HMDA finalises concept plan for Hyderabad Habitat Center (HCC)
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), after months of deliberation, has reached a consensus with regards to finalising a concept plan for the proposed Hyderabad Habitat Center (HHC) it plans to develop. Subsequently, it was sent for approval to the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA & UD) department.
Features:
The proposed HHC is being planned to be developed at Izzatnagar, in a land measuring about 12.5 acres, in the vicinity of Hitech City railway station. It is being developed for the promotion of heritage, art and culture on similar lines as the Indian Habitat Center in Delhi. Some of the features of the HHC are a science city, a habitat center, an eco park and an education hub. The plan will cover a total of about 5,985 sq.km across 35 ‘mandals’ in four districts, from the total HMDA area of about 7,257 sq.km.
Approval:
The project was approved in principle by the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy in October, 2013. Moreover, the HMDA had also appointed Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Service (IL&FS) Ltd as the chief advisor for the project. IL&FS Ltd was proposed to assist the HMDA in preparing the concept until the commencement of operations on the project. The estimated project cost is about 134 crores.
Facilities:
Some of the facilities that are proposed to be included in the HCC include a visual art gallery, library and resource center, sculpture courts, learning centers for conducting workshops, artiplex theatres, open air theatres, convention centers, landscapped gardens, theme parks etc. Besides, it would also include office spaces, board rooms, conference halls, banquet halls, as well as member facilities that include guest accomodation, club houses, food courts, sports faclilities etc.
Science City:
The Science city which is proposed to be developed on about 83 acres of land, is estimated to cost about 160 crore. It would comprise a space station, earth pavilion, life sciences center, energy park, science and art gallery, technologies of the future as well as centers of excellence.
Eco Parks:
The HMDA has already initiated the development of eco parks on 85 acres of land at Kothwalguda, the estimated cost of which is about Rs.60 crore. The eco park would include endangered, rare and threatened species, endemic flora, agro park and trails. As part of this project, the HMDA has also identified 2,857 lakes and water bodies to be taken up for protection and conservation. Among these, the protection, conservation and beautification of about 258 lakes would be taken up during 2013-14.
Education hub:
Also included in the HHC project is the Hyderabad Education hub project. It would comprise the complete infrastructure and ecology of education. It would focus on quality graduate and post-graduate education. It will include world-class infrastructure facilities for participants and residents of the hub.
Impact on Realty:
The development of the HHC will have a positive impact on realty in areas in the vicinity, particularly in Izzatnagar. There is expected to be considerable demand for residential realty due to the commercial viability of the HHC. This could lead to many prominent developers tapping into the demand for residential property, leading to the development of many prestigious residential projects. As a result of the surging demand, there is also expected to be considerable appreciation in value for residential property in the area.
