Forty-Seven families who will be affected by the Port Project in Rose Place are expected to move into their new homes at Lowmans Bay, later this year.
The port modernization project, estimated to cost US$ 185 million, is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank through the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, and will take place in two phases.
The first phase involves the construction of a new cargo port that will also allocate land for expansion of the current cruise facility. The second phase will include construction of an inter-island and regional port.
Both phases are estimated to take two-and-a-half years to complete. Developers have stressed the work will be climate-resilient.
The housing project is a small component of the Port Development Project and makes up just EC$4.2 million of the US$185 million/EC$500 modernization plan. Housing units for 47 families are expected to finish by September this year.
The housing project is being executed by more than one contracting firm and will include one and two-bedroom duplexes and one, two and three- bedroom single houses.
Chairperson of the Port Modernization Project Steering Committee, Laura Anthony-Browne said that four of the homes are already completed, but the outside will remain unpainted for now as construction is still ongoing.
Tiling, painting and other inside works have already been completed. After the houses are completed they will be handed over to the government who will then decide when persons can move in.
Persons living on the beach in Rose Place were given until March 31st, 2019 to make themselves known to the government. Those who presented themselves are the ones expected to move into the new houses.
Those who had also own small businesses are expected to receive a housing unit which accommodate the continuing operations of their business.
