Work is underway on a $32 million (BD12 million) car park at Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), which will include rooftop restaurants offering panoramic views of the capital.

The 5,141 sq m Commercial West Car Park will provide 1,260 parking spaces for both tenants and visitors to the BFH.

Built-in communications, security and remote monitoring systems will allow the car park to be supervised from within the building itself or from a main control room, which the developers claim is a first for the Middle East.

Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Company (BFHHC) has said work on the car park, carried out by Terna Contracting, is on schedule and marks "significant forward movement" at the $3 billion landmark.

The GDN reported in November that officials were still "optimistic" construction would soon resume at the BFH.

When ground was first broken in 2003, the project was described as a $1 billion master-planned development covering 380,000 sq m of prime Manama seafront.

Although the two landmark towers were completed in 2007, the rest of the project remains unfinished with the promised Bahrain Performance Centre, residential Diamond Tower and long-stalled Villamar apartment buildings either incomplete or non-existent.

"Work on the Commerical West Car Park is progressing on schedule and we are expecting to finish work on this new facility within the year," said BFHHC managing director Dr Omar Al Mardi.

"As the BFH business community grows, the convenience, comfort and safety of our tenants - as well as that of our visitors and guests - remains top priority and the additional amenities that the Commercial West Car Park will provide underscores that commitment."

A covered bridge will also be built to connect the car park with the West Tower and Harbour Mall in future. - TradeArabia News Service