HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > América Latina


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #81  
Old Posted Nov 20, 2006, 11:51 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Red Stripe. Meh, its okay. I don't understand why Vista is launching in Jamaica, but w/e cool.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #82  
Old Posted Nov 21, 2006, 12:09 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
I also noticed that the Jamaica Statistical Inistitute posted negative inflation (deflation) for September to October of .1%. That brings the 12 month inflation to 5.8%. The United States posted .5% deflation as well. I wonder if the two are related and how bad deflation is for economies.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #83  
Old Posted Nov 22, 2006, 12:20 AM
Pecao's Avatar
Pecao Pecao is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 88
Quote:
Originally Posted by wiki
wich beer is it, pecao?
Is this a trick question? hehe

Red Stripe is the Jamaican beer that won, but if you're asking for the best beer in the DR, I guess it's Presidente, but I don't drink alcohol, so I don't know. hehe
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #84  
Old Posted Dec 20, 2006, 12:35 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Cooling down with solar power
published: Tuesday | December 19, 2006

Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter

Solar cooling, an alternative to conventional air conditioning, is being touted as the latest renewable technology for Jamaica.

Marketed locally by Eco-Tec based in Bluefields, Westmoreland, the company claims that the technology can refund its costs within six to seven years through electricity savings.

According to Mikael Oerbekke, Eco-Tec's founder, the technology is most applicable in the hotel industry where, he said, air conditioning accounts for 60 per cent of electricity bills.

Mr. Oerbekke also cited the recent hospital energy audit programme where Eco-Tec audited 23 hospitals and found that air conditioning contributed up to 49 per cent of the cost of light bills.

"The great thing about it is that first of all we can guarantee that we can replace 80 per cent of the fuel or electricity needed to cool ... This is an appropriate solution everywhere you need a lot of hot water or a lot of cooling," he said.

Built by Austrian firm SOLID the units can be purchased with export loans from Austrian commercial banks, he added.

Megawatt savings

Mr. Oerbekke said that Eco-Tec was trying to develop 15 projects in which the company had identified potential annual savings totalling over 20,000 megawatt hours.

This Eco-Tec calculated could save US$5.5 for customers while cutting US$2.3 million from the national oil import bill which will this year exceed US$1.5 billion for the first time.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #85  
Old Posted Dec 21, 2006, 3:09 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Jamaica's second month of negative inflation
published: Wednesday | December 20, 2006

Prices deflated in Nov-ember for a second month, this time by 0.2 per cent calculated on a 4.4 point drop in the Consumer Price Index, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica is reporting.

In October, price movements dipped by 0.1 per cent. The November outturn puts the calendar year to date inflation at 5.2 per cent, compared to 12.8 per cent in 2005.

For the fiscal year to date (April to November), inflation is at 5.1 per cent.

There were dips in the regional indices: Kingston by 0.2 per cent, rural areas by 0.3 per cent. The all town's index was flat.

In the category of 'food and drink', prices fell 0.2 per cent, largely due to a fall in prices for starchy foods of 5.1 per cent, enough to erode the near one per cent increases in the sub-categories of dairy products, meat, meals away from home, baked products, and other foods.

The category of health care and personal expenses also rose by 0.5 per cent, and fuels and household supplies 0.6 per cent.

The CPI for November was 2413.5, compared to 2417.9 recorded for October.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #86  
Old Posted Feb 14, 2007, 2:14 PM
panapty's Avatar
panapty panapty is offline
╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Panama
Posts: 2,997
Houston we have a problem!!!!! More than one month without posting.!!!
__________________
Hay gente tan pobre que sólo tiene Dinero!!!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #87  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2007, 7:27 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Airport Plan I

Norman Manley International Airport



AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT 2003–2006

The Airports Authority of Jamaica is now in the midst of a new project to rehabilitate the airport terminal at Norman Manley (as an arrival terminal) and also to build a new departure terminal (with a winged design).

The project consists of the design, construction and commissioning of a new passenger departure terminal and an upgraded arrival terminal, with supporting airside and landside infrastructure. It includes consulting engineering and architectural services and project management.

NEW TERMINAL BUILDING

The new terminal building will have a three-level departures concourse of approximately 170,000ft² (10,000m²) and will be integrated with the existing ticketing concourse. New terminal facilities will include baggage handling systems, flight-information systems and concession spaces.

The new and redeveloped ticketing area will accommodate 54 check-in desks, and a Common Use Terminal System (CUTE) will be introduced to support the airlines.

Boyken International Inc is providing cost management services during the programming, planning and design phases. Sypher Mueller International (J$3.2m contract) are the planning consultants for the new airport and Llewelyn-Davies Joint Venture are the architects.

Kier Construction Ltd, part of the Kier Group, has secured the £28.8m contract to construct the new terminal building.

