MBU bid for Montego Bay Sports Complex ready

ONE OF the goals of the new management of Montego Bay United FC (MBU) is to be able to officially called the Montego Bay Sports Complex, home.

The process of achieving that goal goes into its next phase with the club announcing its willingness to lease the property from the St James Municipal Council (STJMC), which opens bidding today.

Speaking with The Gleaner, MBU’s Chairman Yoni Epstein said the team is ready to make a bid.

“Once the municipal corporation puts out a bid, then we will respond to it. Our intention for the Montego Bay Sports Complex is more than just football. It is a multipurpose stadium, but there is a lot more that can be done with it other than just football and track,” Epstein said.

“Our intentions will be to respond with a fulsome bid that speaks to multi-discipline sports that will have different, multiple opportunities for individuals at the stadium,” he said.

The stadium was closed for five months last year to allow for $7 million of repair work to be done before the MBU were given the green light in January to host the remaining home games of the last Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season.

In October 2023, in Epstein’s first speech as chairman, he declared having designs on ownership of the facility.

Epstein, at the time, said as the premier team in St James, with the connections and opportunities available to them, they should be the rightful custodians of the complex.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, said the request for proposals will remain open for two weeks.

“A main condition for the applicants is that of being a registered sports development entity. They must present a plan for multidisciplinary buildout for the stadium. Sports, including track and field, swimming, tennis, football and futsal are the main staple for the citizens from the parish. Other sports like basketball, cricket, netball, boxing, and martial arts will need a larger facility as they grow,” Vernon told The Gleaner.

MBU, who for years used Wespow Park for home games, have now been using the stadium for training and will be hosting all their home games this season.

According to Vernon, since 2020 every event hosted at the facility has been subsidised by STJMC.

“In order to make a profit, the stadium would need at least 10 undiscounted events that require the use of the entire stadium, which comes at the cost of 900,000 per event. We have not had that yet,” Vernon explained.

In January, Vernon said that for the larger part of the repairs, the municipality was waiting on the Sports Development Foundation.

The stadium that has a capacity of 7,000, had its seating changed and minor repairs were done to increase water pressure at the venue.

Back on the drawing board

In June, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, said plans for the stadium were back on the drawing board but that it would cost more than an initial budget of $200 million.

She pointed out that she had been in dialogue with Vernon to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) so they can see to the installation of a new track, further renovations and new facilities for other sports.

Additionally, the minister asked that there be arrangements to ensure the facility’s maintenance.

The track has deteriorated tremendously over the past few years, and was taken out of service over fear that continued use could result in athletes suffering serious injuries.

The last time the Milo Western Relays was held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, for instance, was in February 2018.

Since then, all major track events have had to be shifted to venues as far away as St Catherine.

The Montego Bay Sports Complex, which was developed at a cost of US$14.9 million, was opened in June 2010.