VMRDA’ efforts to set up East Coast Habitat Centre gets a boost

The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (VMRDA) efforts to set up the East Coast Habitat Centre-Visakhapatnam (ECHC-V) got a boost on Saturday with officials visiting the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

VMRDA Chairman Pranav Gopal and his team visited the Delhi and explored the centre’s know-how to adopt it for ECHC-V on 8.82 acres at Madhurawada in the city.

“We met India Habitat Centre-New Delhi General Manager Amarnath on Saturday. We learnt about the architectural style of the centre, convention centres, conference halls, gardening, hotels and management. This will be useful for us to make further progress on the proposed ECHC-V to be developed by VMRDA,” Mr. Gopal told The Hindu from Delhi.

With an estimated investment of ₹450-500 crore, VMRDA will take up the project on its own land on Law College Road, on the old stretch of National Highway-16, near the International Cricket Stadium in PM Palem.

VMRDA has proposed the project keeping in mind the booming IT industry and the ongoing development in the Madhurawada and Rushikonda areas, which include gated communities, IT companies, high-end housing complexes and the upcoming international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district. It will be around 45 km from the habitat centre.

While Infosys has already started operations in the Rushikonda area, it is likely that TCS and Google’s proposed centres will be set up at the same destination, in and around Madhurawada. Google’s yet-to-be-launched $15 billion data centre and AI hub will also be located in Taruluvada, which is also close to the centre.

“If this project is implemented, it will become the largest entertainment hub in the State. The project was discussed in January. We have explained it to key Cabinet ministers including Nara Lokesh, apart from Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, during their visits to the city,” a VMRDA official said.

Designed to create a modern and multipurpose urban centre and cater to the growing needs of Visakhapatnam, the project already received approval from the VMRDA board. The centre is envisioned as a landmark destination that integrates cultural, social and economic activities, fosters community engagement and regional growth, the official said.

The proposed centre will have various amenities such as corporate office space for start-ups or small ITES companies, a business centre for meetings, a clubhouse with various amenities for executives of corporate or public sector organisations, a star hotel for tourists and restaurants serving local, national and international cuisine. The project also includes revenue-generating components such as office rental spaces for meetings through leasing, spaces for trade shows and exhibitions to showcase local and international art and cultural exhibits, and entertainment venues for creative and commercial endeavours.