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UDC to carry out overall project management responsibility for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters

Site preparation underway for new multistorey building downtown- Hoarded site of the future eleven floor headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) Headquarters on Port Royal Street, downtown Kingston. Work will commence shortly on the construction of the building at Lot #20 Downtown (part of Old Myrtle Bank Lands along the Kingston waterfront). This new headquarters will facilitate the upgrading of the MFAFT’s functions and services and will form part of the Government of Jamaica’s thrust to restore Downtown Kingston. Funding for the project will be covered primarily by grant funding from the Government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) with the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation acting as the lead entity in the project working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the National Works Agency, (coastal protection/access road), the Urban Development Corporation (overall project management) and the Ministry of Finance & Planning (source of local funding). The project which is valued at approximately J$4 Billion is earmarked to take just over two years and will require shoreline protection and storm water drainage works, construction of substructure and creation of main and annex buildings. Other significant ongoing developments in downtown Kingston include the establishment of the Grace Kennedy Corporate Head office and Commercial Centre adjacent to the hoarded site on lands sold by the UDC. The Accountant General Department is also renovating space at the former Oceana Hotel on King Street for its head office with the UDC acting as project managers.