Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Kingsley Thomas, former development banker, conceived the New Town project as a complement to the Highway 2000 project. - File

The National Housing Trust (NHT) has shelved, at least for now, plans to develop 11,000 acres of land into a township in Clarendon.

It confirmed the plans after Financial Gleaner queries on the New Town lands that were placed on a list of properties to be sold.

New Town, the name given to a plan to develop an ultra-modern neighbourhood along the Highway 2000 corridor, was one of several development projects conceptualised by former development banker Kingsley Thomas to complement the highway.

"The Highway 2000 Corridor Development Plan recommended a change of land use to heavy and light industries and mining," said the NHT by email.

Plans on hold

"As a consequence, the plans for majority of the property are on hold."

Thomas, in preparation for the project, had acquired lands for New Town via the National Housing Trust and organised an international competition around its design.

Thomas, who then was also NHT chairman, said at the time that New Town would be a nucleus for an economic, residential, recreational and cultural centre.

NHT yesterday would not say how much of the property was on the market, but documents tabled in the House by Prime Minister Bruce Golding suggested it hopes to reap $175 million from the property.

Six other land parcels to be sold in other parishes are expected to gross another $432 million for the Trust.

List of properties

New Town, Clarendon $175m

Unity Farms, St Mary $69m

New Forest, St Elizabeth $3m

Paradise, Westmoreland $31m

Enfield Meadows,

Wesmoreland $105m

Ironshore, St James $202m

Moreland, St Catherine $22m

Plans for the development of New Town had progressed as far as selection of the winning architectural design, done by the Australian team of Roderick Simpson and Andria Wilson.

The Australians won from among 52 entries worldwide.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com