The Kier contract also involves the addition of a second level to the existing passenger pier, which allows passengers access from the terminal to the aircraft plus limited renovation works to the existing terminal building, reconfiguration of the customs hall to ensure more efficient passenger movement and the creation of the cargo village to facilitate improved cargo handling operations (first phase completed in 2005).

Auto Solutions Limited has been awarded the contract, valued at $41.2m, for the repair and service of airport vehicles.

EXISTING TERMINAL RENOVATION


The contract relating to additions and alterations to the departure concourse has been awarded to Cooper and Associates Limited and is valued at $161.5m. The work will include construction of a new canopy, north of the existing check-in concourse and departure lounge; construction of an additional drop-off pavement area and provision for access by wheelchair passengers; new elevators, electrical air conditioning, public address, fire detection and fire fighting services; and alterations to the existing check-in concourse and mezzanine level to include a new security post and postal agency.

The architect / engineer for the designs are Harold Morrison and Associates, in conjunction with Peter Jervis and Associates Limited and Grace Ashley and Associates.

MASTERPLAN

The project seeks to increase the airport's capacity to cater for projected air and passenger traffic at an acceptable level of service to the year 2033. The project is part of a 15-year masterplan which will be implemented in three phases (1A, 1B and 2) and will cost about $130m. By 2022 it will have involved a virtual reconstruction of the entire airport.

Construction started in June 2006; the intention is for the first phase – which is supposed to make the airport an IATA category C airport – to be completed by 2007. The airport needs to be ready in time for the Cricket World Cup (2007). The European Investment Bank is providing $40m (2006) project and the Caribbean Development Bank has approved a loan of $11m (June 2006) for the new project.

PHASE 1A

Phase 1A commenced planning in 2004 and is scheduled to be completed in 2007, at an estimated cost of $80m (ground-breaking took place in September 2006). This phase comprises a new departures building at the eastern end of the present terminal to accommodate expansion to the present departure concourse, security screening station with space to accommodate explosives detection equipment, out-going immigration, retail concessions and departure lounge.

Additionally a new multi-level passenger finger (pier) that will enable the separation of arriving and departing passengers, as required by security regulations, will be included.

* Four passenger loading bridges at the new finger (pier)
* Upgraded roadway system and expanded public car park
* Major rehabilitation of the existing departures concourse and related underground services infrastructure
* Major rehabilitation and upgrading of the terminal arrivals area, including immigration hall, customs hall, arrivals arcade, arrivals duty free shops and offices
* Replacement and upgrading of airport systems – public address, access control, flight information, baggage information, security control and other airport IT systems
* Cargo warehouse complex (the first phase of this complex, called the NMIA cargo and logistics centre, was completed in 2005)

PHASE 1B


Phase 1B is scheduled for the period 2008–2012 and will cost approximately $23m. Works under this phase will include:

* Further upgrading of existing buildings
* Construction of a new arrivals area
* Installation of new baggage handling facilities
* Relocation of the General Aviation Centre, the fire station and other support facilities
* Airside works including the expansion of aircraft parking stands
* Extension of the cargo and maintenance taxiway

PHASE 2

Phase 2, which is the final phase of the project, is to commence in 2013 and end in 2022. This phase will involve additional improvement and maintenance works to the terminal, landside, airfield and support areas of the facility at a cost of $9m.

--- from www.airport-technology.com
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #88  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2007, 7:31 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Airport Plan II

Sir Donald Sangster International Airport



The three-phased expansion project for the airport began with phase 1A in March 2001. The budget for the airport expansion was initially set at $175.5m (JAM$10.5bn, €165m). This first phase (1A) included the installation of six jet bridges on the existing terminal and the installation of a modern, computerised security control and information system at the airport.

Phase 1B began in July 2003 and included construction of a 12-gate airside concourse to tie into the existing terminal. This part of the project also included jet bridges, gate lounges and shopping areas. The first phases also included the refurbishment and expansion of the apron, the renovation of gates 8–11, the installation of a new fuel hydrant system, the expansion of the immigration and customs halls and improved drainage of the airfield.

The new eastern concourse of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) (the result of phases 1A and 1B) was officially opened in December 2005. Phase two was then due to begin towards the end of 2006; however because the economic conditions were favourable and the tourist trade in Jamaica is increasing, phase two was brought forward to January 2006. MBJ still faces some challenges such as the restructuring of Air Jamaica.

PHASE TWO

Phase two will include the development of a new terminal at a cost of $40m (JAM$2.5bn) which will be linked to the existing terminal (western concourse) to form a complex that will house new immigration and customs facilities as well as shopping areas.

This will also involve the redevelopment of the existing ticket and departure concourse into an expanded check-in lobby.

