Investors are moving quickly on the latest phase of the Caymanas development, snapping up almost half of the lots in block 1 of the commercial development even before major site works are completed, according to latest information coming out of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

“Following the ground-breaking for the complex, the corporation has seen strong investor uptake with almost 50 per cent of lots already under active, advanced transaction,” the state agency with responsibility for developing the area said.

The strong take-up comes less than a year after ground was broken for the 108-acre commercial zone, named the Raintree Commercial Complex, and signals rising private-sector confidence in the long-promised transformation of Caymanas into a major logistics and light-industrial hub. Raintree Commercial Complex is the first phase of a plan to develop more than 3,400 acres of land in Caymanas Estates, St Catherine.

The UDC says it remains on track to hand over lots by July 2026, bringing the project a step closer to delivering more than 2,000 short-term jobs during construction and an estimated 5,000 long-term positions once businesses begin operations. The complex is projected to attract capital investment of at least $3.8 billion in infrastructure and will support long-term private investments exceeding $15 billion.

“The advancement of site works at the Raintree Commercial Complex signals, for the UDC, alignment with the corporation’s commitment to building out infrastructure that will drive long-term business development, attract private-sector interest, and create jobs for Jamaicans,” chairman of the UDC, Norman Brown, said amid describing the development as a strong demonstration of the corporation’s work to stimulate economic growth and transform strategic lands into economic empowerment for Jamaican people and businesses.

Raintree Commercial Complex will eventually comprise 69 serviced lots equipped with modern utilities, including sewage, water, electricity, stormwater systems, and paved roadways. The design incorporates green areas and protected environmental buffers, reflecting conditions imposed during the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) approvals process earlier this year, which required the UDC to safeguard biodiversity in parts of the Caymanas Estate.

Located at Ferry Pen in St Catherine, the development sits at one of the most connected nodes in Jamaica’s transport network, bordered by the PJ Patterson, Edward Seaga, and Nelson Mandela highways. Its placement offers quick access to Kingston, Spanish Town, and key distribution points, positioning it as a natural magnet for warehousing, logistics, manufacturing support services, and corporate back-office operations.

The UDC believes that this geographic advantage will support stronger business-to-business linkages and stimulate fresh investment across the region. The corporation also sees Raintree as a foundation for the broader Caymanas Special Economic Zone plan, which received regulatory clearance earlier this year and is expected to attract developers targeting export-oriented industries.

Raintree project is the first commercial development that the UDC has embarked on in close to three decades.

In April, during the ground-breaking ceremony, Brown also outlined the corporation’s broader vision for Caymanas, which includes a major housing component positioned alongside the commercial build-out. The first phase will see roughly 1,250 homes developed through a joint