Seville Heritage Park redevelopement finalised after J$23 million spend
/ Our Today
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The Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann has undergone extensive renovations totalling J$23 million to further preserve and showcase the site’s rich history.
Spearheaded by the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) in partnership with the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), the Seville Heritage Park Enhancement Project included repairs to the roof of the greathouse, electrical upgrades, park fencing, lighting, installation of air-conditioning units, termite treatment, and the addition of signs and storyboards.
At the official opening of the upgraded property on December 8, Culture Minister Olivia Grange explained that the redevelopment of Seville began in 2009, and through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Spanish Jamaica Foundation, significant progress has been made.
“Under that MOU, we were able to refurbish that greathouse and mount the exhibitions that focus on important periods in our national history,” she noted.
Minister Grange said the recent upgrades bring the vision of making Seville Heritage Park a prominent cultural, tourist and educational attraction closer to reality.
“Here at Seville, Jamaican history lives. This place has encounters of the Taino, Spanish, the British and the African and in my view where our motto, ‘Out of Many One People’, was born… this place tells a great part of the authentic Jamaican story,” she said.
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, in his remarks, said that the artefacts at the country’s heritage sites are physical representations of the country’s diverse culture and history, and they must be preserved.
He noted that heritage sites help to connect visitors with the nation’s history, while encouraging citizens to appreciate their cultural identity.
“The expenditure that we have made on other heritage sites and other local assets are critical not just for visitors who come but it is essential for the locals to appreciate more who they are,” he said.
For his part, executive director of the TPDCo, Wade Mars, described the initiative as a transformational journey that showcases and preserves Jamaica’s cultural legacy for future generations.
He emphasised the need to go beyond traditional tourist offerings and leverage the country’s natural, cultural, historic, and built heritage to elevate Jamaica’s tourism industry.
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