RIVERTON MEADOWS REPLACES
RIVERTON CITY

Prime Minister P. J. Patterson has said a historical wrong has finally been corrected with the development of Riverton Meadows, the new housing scheme, replacing Riverton City in the western end of Kingston.

Addressing the Handing Over Ceremony yesterday (7th August) for the 245 houses completed in phase one of the scheme, Mr. Patterson said the country had come the full circle in correcting the historical wrong of 35 years ago. That wrong, he said, was the bulldozing, uprooting and forced re-location of Jamaican citizens from West Kingston to the in-hospitable surroundings of Riverton City.

He said many had felt a sense of personal shame in driving past Riverton City and that some even pretended it did not exist.

That had changed now, the Prime Minister said. "Today, we all feel a sense of collective satisfaction at what has happened here."

The Prime Minister said the handing over ceremony represented another milestone in the efforts to provide decent shelter solution in partnership with first time landowners involving their financial participation and community leadership. He said the completion phase of Operation Pride had begun.

Mr. Patterson pointed out that infrastructure work was at an advanced stage at Whitehouse, Retirement Phase Two, Mount Edgecombe, Mamee Bay South, Shaw Park, Belle Air, Pleasant Heights (Rockfort), Melbrook Heights and St. Benedicts (Harbour View East).

The Prime Minister said also that infrastructure work was complete at Clover (Mandeville), Fisher Road (Mandeville), Melrose Mews (Mandeville), Mandella Terrace (Kingston), Callaloo Mews Phase One (Kingston), Wentworth (St. Mary), Duanvale (Trelawny), Heritage/Bethel Town (Westmoreland), Fonthill (St. Elizabeth/Westmoreland) and Luana (St. Elizabeth).

He said he was insisting that the Ministry of Housing and Water to see to the completion of these housing developments by the end of 2001.

Contact: Granville Newell
Telephone: 968-1675
DATE: August 8, 2001