The Business Line 20.07.2009
Housing Board to auction spaces in Kochi Revenue Tower
| Board to take up more projects on PPP basis. |
Auction will be held between July 22 and August 3. Individuals/institutions offering higher deposits at the auction will be allotted shops on contract basis.
Our Bureau
Kochi, July 19 The Kerala State Housing Board has initiated steps to auction spaces in the 14-storeyed Revenue Tower at Marine Drive in the heart of the city to commercial establishments, banks, governmental and private offices.
Built at a cost of Rs 28 crore, the centrally air-conditioned tower with a total area of 16,143 sq metres and spread over one acre land has received all licences, including the City Corporation’s occupancy certificate, the Housing Board Chairman, Mr P. Rehumathulla, has said.
The Revenue Tower offers modern facilities and various conveniences comparable to modern shopping malls in metro cities.
Facilities
In a commercial locality such as Marine Drive, where parking is a major problem, the Revenue Tower has facilities for parking over 60 cars and much more two wheelers at any given time. It has five lifts including two capsule lifts besides three escalators and a freight lift that allows free movement of visitors and consumers to all the 14 floors which is a matter of great convenience.
It has facilities for at least 126 commercial establishments in its first four floors in the ground while the water proof basement is convenient for electronic goods and rooms in the next two floors are earmarked for jewellery shops, cosmetics and ladies stores, lifestyle products and ready made garments.
The full 1,000 sq. metre area in the third floor is aesthetically designed for food court to make available variety of eatables under one roof. Facing the enchanting Kochi backwaters, it has vast open space of about 650 sq metre attached to the food court for setting up dining area which will offer a new experience to the visitors.
The floors from 5 to 13 are meant for setting up of offices. Both sides of the top 14th floor is also ideal for setting up neon board and LCD projectors because of its unique visibility advantage from far away locations and major advertising agencies and Hoarding companies are being notified of these facilities, he said.
The auction/tender forms for allotting space for offices and commercial establishments, especially jewellery, textile and hotel groups, will be available at the Housing Board’s Ernakulam office and auction will be held between July 22 and August 3. Individuals/institutions offering higher deposits at the auction will be allotted shops on contract basis, he added.
The Housing Board will also come up with a major project at its 17 acres of land at the Marine Drive in the city. The project would be taken up on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, the Housing Commissioner and Board Secretary, Mr Noyal Thomas, said.
