Andrew Smith/Photography Editor
Devon Young, developer/director of Ne Construction & Development at 1 Hill Road, Norbrook, St. Andrew, inside one of the luxury town house units he is developing.

Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Ne Construction and Development Limited is investing US$3 million (J$213 million) to construct four three-bedroom town houses in upscale Norbrook Hills, St. Andrew.

The development, though small, is the first major project for 42-year-old Devon Young, managing director of the three-year old company.

Young, who has banking experience in Jamaica and North America, was drawn into the real estate industry by his uncle, who owned a real estate company in Texas in the United States.

On returning to Jamaica, he decided to form his own company, which initially started out doing plumbing work, roof repair, civil engineering and building con-struction for specialised buildings.

But Young said he wanted to set a different standard in the building industry, for "people to realise that it is not about selling and making money, but to leave a statement in the sense that when we are finished, it looks different," he said.

Young is working on the project with project manager Daniel Naughty, who has some 20 years experience in the industry.

Naughty has worked on major projects such as the Grants Pen Health Centre in St. Andrew and in more recent times, the Winchester Medical Centre.

The Norbrook Hills development sits on a half-acre lot.

Three of the units, each measuring 3,434 square feet, are priced at US$670,000 (J$47 million). One unit has been sold.

A third unit of 5,113 square feet, is listed at US$930,000 (J$66 million).

The fourth and largest unit, 6,010 square feet, has also been sold for US$1.2 million (J$85 million).

Norbrook Hills is a gated community, said Naughty, with a view overlooking Kingston, and Portmore in St. Catherine.

Features

The development includes a swimming pool, hot tubs, swim-up bar and Jacuzzi. It also boasts a recreational area, electronic gate with intercom and camera, external timber deck, porcelain floor tiles, marble sheet-entry foyer and sunken wooden living room floors.

Naughty said buyers can customise their units.

"The client that buys a unit, we try to work with them to finish the interior so they get it state of the art," he said.

"Each unit comes with a dish washer, kitchen cupboard; everything else is customised."

Young said he was confident the remaining two units would soon be sold, basing it on the 500 persons who turned out at the open house two weeks ago.

The units will be completed by the end of March.

A Phase Two development is under consideration on an adjoining property.

The units are to be similar in look, but cheaper than Phase One.

Phase Two is expected on the market by July, at about J$35 million to J$40 million per unit.

Young said he has other projects in the pipeline Millsborough Avenue Phase One, which should be on the market by August, and Millsborough Avenue Phase Two, which is set to hit the market in October.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com