LAHORE – The Lahore Development Authority has decided to relax its building bylaws. The move aims at encouraging the construction of more and more high-rise buildings at the Finance and Trade Centre, situated in Johar Town here. The new step has been taken on the heels of allocating in LDA’s budget a sum of Rs500 million for the construction and improvement of infrastructure on the premises.
The LDA will frame special building regulations for the Centre. Work on the project would be initiated after a subsoil survey of the site and getting an NOC from the Civil Aviation Authority. Under the prevalent building regulations, four basements can be built on a plot measuring more than four kanal. At the new centre, five basements would be allowed. The mandatory open side space on a plot measuring more than 20 kanal will be 15 feet as compared to 20 feet elsewhere. No height limit is being proposed for buildings to be constructed in the area.
However, open auction of plots reserved for setting up a five-star hotel as well as a superstore of international standards at the Centre will be held on September 10, 2011. Sale of these plots, measuring 114 kanal and 90 kanal, respectively, through open bidding, had earlier been planned for August 23, 2011.
The Centre is being established by the LDA on 1,123 kanals of land, situated near Expo Centre, also in Johar Town. Out of this land, a superstore would be built on 90 kanal, a five-star hotel on 114 kanal, a bank square on 69 kanal, a health club on 27 kanal, a hospital on 25 kanal, a mosque on five kanal, recreational area on 75 kanal, parking and mini golf club on 32 kanal and a park and lake on 42 kanal. About 40 kanals of land has been reserved for multi-storey apartments, eight kanal for the service area and 388 kanal for roads. The commercial area of the Centre would be on 111 kanal and a corporate office and LDA tower on 101 kanal. – Nation
