Montego Bay’s famed hip strip is set to get a much-needed facelift courtesy of a billion-dollar allocation from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
The hip strip is one of the north coast’s go to spaces for visitors and locals who seek to enjoy a variety of activities to include dining, shopping, swimming and other forms of recreation and entertainment. Located along the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, it is also home to a number of hotels and also the famous Doctor’s Cave Beach.
The TEF is set to fund the work and according to chair of the fund, Godfrey Dyer, he explained that things are progressing well at present. “We are progressing very well, we are now selecting the architect to do the design, we advertised, we have five good ones we are looking at and within another week we would select one to start” he recently remarked.
According to Mr Dyer, these improvements will take place over eighteen months and will be done in phases. “Its going to be over eighteen months and its phased. We are going to bury wires (utility) and then sidewalks, and then repave and then beautification” he explained.
When the work is completed he expects that Montego Bay and indeed Jamaica will be proud of it. “We will have an area in Montego Bay that Jamaica can be proud of. It will go with the name hip strip, it will really be the hip in the strip” he remarked.
This scope of work comes on the heels of what was done at Harmony Beach that created a state-of-the-art recreational facility that was opened in 2021. This beach facility is partially located along the hip strip as well and already provides visitors and locals alike with a space where they can swim, exercise and just enjoy themselves.