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Karachi: Asia's biggest food and entertainment resort opening next month

Omar1984

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KARACHI, Sept 25: Asia’s largest and most modern food street being built at a cost of Rs1 billion and spread over nine acres would be inaugurated by the end of November this year in Karachi near Mereweather Tower.

This was stated by Minister for Ports and Shipping Senator Babar Khan Ghauri during his review visit to the site of the ‘Port Grand Food Court’ under Napier Mole Bridge here on Friday.

The minister said that recent successes against terrorists in the Northern Areas has somewhat revived the confidence of foreign investors who have started visiting the country.

Babar Khan Ghouri informed that the food street was being built on Build-Operate and Transfer (BoT) basis with 100 per cent foreign investment.

He further stated that it was originally going to be inaugurated on the Independence Day but due to security reasons the programme was delayed and now it would be inaugurated on Eidul Azha.

However, improved law and order situation and achievements of security forces on the front of terrorism has revived the confidence of foreign investors.

As a result of this, the minister said various teams of foreign investors paid visits to the site of the food street to give final touches and hoped that more foreigners would start coming to Pakistan in the coming days.

He said we should highlight the soft image of the country where all is not that bad as is being portrayed by the foreign media.

The foreign company, he said, Grand Leisure Corporation (GLC) had been given the project on BoT basis for a 21-year lease to finance, construct and do operational maintenance.
 

He further stated that it was originally going to be inaugurated on the Independence Day but due to security reasons the programme was delayed and now it would be inaugurated on Eidul Azha.

However, improved law and order situation and achievements of security forces on the front of terrorism has revived the confidence of foreign investors.

Omar can you tell me what the Minister thought - Security situation in pakistan is better in Novermber than in august, who is he kidding.

I have nothing against Karachi having a great food court - its a great Idea , the above statement was totally unnecessary, they might have postponed for someother reason than what is stated. :cheers:
 




Construction site:



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Omar can you tell me what the Minister thought - Security situation in pakistan is better in Novermber than in august, who is he kidding.

I have nothing against Karachi having a great food court - its a great Idea , the above statement was totally unnecessary, they might have postponed for someother reason than what is stated. :cheers:

Obviously the project was no where near its completion in 14th August 2009. I'm not even sure if the project will be complete by the end of this month.
 
It won't be completed by the end of this month even. I agree to Shivaji. Who is he kidding. Generally, security condition in August was relatively alright than today. I was in Isloo in those days. It was peaceful, and now these days we can see more hurly burly there. But Karachi is still safe since.
 
It won't be completed by the end of this month even. I agree to Shivaji. Who is he kidding. Generally, security condition in August was relatively alright than today. I was in Isloo in those days. It was peaceful, and now these days we can see more hurly burly there. But Karachi is still safe since.

I cant find pictures of the construction work in the present state. It may take some time, but it will be complete inshAllah.

Maybe not this month, maybe next month or even next year 2010 ;)

Here's their official website:

http://portgrand.com/index.html
 
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I traveled through the bridge around Food Street many times and construction work there is fast, but seeing the pics of project I think it might not be ready at the time of Eidul Azha to inaugurate………..anyway if minister is saying so than I believe……….!!!!
 
i like this project but wtf is up with the baywatch logo ? seriously did anyone notice they actually used the same logo from the tv show lol
 


Developer says harbour front project to generate direct, indirect employment and attract six to seven thousand people daily from across the country

Thursday, February 18, 2010
By Hina Mahgul Rind

KARACHI: The much-awaited Port Grand food street and entertainment enclave facing Karachi harbour along side the Native Jetty Bridge is now in its finishing stage and would be inaugurated on 23rd March, said Shahid Firoz, CEO & Director Grand Leisure Corporation.

Shahid Firoz shares the ups and downs faced in making major and significant recreational projects for the city like Karachi where for around 18 million citizens there are not much recreational places.

Once operational, this project would provide direct employment to around 1,000 persons and indirectly to several thousands as there will be around 100 concepts for food and entertainment and Port Grand is expected to attract around six to seven thousand people daily from across the country, he added.

The project has cost Rs1 billion so far as various changes were done in the initial construction design because of various issues such as underground KWSB and KESC networks which could not be moved from the location and almost rebuilding the entire Napier Mole Bridge as it was not in a position to hold and support the weight and would have collapsed. These and other issues delayed the project.

