More than 7,000 jobs could potentially be created from the development of the Raintree Commercial Complex, located just outside Kingston at Caymanas Estate in Ferry Pen, St. Catherine.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, on April 16 broke ground and witnessed the contract signing for phase/block one of the project, which forms part of the Caymanas Estate Development Area.

Dr Holness explained that of the total, 2,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the project, while over the long term, the complex has the potential to accommodate more than 5,000 permanent jobs.

“Many of these will be in high-growth sectors such as business process outsourcing, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing and other commercial activities. As such, this project represents real opportunities for people. I can see the welders, technicians, engineers, the administrative staff, the ICT professionals and small entrepreneurs. This is how we translate our economic gains into better lives for the people,” he said.

He further noted that the Raintree Project is projected to attract capital investments of at least $3.8 billion in infrastructure and will support long-term private investments exceeding $15 billion.

“The over $15 billion of projected private investment on this site, driven by the sale of development lots, will have a multiplier effect, feeding directly into the local economy, creating demand for jobs, services and transportation, and that is how development works best when it generates self-reinforcing cycles of opportunities and progress,” the Prime Minister said.

“We are creating a virtuous cycle of peace, productivity and prosperity. Our macroeconomic progress has enabled us to make significant investments in our infrastructure and improving our national security apparatus and the capacity and capability of our security forces. We are seeing the payoff from these investments as crime is now at a 25-year low,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that Raintree Commercial Complex is the first phase of a wider transformation of more than 3,400 acres of developable land in the critical area at the crossroads of Kingston, Portmore and Spanish Town.

Dr Holness pointed out that the Caymanas Estate Development Block One encompasses 108 acres of subdivided land dedicated to commercial and light industrial development. He added that the space has been zoned, master planned and environmentally assessed to support a new generation of enterprise and employment.

“It will deliver a much-needed supply of serviced, investment-ready lots in proximity to major roads and urban centres, fulfilling a market gap for modern commercial infrastructure outside of Kingston’s core. The vision is clear—create a space where businesses, large and small, can thrive in an environment supported by first-rate infrastructure connectivity and sustainability,” he said. 

Dr Holness said the ground-breaking and contract-signing ceremony marks the materialisation of a long-held vision—a vision of transforming underutilised land into a centre of economic activity, employment, innovation and inclusive growth.

“We are laying the foundation for a future of economic expansion, job creation and spatial transformation that will serve generations to come,” he said.

He congratulated the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for its unwavering commitment to revitalise the initiative.

“Your stewardship of the Caymanas Estate Development Area (CEDA) reflects the very purpose for which the UDC was established, to drive sustainable urban transformation in a way that balances development with environmental stewardship and social inclusiveness,” the prime minister said.

“This moment represents the fruits of patient, coordinated planning by the UDC in partnership with government ministries, regulatory agencies, investors and the communities surrounding the site. The Caymanas Estate Development Area, of which this Raintree Development is a part, has long been earmarked as one of the most strategically valuable landbanks in the Kingston Metropolitan Region, encompassing over 10,000 acres across the St. Catherine/St. Andrew boundary,” he noted.

He added that the area sits at the convergence of three major highways—the Edward Seaga, PJ Patterson and Nelson Mandela Highways—giving it unmatched accessibility to Kingston, Spanish Town, Portmore and other key logistics gateways.