The Caymanas Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in St Catherine will be made into a mini municipality once fully developed, according to the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA).

Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, chief executive officer at JEZA, explained that the SEZ plans to seamlessly blend residential and commercial spaces to create a thriving mini-municipality. This will ensure continuous activity to maintain a thriving.

The Port Authority of Jamaica is leading a transformative project on a 650-acre development, strategically designed for industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, and cold storage operations.

Hamilton said the intention is to ensure that “there is activity happening right throughout the day and night to support that whole ecosystem and to really maximise the 650 acres where we intend to drive transformation in Jamaica.”

The space’s warehousing solutions are gaining increasing demand both locally and internationally, from “companies that want to take advantage of the opportunity for nearshoring in Jamaica,” She added.

She elaborated on the diverse opportunities offered by SEZs in general, including plans for specialised zones dedicated to the creative and sporting industries.

“We want to do a Creative Industries Special Economic Zone where companies can come and film and have their film productions from start to finish done right here in Jamaica. We [also] want to build a Sports SEZ, alongside the Ministry of Culture and Entertainment, where you have teams that have to train in cold climates come to Jamaica and train,” she explained.

Hamilton said that these commercial prospects complement Jamaica’s advantages in sports training and film production, strengthening the nation’s standing internationally in these areas.