Kingston, 24 May 2024 – The government has entered an agreement with Carib Cement for the upgrading and re-opening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath in Kingston.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange announced today (Friday) that her Ministry, through the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, had given a 25-year lease to Carib Cement to operate the site.

Speaking at the signing of the lease agreement at her Ministry headquarters in New Kingston today, Minister Grange said the facilities at the Rockfort Mineral Bath “will undergo major upgrades over the next five years at a cost of 57 million dollars”.

Outlining a schedule for the works to be done in phases, Minister Grange said “some renovations will be completed within three to six months — which would make the facility available to the public shortly.”

The Managing Director of Carib Cement, Jorge Martinez, said the development would focus on “enhancement of the baths, installation of accessories and the establishment of a robust security presence to ensure health and safety of visitors”.

Rockfort Mineral Bath is a national monument, renowned for having healing properties. It has attracted Jamaicans and visitors to the country to take a dip in its healing stream.

Minister Grange said the planned development works would not only see the re-opening, but a “re-position[ing] of the important Rockfort Mineral Bath among the list of culture, heritage, health and tourism attractions of Greater Kingston and Port Royal.”

She said the development would not only bring immense benefit to Rockfort and neighbouring communities, but to Jamaica as a whole.

Endorsing the Minister’s vision, the Chairman of Carib Cement, Parris Lyew-Ayee, said his company hoped to “restore and renew this iconic site, enabling large numbers of local and international visitors to experience the world famous therapeutic benefit of its sparkling mineral waters.”

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