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Mayor of Portmore Keith Hinds said he will be recommending that the Port Henderson strip, popularly known as "back road" be transformed into a business hub.
Mr. Hinds said he wants the area to be developed with a mix of business and entertainment venues, similar to that of the tourist mecca of Glouster Avenue also called the 'Hip Strip' in Montego Bay, St. James.
Mayor Hinds told RJR News that the intention is to capitalize on and develop the fledgling historical tourism sector in the municipality.
"What I'm seeking to do is prepare a visit for those young ladies on the "back road", checking them for AIDS and other STIs and we also want to put that area into what we call a ‘Hip Strip'. <span style="font-weight: bold">The ‘Hip Strip' has nothing to do with red light or prostitution,"</span>
"It's entertainment putting hotels up there so they just don't become motels because they can certainly add to the stock of rooms that Kingston is so lacking and there are quite a number of rooms on the ‘Hip Strip' that can be used the proper way. Visitors are pouring into Portmore and we want to accommodate them," said Mayor Hinds.
Meanwhile, the Portmore Municipal Council in St. Catherine has expressed concern regarding the state of the Dyke road.
The council said the area has become a haven for criminals and is the site of several illegal activities.
Mayor Hinds told RJR News he will be seeking dialogue with persons who own property along the Dyke Road to encourage them to properly bush and maintain the area.
The concern echoes those expressed by the St. Catherine South Police who said the road has become a dumping ground for bodies and is frequently the scene of many robberies.
In the latter part of this year, three female bodies were recovered in the area by the police.