PM Announces Major Hotel Project In Trelawny

Prime Minister P.J Patterson announced today that 560 hectares of land have been acquired for a major resort development in the parish of Trelawny. Making his Budget presentation in Gordon House under the theme ‘One Vision One People: A Strong Jamaica’ the Prime Minister informed that the property for the development was acquired by a new entity with the National Housing Trust and the Development Bank of Jamaica as shareholders.
The master plan for the development, to be called ‘Harmony Cove’, have been completed and comprises: four (4) five-star hotels, one of which will be a 1,000 room convention hotel with necessary facilities; a 45,000 square foot spa; a shopping village; three signature golf courses; a marina; apartments and condominiums; 95,000 square feet of meeting place and 200 up-scale villas and manor houses ranging from 0.2 hectares to two hectares.The Prime Minister said the property, which has an extensive beachfront with some of the country’s finest white-sand beaches and topography, was ideally suited and would “offer a vacation experience unparalleled in the Caribbean.”
Mr. Patterson told the House that already developers, hotel chains, investors, operators and designers of golf courses have expressed serious interest in participating in the proposed project.
He further informed that it had been decided to publicly invite proposals for joint venture partners, both locally and overseas, including investors and construction firms, to implement the development in keeping with the master plan. “This development will enable us to capture a major spot at the top end of the international tourism market,” he pointed out.
The Prime Minister said that a model of the development would be displayed in the lobby of his Jamaica House offices as of Wednesday, April 28.He further divulged that plans were moving ahead for the development of Falmouth, known as a model Georgian town, as a world-class attraction.Commenting on other tourism projects, Mr. Patterson said that a world-leading architect had been commissioned by a prominent entrepreneur to create a conceptual design for the redevelopment of Titchfield Hill and other areas of Port Antonio, in Portland led by the Port Authority of Jamaica.
In addition, the Port Authority is proceeding with plans for developing Lucea as a cruise shipping port, while the National Housing Trust had allocated funds for the Montego Bay Waterfront Development project, for which the Tourism Product Development Company and other government agencies are examining proposals for attractions.
Turning to infrastructure development, the Mr.Patterson said that a development plan to guide land utilisation on the Highway 2000 corridor was being prepared as the basis for a Development Order, which is scheduled for completion by September. Meanwhile, phase two of the North Coast Highway Project is under construction and the contractual arrangements for Phase three, for which financing is already in place, are being finalised.
Furthermore, the first phase of the US$200 million investment expansion/modernization programme for the Sangster Airport, involving private investors, is ahead of schedule and should be completed in 2005. On the US$130 million Norman Manley International Airport modernization thrust, Prime Minister Patterson said the terminal design was to be completed by October, while the cargo village and ticketing concourse had already been contracted.