MoBay Sports Complex lease: McKenzie rejects delay claims

Almost a week after an article was published about the delays in the lease agreement for the Montego Bay Sports Complex, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has finally responded, rejecting any suggestion that his ministry is holding up the plans for the facility.

In a release yesterday, McKenzie refuted claims that he, or the ministry, was hindering the project.

“I take particular exception to any suggestion that my ministry or me is somehow hindering, or is an obstacle to this project, which has the potential to transform sporting activity in St James and beyond, and make a significant contribution to community development.

“This statement is completely and utterly false, and promotes a highly negative impression of the ministry without any facts to support it. It is also highly irresponsible as it lacks any input from the ministry about the facts surrounding the proposed project,” stated the press release.

The October 5 Sunday Gleaner article stated that almost a year after the Montego Bay Multi-Sports Development Limited (MBMSDL) was selected to lease the Montego Bay Sports Complex, it has still not been approved by the Desmond McKenzie-led Ministry of Local Government.

When The Sunday Gleaner made efforts to contact McKenzie for a comment about the lease of the Montego Bay Sports complex, phone calls and WhatsApp messages went unanswered.

Delaying development

Head of the MBMSDL, Yoni Esptein, the lone bidder for the stadium, expressed concerns that delays in the approval are beginning to impact plans in the organisation’s proposal for the venue’s development.

He pointed out that they are 11 months into the process and time is of the essence with some of the things they want to achieve with the lease and every day that passes makes it more difficult to achieve some of the stuff on a day-to-day basis to have the complex operate more as a multipurpose stadium.

Last year the bidding process opened in September and officially closed on November 18.

The release, however, stated that “while this application to lease the Montego Bay Sports Complex has existed for some time, the reality is that it only came officially to the ministry on August 12, 2025, and it is still being assessed.

“This is being done in a timely but thorough way, and I want to make it clear that my ministry will not be prodded or pushed into any premature decision or action based on anticipations or expectations. All our actions must meet the governance standards and requirements laid out in law and by policy, and we are respecting these realities and doing things responsibly.

“I want to assure all stakeholders in St James, and indeed across Jamaica, that this ministry will, consistent with its mandate, continue to work to help them to achieve their development ambitions,” the release said.

One of the programmes that could be affected, according to Esptein, is the lighting project.

The delays mean the upgrades to the facility will also miss the start of the 2026 track and field season.

As part of its $700 million investment plan over three years, MBMSDL intends to develop infrastructure for football, track and field, swimming, and racquet sports. Operational funding is projected at over $51 million annually.

Rent is expected to be paid in the form of one per cent of the annual revenue generated from ticket sales and usage fees

The last time the popular 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.