By: Staff Writer
July 25, 2025
Jamaica’s newest $1 billion Harmony Cove Resort project is set to transform Trelawny Parish without burdening the taxpayers for its development, Prime Minister Andrew Holness assured the media at the development’s ribbon cutting ceremony this week.
Holness also said: “The property was owned by an established English family. So, the property obviously passed through the colonial era, and so it was repatriated essentially, the ownership of the property. And therefore the seed was planted as to what this property could be.”
The large-scale tourism and real estate project, which will span 2,300 acres of land on the northwestern coast of Jamaica, between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, is a partnership between Nexus Luxury Collection and the Government of Jamaica.
“The harmony Cove will be the most exclusive colony that the Caribbean has ever known, he also said.
During a symbolic ribbon cutting for the long-awaited development in Trelawny, Holness gave the assurance that taxpayers’ money had not been sacrificed to attract the massive luxury hotel investment.
“The Government did not give up more than it had to for this project to be considered feasible. The public purse was not sacrificed to make this project profitable. The people of Jamaica are going to get from this project significant benefit, in fact, more benefit than what we would have had to give as incentives,” said Holness.
The prime minister also addressed concerns that governments in fiscally vulnerable positions often agree to one-sided deals out of desperation. However, he said his administration took a deliberate and disciplined approach to negotiations.
“Governments that are in the position that Jamaica finds itself in are oftentimes forced to make decisions on projects that sound good on paper, but when they are implemented, they create all kinds of challenges and problems,” he said, referencing Jamaica’s past struggles with high debt and unemployment to highlight the temptation some governments face.
Holness also said the project underscores the Government’s balanced approach to development, which is aimed at fostering investment while safeguarding public resources and creating enduring benefits for all Jamaicans.
The Harmony Cove development is envisioned as a premier resort community designed to attract both international visitors and residents.
The project is part of Jamaica’s broader efforts to boost tourism, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.