SmartCity Kochi is set to begin construction at the end of the month.
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Dubai Holding, the main promoter of SmartCity Kochi, has received permission to begin construction on the first building on the project, from the single window clearance board, it has been announced.
Baju George, managing director of SmartCity Kochi, told Gulf News that construction work would start at the end of the month, with the tendering of piling works set to be completed first. He added that land development activities had already started.
Different activities have been taking place on site from July, prior to the construction of the first IT building, George said.
“We expect piling to start this month and the first building to be given out for fit-out by December 2014. The fit-out is expected to take three months,” he added.
The agreement for SmartCity Kochi was signed in 2007 when the new government took charge but the land was registered in February 2011, a Gulf News report said. The total area of the project is 246 acres.
Abdul Latif Al Mulla, CEO of SmartCity Dubai and the chief business development officer of Dubai Holding, said that all major regulatory requirements for the first building on site had been obtained and that the building is expected to be ready for fit-out by the end of next year.
He added that everything was going to plan, with the completion schedule for the project set at 10 years. However, he predicted it would be complete within six years.
The total area of the first building, targeted to be one of the largest LEED platinum-rated IT building in India, is 6.5 lakh square feet and is expected to be completed within 18-22 months and cost around $29.34 million.
The design for the next building “will start when the construction of the first building begins. Our expectation is to start the construction of the second building in six months.”
The first phase covers close to two million square feet.
“SmartCity Kochi already got five tenders. Awarding of the tender for the construction of the building can be given to more than one if they are not able to finish in a stipulated time. This will be decided by the project management after studying the requirements,” George said.