Mystery development irks Kingston 8 residents

RESIDENTS of sections of Manor Park in upper St Andrew are up in arms over what they regard as secrecy surrounding a planned development in the area. The residents say they have tried, without success, to get information on the development slated for 2 Broadway Close, Kingston 8. According to the residents, unofficial sources have indicated that a five-storey building is planned for the area but efforts to get the authorities to either conform or deny this have so far failed.

In a letter, which they shared with the Jamaica Observer, the residents claim that people who live on Broadway Close, Broadway Road, Harrow Drive, and Waterworks Road are worried about the proposed development. “The developers posted a notice of intention to build at 2 Broadway Close on July 6, 2026. Within 48 hours, the Broadway Mews Association formally requested the plans.

The developer responded that the plans were in progress and would be provided once completed. Since then, there has been no further correspondence,” the residents said in the letter. “Despite multiple requests, the community has been left in the dark.

The developers were aware of the community’s interest within 48 hours of the notice going up. Yet, they have chosen to ignore all subsequent requests for information,” the residents added. They claimed that when the community submitted a formal request for plans under the Access to Information Act, they were told it could take up to 60 days to receive them.

“The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) informed residents they had only 35 days to file an objection. This creates an impossible situation where residents are being asked to object to a developer whose plans they have not seen, may not receive before the deadline, and which the developer has refused to share,” the residents claimed in the letter. Repeated attempts by the Observer sine last week to get a comment from the KSAMC have so far been unsuccessful.

The residents pointed to comments made recently by Dr Patricia Green, a registered architect and former head of the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology, Jamaica. “Dr Green has highlighted this exact issue. When citizens contact the KSAMC, they are denied access to the development proposals.