Government Undertaking Housing Projects on The North Coast

Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, has said that the government was undertaking a number of housing projects on the booming north coast, which will provide about 2,118 housing solutions.
Mr. Pickersgill, who was speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday (Jan. 30), said that the projects were being undertaken by the Ministry through the joint venture Private Facilitation Programme; the Jamaica Mortgage Bank; the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC); and the National Housing Trust (NHT).
“At present, there are two projects comprising 696 solutions that are under construction in St. Mary. These are Industry Pen phase 2, which consist of 632 service lots and Iter Boreale, which consists of 60 service lots. The former is practically completed and the latter is scheduled to be completed this year,” informed the Minister.
He added that a total of 265 service lots were completed under Industry Pen phase 1 in 2004. In addition, he told the House, the Ministry would be undertaking four capital projects, three of which were in St. Ann and one in St. Mary.
“These projects will . result in a total of 85 service lots; 28 at Chippenham Park, 25 at Greenwich Park and 2 at Windsor in St. Ann,” while the remaining 30 lots would be in Crooked River, St. Mary.
In addition, he said, two joint venture projects were being planned for Bromley and Boscobel in St. Mary totalling 394 solutions and two Private Facilitation projects at Grantham Meadows and Harmony Hall, which would yield 224 service lots and 42 bedroom units, respectively.
“A study is also being undertaken on the more environmentally sensitive Shaw Park project, which when completed, should result in 1,500 housing solutions,” he informed.
Meanwhile, the Minister told the House that the NHT would be undertaking approximately 3,514 housing solutions over the next three years within the north coast tourism belt. The Trust will deliver 756 of these in the 2008/09 financial year and the remainder in the 2009/10 year.
“The agency will act as developer and joint venture partners and in other capacity as financier and/or marketer,” he informed.
The Minister also stated that discussions were advanced on a joint venture project with the National Insurance Fund for the development of 500 housing solutions at Flat Point, St. Ann.