Justice ministry promises quick fix for ‘lot of hell’
Published:Saturday | July 16, 2016 | 8:54 AM
The Ministry of Justice has provided more clarity on its plan for a parcel of land in downtown Kingston, which has been making life hell for students and teachers at the nearby St Aloysius Primary and other schools in the area.
Since The Sunday Gleaner first reported the story, the lot has been cleared with the illegal dumps removed, and the justice ministry has expressed regret for "any nuisance that may have been occasioned by the state of the said parcel of land".
The ministry confirmed that it intends to use the land as a parking facility for persons attending the nearby Corporate Area Civil Court.
"The ministry is making every effort to have this project expedited as soon as possible. In the interim, the procurement process is ongoing; and we anticipate that this will be concluded in a matter of weeks."
According to the ministry, it is currently in the procurement process for the fourth occasion.
"A tender notice will be sent out soon for contractors to submit their proposals and we anticipate that this will be concluded in a few weeks. In relation to the completion date, our projection is that the car park should be constructed within this financial year," said the ministry.
While indicating that it could not yet say how much will be spent to create the car park, the ministry said users of the facility will not be required to pay for service.
"It will be constructed as part of the justice infrastructure reform initiative and will be for the ease and convenience of the judiciary, court staff and other users of the Corporate Area Civil Court."
The seemingly abandoned lot was being used as a dump, a bathroom for some homeless people and a bedroom for some sex workers.