Social Yard to Spur Business, Job Opportunities

Minister of State, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Delano Seiveright (left), and Project Lead, Social Yard development, Minkah Lim-Tom, tour the project site at the Constant Spring Football Field, St. Andrew. The project is expected to create opportunities for entrepreneurship, small business growth and employment within the Constant Spring-Manor Park area.

State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Delano Seiveright, has welcomed a project to establish a new food and entertainment space, which will create opportunities for entrepreneurs, small businesses and jobseekers in the Constant Spring-Manor Park area.

Social Yard, currently under development at the Constant Spring Football Field, will feature multiple restaurants and food outlets built around a shared dining and social space, catering to the area’s large residential, commercial and commuter population.

The project is being spearheaded by businessman Minkah Lim-Tom and is expected to provide a platform for food operators and other small business owners to expand their customer base while contributing to economic activity.

Mr. Seiveright, who recently toured the development, said the project represents the type of private-sector investment that can help drive entrepreneurship and employment.

“This is the type of private investment we want to encourage – creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, generating employment and adding new economic activity within our communities,” he said.

He noted that the development aligns with broader efforts to support the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which remain a critical pillar of Jamaica’s economy.

“We want more Jamaicans starting businesses, but equally important, we want to create the environment for those businesses to survive, grow and eventually become larger enterprises,” he said.

Social Yard forms part of wider initiatives aimed at enhancing the Constant Spring-Manor Park corridor.

These include ongoing improvements to the Manor Park vending and transport zone through collaboration with the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Pan Jamaica Group, the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and other partners.

Pan Jamaica Group is moving ahead with landscaping and beautification works around the Manor Park roundabout, with completion targeted for early December.

Mr. Seiveright said that the development of Social Yard will not affect the recreational function of the Constant Spring Football Field, which will continue to be available for sporting and community activities.

“We want a Manor Park and Constant Spring that work better for residents, commuters, businesses and visitors. Social Yard, the transport and vending improvements, and the beautification work are all contributing to that wider objective,” he said.

The development is expected to expand dining and recreational options in the area while providing a new avenue for entrepreneurship, business growth and job creation.

Source: JIS