ALTRUHOMES brings 221 homes to Spanish Town
New gated community on Featherbed Lane offers homes from J$28.5 million, with mortgage deposits as low as one per cent
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, yesterday, broke ground at Wick Hall Estate, a 221-home gated community being developed by ALTRUHOMES on Featherbed Lane in the Innswood corridor of Spanish Town.
The Prime Minister delivered the keynote address before government, banking and construction sector leaders at the 36-acre site.
The development is the largest undertaken by ALTRUHOMES, the residential arm of The Arc Group, and among the largest of its kind ever built in St. Catherine. Construction is being carried out by Brothers Concepts & Solutions Limited to designs by Principal Architect Mlela Matandara-Clarke of MatandaraClarke Architects.
Prime Minister Holness described the development as “a serious investment” that “answers a question Jamaican families ask every day: where can I find well-built homes in a good location at a reasonable price that is within my reach?” Teachers, nurses, civil servants, police officers, young professionals and small business owners, he noted, are all asking it.
Citing a national shortfall of 150,000 housing solutions, of which the Government has committed to delivering 70,000, the Prime Minister said the private sector must fill the remainder. “Housing can be provided effectively, affordably and at high standards by the private sector, and I want to use this project as an example of what an enlightened private sector housing thrust could look like,” he said, describing Wick Hall as “a critical part of the government’s housing plan.”
The Prime Minister, a son of Spanish Town, also endorsed the commitment by His Worship Councillor Norman Scott, Mayor of Spanish Town, to rename Featherbed Lane, suggesting it become Featherbed Boulevard to “reflect the dignity of the place we intend to create.”
Arc Group Chairman Norman Horne, CD, JP, traced Wick Hall to what he called the Jamaican Dream, and to his own parents, who began with almost nothing at Independence in 1962 and built their way to a home of their own.
“That home was stability. It was freedom, dignity and ownership. A home is the best route from independence to prosperity,” Mr. Horne said.
Pointing to the construction jobs, local spending and stronger parish tax base the development will generate, he declared that “housing policy, at its core, is economic policy,” adding: “We are building more than houses here. We are building citizens.”
Mr. Horne said the choice of location was deliberate. “We chose Spanish Town because this city deserves investment. The families of St. Catherine deserve homes built with the same thought and quality that anywhere else in Jamaica would expect.” Closing his remarks, he made a direct pledge to prospective homeowners: “To the families already watching and waiting, we hear you. We will not let you down.”
Wick Hall Estate offers three home collections starting from J$28.5 million, designed for mid-income Jamaican households. Planned amenities include a clubhouse with pool, landscaped parks, children’s play areas, green space across nearly seven acres and 24-hour gated security. Every unit comes with solar water heating installed and provisions for solar panels.
Project financing for the development is provided by National Commercial Bank through its Corporate Banking division. Mortgage financing for buyers is available through NCB and First Global Bank, with terms of up to 40 years. Under First Global Bank’s 1% to Own programme, eligible buyers can secure their home with a deposit as low as one per cent of the purchase price. Construction is expected to create approximately 100 direct employment positions in St. Catherine.
Wick Hall Estate is a 221-home gated residential community spanning 36 landscaped acres on Featherbed Lane in the Innswood corridor of Spanish Town, St. Catherine. Developed by ALTRUHOMES, the estate offers three home collections built to a standard of premium quality at prices accessible to Jamaicans on regular incomes.
ALTRUHOMES is the residential development arm of The Arc Group, chaired by Norman Horne, CD, JP. Its guiding principle, Inspired Living, reflects the conviction that good design, generous green space and genuine community character are the foundation every Jamaican home deserves.
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