Culture Minister Olivia Grange has pointed out that the Mammee Bay water wheel in St Ann, has great economic potential, as a heritage tourism attraction.

A ribbon cutting and unveiling ceremony was held at the site, yesterday.

Ms. Grange said the event represented the completion of the first of six phases of the restoration, of the historic monument.

The culture minister stated that this is a step in the right direction to preserve, promote and protect national monuments, which are symbols of the country’s rich history.

In outlining the history of the attraction, Ms. Grange noted the use of water from the Roaring River, in the production of sugar at the nearby plantation.

The restoration project was undertaken by the Tourism Product Development Company, (TPDCo) in collaboration with the National Water Commission and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, which declared the wheel ruins, a national monument in 2008.

The ruin along with a double-sided story board was unveiled, and a memorandum of understanding, was signed between TPDCo and the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre, under the Adopt An Area programme, for maintenance of the space, over 5 years.