NBCC issues tender to construct Marine Eco City

Kochi: Kicking off a major infrastructure project in the city, National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) issued a tender for the construction of Marine Eco City, a residential-cum-commercial complex, that will come up at Marine Drive. The project is being implemented along with the Kerala State Housing Board (KSHB).

The project worth Rs 2,280 crore will come up on 17.9 acres owned by KSHB near Mangalavanam at Goshree junction. The tender has now been issued for Phase A of the project, which will be implemented with an estimated cost of Rs 486.38 crore. The plot area of Phase A of Marine Eco City project is 3.16 acres (12,809sq m).

According to the tender document, the proposed project is a ‘mixed use residential-cum-commercial building' consisting of a lower ground floor, upper ground floor, retail floors, office floor, club floor, residential floors, parking block, etc. Shopping complexes, including shopping malls and markets, will be part of the project. An international convention centre and exhibition area will be another major attraction of the project.

In Sept 2023, NBCC inked a memorandum of understanding with KSHB for the housing project at Marine Drive. The project was proposed more than 10 years ago. Earlier, KSHB planned to launch a housing project on a PPP (public-private partnership) model, but the project was delayed indefinitely.

KSHB-owned land near Goshree bridge is a prime property in the city. The plan to set up a world-class convention centre took shape in 2019. As per the earlier project's announcement, the estimated cost was Rs 3,000 crore. However, the project faced a major setback due to Covid-19 pandemic. Now, KSHB has revised the project design and cost. But major components, including the shopping complex and convention centre, have been retained in the revised project.

Earlier, revenue minister K Rajan said that the building complex to come up near Mangalavanam would be developed as a major exhibition centre in the country. Chairman of KSHB P P Suneer said govt is planning to construct an eco-friendly building and an international convention centre, besides setting up a bamboo forest as part of the project.

KSHB was constituted in 1971 to address housing needs in the state. Over the years, KSHB launched various initiatives to utilize its land bank at various locations in the state.