by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:16 AM ET, Tue November 26, 2013
A recently appointed Jamaican legislator and tourism spokesperson called the resort town of Ocho Rios "deplorable" and in need of "immediate attention" during a recent chamber of commerce meeting, according to local press reports.
Shahine Robinson, a member of parliament for North East St Ann parish, which incorporates Ocho Rios, criticized the area's frequently flooded roadways and an "ugly main drain" running across the commercial district, saying "The tourism season begins on December 15 and the town is in a deplorable condition."
A multi-million dollar maintenance program is needed to address the drainage issues, Robinson said.
Robinson's complaints ironically come one day after the government launched the first phase of a multi-million dollar plan to refurbish and upgrade Ocho Rios' cruise ship terminal and renovate the city's Main Street, sidewalks, landscaping and architecture.
Robinson described conditions that have been prevalent in Ocho Rios in recent years despite earlier efforts to revitalize the town, which developed from a sleepy 1960s fishing village into a major Jamaican resort region.
Jamaica's Urban Devlopment Corp. in November announced the launch of an 18-month plan to upgrade Ocho Rios' waterfront Fishermen's Village district with "the aim of transforming it into a premier facility for entertainment and dining," according to a UDC statement.
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