The runway is also to be lengthened from its current 8,000ft to the ICAO standard 10,000ft so that the airport will be able to receive Boeing 747s and also the Airbus A380 in the future. Phase two is due to be completed by 2008.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #89  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2007, 7:36 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202

Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill

Designs Already Done for Overhead Bridges in Corporate Area - Pickersgill
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Thursday, March 15, 2007


Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill has reiterated that the Government was still looking at introducing overhead bridges in the Corporate Area, in order to improve the flow of traffic.

Mr. Pickersgill pointed out that the construction of overhead bridges would play a vital role in easing traffic congestion, which has become a major concern for the travelling public in the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

"The fact is.we are now into the era of overhead bridges and we can't escape that, because there is traffic as we move up from Marcus Garvey to the Portia Simpson Miller square and it gets closer and closer to Half-Way-Tree," the Minister said.

"Traffic congestion is upon us; it is a matter that is not arising, it has arisen," he added.

Mr. Pickersgill was updating journalists about the various programmes and projects being undertaken by the Ministry, at a press briefing held at the Jamaica Pegasus last week.

Responding to questions as to when the overhead bridges would be introduced, the Minister said that this would depend, to a great extent, on the availability of financial resources.

"Let me just say that all the studies and designs have been done. We have all of them, but at the end of the day it is always a question of resources," he said.

He noted, however, that the Government was looking at the various ways in which a project of this nature could be funded, including investment from international sources.

Work Advanced on Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Thursday, March 15, 2007

Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill has said that construction of the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre was advanced, with
70 per cent of the work already completed.

The Minister, who was addressing a recent press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, said that the project was on target to meet the October completion date.

"The centre, which will enhance the operations of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company within the Half-Way-Tree area, is slated to be completed on target in October and we are hoping that it will be completed before that time," he stated.

According to Minister Pickersgill, the transport centre, the first of its kind in Jamaica, would be a key component in the restructuring of the transport system in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and serve as model for other transportation centres and a catalyst for future urban development.

To date, $33.2 million Euros has been spent on the development of the world class facility, which will boast passenger holding areas; spacious bus bays; commercial outlets; public sanitary facilities; and ticket outlets; among other things.

"The centre will be supported by 17 commercial shops, four commercial kiosks, two security booths and a 900 square (feet) terrace, capable of accommodating three fast food type outlets," Minister Pickersgill informed.

The commercial shops, he indicated, "are very sought after" as the Ministry has received more than 400 applications, which is an overwhelming number, when compared to the available spaces in the centre.

The Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre is being funded by the government of Belgium through the Commertz Bank of Belgium at a cost of $49 million Euros.

Work on Expansion of Montego Bay Port to Begin This Year
KINGSTON, (JIS):
Friday, March 16, 2007

Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, has informed that further expansion works would be undertaken at the island's ports to include the construction of three berths and the addition of a second terminal in Montego Bay later this year, at a cost of US$67 million.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel recently, Minister Pickersgill said that the Port Authority has signed off on the new berthing and land-site facilities and construction was slated to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

Of the berths to be built, he said, "two will accommodate vessels over 1,000 feet in length, while the third berth will handle vessels of a 900 feet category".

Expansion works would also be undertaken in Ocho Rios, St. Ann in the new financial year, the Minister informed, in order to facilitate the accommodation of the Freedom Cruise Vessels, which were the largest liners now used in the shipping industry.

Port Antonio was also slated to benefit from upgrading works, he said, to accommodate the "next generation of cruise liners, which will carry a complement of 8,000 passengers and are scheduled to begin service in 2009".

These works are in addition to the continued expansion of the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) to maintain the facility's position as a major international hub port. "Progress being made here is underscored by the improved rating of the KCT from 67 to 55 in the world's top 100 ports and that is a great achievement," he highlighted, noting that the port was poised to be listed among the top five hub ports in the world.

He said that phase five expansion works, now in progress, were near completion, and would increase capacity from 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 3.2 million TEUs. The project is being undertaken at a cost of US$240 million.

The project to upgrade the country's port, the Minister noted, was crucial in meeting the overwhelming demand, which would be inevitable when expansion works began on the Panama Canal.

"The implications for Jamaica are enormous and encouraging; once you open the mega liners for the Panama Canal, because of our strategic location they'll come to Jamaica.and we have to start making preparations in the port to accommodate those mega liners," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, he indicated that the cruise shipping industry continued to show significant improvements, evident in the number of visitors to the island last year. In 2006, more than 1.32 million cruise ship passengers came to the island, an increase of 206,000 or 18.5 per cent when compared to 2005.

"This increase and demand for Jamaica's cruise destinations is reflected in the country being voted Leading Caribbean Cruise Destination and the Leading World Cruise Destination at the 2006 World Travel Awards," he boasted.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #90  
Old Posted Mar 21, 2007, 7:43 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
The ICC World Cup has begun...






Trelawny Stadium Will Boost Sports in Western Jamaica
MONTEGO BAY, (JIS):
Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Cricket Operations Director for the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007, Michael Hall, has said that the scenic Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium had the potential to be a major catalyst for sports in Western Jamaica attracting major international sporting events throughout the year.

