Bell Rock Gets J$8M Infrastructure Upgrade as 19 Residents Gain Construction Training

Caribbean Cement and CEMEX-backed project delivers concrete pavement, drainage and road improvements for more than 100 households in the Kingston community.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 100 households in Bell Rock, Olympic Way, are expected to benefit from an infrastructure project valued at more than J$8 million that upgraded concrete pavement, drainage and sections of roadway while providing training and employment for 19 community residents.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness joined representatives of Caribbean Cement Company Limited and CEMEX for the October 2 handover. The Jamaica Information Service reported that the project was financed through the companies’ corporate social responsibility programme.

Infrastructure Improvements for Bell Rock

The project included approximately 600 square metres of concrete pavement, drainage improvements, road patching and decorative concrete work, according to JIS.

The intervention addressed longstanding problems including surface-water accumulation, mud, flooding and mosquito infestation, along with related safety and public-health concerns.

19 Residents Employed and Trained

Nineteen Bell Rock residents were employed during the project and received formal training in safety procedures and specialized concrete-pavement techniques.

Caribbean Cement Managing Director Jorge Martinez said the training was intended to leave participants with knowledge they could continue using after the project was completed.

A Community With Roots in Emergency Housing

Holness used the handover to discuss Bell Rock’s history and the challenge of moving communities from temporary or emergency housing toward more durable solutions.

According to Holness, Bell Rock traces its origins to emergency housing developed after Hurricane Charlie in the 1950s. The community later transitioned from two-storey multi-family apartments to wooden bungalow-style structures associated with Food For the Poor.

“The community, after 25 years of semi-permanent housing, needs a serious reconsideration, refresh, and rebuild,” Holness said.

The Office of the Prime Minister separately reported that Holness used the Bell Rock experience to argue that Jamaica’s future disaster-housing response should create a pathway from temporary shelter toward permanent housing and ownership.

Caribbean Cement’s Wider Community Programme

The Bell Rock project forms part of Caribbean Cement’s broader community investment activities. The company documents corporate social responsibility initiatives involving infrastructure, education, training and road safety.

Caribbean Cement has operated in Jamaica since 1952 and is a member of the TCL Group, which is owned by CEMEX.

Community Development Beyond the Handover

For Bell Rock residents, the investment combines improvements to physical infrastructure with construction skills that participants may be able to apply beyond the project.

The Bell Rock works were financed through the Caribbean Cement and CEMEX corporate social responsibility programme rather than presented as a Government of Jamaica-funded infrastructure project.

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