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Nakheel, the real estate arm of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corp (PCFC), is developing a new 234-acre residential neighbourhood, Gardens of Discovery, involving 290 buildings housing 25,412 apartments.
This will be fourth and biggest phase of the project to date. Once completed, it will be linked to the existing neighbourhood, according to a Nakheel official who spoke to Gulf News yesterday.
Tenders for the first two packages of the fourth phase have already being floated while the third package will be floated in the next few weeks.
"The first tender package, Zen 1, involves 17 buildings. So far about 30 companies have bid for the package, which will be evaluated and awarded around August," said the official.
"Tenders for the second package, Med 1 which involves 36 buildings, have also been floated. We expect to float tender for the third package, Med 2 around July."
The entire project, he said, is still in the developing stage and could be finetuned. All the buildings range between four to eight floors. As per the masterplan, all the 290 buildings will be built around 90 'circles', each having three buildings around them, while some will have four buildings.
Nakheel has awarded the infrastructure contract to Al Naboodah Engineering Services on June 1. Work has already begun, according to an Al Naboodah engineer. This involves developing a 30-km road network, pedestrian walkways, earthworks, electricity and telecommunications installations, water supply and irrigation network as well as install a sewage network.
Al Naboodah has also been asked to design and implement a well-equipped children's playground, a basketball court and a series of pools. In terms of landscaping, the company will design and develop both hard and soft features: sculptural developments such as fountains, and extensive green areas, flowering annuals, perennials and trees, respectively.
Meanwhile, in a press release issued on behalf of Nakheel yesterday, Nakheel's chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said: "Nakheel has been reshaping Dubai's skyline with its unique projects. Developments such as The Palms, the World, Jumeirah Islands and International City have been hailed not just for translating a vision into reality, but also for the excellence of execution matching global standards."
Manab Kumar Kundu, general manager of Al Naboodah Engineering Services, said: "We are proud to have been a part of the prestigious Palms project and are confident we will bring to the Gardens of Discovery the highest standards of engineering design and execution we are known for."
THREE PHASES OF THE PROJECT
The Gardens master plan will take shape by '06
• The first phase of the sprawling project comprised 129 low-rise buildings of 3,828 apartments in the 220-hectare stretch called the Gardens.
• The second phase involved 208 villas in the Garden Views Villas.
• The third phase comprises a huge retail development, the Garden Shopping Mall, currently under construction.
• With the construction of the Gardens of Discovery, the Gardens masterplan will take complete shape by end-2006.
• A new interchange is currently being built between the fifth and sixth interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road to give easy access to the entire development.
• The project will be executed in 882 days, and is scheduled for completion on October 30, 2006.
• The officials declined comment on the financial aspect, or on whether residential units at Gardens of Discovery would be offered on freehold sale.
• While the Gardens apartments are rental units, Garden View Villas have been sold on freehold basis.
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