The Tribune

WITHIN the next few days, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority will start construction of five homes in Central Pines, Abaco, one of the island’s popular housing subdivisions.

In a statement released on Sunday, the DRA said it is confident that the Central Pines development will assist with increased demand for housing in Abaco.

The project will include a mixture of three-bedroom/ two-bathroom, two-bedroom/ one-bathroom and one-bedroom/ one-bathroom homes. Each lot is approximately 8,000 square feet.

The homes will be located within walking distance of the Abaco Centre, which will be the island’s hurricane shelter and community centre capable of housing nearly 1,000 people during an emergency.

“Lot and building pad preparation for the first five homes are expected to be complete in seven business days,” said Wendell Grant II, DRA project manager. “The construction of the homes will immediately follow.”

DRA officials plan to work with Abaco-based companies for phase one of the project. This phase involves construction of the five homes within three to six months.

Abaco-based SIX A’s Construction is one of the project’s contractors. Carl Archer, the company’s CEO, said their immediate focus is smoothing the ground at the project site so that surveyors could do their work.

“There is a great need for housing in Abaco right now and the project will really, really help residents with that as well and enhance Abaco in moving forward to some type of normalcy,” he said. “I applaud and appreciate this effort by the government.”

The DRA is responsible for the site preparation, design and infrastructure. It will also ensure home construction meets the country’s building codes. DRA representatives will further collaborate with the project’s donors, who are providing partial funding to build close to 40 homes.