The contract appears to have hurdled all but one approval - Cabinet sign-off. But the executive branch's endorsement is expected, however, now that the National Contracts Commission has endorsed the sole-source process under which Ashtrom was selected.

Grand project

The construction firm will develop a 357-housing complex at Twickenham Park in which NHT's website will cover phases three and four of what the state agency has described as one of the largest housing projects it has undertaken.

Ashtrom is being contracted to build 165 two-bedroom town houses and 192 two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as the associated infrastructure works for the housing complex.

The project was due to begin in October. Ashtrom referred comments to NHT, and the housing agency has not yet responded to queries sent Friday.

The Twickenham Park project, on completion, is expected to provide 767 housing units, about 80 per cent of which are to be sold to civil servants under a joint venture between NHT and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions and its member the Jamaica Civil Service Association. The unions' contribution include 20 hectares of land.

The first phase of Twickenham Park comprises 176 homes, with the NHT saying that 113 units have already been delivered, while phase two to develop another 234 town houses for $1 billion is about 49 per cent complete, the trust said earlier in November.

Construction is still under way on all phases.

Seeking a developer

The housing agency is also seeking a developer for commercial space to complement the residential community it is seeking to create at Twickenham Park.

NHT also awarded Ashtrom other contracts valued at more than $237 million - a $229.25-million job to develop another 67-unit housing complex at Bushy Park in Clarendon, and $8.38 million for variations on infrastructure works at the Green Pond housing project in St James.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com