The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) is inviting investors to buy into its vision for its designated area, the Caymanas Estate, St. Catherine, to be a preferred place of choice to work, live and play in fulfillment of Vision 2030.
The invitation was extended by Desmond Malcolm, General Manager of the UDC at the official opening of the Caymanas Country Club Estate Housing Development on October 23, 2013 in Caymanas, St. Catherine. The scheme is being built by New Era Homes 2000 Ltd which is the first developer to seize the opportunity created by the UDC in the area.
According to Mr. Malcolm, ‘the Corporation’s plans for Caymanas Estate have evolved into one with a dynamic mix of development opportunities where persons can live, work and be rejuvenated’. Continuing, he notes,’ the UDC in its role as a catalyst, in some instances has undertaken developments and in others, facilitated development. The Caymanas Country Club Estate is an example of the latter where the Corporation was instrumental in facilitating New Era’s purchase of the land on which the homes are built’.
The planning process for Caymanas started in 1983 with the acquisition of 12,316 acres and the formation of the Caymanas Estate Development Company Limited Incorporated.
In 2009, the Corporation developed broad conceptual uses for the strategic use of the Caymanas lands in consultation with major stakeholders in the area; this led to a designation order being completed. This allowed the UDC to have a platform on which to build, through the pursuit of development opportunities, which are already bearing fruit with the completion of the homes.
Currently, the Caymanas Designated area comprises 10,703 acres of which approximately forty six percent (46%) has been earmarked for various types of developments including mixed income group residential solutions, light industrial, commercial, institutional and recreational uses.
Being mindful of its role as stewards of the environment, the UDC has identified the remaining 54% as forest, woodland and wetlands reserves. The centerpiece of development in the area is buoyed by the presence of the historic Caymanas Golf and Country Club located only a stone’s throw away and for which the UDC has responsibility. The facility also offers scenic amenities for lunch, picnics, parties, weddings, and corporate events.
The UDC which is celebrating its 45th anniversary received its mandate to make development happen on March 21, 1968 when it was created by an Act of Parliament. Over the decades, the work of the UDC has varied in scope and reach. From primary infrastructure to sporting and cultural facilities, from schools to hospitals to residential solutions, the UDC has contributed significantly to the development of virtually every facet of the Jamaican society.