LIVE CONCERTS will no longer be tolerated at the Fort Clarence Beach in Hellshire, St. Catherine. This is the word from Horace McGaw, head of McGaw Enterprises, a United States-based janitorial service company which signed a lease agreement with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) on March 28, giving it operational rights over the beach.
On April 1, McGaw Enterprises took over the management of the beach, the regular venue for most major dancehall stage shows and 'sessions' in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. However, Mr. McGaw told The Gleaner, yesterday, his company will be seeking to recapture a more family-oriented beach experience. "You'd probably make money off a stage show, but there's a lot of car stealing, robberies and horrible traffic jams during those times," he said, adding that it was unfair to the residents living nearby.
Beach manager for McGaw Enterprises, George Godfrey, explained that along with the problems caused by traffic jams and theft, the beach itself has also deteriorated as a result of abuse. "There is a lot of work to be done," he said, suggesting that the expense will be great.
While Mr. McGaw revealed that his company is expecting to spend about $7.5 million on renovating the beach, Mr. Godfrey lamented the attitude of many beachgoers. "It's going to be a hard task to bring it up to standard when people keep ruining it," he said.
Mr. Godfrey, who says he has been working at the Fort Clarence Beach for at least five years, told The Gleaner that the new management team would be seeking to substitute the stage shows for birthday parties, police and military functions and, possibly, even bring back the kite festivals of the past. "We hope the old patrons will come back and return the beach to what it used to be," he added.
Mr. McGaw, a Jamaican-born Floridian, said he was also hoping to install a go-kart track for youngsters on the property, along with ice cream stands and other amenities commonly found in more upscale recreational facilities.
Yesterday, the UDC stated that the beach would, as of this month, be operated by McGaw Enterprises. According to the urban development arm of the Government, the conditions of the lease call for a family-oriented operation that will serve the residents of Hellshire and the wider Kingston metropolitan region.
