KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz, has hailed AVS Builders Limited, for its environmentally-friendly design of 20 South, a real-estate development being constructed on South Avenue in St Andrew.

Addressing the launch of the housing project at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel on Thursday, Vaz said the multi-family, high-rise, 80-unit development, to be completed by March 2018, will be a modern green building, featuring solar panels, smart elevators, toilets, faucets and fixtures as well as rainwater harvesting and a green space.

The development will comprise units of varying sizes, with prices starting at US$166,000, and will have rooftop jogging trails, recreational spaces, including a pool on the seventh floor, a gym and a sky-deck.

Vaz sought to allay concerns that such an increase in density by a high-rise development could impact the water supply, sewage system and sewage infrastructure, by noting that any such increase in density will be met by plans by the Government to upgrade sewer mains and water-supply systems as well as reduce non-revenue water throughout the corporate area.

Plans are well under way for the upgrading of the sewage system from downtown, Kingston to Constant Spring Road.

The minister, meanwhile, encouraged more developers to consider high-rise building as the solution for increasing demand for housing in the corporate area.

“The truth is, the only way for residential development to be sustainable in Kingston is for the density to increase. If we can’t go horizontal, we must go vertical. In this regard, I am in total agreement with the architectural fraternity, which has lobbied long and hard for higher housing density in our urban centres, so I wholeheartedly endorse this project,” he said. 

Vaz hailed 20 South as unique and commendable, as it targets a demographic that successive administrations have sought to enable – middle to upper income earners and young professionals.

“This development not only heralds the future construction methods in our capital city but is an innovative example of where our collective mindset needs to be in how we build to appease the demand for upmarket but affordable housing solutions in our urban centres,” he said.

AVS Builders is collaborating with Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) as the exclusive mortgage provider for 20 South, with ATL as the exclusive appliance provider, and FLOW as the main service provider of Internet, landlines, and cable and intercom services.