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After four years of closure, the once-bustling Rockfort Mineral Bath Complex in east Kingston is bubbling back to life, not only as a restored public facility, but as a symbol of health, heritage, and homecoming.

Led by Caribbean Cement Company Limited (Carib Cement), the phased five-year refurbishment is now nearing the end of its first stage, with the public bath area expected to reopen by the end of this month.

The company is operating under a 25-year lease agreement with the Government and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), the legal custodians of the historic site."We're going through what we call a defects list right now, looking at the finer details to wrap up phase one," explained Christopher Bryan, project manager at Carib Cement.

"This isn't a rebuild. We're working with a tight budget, so we couldn't do everything we wanted to, but we've addressed what matters most."

The refurbishing included repainting the mineral pools, restoring damaged doors, repairing bathroom and changing room stalls, and making essential safety upgrades. He noted that although no reopening date has been confirmed, the construction phase is scheduled to conclude this week.

"We expect people to return to what they're used to - a place for healing, community, and family time," he said.

According to Chad Bryan, communications and social impact coordinator at Carib Cement, the company's current focus is strictly on revitalising the public bath. The private bathing facilities, once a popular feature of the complex, remain untouched due to financial constraints.

"The cost of refurbishing the private baths just wouldn't benefit the wider public right now. We're focused on accessibility for the people who need it most," he said.

Though the facility is often romanticised in local lore, the mineral bath's healing properties are no myth.

"The place provides real physiotherapy," he said.

"A session at a private clinic can cost up to $3,000, but for $500 to $700, people can spend 45 minutes here and feel the difference."

"Water therapy helps build muscle strength. Just walking in water creates resistance. It's effective, and a lot of doctors recommend it, especially for people with mobility issues," he added.

As a declared national monument, Rockfort Mineral Bath is protected by law. That means no structural alterations can be made to its historic features, but that hasn't diminished its cultural value or local love.

"The legacy is already here," Christopher Bryan said. "This site has been part of the lives of people from Rollington Town, Rockfort, Harbour View. For decades, it's been a recreation site, especially for the elderly."

He added that despite the closure, every Sunday for the past few years, someone has written to the newspapers asking when the facility would reopen.

"Our seniors have been advocating for this. It's not that we didn't want to reopen, it's that we've had to work within the lease agreement and restoration constraints," he explained.

The first phase officially began last December, with renovations to the public pool, pool deck, changing rooms, and gazebo. Carib Cement plans to continue the upgrades under the $57-million initiative.

"The nostalgia, the healing, the memories; this is what we're bringing back," he said. "The expectations are high, but we're here to meet them."