LUCEA, Hanover — A long-awaited overhaul of Lucea’s 18th-century Fort Charlotte has ground to a halt as the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) waits for municipal sign-off.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly refurbished Lord’s Multi-purpose Court in Malcolm Heights last Thursday, TPDCo’s Executive Director Wade Mars used the spotlight to press Mayor Sheridan Samuels for the crucial signatures. Without them, Mars warned, the agency cannot begin restoring the historic coastal bastion or its centuries-old cannons, a project TPDCo is pursuing under the guidance of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
“The documents are on the mayor’s desk,” Mars told the audience. “Once they’re signed, we can move from talk to action and turn Fort Charlotte into a living attraction for residents and visitors alike.”
Mayor Samuels shot back the following day, dismissing the remarks as political theatre. He said the council’s engineers had already reviewed TPDCo’s request and were waiting for a rescheduled meeting—one Mars’s team had missed—to clarify the scope of work before any approval could be granted.
Beyond the Fort
While the paperwork dispute simmers, community-driven upgrades continue elsewhere in Hanover. Thursday’s ceremony marked the completion of phase one of the Lord’s Multi-purpose Court, a project nominated by Hanover Western MP Tamika Davis and funded through the Spruce Up Jamaica programme. The facility now boasts a rejuvenated basketball/netball court and adjacent football field; permanent seating and restrooms are slated for the next phase.
Local clergy have stepped in to fill the gap: Bishop Robert Williams of Lucea New Testament Church has offered players and spectators access to church washrooms until the on-site amenities are built—a gesture Mars pledged to repay by supporting the church’s own heritage tour plans.
Tourism’s Next Frontier
Hanover’s profile within Jamaica’s tourism map continues to rise. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett reminded attendees that the parish is on the cusp of hosting the island’s first casino-integrated resort at Princess Hotels in Green Island, alongside major expansions at Viva Wyndham (Rhodes Hall) and Grand Palladium just east of town.
With thousands of new hotel rooms and purpose-built employee housing in the pipeline, Richard Wallace, chair of the Negril Area Destination Assurance Council, argued that investments in community amenities like Lord’s Court are more than goodwill—they are workforce infrastructure. “Healthy, happy communities produce better hospitality,” he noted.
What’s Next?
TPDCo says the Fort Charlotte restoration remains a priority, envisioning guided tours, recreational green space, and interpretive exhibits that celebrate Lucea’s maritime heritage. Mars maintains all that stands between the fort and its renaissance is a signature.
Whether the impasse ends in days or drags on, one point is clear: as Hanover’s tourism engine accelerates, civic cooperation—not cannon fire—will decide who truly gains from the parish’s historic assets.
