Real estate development expected along PRR

Real estate development expected along PRR
The next phase of large-scale realty development will unfold around the planned PRR alignment, says Leena Mudbidri


Good connectivity not only decongests roads of traffic but also propels real estate development in and around an expanding city. Coupled with major infrastructure projects planned in Bangalore is the changing lifestyle, cosmopolitan culture, the need for better work environment among the professional workforce and the influx of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the city's real estate sector that have together fuelled a rise in a variety of residential and commercial concepts. The mammoth Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project running a course of 116 km around Bangalore which has been planned for the next 10 years, will fuel hectic realty activity around its vicinity as well as provide vital connectivity.
Connectivity
The proposed PRR will be the vital link in the connectivity to the new international airport in Devanahalli with the other radial roads in the city, especially those within the North and East zones. In its course around the city, the PRR will connect with all the highways and radial roads at several junctions at villages dotting these roads.
Phase I of the PRR will run round the city linking Bangalore East to Bangalore North. The 65 km stretch will connect both National Highways and State Highways passing through both the zones.
This Phase I of the PRR will connect Tumkur Road (NH 4) in Bangalore North with Hosur Road (NH 7) in Bangalore East. The points of connectivity between these two highways will be at Hesaraghatta Road (SH), Doddaballapur Road (SH) and Bellary Road (NH 7) in Bangalore North, and Hennur Road (SH), Old Madras Road (NH 4), Whitefield Road (SH), and Sarjapur Road (SH) in Bangalore East.
The Phase II, spread across 51 km, will connect Bangalore South to the West. This stretch will cross Kanakapura Road, Mysore Road and Magadi Road.
Some villages among the 99 villages on the edge of the city that rest on the PRR route are Gangodanahalli, Varthur, Anjanapura, Utharahalli, Doddabele, Challaghatta, Kodigehalli, Venkatapura, Agara, Gottikere, Bellandur, Lingarajpuram and Avalahalli.
Residential development
The proposed PRR alignment links major highways and district roads, thereby creating a direct corridor passage round the city. Large land parcels have been opened to development along the PRR route, and a slew of commercial and residential projects are on the anvil. To meet the large scale housing demands of Asia's fastest growing city, the BDA is developing five major residential layouts, nestling along with other smaller layouts, on the fringes of the city close to the PRR. Major foreign real estate players have invested in large tracts of land to set up sprawling townships and villas along the PRR route.
BDA layouts
The BDA has planned five major residential layouts along the PRR route to meet the housing requirements of a growing population of Bangalore. A total of 1.74 lakh sites have been planned.
In Phase I, Dr Shivarama Karanth Layout, D Devaraj Urs Layout, S Nijalingappa Layout and K C Reddy Layout have been planned. In Phase II there is the Kempegowda Layout.
According to sources in the BDA, each of the layouts will be self-sustained and will have both residential and commercial establishments. There will be bus and taxi terminals in each layout for better commuting facilities. All public amenities like parks, roads, playgrounds etc as well as educational institutions and healthcare facilities will feature in these residential areas making them completely self-contained. The roads within the layouts will connect with the service roads linking to the PRR.
The other BDA layouts around the PRR are Arkavathy Layout in Phase I and JP Nagar Layouts, Anjanapura Layout and BSK Layout in Phase II.
Integrated townships
The concept of integrated townships being promoted wherever 40 hectares or more of land is available for development with access to roads which are 18 metres wide or more, is expected to encourage the 'walk-to-work' culture especially in the peripheral areas. According to an official of the BDA, plans are on the anvil to set up a hi-tech corridor consisting of integrated townships south of Magadi Road, i.e. between Magadi Road and Mysore Road.
Though Bidadi has not seen hectic real estate development in the past year, it is still being touted as a prime residential and commercial hub of realty development with major townships being planned here. Five major townships have been planned in areas along the NICE corridor and Mysore Road and will witness a growth in demand for both residential and commercial land in the years to come.
Commercial space
The concept of integrated townships has fostered the emergence of another new trend in the corporate space, that of 'walk-to-work.' In what is viewed as perfect synergy between corporates looking for suitable office space, and real estate developers working to meet their demand, built-to-suit (BTS) offices spaces have gained ground in Bangalore. Offering a gamut of modern hitech, large-format, ready-to-occupy office spaces with worldclass facilities like dedicated power and parking facilities, these BTS offices which also offer scalability options and upgradations to suit the needs of a growing business establishment, are raising commercial occupancy like never before.