Ground broken for major housing development in Trelawny

Ground was broken on Wednesday December 1, for a major housing development in the district of Holland, some two miles from Falmouth, in Trelawny.
The project, which will be implemented by Zuccherina Developments (Jamaica) Limited, in collaboration with KENCASA Construction and Project Management Limited, both private sector interests, will see the construction of 1,385 housing solutions on some 78 hectares of land. Construction will be done in four phases, with phase one accommodating 446 housing solutions.
According to the developers, the housing units provided will be specifically for low and middle income earners.
Addressing the ground breaking ceremony, Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, commended the conceptualizers and investors for the project, stating that they have put together “a unique concept for Jamaica”.
The Minister underscored the level of development now taking place within the tourism sector along the north coast of the island, adding that this trend is expected to continue for some time. He said that the development of the north coast is signalling major changes in the island’s economic activity, from traditional heavy industries to services.
Against this background, he argued that with the increase in employment in the service sector, there will be an increased demand for housing in the areas near the sources of employment. He said that in the earlier years of the development of the tourism sector, the housing challenges led to the development of informal settlement in areas like Montego Bay and Negril, and this must be prevented from continuing.
He mentioned initiatives by the government to try and satisfy some of the housing demand, adding that all private sector initiatives in this area ought to be commended and supported. He pointed out that the government is on track in completing a land use plan over the next 24 months, which should benefit long term planning for land usage.
The Minister said the entire north coast of the island is fast becoming one marketplace, and that part of his ministry’s responsibility is to prevent the continued expansion of informal settlements, adding that while the process cannot be reversed, the process will be arrested and curtailed.