By Garwin Davis
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – With the Fairview and Freeport areas of St James heavily commercialised, developers have turned their attention to Ironshore, near upscale Rose Hall, where a $600 million housing project is currently underway.
Headed by the husband and wife team of 33-year-old Matthew Donaldson and 30-year-old Danielle, the project has been praised by Montego Bay leaders, including Mayor Homer Davis, who sees the development as a major boost for the island’s tourism capital.
“This is a housing development that sits [neatly] between the Sangster International Airport and the Montego Bay Convention Centre,” he told JIS News.
Mayor Davis further noted that the Ironshore and Rose Hall areas are no longer playing second fiddle “to anybody”, pointing to what he said has been “a kind of explosion” in the form of more commercial activities in neighbouring Whitter Village as well as more housing and hotel developments.
Meanwhile, minister without portfolio in the ministry of economic growth and job creation with responsibility for water, housing, and infrastructure, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr., told JIS News that “a robust real estate sector is a strong indicator of a healthy economy”, adding that the Government continues to create the climate for developers to invest in quality housing projects.
“We have the Rhyne Park Housing Development coming on stream for tourism workers on this side of the town, and now we have this $600-million housing project, which will give the Rose Hall area in St James a massive boost,” the minister said, at a recent ceremony to break ground for the Rhyne Park project.
“Jamaica’s real estate industry has never been more vibrant than it is today, and we welcome all new developments and salute our developers,” the minister said.
Senator Charles Jr. further noted that the real estate industry is creating more jobs, adding more to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and has been strategically positioned at the centre of the island’s development.
“In playing its part, the government is committed to creating the space needed for the real estate industry in Jamaica to not just grow but also to flourish,” he added.
The new Ironshore Housing Project has been underway since September 2019, with completion set for January 2021.
