Lands to be Developed in St. James for Tourism Workers

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang and Chairman of Rose Hall Developments Limited, Michelle Rollins, yesterday (Dec. 30) signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of 130 acres of land valued at US$1 million at Rhyne Park South in St. James.
The property, which is owned by Rose Hall Developments, will be handed over to the Government soon, for the provision of affordable housing solutions for tourism sector workers and their families in the Rhyne Park/Rose Hall area.
At the signing ceremony held at the Office of the Prime Minster in Montego Bay, Dr. Chang said the joint venture project comes after months of negotiations. While not giving a date for the start of the housing project, the Minister said: “We expect that during the course of the coming year, we can implement what we have put down on paper and move on.”
He expressed the hope that “this move of a joint venture for the provision of quality housing for workers ..can be emulated elsewhere, noting that “the Government has the intention of moving aggressively in the New Year to provide affordable housing solutions on the north coast, ranging from St. Ann through Trelawny and into Montego Bay.
In the meantime, he commended the “tremendous contributions” of the Rollins family to the development of Montego Bay and the tourism sector in general. “They have been one of the driving forces behind the entire development of this town,” Dr. Chang stated.
Mrs. Rollins, in her remarks, said it is her desire to see “this undertaking becoming a successful model of private and public sector joint venture that will be emulated across the island”.
“My hope is to provide sustainable development, while building strong communities where the industry workers can achieve the stability of a place to own and live close to where they work,” she added.
She said that special effort will be taken to ensure that plans for the development cover infrastructural requirements as well as residential solutions.