ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: With the expected amendments to the building code being considered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the federal capital is likely to have some highrise buildings whose construction had previously been stalled due to their proposed height crossing the permissible limit.

The CAA is pondering over reducing the aerodrome limit from 15km to almost 8km and allowing construction of highrise towers in densely populated areas above the limit of 500 feet, Dawn has learnt.

An aerodrome or airfield is a location from where flight operations take place.

Sources said the decision in this regard was being taken with a view to encouraging investment in the federal capital and boosting business activities particularly in the construction sector.

A document made available to Dawn related to the minutes of the meeting in which the building control department briefed the CAA officials about the highrise buildings in the areas having more air traffic or located near the airports claiming that it would not affect the air traffic.

“The move is aimed at providing more space to the developers for highrise buildings and a likely change in the policy will have countrywide impact and provide more opportunities to the investors,” observed an official close to the developments.

He said if the current move was approved by the federal government, the building code relating to aerodrome limits and highrise buildings of the Civil Aviation Authority would be changed.The official said once the approval was given by the CAA, the builders of Grand Hyatt, an incomplete hotel in the capital, would also benefit from the policy.

The builders of Grand Hyatt, a five-star 37-storey hotel near Jinnah Convention Centre, had already moved the court claiming Rs6.5 billion in damages as, according to them, the civic authority was not ready to remove the hurdles in the way to complete the project.

The BNP Group, a consortium of three construction firms, in 2007 purchased land for the hotel for Rs4.88 billion but could not start work because of height restriction imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The proposed height of the Grand Hyatt was around 708 feet and the CAA raised an objection over the building plan as it would be, if constructed, in violation of the height restriction of 500 feet.

“Once the approval is given, the expansion of Blue Area is likely as it would have new towers taller than those in other cities of the country,” said a CDA official.—Imran Ali Teepu