Holness praises developers for taking Jamaica to hospitality sector’s Pinnacle
Published:Monday | January 22, 2024 | 12:07 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that, in the next four years, Jamaica will stand firm in the global hospitality sector, bolstered by the development of The Pinnacle in Montego Bay, St James.
“What I have seen displayed here today, quite clearly, is that you have set a new bar for quality and you have aptly described it as The Pinnacle,” Holness said, noting that the US$350-million skyscraping development will lay the foundation towards fulfilling the country’s plan to diversify its tourism products.
The prime minister was speaking Saturday at the launch and groundbreaking ceremony for The Pinnacle, a project that will naturally become for Jamaica and the Caribbean, the address with the largest skyscraping buildings, when completed over the next four years.
He said this project brings a new level of real estate development to Jamaica, pointing out that it is a visionary one that shows a new level of bravery on the part of the developers.
Holness also praised the partners of LCH Developments for advancing what he considered to be the first example of a groundbreaking new approach for Jamaica, making reference to the composition of the development and its design.
“You are not only breaking ground today, but you are also doing something that is groundbreaking in Jamaica,” the prime minister said.
Holness expressed that, “the development will cement Jamaica’s brand in the lifestyle segment of the hospitality market. It will add a new dimension to our tourism and I am very happy for that, because our tourism product which has carried us for the last 50 years must diversify, it must move into other segments, into areas and make significant marks there”.
The Pinnacle is a luxury private community project that is being developed on the Montego Bay marine reserve consisting of four separate towers, each with 28 storeys and a panoramic skyscraping view.
Built into that are also 15 luxury villas, sports and leisure facilities, shopping, and restaurants including a private residents club which is being spearheaded by LCH developments, and designed by Issia Madden, a born-and-bred Montego Bay-based architect.
Yangsen Li, chief executive officer at LCH Developers, described The Pinnacle project as a new chapter for Jamaica and the wider Caribbean communities.
Li, who said he has been living in Jamaica for the past 18 years, has made a commitment to preserve the environment as they built out their multi-million dollar Pinnacle.
“We are committed to balancing this development with preservation in terms of nature. Our project isn’t just about construction, it is a promise to honour and preserve the natural beauty that brought us here in the first place,” said Li.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who also spoke at the event, welcomed the development, noting that it’s a response to appeal to the appetite of millennials.
“We are excited about this because this is creating a new opportunity for that new demographic to embrace Jamaica,” Bartlett said.