Mr. Hall, who spoke to JIS News at the warm-up match between West Indies and India at the facility on Friday (March 9), said that the construction of the "multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny and the fact that it has been used to host four official warm-up matches in a major event as the Cricket World Cup, is a good investment by the country and can only be to the benefit of sports in this parish and indeed the wider Western Jamaica".

He added that, "it's a beautiful facility, certainly from the viewpoint of the players. they all love it and all the four teams that were here think it's a wonderful facility".

In the meantime, he noted that the staging of the ICC CWC in Jamaica, would redound to the country's economic benefit. "The staging of this event by Jamaica and the expenditure that the authorities have undertaken. is going to prove to be a very worthwhile investment. Already, we have seen much improvement to roads, health, the ports, telecommunication and many more. All of these things have been accelerated by the fact that the country was staging the event," he pointed out.

Past President of the Jamaica Baptist Union and Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay, Rev. Everton Jackson, who attended the match, which was won by India, had high praises for those who conceived of the stadium project.

"The entire lay-out is very good, the architectural design is first class and I believe that this will undoubtedly add to the profile of our country. I also believe that it will go a far way in enhancing the sporting life of the country and the development of our young people and by extension the economy, because with a complex like this, we can host any international game or event".

Another spectator Denton Campbell, who is a consultant with the Airports Authority of Jamaica, also gave the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium a passing grade, describing it as a "fine facility that has great potential and is welcome in Western Jamaica'.

"We now have a facility that can attract and accommodate cricket of the highest quality and if our youngsters are exposed to that sort of cricket, it will encourage and motivate them to perform at a high level. This is good for all youth in Western Jamaica as they will no longer have to travel all the way to Kingston to see or participate in that level of cricket," Mr. Campbell told JIS News.

Also giving commendations was Manager of the St. James Branch of the National People's Co-operative Bank, Carlton McNaughton, who opined that the hosting of the ICC CWC was a "big opportunity for Jamaicans and the country in general as we showcase ourselves to the world".

In addition to hosting four warm-up matches, the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium was the site for yesterday's (March 11) grand opening ceremony of the ICC CWC, which saw the parade of all 16 teams in the tournament, with heads of state and governments from across the region and ICC officials, in attendance.

The colourful event, reflecting the diversity of the Caribbean, was beamed to an estimated 2.6 billion television audience world-wide.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #91  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2007, 3:28 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
I've been using this thread to post economic and development data on Jamaica for some time now and while I'm not getting a lot of replies, I'm getting a lot of hits. There are a lot of projects that I could bring up so if you guys want me to take this thread in another direction, just tell me. I'll post this article about the positive investor confidence in Jamaica for now. Please tell me if there is anything you would like to know more or less about Jamaica.

I can also take pictures very soon. I've been in the states a while which is why I've not been posting a lot. I'll return to Jamaica in about a month and I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures of everything going on down there. I only wish I could have seen the ICC World Cup and celebration...

Big jump in consumer, business optimism
JCC survey shows anticipated growth in economy

Wednesday, April 04, 2007



Consumer and business optimism surged in the first quarter of 2007, the latest Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Business and Consumer Confidence survey has revealed.

The Conference Board - the division of the JCC that conducts the survey - reported that the consumer confidence index experienced a significant increase to 138.1 in the first quarter of 2007, rising from the 128.0 recorded during the fourth quarter of last year. The surveyors stated that the increased optimism was concentrated among residents outside of Kingston.

"The differences across regions mainly reflected a stronger job situation outside of Kingston and a slightly less positive outlook for the economy among Kingston residents," said the JCC, which released the results of the survey yesterday at their quarterly meeting at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

The booming consumer confidence was buoyed by anticipated growth of the Jamaican economy, positive assessments of current job prospects and very high expectations in future income gains.

According to the Conference Board, in the first quarter of 2007, 35 per cent of all consumers "expected the same improved pace of gains during the year ahead", while an additional 30 per cent "expected the pace of economic growth to be even faster". The surveyors said that government policies were cited generally for both positive and negative views of the economy.

The survey also revealed consumers showed their most positive outlook on current job prospects in six years.
According to the survey, "an adequate supply of jobs" was reported by 30 per cent of residents in tourist areas, 20 per cent in the Kingston area, and by 25 per cent in other areas.
The survey noted that incomes were expected to increase by 57 per cent of all households - a six-year record - while only five per cent expected a decline. It highlighted that, continuing with the trend of prior periods, one-third of all households reported that they had received remittances, with over half reporting that their remittances had increased in size. However, despite the higher income expectations, it was reported that consumer spending plans fell moderately compared to last year.

