Soma City – Hyderabad’s latest retail development – is finally set to commence construction this September. The mall, with a gross leasable area of 4.9 lakh sq.ft, is expected to become operational in Q3 2013.
Confirming the development, Ramakrishna Udupa, project coordinator, Soma Hyderabad City Centre Pvt Ltd, says, “The approval process has taken us longer than estimated, resulting in a delay in commencing construction work; however, our goal was to clear this hurdle before starting construction.”
“It is a normal practice in international projects to complete the planning phase prior to commencing construction as this proves less costly and creates fewer delays than when you try to adapt or change the building or elements once construction has begun,” said Sonal Shrivastav, design development head, Pioneer Property Zone. PPZ has been appointed by Soma Hyderabad City Centre Pvt Ltd to manage the development process.
Ashwin Puri, CEO, PPZ, says, “We have also been involved in the development of the tenant mix and sourcing key anchor tenants so that their requirements could be incorporated from the initial design phase.”
Retailers who have confirmed their arrival at the mall include Westside, Globus and Cinepolis, among others.
– Payal Kapoor
