Wick Hall housing development breaks ground in Spanish Town

A new private housing development has broken ground at Wick Hall Estate on Featherbed Lane in Spanish Town, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness joining St. Catherine officials, developers and financial partners for the ceremony.

The project, led by Norman Horn of the Ark group through Altra Homes, is expected to bring 221 homes to 36 acres in the South Central St. Catherine constituency. Organisers said the development is intended to support home ownership for Jamaican families, with three housing types and community amenities.

Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott said the project reflected what he described as the rebirth of the old capital. He announced that he would take a proposal to the municipal council to rename Featherbed Lane as Featherbed Drive, saying the change should match the level of transformation taking place in the area.

Horn said Wick Hall Estate was being positioned as part of the Jamaican dream of owning property, building family security and creating generational wealth. He said the scheme would include a gated layout, clubhouse, pool, park, playground and green space. The homes, he added, are to be designed with solar water heaters, hurricane-resistant windows, solar readiness, natural light and climate-conscious layouts.

NCB representative Carlen Lyn said the bank was proud to help finance the development, noting its long relationship with the Ark group and the wider contribution of housing to jobs, investment and community growth. First Global Bank was also identified as a mortgage partner, with reference made to a 1 per cent owner programme for eligible buyers.

Member of Parliament Dr Andrew Wheatley welcomed the investment, saying South Central St. Catherine and wider Spanish Town were open to further residential and commercial development.

Holness said the project showed how the private sector could help deliver affordable housing outside the high-rise market in Kingston and St. Andrew. He linked planned communities to productivity, arguing that organised housing with roads, water, garbage collection and proper design gives families a stronger base for work, education and daily life.