"All Jamaicans held the same positive prospects for future income gains, the best since the surveys started in 2001, and gave the highest ratings to their future living standards in the last six years," said the survey. "Nonetheless, Jamaican consumers remained very cautious in their spending plans.
These cautious spending plans reflect a less expansive outlook for the economy as well as diminished pace of future job growth."

The business confidence index increased from 110.5 in last year's fourth quarter to 126.7 in the first quarter of 2007. This increase was boosted by businesses' positive outlook on the national economy, their financial performance and planned investments.

According to the Conference Board, "the only concerns voiced by firms were lacklustre returns on their investments during the past year".

The report depicted that negative expectations of the national economy were reduced by 50 per cent since last year's fourth quarter: 21 per cent of all firms surveyed in this year's first quarter expected the economy to worsen during the year ahead, compared to 45 per cent in the fourth quarter. The report, however, questioned whether these 'positive' numbers were sustainable.

"Firms have repeatedly held such positive expectations in the past, but those favourable expectations have never been maintained far more than a single quarter," said the report.
"To be sure, the economy has experienced an unusually large number of shocks that have prevented cumulative gains during the past several years. While most of these shocks were unavoidable, the persistence and high cost of crime as well as the high personal and social costs continue to be cited by two-thirds of all business firms as the main obstacle to a more sustained period of very positive economic growth in Jamaica."

While the report highlighted that only 11 per cent of firms said that their current profits were better than originally anticipated, a robust two-thirds of the firms expect improved profits during the year ahead. Only five per cent expect profits to decline.

The report added that a whopping 48 per cent of the firms planned new investments, the highest level recorded since the survey was implemented in 2001.

"A record number of firms planned new investments so that they could more fully participate in the ongoing expansion," said the Conference Board. "Greater certainty about growth prospects meant that the proportion of firms that thought it was a bad time to invest fell to just 33 per cent, the lowest level recorded since 2001."

Talk Back
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #92  
Old Posted May 22, 2007, 8:18 PM
avip58 avip58 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1
Thumbs up Brilliant

I think what you are doing is in a world, BRILLIANT . I'm currently living in the UK the infomation that you have been posting I just cant seem to find anywhere else. Personally I'm very interested in architecture; current developments, refirbs, and extentions. Are you awear of any resources to that effect?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #93  
Old Posted May 28, 2007, 8:29 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Gov't to break ground on Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000 by next March


The Portmore leg of Highway 2000 which offers a link to the Mandela to Sandy Bay leg of the high-speed motorway.

Camilo Thame, Business Observer writer
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Even while the developers of Highway 2000 prepare to start construction of the Mount Rosser bypass that will form an integral part of the Spanish Town to Ocho Rios leg of the major roadway, the Government still plans to break ground on the Sandy Bay to Williamfield leg before the end of this fiscal year.

Ivan Anderson, managing director of the National Road, Operating and Construction Company (NROCC), told the Business Observer that the Government "hopes to start (Williamsfield leg) towards the end of the financial year", which ends next March.

The Williamsfield leg, or Phase 1B of Highway 2000, is defined as a 37-kilometre run from Sandy Bay in Clarendon to Williamsfield in Manchester, a community just outside the centre of Mandeville, one of Jamaica's fastest-growing towns.

The Government had re-prioritised aspects of the highway development, saying it makes more sense to build the Ocho Rios leg now to maximise on the economic benefit of the North Coast Highway, which runs to Negril.

But for the developer, Trans Jamaican Highway (TJH), the local company formed by French firm Bouygues Travaux Publics, to maximise its return on equity from eight per cent, to 16 per cent on its equity, it had to complete Phase 1B, which led the state to examine the possibility of redefining Phase 1B as the Ocho Rios leg for both parties to benefit from moving ahead with the run to the northern coastal town.
The Government apparently scrapped that plan, and has decided to move ahead with both.

The 24-kilometre stretch that will bypass the curvy, hilly route that currently connects the town of Ewarton in St Catherine to Faith's Pen in St Ann and which will stretch from Linstead to Moneague, is expected to cost around US$100 million (J$6.8 billion) and should take 30 months to complete from its June start.

The National Contracts Commission (NCC), in April endorsed the US$99.5-million contract that NROCC, the state agency overseeing the development, chose Bouygues to execute.

The estimated cost for the 67-km four-lane highway that will ultimately connect Spanish Town to Ocho Rios is currently placed at US$260 million, a figure which Anderson expects will remain the same, despite having 43 km more road to build, including two more bypasses - around the Bog Walk Gorge and Fern Gully.

Anderson told the Business Observer that under the current plan, the section of the highway that will bypass the gorge road is scheduled to break ground in 2008, while the Fern Gully bypass will begin construction in 2009.

"The sections will be done in parallels," added Anderson.
Overall, this phase of the project is expected to take five to six years, ending by 2013.

So far, the project, including the seven-km Portmore leg of Highway 2000 and the 33-kilometre section that runs from Kingston to Sandy Bay in Clarendon, cost US$300 million ($20 billion).

