Dominica: Majority of Petite Savanne residents 'to be housed by January'

The majority of Petite Savanne residents displaced by Tropical Storm Erika will have a new place to call from January, according to the developer behind new homes sets a deadline for the work.

Montreal Management Consultants Est (MMCE) have promised that 201 residential units will be ready for occupancy by 1 January 2018.

“That [assortment of units] is a mixture of four-bedroom detached houses, four-bedroom semi-detached houses, three-bedroom semi-detached houses, two-bedroom linear apartments, [and] three-bedroom linear apartments,” Christopher Timmings, MMCE project manager, said.

The announcement comes as welcome news for Minister for Housing Reginald Austrie, who led a delegation that included Petite Savanne MP Kenneth Darroux and the China’s ambassador to Dominica on an official tour of the site last week.

[caption id="attachment_2085" align="alignright" width="300"] Kenneth Darroux.[/caption]

Darroux confessed that he “is now in a much better place as parliamentary representative” than he was about a year ago when the “doubt and uncertainty about the future” of his constituents were his preoccupation.

“I look forward to handing the keys over to the first set of residents; I am very pleased with government’s response to the Petite Savanne people,” he said.

Deadline will be met

The $100 million project, funded by Dominica’s citizenship by investment scheme, will feature sporting facilities and commercial spaces as well as home.

The 340-unit development is expected to be handed over to the government by 30 June 30.

Since Erika ravaged Petite Savanne in 2015, the government has spent millions in rental and other relocation expenses to relieve the displaced residents of that community.

In recognition of these mounting recurrent costs, MMCE management assured that despite the challenges of rainfall and the lack of adequate building materials on island, work will persist and the project will be delivered on time.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Lucien Blackmoore, who is also chair of the government-appointed resettlement committee, assured that the houses have been designed and are being constructed to withstand natural disasters, in keeping with the government's ‘build back better’ strategy.

“The building type we are shown here today is what we refer to as complete reinforced concrete cladding,” he said.

“Not only does it have the structural capacity for ensuring that all the various forms of loading that the building could be [exposed] to (seismic, wind, possible flooding) [but] the building is designed and constructed in such a way that it can withstand very safely all those conditions.”

Beyond social housing

According to Blackmoore, the government will use this development as a model for other such settlements in the country.

All of the amenities that come with a suburban residential community will also be available in the community.  All utility lines will be run underground and fibre optics will also be available for internet access.

“It’s very acceptable, top of the line accommodation that you will see in any first world country,” he added.

Economic hope

One of the spin-offs of this project is a boom in employment in that part of the island.

More than 100 Dominicans are employed on the project, while another fifty have been engaged by Chinese company, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

CCECC is using their expertise in the actual construction of the residential units, while local firms will construct the roads, commercial and resource centres, playing field and basketball court.

More labourers will be added as the work load increases and several more will also be indirectly employed.

The new development is expected to change the economic landscape of Bellevue Chopin, as an increase in population and commercial facilities is expected to boost small business.