MANDEVILLE, Jamaica – The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is to invest close to $400 million into a range of development activities at its main Mandeville campus, which will see the institution constructing an Agri Research and Entrepreneural centre, new apartments for its students and a multi-service Diabetes Wellness Centre.
The range of developmental projects were outlined by NCU President Dr. Herbert Thompson on Monday, August 21, 2006, at the institution’s Colloquium exercise, which signaled the official start of the new school year.
He said the Bank of Nova Scotia has approved $95 million for the Agri Research Centre, which will house “a bakery, a hospitality centre, career services centre and work bank and a BNS automated banking centre”. It will also have testing laboratories and incubators “where farmers in this part of the country will be able to come to have our scientists work with them on techniques to improve yield in yam, potato, ginger and other things. We will also help them fight pests, using the proper technology”, the NCU President said.
The Centre will be situated on a 35,000 square ft. property, just across the road from the main campus, which previously housed the Westico Foods factory. Westico, once a major food products complex in central Jamaica, was destroyed by fire just over a year ago, after laying idle for a number of years.
Dr. Thompson said the National Housing Trust (NHT) has also approved a J$200 million loan to the University to build 150 apartments for students. The apartment complexes will be built behind the old Westico Food Complex just across from the University. Dr. Thompson said the apartments should house some 300 students. “They will be self contained, to accommodate 300 students and faculty, for we are not building anymore communal dorms. The apartments will be fully furnished, they will be built with security awareness and will be technologically prepared,” Dr. Thompson said. The 200 acre property currently houses one male and two female dorms. The majority of the 5,600 students live off campus.
Construction is also to begin shortly on a US$1 million (over $60 million) Diabetes Wellness Centre, to be built courtesy of the Embassy of South Korea. The Centre will provide testing and treatment for persons suffering from the disease.
