The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) is on the cusp of rewriting the history of Jamaican sport with the development of a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facility that will stand as a national beacon of progress, innovation, and legacy.
For decades, 9 Cunningham Avenue in Kingston 6 has served as the operational base of the JOA. But that address is about to be transformed into something far more ambitious—Olympic Manor, a bold two-phase development project that redefines what a sports headquarters can and should be.
Olympic Manor: Where vision meets purpose
The planned Olympic Manor will be more than just a building—it will be a holistic ecosystem supporting the physical, educational, commercial, and cultural dimensions of sport. Envisioned as a boutique-style sporting campus, the multi-purpose facility will feature a wellness hub for athletes, a physiotherapy center, a sports apparel store, a commercial restaurant, a museum, and cutting-edge conference amenities. The inclusion of these elements is not just cosmetic; they are foundational to a broader, integrated concept of athlete support and sport development.
Described as “visionary and futuristic,” the facility is designed with an athlete-first philosophy, yet its broader purpose reaches far beyond the playing field. It will serve as an entrepreneurial platform for sport-based commerce, a training ground for knowledge acquisition, and a cultural archive celebrating Jamaica’s rich Olympic legacy.
A business model rooted in transformation
For JOA President Christopher Samuda, the Olympic Manor is the physical embodiment of a deeply held philosophy about sport’s role in national development. “Yes, the finished product, the finished building will be sports headquarters. It will indeed be the Olympic Manor,” he affirmed. “But you know, as I’ve always said, this JOA administration—we are continuously on construction sites, laying foundations for sports now, and the next generation, and changing communities.”
Samuda underscored the organization’s strategic intent: “We are commercializing the facilities and infrastructure of sport, constructing business models that we believe must be the cornerstone of any viable and revenue-generating sports industry.”
From headquarters to heart of the community
Beyond its commercial aspirations, the Olympic Manor is positioned as a hub of knowledge, training, and community activation. Samuda passionately described the initiative as part of a broader social mission: “In fact, we are blue-printing what I have always termed to be nationhood in sport initiatives, activationism that are values-driven, people-centered, civic-minded and community-oriented.”
This commitment will be reflected in training opportunities, athlete services, and civic engagement. “This multi-purpose headquarters, while being a growing concern in business and commerce, will importantly be a seat of sports, skills training and education for our members and all stakeholders, for we must together construct a knowledge-based and technically sound fraternity,” he added.
Sport as a sustainable industry
As the JOA continues to promote the business of sport, Olympic Manor will serve as a sustainable, income-generating asset that supports the organization’s long-term goals. Its unique integration of commerce, wellness, tourism, and heritage reinforces Kingston’s evolving profile as a sports and cultural capital.
Importantly, the revenue derived from the facility will be reinvested into Jamaican sport, ensuring a broader reach of benefits for athletes, coaches, and stakeholders in line with the JOA’s guiding principle of “sport for all.”
“This must be the vision,” declared Samuda. “It must be the outcome.”
