MoBay hip strip to get $1-billion upgrade

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will be spending approximately $1 billion to upgrade the hip strip along Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay, St James.

"We are going to upgrade the entire hip strip from the roundabout at KFC straight to Dead End [Beach]. We are spending $1 billion for the upgrading," said chairman of the entity, Godfrey Dyer.

He was speaking at the St James Municipal Corporation's multi-sectorial forum held at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre on Monday.

The proposed hip-strip development incorporates physical improvements and new product development, with the scope of works to include widening sidewalks, rerouting overhead utility cables underground, creating thematic facades and other renovations to further boost the aesthetic appeal of the city.

"We have advertised already for architects to do designs, and the applications have come in. We will be looking at the applications over this week because we want to start very early in the new year," Dyer indicated.

"Once we have the designs put together, we will be having meetings like these to show Montego Bay what the plan is and what we will be doing there," he added.