Should the project cost for this phase and the leg from Sandy Bay to Williamfield, originally estimated at US$120 million, remain on target, the 144 km of road will cost around US$680 million (J$46.2 billion in 2007) or approximately US$4.7 million (J$321 million) per kilometre.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #94  
Old Posted May 28, 2007, 8:50 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Quote:
Originally Posted by avip58 View Post
I think what you are doing is in a world, BRILLIANT . I'm currently living in the UK the infomation that you have been posting I just cant seem to find anywhere else. Personally I'm very interested in architecture; current developments, refirbs, and extentions. Are you awear of any resources to that effect?
Thank you for the compliments. I tend to try to check all the major newspapers and the JIS first for news, then I check major corporations for project updates. For example there is a rural project being built at a cost of J$14 billion (US$225 million) that will create a mixed use community around a historic castle. A link to the article is here.

I'm also following a huge telecommunications project called TCCC with a website here http://www.trans-caribbeancable.com/.

The Trans Carribean Cable Company is going to bring a high-speed direct connection to the Miami Network Access Point of the Americans that can provide broadband far beyond demand and drastically lower rates to the island.

Here is a map of the first phase of the project:


I am waiting for some updates before fully posting the details of the project, but all the licensing and agreements have been concluded and the project is waiting for the reorganization of the 'new AT&T'.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #95  
Old Posted May 31, 2007, 10:34 PM
trin trin is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10
Here's a link to a similar article from the Jamaica Observer regarding this fibre optic cable. Good news for Jamaica and the entire Caribbean when this is completed.



Billionaire Michael Lee Chin's Columbus Networks has begun installing undersea fibre optic cable, which will run from Colombia to Florida, landing in Jamaica on its way to the United States. It will balance data traffic flowing through the fibre-optic ring that runs around the Caribbean rim.....

Continued here:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magaz...to_jamaica.asp
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #96  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2007, 2:45 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
Actually, that is an unrelated project and may actually compete with the Trans-Carribean Cable Network which is to be built by a consortium of companies. It would be interesting to see if both are built.

This is an exert from the TCCC site:
Quote:
Trans-Caribbean Cable Company ("TCCC") is the management organization for planning, building, operating, and maintaining the Trans-Caribbean Cable Network ("TCCN"). The project was conceived to service the ever-growing Internet, data and voice traffic demands of the Caribbean. TCCN will offer high-speed undersea fiber-optic cable connectivity from many locations in the Caribbean to Miami, Florida through a combination of segment construction and existing segment upgrades. TCCC envisions that TCCN will become the Caribbean region's common, carrier-neutral platform that will provide the capacity needed to stimulate the growth of the Internet and other telecom services in the region. (Please click on the "Network Plan” navigation button for the planned regional coverage of the network.)

Technical design principles built into TCCN will include a fully protected network configuration with physical cable-on-cable restoration where feasible and interface capabilities at the most popular SDH (STM4, STM1, DS3, & E1) and/or Ethernet (10Mb, 100Mb, 1GigE, 10GigE) levels if possible. TCCN will utilize dark fiber or wavelengths on existing cables to complete links wherever feasible commercially and technically. In cases where such connectivity is not available under satisfactory conditions, new segments will be constructed under contract in order to complete the network.

Because of the competitive limitations (exclusivity) of the traditional consortium (club) model and the obvious failure of the capacity resell (private) model in undersea cable development, TCCC is using a new project development model that combines the best attributes of the traditional cable consortium together with the best characteristics of the private cable model. We call this unique model the Virtual Consortium™ Model ("VCM"). TCCC believes that the VCM is the logical evolutionary model for future undersea cable project planning, implementation and operations. (Please click on the “Benefits” navigation button for some of the highlights of the Virtual Consortium™ Model.)

On June 17, 2004 (during a project meeting in Curacao), TCCC signed the TCCN Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 14 carriers marking the official formation of the TCCN consortium with all members having the common objective to conduct a joint feasibility study to determine the best solution(s) for future undersea connectivity requirements throughout the Caribbean. Participation in the MOU has since grown to more than 60 parties, including:


