ST. THOMAS boasts a rich cultural history, an enviable landscape and is the cradle of the world-famous Blue Mountains coffee.

But except for the immediate years surrounding 1865, the year of the famous Morant Bay Rebellion led by St. Thomas native and Jamaica's seventh national hero, Paul Bogle, the parish has received little attention from authorities and and like an old car without care, it has been rotting.

Now a massive hotel is on the way in Holland Bay in the most eastern tip of the parish and residents are waiting with baited breath to see what new life will spring from this heavy Spanish investment coming to town.

The parish council has also taken some things in hand and Mayor of Morant Bay Joan Spencer says they have started to pen a parish development plan for its immediate improvement.

"For investors to come into to a parish, the parish has to be investor friendly," this mayor opines.

She is pointing out that the parish in its current state is not ready for investment due to several infrastructural deficiencies, including the lack of a reliable bridge, poor sewage systems and bad roads, but the council is doing its best.

No bridge

"We don't have a proper bridge in the Yallahs area and if there is heavy rain nobody can come into the parish and nobody will want to invest in parish where they can't come out of when there is heavy rain," she says.

"There are lots of things in St. Thomas that are hindering (the) development that we would like to see and we like to see opportunity for our people in the parish," she added.

With the plan she is now developing, she is hoping that in the next 25 years, St. Thomas will be among the economic power houses in the country. Her opinions were similar to those of some residents of the parish with whom The Sunday Gleaner spoke last week.

"'I think it has not been given the kind of attention it deserves, it would seem like the time has come, I don't know … but given what is slated to come, it could have come much sooner," says Donald Stephenson, a policeman in the parish.

Waiting to exhale

For housewife Gloria Carnagie, the parish has been waiting for too long to see even the gleam of development. "The time has now come, let it happen. Not since I have come to know and understandwhat needs to happen, I am still waiting."

Teacher, Cynthia Bowen, from Prospect has a similar point of view:

"Honestly, I don't think there are enough of anything to speak of in terms of development. Yes, a few commercial operators have set up shop, but comparing to what could have been, I think we are far behind."

But she has hope.