GREENSIDE, Trelawny – Montego Bay businessman Carl Erskine is embarking on the construction of a nearly $1-billion upscale townhouse development, the Greens at Hummingbird Estate, a gated community here.

The signing of the contract for the gated community development, to be financed by JMMB and constructed by Henan Fifth Construction group, took place at Erskine’s Grand-A-View Hotel in Montego Bay, St James, on Saturday.

During her delivery of the keynote address at the official signing ceremony, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Janet Silvera noted that some 35 three-bedroom townhouses will be delivered in the first phase of the project followed by an additional 24. The first phase is earmarked for completion in 12 months.

“He (Erskine) understands the urgency of providing housing solutions in our neighbouring parish. The project is $900,000 shy of $1 billion. It is being financed by a Jamaican-owned bank, JMMB,” Silvera noted.

“Since word went out of the Greens of Hummingbird in Greenside, Trelawny, at least 12 units have already been sold. This is a signal that the people who are selling won’t have hands to sell them,” the MBCCI president contended.

Erskine told the Jamaica Observer that the going rate for each three-bedroom, 2,000 square feet unit is US$350,000.

Erskine’s attorney, Gilroy English, argued that the units are “fairly priced”.

He noted that the gated community housing project, which boast a view of the Falmouth harbour, an extensive club house, on suite bedroom on the ground floor, among other features, will be sustainably developed.

“We have EPM Consultants and that team – they are very serious about their environmental requirement and we know for sure that we will not be one of those who will have negative press for any breaches,” argued the attorney-at-law.

Silvera also lauded the developers for being mindful of the environment.

“Any developer that takes on board environmentalists deserves to get kudos because obviously he understands that if we continue to cut down trees, if we don’t protect our environment then we will have erosions, we will have flooding, we will have all of those things. This is not what this project is about. This is a project that is going to be friendly to the environment,” Silvera commented.

Erskine conceded that “it is going to be a tedious project but I am prepared to deal with it”. He explained that the name of the development stems from the abundance of hummingbirds in the area of the development.

“I want to make JMMB very proud after this project is completed,” Erskine said.

“Greenside is a little place in Falmouth, Trelawny, and because there are a lot of hummingbirds up there I decided to name it Greenside Hummingbirds. It’s a very catchy name and I think it will take flight in regards to the sales and the people that I have found to do that is most of the top realtors in Jamaica.”

English is convinced that the unique gated community will appeal to a wide variety of buyers.

“One of the main pulling points for this development is that it appeals to all market group: whether you are a newly created family, established family with teenager, or it is a retirement home,” English noted.

Also speaking at the function was Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament (MP) Tova Hamilton who said she was elated over the development in the Greenside community of her constituency.

“I am just welcoming the development in Trelawny Northern. I am looking forward to it, I am very excited and I will be here when you complete to say congratulations,” Hamilton said.

She added: “I must say that Trelawny Northern is one of the most beautiful, picturesque constituencies you will ever come across. This development will therefore serve a great purpose in maintaining the stature of the constituency. “

The first time MP also expressed confidence that the development will serve to assist in the development of the community.

“On September 3, 2020 when I was given the awesome task of representing the constituency I realised that I had some serious work ahead of me. The constituency is one that you would describe as underdeveloped because we do have infrastructural issues- roads, water, electricity. We have challenges. Now a development like this one by Mr Erskine, the Hummingbird Estates, especially in the community that it will be in, will serve a great purpose,” Hamilton, who is also an attorney-at-law, stated.