Ashford W. Meikle, Business Reporter

Construction on Escape Villas in St. Ann.

Construction is nearing completion for Escape Villas, an exclusive gated community located some ten minutes from the Walkerswood Factory in St. Ann.

The development - a 12 unit complex with a mix of one and two bedrooms - is small by what obtains in Kingston, but represents an increasing shift towards communal living in Jamaica.

"We have people calling from Ocho Rios, Kingston, but the bulk of our enquiries come from overseas," managing director of Remax Island Estates, George Plummer, told Sunday Business.

Remax is the local selling agent for Escape Villas, which is being developed by Mountain View Enterprises.

"People want somewhere where they can relax when they come on vacation. So you try and give them something as close as possible to a hotel," he explained.

Pointing to the selling points of the development, Plummer argued, "It's a great place to live, nice area, it's crime free - you can leave your door open. All the infrastructure is already in place in that area, and the water supply is very good."

Specifically, the complex, which is located on an expansive one and quarter acres of land, will have four one-bedroom and eight two bedroom units on one block.

The split-level building will feature the one bedroom units on the lower level, and the larger units on the ground and upper level.

Selling price

The selling price for the units, according to Plummer, will be $3.9 million for the one bedroom and $5.4 million for the two bedroom, which he says is comparable to what is on the market.

Any escalation, said the agent, will be capped at five per cent and "will be signed off by a certified quantity surveyor."

The development, which is about 70 per cent complete, will feature creature comforts such as a swimming pool, a gym, automatic gate, allocated parking and air conditioned bedrooms.

"Overseas residents are accustomed to air conditioning so that is why we have that feature."

The units, targeted for completion next February, will each have its designated parking plus an additional four parking spaces for visitors.

"The concrete structure is up and the roof is about 90 per cent complete. They are rendering the walls to put in the windows and door," noted Plummer.

He noted that were it not for the redesign of the kitchen, the internal finishings would have been completed.

"We had to do over the kitchen because we wanted a contemporary look. We did not think that the original design did not match the overall [urban] look of the place," commented Plummer.

Turning to the contentious issue of maintenance and strata management, a final figure has not been decided on, but "it won't be more than $5,000," said Plummer, adding that "We intend to tie-in compliance with the title, that is, lodging a caveat so that you can't dispose of the property without paying the amount you owe."

ashford.meikle@gleanerjm.com