The National Housing Trust (NHT) has extended to the end of November bids for two commercial properties on the market in Twickenham Park, part of its development project known as Union Square.

The lots each some 4,000 square metres (43,055 square feet; 0.98 acres) in size, both front the residential Unions Estate under development.

NHT is hoping to replicate at Union Square the highly successful commercial/ residential model at Angels Estate, also in St Catherine, where the buzz of commerce at the entrance to the scheme complements the middle-income neighbourhood created by the trust.

Sealed bids for the properties are to be delivered by November 25 to the housing agency's New Kingston corporate office, extended from October 28.

NHT is largely in the business of residential development, but says it has been a vendor of commercial space since 2000.

"When the NHT develops large housing projects, it is our practice to allocate land for social development purposes," said the agency via email to Wednesday Business.

"This may include land for commercial use or other activities that will be of benefit to the community, in keeping with the requirements of the approval agencies, such as the parish council. In these circumstances, the properties are sold in this manner."

Union Square is one of the largest developments to be ever undertaken by the NHT, to provide 767 housing units in three phases.

The project is being done in collaboration with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), which both contributed the 20 hectares of land on which the houses are being built.

The NHT is investing $1.06 billion in the project, which has already delivered 113 units last month.

Phase two of the development, which NHT says is 49 per cent complete, will provide a mixture of 234 town houses, and two- and three-bedroom homes in 2010.

Under the agreement with JCSA and JCTU, 80 per cent of the units, which are located on the westbound side of the Mandela Highway in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, approximately two kilometres east of Spanish Town square, will go to civil servants.

dionne.rose@yahoo.com