Broadway renovation: Tenders to be invited soon

KOCHI: Giving fresh wings of hope for the Broadway Renovation Project, the Kochi Corporation has decided to invite tenders for the first phase of the project by next month. The `22-crore Broadway and Ernakulam Market Heritage Urban Renewal Project was originally approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in February 2010. But after the initial buzz, the project came to a standstill. However, a top Corporation official said that the  Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation was expected to complete the preparation of the tender documents by next month. “We have already entrusted KITCO with the  preparation of the tender documents. The agency is expected to submit the documents by September and the civic body will float the tenders by the end of next month,” said Kochi corporation secretary Ajit Patil. As per the project prepared by the Centre for Heritage Environment and Development (C-HED), the Broadway and the Ernakulam market, which are two busy shopping hubs in the city, will be revamped with modern facilities without damaging the scale and essential character of the architectural ensemble. The heritage conservation, waste management, traffic management as well as vendor and street hawkers management are the key components of the plan. Patil said the civic body is planning to float separate tenders for each components. “After the preparation of  the tender, we will decide on the initial component for which the tender has to be invited,” he added.