Bahrain will build a government-proposed BD1 million ($2.65 million) multi-purpose residential centre and shopping plaza in the old Manama suq, said a senior official.

Manama Municipal Council's general-secretariat yesterday (August 3) approved the project, which is said to be the first of its kind in the capital.

It would include more than 20 car parking spaces with the potential for further expansion as well as green landscaping.

The project was originally proposed by council chairman and area councillor Majeed Millad Al Jazeeri and is being handled by the Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry's urban development directorate.

It will serve a population of 5,554 - 2,575 Bahrainis and 2,975 expatriate residents.

Council-proposed design changes include public toilets that would be run electronically with special cards distributed to centre officials and plaza tenants to ensure there is no misuse.

"We are very happy with the introduction of this project, which is the first of its kind in the now forgotten old Manama Suq area," said council vice-chairman Mohammed Mansoor.

"The area has been neglected for years and many Bahrainis have left elsewhere with expatriate families replacing them. This project has been initiated to serve all of the area's residents and would help attract them back.”

"The project, as suggested by Al Jazeeri, is magnificent as a concept. After seeing the designs, I found it to be a state-of-the-art facility which takes into consideration today's needs of people," he added.

Mansoor said the project would include a multi-purpose centre residents could use for weddings, training and educational courses, programmes, lectures and social events.

"It will also include a shopping plaza to generate income to run the centre and pay its bills," he said.

"The ministry has come up with 23 public car parking spaces and we as a council suggested that a basement level is built to be used as additional car park. The project will also include greenery landscaping considering that the suq area has been turned into a concrete jungle."

Mansoor said the council had also suggested that public toilets be built within the project.

"The suq and the area don't have public toilets and many visitors and shoppers look for the kindness of residents or restaurant workers to allow them usage," he said.

"We believe that there may be excessive use of water by people from the place either for car washing or other purposes and that is why we have suggested that doors are made electronic and only open to those with cards."

Mansoor said the project designs were almost complete and only in need of minor changes, which would be done before the end of the month.

"The council will early next month after the Eid holiday have to approve it. Since we have no problems with the project, I believe that within the upcoming few months after tendering, work on it will begin," he added. – TradeArabia News Service