Trelawny Stadium: the considerations and the future by Olivia Grange

I have been reading carefully and listening very attentively to all that has been written and said about the Trelawny Stadium. I appreciate the interest that everyone has shown in the matter. It confirms what I’ve always felt to be true: we Jamaicans understand the value of sports and the part sports have, can, and must play in national development.

babsy-grange-02 Like all of you, this Government wants only the best for Jamaica. So before we make choices, we carefully weigh the options, and then do what we truly believe to be right for Jamaica.

Therefore, allow me this opportunity to address calls from some sectors of the society, one of whom was quoted in one of the national daily newspapers calling on the Government to review the decision regarding the Trelawny Stadium “in the interest of political capital and expediency”. I understand the passion, however I will reiterate what the Prime Minister has already made clear: as Ministers in this Administration, we are servants of all the people of Jamaica, therefore we do not make decisions based on what is quick, easy or popular. We make the best decision for all of Jamaica - based on the facts.

These are the facts. As a Government, we have reviewed two proposals by the University of Technology (UTech) for control of the Trelawny Stadium and lands adjoining the facility.

In January of 2009, the UTech presented a proposal for a Western Campus and a Sports Development Programme. UTech proposed to establish its Western Campus on 120 acres of land at Greenfield, Trelawny; and to establish its Sports Development Programme at Sligoville, St Catherine. The Prime Minister appointed a technical team to lead the discussions and to report back to him, and subsequently to prepare a submission to the Cabinet for a decision.

UTech’s proposed Western Campus at Greenfield was predicated on the use of the Trelawny Stadium - not only the outfield for sports instruction, but also the skyboxes as classrooms, and the establishment of the School of Sports Sciences. Additionally, UTech proposed to rent the facility for sporting and other events, as a way of earning income.

I welcomed the outline of UTech’s proposals, but the devil was in the details, as they say.

UTech required US$50 million or J$4.5 billion, to establish its Western Campus (never mind the proposal for Sligoville). Please bear in mind that UTech is a Government of Jamaica aided and supported education institution. It does not have the money to move forward with its expansion project unless, as UTech had planned, the Government of Jamaica were to guarantee a loan on its behalf. The Government cannot guarantee the loan at this time given our country’s financial position and state of indebtedness. This decision was communicated to UTech.

The university made a second proposal - a scaled-down version of the first. In this proposal, the Government was being asked to provide Greenfield lands - including the Trelawny Stadium complex - for the establishment of a Western Campus with a few sports activities. The new proposal, like the first, required the use of the existing skyboxes at the stadium for classrooms until UTech was able to build a permanent campus; and as before, UTech proposed to rent the stadium for the hosting of entertainment and sports events as a way of earning income.

Another critical item in the proposal required the Government to increase subventions to UTech as it moves ahead with its expansion. The matter of increasing subventions to the institution had not been discussed with the Government prior.

As the proposal was assessed, several factors were considered including the opportunities that a UTech campus in Trelawny would bring to Western Jamaica. Surely, it would improve access to tertiary education as the University of the West Indies (UWI) western campus has. Additionally, the UTech Western Campus with a special concentration on sports, would contribute to our national plan for sports development, particularly the business of sports and sports science. Indeed, in my discussions with the Birmingham Council in the United Kingdom, we looked at the possibility of joint sports science and sports business programmes involving such institutions as UTech, UWI and Birmingham University. I plan to continue those discussions in 2010.

UTech’s self sufficiency; subvention provided by Government; ability to earn from rental of the premises and ability to repay a loan, if it were to secure one, were also considered. Neither proposal submitted by UTech contained a specific and feasible business plan to support the planned expansion.

Additionally, the university’s proposal to convert the skyboxes into classrooms would limit opportunities to rent the facility for entertainment and sports events. The skyboxes are a big selling point.

Critical in our deliberation also was the need to discharge the financial liability already incurred in establishing the stadium. The Trelawny Stadium was constructed with a loan of US$30 million from the Government of the People’s Republic of China. It was the only cricket world cup venue in the Caribbean that was established with a loan secured by the host government; all the others were provided as gifts from the Chinese.

Though the use of the facility was not contributing to the servicing of the loan we must repay this loan from the earnings of the facility at some point. The Government of Jamaica would not earn money to repay this loan if it were to accept the UTech proposal.

