KARACHI: A leisure facility conceived by Grand Leisure Corporation and supported by Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Port Grand is now in its finishing stages.Supported with over rupees one billion of investment by Grand Leisure Corporation, Port Grand is being built on land leased by KPT to Grand Leisure Corporation for initially 21 years on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.This project has been designed and developed by leading US Architects, NEWWORK of New Jersey.GLC’s scope of work includes financing, construction, maintenance and operation of all aspects pertaining to the Port Grand.The GLC almost rebuilt the whole one mile Old Napier Mole Bridge that includes removal of old deck slab, cleaning of rust and scaling of existing structure, strengthening of sub-structure and laying of new deck slab.This work took around two year to completely revamped the bridge thus delayed the project for around two years.The one kilometer bridge has been transformed into an entertainment and food enclave housing numerous eateries totaling 40,000 sqft of climate-controlled area and space for kiosks of exotic Pakistani and foreign food and a variety of beverages.Once operational this project would provide direct employment to around 1,000 persons and indirectly to several thousands.The Port Grand is a food, retail, entertainment and recreation complex. It offers ample area for landscaping, walkways, joyrides, dinner cruises, etc.“Port Grand is an effort to revive the culture and traditions of old Karachi as well as celebrate it as the City of Lights. It would revive the harbor culture, i.e. seafood, boating around the mangroves, pedestrian friendly harbor front experience etc.” said Shahid Firoz, the spirit behind the project.
He said a good omen is that several foreign food chains and retail stores are coming to Pakistan and thus it would send a very positive signal to foreign investors about Pakistan.The Port Grand will maintain international standard of food hygiene and the place and will be fully protected by high tech security solution. Port Grand also features a trading post for retail and fast food including international franchises; a floating restaurant, children play area and a Cineplex with different cafes – Dailytimes