ACCESS HAITI, ALPHA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, ARUBA WIRELESS, AT&T WIRELESS (now CINGULAR), AVOXI, BATELCO (BTC), C&W, CANTV, CENTENNIAL, CENTENNIAL DOMINICANA, CODETEL INTERNATIONAL, COLOMBIA TELECOM, COMCEL, COMTEK, CONVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES, COPIA WIRELESS, COSTA VISION, CURACAO CABLE TELEVISION, DATASYS, DIGICEL, ETB, FOCUS DATA, FONDATION INTERMONDE, FUSION, FUSION JAMAICA, GOTEL, GSI (GRUPO SABER), HAICOM, HAINET, HAITEL, HAITI DATA NETWORKS, ICE, INTERNEXA, ISLAND FIBRE, ITT LINK, JNAP, MOBITEL, MULTILINK, ODJ (OCEANIC DIGITAL JAMAICA), ORANGE DOMINICANA, ORBITEL, RAJNET, RELIANT, SATEL (SABA TELEPHONE), SCARLET, SETAR, SMITCOMS, SPRINT, STARNET, TELBO, TELE-CONNEXIONS, TELECO D'HAITI, TELECOM ITALIA, TELEFONICA, TELESUR, TELMEX, THIRD WAVE, TIMELESS TELECOM, TRICOM SA, TRICOM USA, ULTRACOM, UTS, UWT (UNIFIED WORLDWIDE TRANSPORT), VERIZON DOMINICANA, and VERIZON ITJ
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #97  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2007, 3:06 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
I'll go ahead and summarize the nature of the telecom situation in Jamaica. In March 2006, this happened:


Quote:
RICHARD PARDY is planning to rock your world. The chief executive officer of FibraLink Jamaica come to the island only one year and one month ago, and was going to complete a U.S. $45 million local segment of a massive trans-Caribbean fibreoptic cable project.

That project could have taken three to four years, but local commercial service starts at the end of March.
Quote:
He adds that without a robust broadband deployment, "we cannot get a return on our investment in FibraLink. The bigger part of our investment will ultimately be retail broadband, which is why we have established Flow."

Flow is a member of Columbus Communications group of companies, a CARICOM-based telecommunications provider, which already provides telecommunications solutions in 17 Caribbean countries. Flow's goal in Jamaica is to offer Jamaican businesses ultra high speed Internet, digital landline service and digital cable TV with over 250 channels from one service provider.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...business1.html

November 2006, this happened:

Quote:
JNAP takes on FLOW in the telecoms arena
Local telecommunications company, Jamaica Network Access Point Limited (JNAP) is fiercely competing with Michael Lee Chin's FLOW to bring Internet, cable and telephony services in one package to the homes of Jamaicans.

Dean PantonJNAP, through its subsidiary DirectConnect (its retail arm), has formed a consortium with cable TV operators (including Entertainment Systems, Jamaica Cable Vision and Stars Cable Company) to offer triple-play services and products under one brand name, 'ONE'. The idea is to create an island wide network that offers cable TV while also providing Internet and telephone solutions. DirectConnect is designing its super digital TV Headend to also provide Digital TV to all the homes serviced by the cable operators in Jamaica.
http://www.jamaicanap.com/news013.html

JNAP joined the TCCC and hosted a conference for them in Montego Bay. JNAP will be directly connected to the TCCN, so FLOW's parrent company, Columbia Communications pulled what you just posted.

I know most Jamiacans know, but for those who don't know, Jamaica has become a hotbed for telecommunications competition since 2001. In terms of the cell phone, Jamaica has more per capita than any other nation in this hemisphere including the United States. Basically, the government bids off licenses to major companies and upstarts and a few years later, Jamaica has every service companies can offer as a handful of companies compete heavily for customers.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #98  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2007, 4:31 AM
trin trin is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10
Interesting situation in Jamaica re. telecommunications. Thanks for the info Dante. Quite confusing to tell you the truth.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #99  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2007, 5:30 PM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202
$380-million entertainment centre, marina for Palisadoes
Stability of strip sparks concern
By Camilo Thame
Sunday, June 03, 2007

Developers Treasures Limited have begun the environment impact assessment (EIA) stage of the Seventh Harbour Development that will see the investors pump US$5.6 million (J$380 million) into the creation of a tourist destination on the Palisadoes just east of Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA).

The plan being put forward by the developers, principally led by Norman McDonald, is to convert the 109 acres of land, currently leased from Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), into a multi-purpose facility that will ultimately have a 350-room hotel, a 20,000 person entertainment centre, a 200-slip marina and a cruise ship pier.

The first phase, however, which is currently being scrutinised for approval will involve a smaller entertainment centre and marina - 5,000 persons and 80 slips, respectively - and will involve the development of the core infrastructure such as parking facilities and roads.

The development is being pursued to enhance the tourism product in Kingston, targeting the domestic tourism market's largely urban dwellers in the Kingston Metropolitan Area, Spanish Town and the dormitory community of Portmore, as well as the sea-based tourism market.

The development has been on the drawing board for a long time coming but the only hiccup foreseen by stakeholders in the project, such as Dr Ravidya Burrowes, the principal of Environmental Management Consultant Caribbean (EMC2), the firm overseeing the EIA process for the developers, is a long- standing debate over the stability of the thin strip of land and roadway called Palisadoes.

"The project proposes to take down sand dunes to make parking spaces," Burrowes told Sunday Finance in an interview last week. "People may believe that taking down dunes may affect the stability of Palisadoes.
But Burrowes, who actually specialised in the development of sand dunes in Jamaica in her doctoral studies, explained that the area earmarked for development was not only cut off from the system that protects the side of Palisadoes exposed to the Caribbean Sea, but could provide a solution to strengthening the southern side.