To convert the Napier Mole Bridge, which was turning into a slum in a recreational area for the citizens of Karachi was the idea of Shahid Firoz. “In 1996 when I discussed this with the then Chairman KPT and the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to develop a recreational area on this location both of them were very excited about the project.”

But at that time the idea was only for food eateries and that time only gazebo type shades were built to start a food street but even that couldn’t be started as the then KPT Chairman died and the Benazir government was dismissed so was the project and meanwhile the whole area turned into a slum and it became the safe haven of drug addicts.

In 2004 when KPT advertised for the project the Grand Leisure Corporation got the bid for the project.

The Grand Port project was conceived by Grand Leisure Corporation and supported by Karachi Port Trust (KPT). With an investment of Rs1 billion by Grand Leisure Corporation, the Port Grand is being built on land leased by KPT to Grand Leisure Corporation initially for 21 years on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis and it is expected the lease will be increased as talks are under way with KPT. GLC’s scope of work includes financing, construction, maintenance and operation of all aspects pertaining to the Port Grand.

Port Grand is located on Napier Mole Bridge a site that is very significant to the history of Karachi and has played a crucial role in making it the city it is today. The project stretches along 1,000 ft of Karachi’s ancient 19th century Native Jetty Bridge and spreads over an area of 200,000 sq. ft.

The one kilometre bridge has been transformed into an entertainment and food enclave housing numerous eateries totaling 40,000 sq. ft of climate-controlled area and space for kiosks of exotic Pakistani and foreign food and a variety of beverages.

He added that for a city of around 18 million citizens there are not much recreational places where citizens could find some peace and comfort as well as the entertainment, which is necessary to enable us to continue with our lives.

This project has been designed and developed by leading US architects, NEWWORK of New Jersey.

Firoz added that special initiatives were taken to use environment friendly building processes and materials and ensure heavy plantation and integrated green landscape. Public restrooms have been given special attention to ensure most comfortable and pristine experience in the city.

This project will revive the culture and traditions of old Karachi as well as celebrate it as the City of Lights. It would surely revive the harbour culture, i.e. seafood, boating around the mangroves, pedestrian friendly harbour front experience etc.

To get to the Port Grand from anywhere in the city, Port Grand is a straight shot west out of Mai Kolachi, adjacent to the PNSC Building as the road curves into the facility on the right.
 
Port Grand opening next month: visitors to pay Rs 200 each for entry to food resort


ISMAIL DILAWAR
KARACHI (July 11 2010): The long-awaited opening of the Asia's biggest food and entertainment resort, Port Grand would be carried out in the mid of next month. "In the first phase the soft opening would be undertaken in mid August," Farooq Hassan, Vice President of Port Grand, told Business Recorder in an interview conducted on Saturday at the scenic site.

Grand Leisure Corporation (GLC) is constructing the Karachi Port Trust's mega project at the 13-acre scenic coastal stretch of Karachi Port ranging from Native Jetty Bridge to M.A Jinnah Bridge roundabout at a cost of over Rs 1 billion on Built-Operate-Transfer basis for 21 years.

Management of the well-known Food Street expects a huge crowd of 10,000 local and foreign visitors in a single day at the under-construction resort, which is first of its kind in the country. "Within a few months of the soft opening we would have influx of people but for a full-fledged operation we hope that around 10,000 people to visit the resort in a day," the vice president said. This figure, Hassan said, was for a normal day while for weekends his management was expecting the number of visitors to range between 15,000 to 17,000.

He said that the management had decided to set entry fee for the Port Grand at Rs 200 per head, out of which the visitor would be allowed to do a hundred rupees' shopping. That means the effective rate of entry in Port Grand is to be Rs 100. "This is to ensure that sober and decent people enter the resort because this is a place where we would like to welcome all families and professionals," the soft-spoken deputy chief added. About security, he said there would be security cameras installed throughout the resort to snap the wrongdoers, if any. "We would keep the photos in record and would not allow entry to a miscreant next time," Hassan said. To a query on feasibility of the 1867-built bridge, Hassan said the government was tending to lay down the outdated bridge, but the Port Grand management reclaimed it and renovated it in a way that sky rocketed original cost of the project, Rs 200 million, to over Rs 1 billion.
 
Food Resort.. hmm sounds great.. would be good..
 
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