Barbados developer and the principal behind that country’s US$175 million revamped Hyatt Ziva Barbados Resort and The Village at Coverly Housing Project, Mark Maloney has expressed interest in housing investments in Guyana and last week met with President Irfaan Ali to discuss possible projects, sources say.
“He had discussions with the President”, sources close to the government confirmed with the Stabroek News.
This newspaper understands that Maloney’s discussions with the president centred on “areas of housing and other sectors”.
Maloney’s visit preceded an announcement by the government yesterday that it is seeking to raise US$250m ($50b) to support its housing development plans and is seeking Expressions of Interest (EoIs).
With multi-million dollar investments in transformational projects in his home country, Maloney also owns the Rock Hard Cement Company and shares a business partnership with Norwegian-born Barbadian developer Bjorn Bjerkham of the Preconco, Marina Construction, and the Jada Group and Caribbean Homes businesses.
Maloney’s The Village at Coverly project saw the transformation of land into over 600 houses in a modern housing community in Christ Church.
“Our Mission is to provide affordable, quality housing using a concept which maximizes the use of land for the benefit of all homeowners and by doing so permits homeowners access to more affordable properties while enjoying a Lifestyle Community,” the project’s website states.
The community features low-to-middle cost, energy-efficient homes built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, a 5.0 earthquake, storm surges and major flooding. The fully planned development also offers residents a medical centre, gym, restaurants, stores, recreation centres and sports fields.
Maloney is well-known to the Guyanese motor racing community as he competed often here during his career as a speedster.
Also last week, representatives of famed Shark Tank billionaire and US investor Mark Cuban’s Radical Investments LLC, arrived in Guyana aboard a luxury jet for a two-day visit.
The three-member contingent, two Guyanese and a Paula Garces, had no planned meetings with government according to Go-Invest’s recently appointed investment czar, Peter Ramsaroop.