The university has proposed to take control of the stadium, the 45 acres of land on which it was constructed, and a further 75 acres of land contiguous to the facility (for a total of 120 acres) at a lease price of one Jamaican dollar ($1). Certainly, this does not constitute a sound business arrangement.

Among the other considerations were the demand for sports and entertainment facilities in Western Jamaica (which the stadium was established to satisfy); the Government’s broader interest in the facility as part of a national sports development, sport tourism, cultural & heritage tourism and major events marketing thrust; as well as the broader developmental plan for the area where the stadium is located.

It is obvious that a UTech Western Campus would provide opportunities and complement our development programmes and initiatives in Trelawny. Particularly with the ongoing Falmouth development the entire Western Jamaica would benefit from developments in the areas of education, sports development, the diversification of our tourism product and in wealth creation.

Therefore, UTech was advised that land at Greenfield adjoining the stadium complex was available to the institution for the establishment of its Western Campus. UTech would also be allowed access to the stadium for its sports programme. We have not received a response from UTech.

There are other options if UTech does not find favour in this proposal. There is the idle factory complex at Hague, which could be renovated to function as a school. Hague is close to Greenfield and UTech students would have easy access to the stadium and to public transport.

Additionally, I have been in discussion with Dr. Patrick Harris, the Member of Parliament for North Trelawny (where Trelawny Stadium is located) and he has offered to help the university to find land to establish its Western Campus. The caretaker, Senator Dennis Meadows, would also help, as would I.

The Government of Jamaica supports the university’s plan to establish a Western Campus, but this need not be synonymous with UTech having control of the Trelawny Stadium. If the objective is primarily a western campus there are other ways to achieve this.

Since the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture was given the responsibility of the stadium in 2007 the team and I have, in consultation, sought ways to maximise the returns on the facility and to reduce operating and maintenance costs. We have also been working to improve the facility and to market it as the ideal sports and entertainment venue.

We have significantly reduced the cost of maintenance from J$3 million to under J$1 million per month. Government’s total subvention to cover all costs at Trelawny Stadium is J$5 million, per annum. The stadium is paying for its upkeep; and we are actively working to improve the earnings to address the servicing of the loan, going forward.

We are currently working with donor agencies to conduct a feasibility study to identify the most cost-effective approach to expand the stadium within the wider framework of developing Sports Tourism in Jamaica. Once the feasibility study is completed, the stadium will be packaged for investors to assist in the expansion.

In the meantime, we continue our efforts to increase the number and types of events that are staged at the stadium, but this has been challenging primarily because the facility was built without the requisite lighting. So we have been limited to hosting mostly day time activities, including conferences and conventions, unless our clients are able to make special arrangements for lighting.

We have to be creative as we move to address the lighting problem, and to make other improvements, within the context of the global downturn and our fiscal position. Therefore, we are working with Mojo Marketing and Media, the organiser of the Mojo 6 Jamaica golf tournament next year in Montego Bay, to put on a celebrity fundraiser in the United States for the lights at Trelawny Stadium.

Additionally, I am in discussion with Complant, the Chinese firm which constructed the stadium, for it to undertake infrastructure development work at the facility which will include, among other things, stands, air conditioning upgrade and the reorientation of the football field. I expect to be able to report to the nation on the success of these negotiations in the new year.

In 2010, we will reveal a calendar of events for Trelawny Stadium, including top quality sports and entertainment events arising from negotiations with Turnkey Promotions (which has chosen the stadium as the new home of Jamaica Jazz and Blues) and Ambassador Courtney Walsh (who is developing a programme of major cricket events spread over the year to take place at the stadium), among others.

I give Jamaica this assurance, that we will ensure that all development initiatives undertaken at Trelawny Stadium will benefit the entire nation. We aim to maximise the use of the stadium, a national asset, in enhancing the quality of life of Jamaicans; in providing employment and investment opportunities; in the development of our Sports Tourism industry; and in our strategy to host major entertainment and other events.

The Government of Jamaica remains open to discussing with UTech the plans to establish a western campus.

Olivia Grange is the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture with responsibility for Women and Gender Affairs, Community Development and Entertainment

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