The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has launched a tender for architectural and engineering consultants to design and oversee the construction of a new business continuity centre (BCC) on a 3.2-acre property near the French Embassy.
“The BOJ requires the development of a new BCC at its 13 Hillcrest Ave property,” the central bank stated in its tender, issued this month.
The BOJ manages Jamaica’s monetary policy, foreign exchange reserves, and currency issuance from its Nethersole Place headquarters in downtown Kingston. It however wants an “alternative facility to ensure the uninterrupted conduct of mission-critical activities in the event that the bank’s main building becomes inaccessible due to natural or man-made disasters”, according to its annual report. The BOJ is separately engaged in expanding its Nethersole Place location, with disclosed plans to build a second tower.
The BOJ’s arrival at Hillcrest Avenue reflects a broader shift along what was once a purely residential street in Kingston 6 — the road now hosts at least two financial institutions, including Citibank and NCB Co-operative Employees Credit Union, as well as a furniture store, doctors’ offices, the weekly Kingston Night Market, restaurants, an art gallery, and a café, quietly blending commerce into its residential fabric.
At Hillcrest, the BOJ wants a contractor to build a “two- to three-storey structure” that optimises land use. The facility will “comfortably house 40 employees” to ensure continuity of functions that cannot be carried out remotely. The BOJ’s staff complement totals 730, with three-quarters being permanent workers.
The central bank reportedly acquired the site from Sygnus Real Estate Finance, the listed real estate investment fund, for around US$8 million. The Financial Gleaner understands that the BOJ acquired the front portion of the 13 Hillcrest Avenue property, with the French Embassy retaining its presence at the rear of the compound — an arrangement that is expected to remain even after the new BCC is constructed.
The request for proposals, issued on May 2, closes on June 5.
The new facility is to serve as a “modern resilient operational” hub incorporating secure currency handling, a disaster response command centre, and round-the-clock operational capacity. Among the more exacting requirements: structural designs exceeding 150 per cent of regional seismic, hurricane, and flooding-protection standards; backup power autonomy of at least 72 hours; and on-site water and energy systems capable of sustaining full operations for 21 or more days during extended emergencies.
The proposed building would span 3,000 to 4,000 square metres — roughly 32,000 to 43,000 square feet. Currency operations are central to the design brief, with the ground floor to include a main vault and bullion yard with loading bays, biometric access controls, and disaster-resistant vault protection meeting international central banking security standards.
The BOJ also wants the facility to achieve LEED Platinum certification — the highest tier of green building accreditation — with at least 40 per cent of its energy generated on-site from renewable sources. The bank is additionally calling for renovation and systems integration of an existing two-storey office building on the property, to ensure both structures operate as a coordinated continuity environment.
A mandatory site visit is scheduled for May 15. The tender is described as a retender, indicating that at least one prior bid round was unsuccessful or inconclusive. The tender does not disclose an estimated project value.
The Hillcrest Avenue project represents the BOJ’s most visible infrastructure investment in years. The pre-construction phase is expected to conclude within eight months of contract commencement.
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