Work on Abu Dhabi's Second Downtown to begin in a year's time

[LahoreEstate]

Monday, March 16, 2009
The work on Second Downtown in Abu Dhabi would begin in a year's time, following the approval by Executive Council, it has .

The Capital District, to be built 7km inland from Abu Dhabi Island, will eventually house a population of 370,000, including all embassies and federal government institutions.

The General Manager of the Urban Planning Council (UPC), Falah al Ahbabi, said that work on the district would begin during the first or second quarter of 2010.

The first phase of the project includes houses, universities and government offices, all of which will be completed in three years time.

The massive project, which spreads across 4900 hectares of space, comprises commercial buildings, government buildings, residential buildings, parks and schools. The place will turn out to be a truly sustainable city that will accommodate a population of 370,000 in a span of 25 years.

The residential component of the district would keep aside 3000 units for Emirati Citizens. The plots have been designed and are ready to be allocated.

The true vision of the project will be revealed during the Cityscape Abu Dhabi to be held next month. The Capital District is hoped to ease the burden on Abu Dhabi Island, and create a recognizable center for the Capital.

The infrastructure work would commence during the first quarter of 2010. The infrastructure for the first phase would be completed within two years of launch of the project. But, the completion of the whole infrastructure, may take six years, or even ten years, depending on the rest of the phases.

Phase One of the project involves the development of federal government offices at the Town Centre, a Sports City, the Emirati housing and new headquarters for Khalifa University and Zayed University, and an exhibition or convention center.

The cost of the project is yet to be revealed by the UPC.

Al Ahbabi, said that Abu Dhabi is facing a shortage of housing, and hence these developments need to be taken forward aggressively. In the meanwhile, the Department of Transport revealed that the Capital District would be linked to the Abu Dhabi Island by a tram, high-speed and metro rail, all of which, will, also be linked to Dubai by 2030.

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