More than ten months after Canada-born Calder Hart resigned as executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, the company has a new chairman and board of directors.

Housing Development Corporation managing director Jearlean John and eight other directors were appointed to lead UDeCOTT, Planning Minister Mary King confirmed yesterday.

The Express reported exclusively earlier this month that John, a former United National Congress works minister, had become the preferred candidate of the People's Partnership Government to chair UDeCOTT.

Following Hart's resignation in March 2010, the previous People's National Movement government, led by then Prime Minister Patrick Manning, had appointed John to replace Hart.

Hart resigned after it was alleged that a company called CH Development, which appeared to have close family ties to his wife, Sherrine Hart, received a construction project contract valued at $820 million. Hart continues to be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, but left the country for Ft Lauderdale, Florida, last March.

King told the Express in a phone interview yesterday that the new UDeCOTT directors were appointed last Friday. She expects John and the others will receive their instruments of appointment this week, after which King will meet with them.

John is the chairman, with Zabal Mohammed Baksh as deputy chairman. Other directors are architect Brian Lewis, Charles Balkaran, Dr Victoria Phillips-Jerome, Glen Parmesar, Shankar Bedasie, Eli Zakour and Damian Hares, King said.

The UDeCOTT directors attended a seminar for State board chairmen and directors hosted by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain last Saturday, she said.

John was said to be in a board meeting yesterday and could not be immediately reached for comment.

King said one of the first responsibilities of the new UDeCOTT board will be to finalise contracts for major construction projects managed by the corporation. These include the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the Government Campus and the Chancery Lane project, she said. "I'll be meeting with them early next week and we'll be getting down to some good work," King said.

Launched in 1994, UDeCOTT managed more than 39 construction and restoration projects spread across the country and worth more than $4 billion. The company made a $19 million profit in 2006, the last year it published full financial results.