KSAMC selling 29 East King’s House Road
The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) is negotiating with two companies seeking to purchase the section of East King’s House Road that will be closed to traffic on the implementation of the Government’s expansion and road-widening programme in Barbican, St Andrew. The KSAMC owns the road.
The council meeting yesterday approved a resolution for the KSAMC to enter into negotiations with Kenneth Loshusan and Sons Limited and Grant Marketing Company for “the sale of 29 East King’s House Road, otherwise known as (Section 1B East King’s House Road)”.
The resolution said that the two companies wanted to purchase the road to facilitate the expansion of their business.
The road partitions land already owned by the two companies on opposite sides of the corridor and acquisition of the road would make the property contiguous.
The KSAMC has already commissioned and received two valuations for the road. The National Land Agency (NLA) has valued it at $98 million and a private valuation has placed a market value of $120 million on it.
Councillor Norman Perry (PNP, Duhaney Park Division) argued that under the procurement guidelines it was necessary for a third valuation to be done.
However, Councillor Vernon McLeod (JLP, Havendale Division) pointed out that the Government’s National Land Divestment Policy (2015) required that two valuations be done for property valued over $10 million. The policy requires one valuation by the NLA and another by a private valuator.
Councillor Donovan Samuels (JLP, Tivoli Division), who moved the resolution, said that the transaction would extend the complex and create more jobs.
Former mayor Angella Brown Burke said that the proceeds from the sale of the property should not go to Central Government and be put in the consolidated fund, but should benefit the citizens of the council.
Work has already started on the $564.7-million (US$4.4-million) Barbican improvement project.
Under the project, 1.1 kilometres of the 3.75-kilometre Barbican Road are to be upgraded under the government’s Infrastructure Development Programme. The project is being supported through funding from the Chinese Government and is expected to significantly improve traffic flow between the intersections at Jack’s Hill Road and the road leading to Russell Heights as well as East King’s House Road to the Barbican centre.