LAHORE: The work on infrastructure development for the newly-created Lahore’s central business district (CBD) will begin next month, as the necessary formalities are underway these days under a fast track policy.
Five land sites are also being auctioned on Aug 4 for highrise projects under the aegis of the Central Business District Development Authority (CBDDA), Dawn has learnt.
“By August end, we will launch civil work on necessary infrastructure development (roads, sewerage, parking spaces, walkways etc) in the CBD’s commercial phase that consists of 28 acres. Moreover, we’ll be auctioning five prime sites for highrises/commercial buildings in the commercial zone on Aug 4 under a 33-year extendable leasing programme,” Imran Amin, CBDDA’s chief executive officer, told Dawn.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had on February 26 laid the foundation stone of the ambitious CBD at the Walton Airport site, asserting that the project would help create much-needed wealth to pay off foreign loans that had accumulated over the past ‘decade of darkness’.
He called the project an ‘out-of-the-box initiative to create wealth, overcome fiscal as well as current account deficit and sustain the country’s economy and said an economic hub would be created as many high-rises would also be constructed in Gulberg and Ferozepur Road at the land owned by various institutions.
According to CBDDA’s CEO, the total land demarcated for the district consists of various chunks of land measuring 278 acres. Of 278 acres, 122 acres are along Ferozpur Road (from Kalma Chowk-Ferozepur Road to Walton Road’s originating point and some parts of Gulberg) while the remaining pieces of land are in the jurisdiction of Walton Airport and the Bab-e-Pakistan (Walton Road).
“The entire 278 acres fall under the CBDDA’s controlled area. But we will first start infrastructure development at 122 acres. And by August-end, we’ll start work at 28 acres (commercial phase),” Mr Amin added.
The five sites (open plots) being offered for launching highrise projects include one measuring 13 kanals, two of 10 kanals each, one of 11 kanals and the last one of 18 kanals - all located between Centre Point and Kalma Chowk (opposite Saint Mary’s Park, Main Boulevard, Gulberg III). These sites can be used by prospective investors, as they will have leasehold, development and building rights there.
The CEO said that the government wanted to promote vertical growth in Lahore and other megacities of the country keeping in view their fast-expanding horizontal growth, especially Lahore where the influx of urban and rural population from other cities continue, triggering unplanned and mushroom growth of a huge number of housing societies launched and completed here.
“It also led to consuming green areas. Moreover, in the existing city, there are no proper and walk-able commercial, residential and digital hubs like Dubai or other developed countries to generate revenue, promote commercial activities and generate considerable employment. That is why the government first decided to launch Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project, last year and then planned to launch the CBD under the CBDDA on the abandoned land (278 acres) owned by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other institutions,” Mr Amin, who also heads RUDA as the CEO explained.
Another major issue, according to him, was various height restrictions imposed under the laws by the CAA on the construction of buildings within 15-km radius of the airports.
Such restrictions largely impacted the commercial activities as no one appeared ready to invest in high rises or vertical growth. So, the government started working on such issues by taking these to the cabinet for amendments in the laws to reduce height restrictions and the radius. “And finally, such unnecessary restrictions were removed for the such projects supporting or contributing to strengthening the country’s economy,” he added.
He said the CBD’s commercial phase would have state-of-the-art infrastructure providing walkways, parking, trams etc of international standard. The departments concerned and landowners would be shareholders in the revenue with the CBDDA.
“There would be around 120 highrises in the CBD’s commercial phase. Similarly, there would be 40 to 50 highrises for apartments and other activities in the CBD’s residential phase. The project’s digital phase will also have several businesses,” CBDDA’s CEO said.
Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2021
