Residents could begin moving into the new Pelican Court condominiums by January, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Thursday, as landscaping and utility work continue following the development’s formal handover.

Browne said the administrative process to allocate the 150 homes had started, but further preparations were needed before residents could occupy them.

“The allocation process administratively has started,” he told ABS after the ceremony. “In terms of the physical allocation, we have to wait for the completion of the landscaping. APUA has to put in the meters.”

He said the outstanding work could take another couple of months.

“We’re hoping by January to facilitate the transition to move them back into their new condominium homes,” Browne said.

China handed over the housing development to the government of Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday. Pelican Court replaces the former Booby Alley settlement in St. John’s City West.

Browne said former residents would receive priority, with those who owned and occupied homes in the area receiving replacement condominiums without additional payment.

Other qualifying residents could access subsidised mortgages, with repayment arrangements based on their ability to pay.

The prime minister valued the new condominiums at approximately $350,000 each and said mortgages could be offered at around $150,000.

The handover marks the transfer of the development between the two governments, with residents’ return dependent on completion of the remaining work.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Pelican Court residents could move into new homes by January.