The projected completion date for the Morant Bay Urban Centre in St. Thomas has been pushed to December this year.

Ground was broken for the project in 2019 with construction commencing more than two years later.

During a tour of the facility in April, Prime Minister Andrew Holness indicated that the $6 billion project was 50 per cent completed and that it would be at practical completion by September.

Chairman of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica, Lyttleton Shirley provided an update on the centre this afternoon at the groundbreaking ceremony for a similar project in Boundbrook, Portland.

Mr. Shirley said though the Morant Bay Urban Centre is 70 per cent complete, it will miss the September timeline due to the impending relocation of a Jamaica Public Service (JPS) substation.

He explained that the relocation posed several issues, including construction delays.

Among the entities that will be occupying the centre are the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation, the St. Thomas Parish Court and all other Government agencies located in Morant Bay.

Several private sector entities, including banks, business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and quick-service businesses will also take up space at the facility.