WESTERN BUREAU:
CAN-CARA DEVELOPMENT Limited recently announced a $2.8 billion housing development for Irwin in Montego Bay, similar to White Water Meadows in Syndenham, St. Catherine.
The development, a joint venture between Can-cara and the Ministry of Water and Housing, will bring an additional 1,400 detached two-bedroom houses, priced at $2.5 million and $2.65 million to Montego Bay.
This announcement comes three weeks after Gore Developments Limited announced a 1,600 housing development to be located at Bogue in Montego Bay, the first phase of which is set to start in October with the construction of 392 houses.
Can-cara chairman, Junior Lincoln, following a presentation at the monthly meeting of the St. James Parish Council last week, said he was not concerned about the competition this would present.
"I think the market is there and we believe strongly that if you build nice communities, not just houses, people will want to buy them and live in them."
He explained that construction of the first phase of houses should begin in two months' time, while the project is scheduled for completion in three years.
"A section of the development will be for civil servants and a section of it for the Provident Society: 180 units will be made available for the civil servants and 200 for the Provident Society: the rest of that will go on the open market," he said. The houses will be 700 and 760 sq. ft. with a lot size of 4000 sq. ft.
The chairman, who was among a contingent from Can-cara including corporate consultant, Michael Young, noted that this development would incorporate all the needs of the community, including residents already living in the area and recreational infrastructure.
"There is a playing field there at the moment for which we are going to take full responsibility and we will be helping to develop the community centre and there will be other green areas - community parks, strategically placed at the development," he said.
Council members met the planned development with both anticipation and caution.
Several Councillors admitted that while they were happy to see the new development come to the city, they were cautious as a result of bad experiences they have had over the years with unscrupulous developers, who did not deliver on their promises of quality development.
"We at the Council will support it, but we want to make sure that the community has green areas and recreational areas, because that is what is going to help us to reduce some of the violence," said councillor Kirk Taylor.
Councillor Glendon Harris expressed concern that the new development, which is expected to bring an additional 5,000 residents to the Irwin/Pitfour area, would have a negative impact on the already serious traffic congestion which already plagues the area.
"I want to know if you had any dialogue with the National Works Agency to design, or see if we can get that traffic flow freely, considering the magnitude that is naturally going to be utilising that area," he said.
"If we build all the houses and people cannot move it is going to be a serious problem."
Can-cara gave an assurance that the necessary consultations with the community and government agencies would be done.