Studies point to the need to restructure the dunes to protect the thin strip of land that connects the community of Harbour View and the rest of Jamaica to the NMIA and Port Royal.
"Importantly, the sand can be used to strengthen the southern side," she added.

For Burrowes, developers fully taking into account the environmental impact of their projects is of the highest priority.
"We are not paper pushers," said Burrowes of her firm. "We like to work with developers who are serious about protecting the environment and to just get necessary paperwork."

For instance, the inclusion of a sewage pump out facility that can remove and treat the refuse from docking sea vessels at the marina was a plus for the project. In the Caribbean sea vessels tend to dump sewage into territorial waters and the Caribbean Sea, both of which have a long-term negative effect on the water.


Here is an aerial photo of the Palisadoes:
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #100  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2007, 5:08 AM
dante2308's Avatar
dante2308 dante2308 is offline
Man of Many Statistics
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Atlanta/Jamaica/S. Florida
Posts: 1,202


Solar fully powers new townhouse complex
Patrick Foster, Business Observer writer
Wednesday, June 06, 2007

A townhouse complex, The Doric, under construction at Clieveden Avenue in Kingston, will be the first residential development in the island to be totally outfitted with electricity-generating photovoltaic panels.

"We have so far installed panels on five units," said Damian Lyn, whose company, Alternative Power Sources, has the contract to install the power units at the housing complex.
When completed, the 12 townhouses will have the capacity to generate enough electricity to power regular household appliances without relying totally on the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) grid.

"It will alternate between the grid and the system, we are setting it up so it can alternate automatically, but homeowners can shut out the grid completely if they desire," Lyn told the Business Observer.

The system can run continuously for eight to 10 hours and also provide back-up in case of power outages.
The Doric is being developed by Conrad Graham, and townhouses in the scheme are priced at approximately $25 million each.[About US$367,000 (edit from dante)]

Lyn, who was last week elected president of the Jamaica Solar Energy Association (JSEA), said that the system at The Doric is fairly modest with a 3.6 kilowatt capacity and 110 volt inverters.

He explained that the project was designed to give homeowners an example of solar power but could be upgraded to 110/220v as required.

"This was meant to be a project where the developer gives the homeowner a touch of solar," said Lyn. "The system is modular and can be upgraded."

Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electrical energy, which is subsequently stored in a bank of batteries. An inverter then converts the DC battery power to AC for use in appliances.

A 400 watt, 110 volt system, able to work a full day powering regular household appliances such as television sets, a fridge and lights, would cost US$7,500, Lyn said.

Overcast days would somewhat affect the system's ability to provide full power, but it would still accept charge because the energy is produced from light and not temperature, he added.

The technology, which is relatively new to the island, has not found popular favour, it is argued, primarily because of prohibitive set-up costs. But Lyn contended that the amortisation rate for a residential system is between eight and 10 years. For a commercial customer setting up the photovoltaic system, amortisation would be less than five years, he added.

"That is not considering possible increases in JPS rates. With the increases, the payback time would be drastically reduced," he said.

However, apart from saving on electricity charges, Lyn explained that the power supplied by the system is 'cleaner' than that from the JPS grid.

"Where the system is installed you would not need a UPS to run your computer as there would be no fluctuation in the current," he explained.

At the recent JSEA annual general meeting, guest speaker Dr Raymond Wright of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, said that the use of photovoltaic panels should become more widespread as part of a collective effort to reduce the island's high fuel bill.

"I look forward to the time when buildings in Jamaica will be roofed with photovoltaic tiles being a part of the building and not an add-on," he said.

Wright said that there was too much dependency on government leadership, and the private sector should, instead, be involved in public awareness while incorporating the technology in their plans.

Architects should design using the panels, and building societies should consider special funding for the use of solar technology, Wright said.

He admitted, however, that photovoltaic panels would not become commonplace until the JPS adopted a net metering policy for people generating their own electricity.

In net metering, if a JPS customer using the photovoltaic panels, for example, produces excess electricity, it is fed back into the system and the amount deducted on the meter.
"With net metering you receive credit on the meter for what you produce. No money exchanges hands," said Lyn.

The JPS, he said, has argued against this method, opting instead for net billing, which would see the JPS pay between US five and nine cents per Kilowatt hour for electricity that is fed into its grid from customers.

"That is what the JPS would agree to at the time," said Lyn, adding that soon the company would be under new management and policies could change.

Though largely untested in the island, the photovoltaic system has Lyn's unwavering commitment; he said it is slowly gaining acceptance and even replacing JPS-supplied electricity.

"I have four locations that do not receive any power at all from the grid," he affirmed.
__________________
Where is the love? We've only got one world. Time that we share it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > América Latina
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 2:29 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.