By Dennise Williams, Staff Reporter
The Kingston Free Zone is located next to the Kingston Transhipment Port. But the port requires the 50 acres in the free zone to make room for its own expansion.
THE KINGSTON Free Zone is to be dismantled and its operations shifted to lands currently owned by the Urban Development Corporation in the Caymanas area, says Robert Stephens, project officer for business development at the Port Authority.
Dismantling the free zone will be done in a phased basis starting before the end of this year, Mr. Stephens said. He was speaking at a JAMPRO press briefing at its New Kingston headquarters on Monday.
"By 2004, fifty per cent of the facility will be gone," he said of the free zone. "By mid 2005, the first phase of the building of the new free zone will take place."
Currently the Kingston Free Zone is located next to the Kingston Transhipment Port. But the port requires the 50 acres in the free zone to make room for its own expansion.
500 ACRES
Existing clients will be moved into a portion of the new facilities that will start with more than 400,000 square feet, he said. "We are looking at about 500 acres in the Caymanas area to become the new free zone location."
Currently, there are about 30 companies at the one million square feet of accommodations at the Kingston Free Zone. Stephens said he has sought to lure investors to Kingston's port facilities that has upgraded security features that will meet international and United States security certification by June/July of 2004.
The United States has passed a requirement that no goods can pass through its borders which have not passed through certified ports. Jamaica will be one of the first Caribbean countries to meet the U.S. security deadline.
With expanded business linkages and opportunities in mind, the Port Authority decided to purchase land from the Urban Development Corporation in St. Catherine, to move the free zone. The cost of this acquisition was not forthcoming from Port Authority officials.
Stephens explained that at the new free zone, the occupants would consist of information technology firms, those in light assembly, and straight warehousing for distribution.
"We are looking at companies who want to use Jamaica as a point to distribute to Latin America and the Caribbean," he said. "We are trying to attract companies from China, Taiwan, India and Europe for ceramics and high end furniture."
PROJECT'S COST
Stephens and other Port Authority executives would not divulge the information about the project's cost. He said they were now at the master plan stage of the project and the tender period for architect's submission closed on September 2003.
He explained that a master plan could cost up to US$300,000. However, to save money the Port Authority is conducting the master plan in a phased basis and in a controlled fashion. "If we have to change our location or something that needs to be reworked in the master plan, we haven't invested the entire US$300,000," he said, "only a part of it relevant to whatever section is being looked at."
Port Authority officials say that while the new free zone will be located in St. Catherine, since Portmore and the Caymanas area is considered an extension of Kingston, it will continue to be referred to as the Kingston Free Zone.
