Contributed
Mark Cameron of New Malvern real-estate company, stands beside one of the cut-stone town houses he and partner Artie Phillips are developing in Mandeville.

Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Cut-stone design is rarely used by real-estate developers because it costs more to construct than block and steel, engineering experts say.

Brian Alberga, senior engineer, says cut- stone structures are more durable and stronger, once designed properly to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes.

"Once you use the right stones, they are a lot stronger than block any day but the only problem is, whereas you can go and buy a dozen blocks, with stones, you have to get them from somewhere and then you need to cut and shape them," he said.

Cost of construction

This is what adds to the cost of construction, the engineer said.

But Artie Phillips and nephew Mark Cameron, owners of New Malvern real-estate company, want to bring back this indigenous art.

The men have put $26 million into deve-loping the Stone Hill Estate at Ingleside in Mandeville, Manchester, saying they can deliver houses to the market at cheaper prices than block and steel structures.

The houses being developed under phase one of the project are priced at $3 million-$5 million below market, the developer claims.

According to Cameron, architect and a shareholder in the 30-year-old company, while the five units being built are cut stone, the integrity of the structure was sound.

Reinforcements

That is because cement and steel are used as reinforcements, he told Sunday Business on a tour of the project.

"Unlike the older homes, which only had stones as their structure, we have to use steel according to the parish council and engineering specifications," said Cameron.

He adds that the five units, which are mostly two-bedroom town houses, would be strong enough to withstand hurricane-force winds.

The town houses, which are 2,300 square feet in size, will be sold for $13 million and the three-bedroom, which is 2,700 square feet, is being sold for $15 million.

Cameron says that the use of stone as the main construction material has lowered the construction cost of the development.

The land, he said, had been owned by the company for some time, helping to rein in the cost of the project.

"We are targeting the middle-income earner," said Cameron in reference to the quoted price.

"The average price range for a house in Mandeville is $18 million especially in this area with this type of view," Cameron.

Cameron said the units would be completed within the next two months. He said already they have had interests from mostly returning residents.

The developers hope to develop 20 more units in phase two of the project.

Past to present

"One thing I want to emphasise, that we are bringing the past to the present," said Phillips, who has more than 40 years' experience in the construction business.

"All my houses are built by stones and if the populace will accept the original stone buildings, we are the ones who have continued with it."

The units all have balconies overlooking the town of Mandeville and the Winston Jones Highway. All units will come with a garage. On the inside, the units will have a spacious living and kitchen area on the ground floor with the bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor.

Cameron said the finishing would be contemporary but that buyers would be allowed to personalise the finished product, if purchased before completion.

Phillips said he has done other developments in Mandeville, a 46-unit scheme, as well as individual houses in St Elizabeth.

He plans to develop another gated community in St Elizabeth on lands he has already acquired.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com