A local entrepreneur has entered a memorandum of understanding with the Bermuda Land Management Corporation with the view of building sustainable housing at Southside, St David’s.

In January, Dwayne Trott signed the MOU, which gives him six months to come up with a detailed proposal, costings and funding for the project which would create a development on Westcott Road in Southside, St David’s.

“Once we submit these things to them, they can go through their due diligence and then a decision will be made,” Mr Trott explained.

His firm Clean Energy Solutions has proposed a 20-year partnership and long-term lease with the Bermuda Government.

“This flagship project combines affordable modular housing, renewable microgrids and vertical farming ecosystems into one resilient infrastructure platform,” he said. “This would advance Bermuda's Economic Development Strategy 2023 to 2027, and National Sustainability Agenda.”

Mr Trott wants to develop two plots totalling six acres, on an elevated site overlooking the airport and Castle Harbour.

He estimated it would cost about $35 million to build 25 to 50 homes, but much is still being decided about the design.

“The average cost of a home in Bermuda is in the $700 per square foot range,” he said. “We want to improve on that number — even 25 per cent less would be better than what we currently pay. We are not trying to come up with solutions that are just as expensive.”

Mr Trott wants to develop a different way of doing things with new materials, building practices and designs.

“It can still have a Bermuda feel,” he said.

So far, the biggest challenge has been obtaining funding.

“I have until the end of July,” Mr Trott said. “We have the foundation for what the blueprint looks like. Once we confirm the design, then it will not be that hard.”

He estimated the payback period would be nine to 12 years, generating $6 million in annual revenue.

They are still finalising the design for the project.

“Do we do the type of homes that are stand-alone, or we do build multilevel going no higher than three storeys?” Mr Trott said. “If we design it properly it would have some phenomenal views. However, that would mean that the development was more exposed to extreme weather during hurricane season.”

Mr Trott’s dream is to build a sustainable, mixed‑community neighbourhood with homes that include energy efficient technology and food production such as vertical farming or shared garden plots.

“We want to have people all staying within this thing and trying to build that old-Bermuda harmony again, looking out for each other,” he said.

There would be space for senior citizens alongside families, and younger people. If he succeeds he would have access to several other plots at Southside.

Helping him is a team of experts in the field of sustainable construction including architect Katrine Juul of the firm Henning Larsen in Denmark, Koen Olthuis, chief executive and principal architect at Waterstudio in the Netherlands, Henrik Sorenson of Henrik-Innovation in Denmark and Grant Romundt, chief executive and cofounder for Ocean Builders.

The group is working to form a registered company called L32.