The deadline for taking up the tenders for the development of the International Convention Centre is nearing conclusion. The CM has directed officials to take up the project on a fast-track mode.
Reportedly, the problems that came with the acquisition of land has been sorted out now. The project is to come up in the APIIC Grounds in the Harbour Park area, where the CII Partnership Summit and Sunrise AP Investment Meet were hosted previously. AC hangers were erected at the place for want of a permanent venue on these occasions.
The 10 acres of land where the International Convention Centre is to come up belongs to AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, and the adjoining additional four areas were surrendered by a mall owner upon asked by the government. The owner has been offered an alternative land in the same vicinity as compensation.
Now the Infrastructure Corporation of AP (INCAP) will be able to finalise a developer for the project on PPP mode to construct not just the convention centre but also a five star hotel in 10 acres land, leaving the remaining land for greenery. “As Mr. Naidu wants the AP’s first convention centre look better than HITEX in Hyderabad, we want to go for a best available design as well as landscaping,” a senior official of the APIIC told The Hindu.
Varun Beach Novotel cannot accommodate more than 1200 forcing organisers when Partnership Summit is held at the grounds by spending a huge amount on the AC hangars. The state government had previously attempted to build International Convention Centres at Madhuwarada and Mudasarlova on 58 acres and 20 acres of land respectively. But the plans were dropped due to lukewarm response from the bidders.
This time around, the INCAP issued an expression of interest notification on February 22 and the last date for submission is March 31. The project value is estimated to be at Rs 152 crore and a special purpose vehicle may be set up at a later stage. “Once ready the convention centre will help promote Visakhapatnam as a centre for Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) in a big way,” said the CII-AP chairman GS Shiv Kumar.
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