Model pavement? Come to MG Road

Model pavement? Come to MG Road
The Times of India

Bangalore: Public-private partnership appears to be making progress. Property developer Prestige Group on Wednesday said it would upgrade the pavement on MG Road (between Anil Kumble Circle and Brigade Road) at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

Company chairman Irfan Razack said work may begin within a month. “We are trying to identify the best material to use for the pavement. We will first have to desilt the drain underneath and create a proper system below that will ensure nobody will ever have to dig up the pavement in future. There will be significant disruption during the course of the work, but once it’s done, it will be great,” he said.

Razack said the government wants him to do the pavement from Brigade Road to Trinity Circle too. “We’ll consider that later,” he said. Prestige will get some signage rights on MG Road as an incentive for doing the pavement. Hotel complexes: Prestige is planning to set up two hotel complexes in north Bangalore — one in association with the Taj Group and the other a golf resort on 300 acres of land.

The Taj Group hotel will come up on an 8-acre property on the road to the upcoming international airport and is proposed to be positioned as an airport hotel. Razack said they may begin the construction of some 50 to 100 rooms this year and later expand the facility.

Razack, who was speaking at a function to launch a new 419-apartment premium residential project called Kensington Gardens in Jalahalli, said the golf resort is being planned on a 300-acre property near Nandi Hills. “The land has been tied up, but a lot of approvals are yet to come. We may be able to begin the project by late this year or early next year,” Razack said. This Rs 600-crore project will have an 18-hole golf course combined with a residential layout. On UB City: Prestige, which is developing the massive UB City on Vittal Mallya Road, said the project will be ready by July this year. Razack said almost the entire leasable area of 6 lakh sq ft has been taken — some of the clients being 3M (90,000 sq ft), Citi Group (75,000 sq ft), Regus Business Centre, Cable & Wireless, Kawasaki Engineering and Amba Research.

IS GOVT LISTENING ?
The UB Group and Prestige Group, which are setting up the massive UB City on Vittal Mallya Road, have given a proposal to widen this road, but have yet to hear from the state government on the matter. Prestige Group chairman Irfan Razack said they have even offered to give up a part of the UB City property for the purpose of the widening. “But somebody has to listen,” he said, indicating that the government did not appear to be listening.