times will add to the excitement around the show's 30th anniversary celebration. The organisers are anticipating a cultural and vibrant explosion on Saturday for the party's return with a refreshed approach to its new venue. In 2017, Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange named Fort Rocky as Jamaica's first entertainment zone, while noting that two other zones will be declared outside of the Corporate Area. Grange said the area was endorsed by the National Environment and Planning Agency, along with the Town and Country Planning Authority. Entertainment zones are proposed as areas in which any legal entertainment and sports activities can be staged any time of day or night unhindered.

"I'm happy that we got a chance to open the zone. I really believe that when people come out there and see the venue, that place is going to be used regularly, very regularly. So we're proud to be the one to open that and we're happy to open it with our 30th year anniversary [of] Good Times," said Chantrelle, while expressing gratitude to the entertainment ministry, who he said went "above and beyond to ensure that this event will be a success". The promoter shared that creating the space for events to be hosted without "disturbing the public" is a great idea.

"One of the advantages of the venue is that we have until 6 a.m., so the intention, as the event is dubbed 'All Night Party', is to do exactly that," he stated. Chantrelle said in addition to the good vibe and delicacies, patrons can assure that their safety will be a top priority.

"There are 41 officers at this event. So, in terms of safety, there are dark parts of the road so don't drive too fast but in terms of physical security, they will be quite fine," he said, adding that there will be no reoccurrence of a traffic jam like one that occurred at another event in that area.

"Because of the scrutiny of the event, because of all of the debate, they [the police] have to make sure, extra sure, that everything runs very smoothly," he said. Chantrelle also assured patrons that the aesthetic of the venue itself will allow for a nostalgic night of memories.

"The venue itself is one of the most uniquely beautiful venues that I have seen. I've done thousands of events and that venue is uniquely attractive... . This is our 30th anniversary and as always, when people come here, they have a good time," he chuckled.