THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sprawling Technocity campus at Pallipuram in the capital is all set to get a makeover. The Technopark authorities have invited Request For Proposal (RFP) for selecting consultants for preparing the masterplan for a massive integrated IT township. Technocity, which is being developed as part of the fourth phase development of the Technopark, is located around 390 acres of land. Unlike Technopark phase I, II and III, the proposed project is conceived as an integrated IT township, offering IT/ITes infrastructure, residential apartments, shopping malls with multiplexes, hospitals, hotels, educational institutions and other support facilities. Technocity has 30-million-square-feet built-up space with multiple buildings for its tenant organisations.
According to sources in Technopark, the first IT building ‘Kabani’ on the Technocity campus is ready to get commissioned soon, to accommodate the demand for more office space from a large number of small and medium IT companies. Various companies and developers, including Suntec, TCS, Kerala Digital university, Brigade Enterprises for a World Trade Centre, have also started activities for the development of their respective campuses here. Asian School of Business is also functioning on the campus.
Sources said apart from the IT sector, the campus would focus on areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, high-end manufacturing and research and development. The upcoming TCS development and research hub on the 82 acres of land already allotted to them is planning to focus on space technology.
Technopark has invited RFP from experienced agencies, who have expertise in master planning, urban planning for integrated township projects, SEZs, in at least three similar classes of completed projects. Out of 390 acres, 135 acres have already been earmarked for various co-developers. So, the selected consultant should prepare the masterplan for the remaining 255 acres in Technocity.
According to John M Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, IT parks- Kerala, the project will be a live-workplace township. “The project is not exclusively for IT companies. We have a broader concept to ensure that all kinds of technologies could converge here. In addition to the companies and office space, it will have recreational facilities and residential apartments. However, it is too early to comment on the various aspects of it. We want to have an experienced consultant to prepare a master plan for it. So the process has begun,” he told TNIE.
He also pointed out that the proceedings are underway for setting up a waste collection and treatment centres and a KSEB sub-station to ensure water supply connections and electricity at all points so that there will not be power and water supply interruptions. He said basic infrastructure development is in progress including the connectivity of roads.
As per the RFP, the selected consultant need to provide descriptive evaluation of the campus and should list all the tasks necessary to complete the master planning of the site, assemble and analyze data regarding all of the existing conditions (topography, geology, soils, hydrology), ecological integrity, within the campus. The consultant will conduct GIS-based digital survey mapping of Technocity campus. The digital survey should be of the highest quality for facilitating virtual roaming technology that can be used as an effective sales or marketing tool. All the features and data should be incorporated in multi-layer 3-Dimensional GIS Technology capturing all geographical features, including water bodies, land classification (paddy and dry land) and local body boundaries.
The proposed project will abide by ‘green’ design principles. The campus will also have areas for sports complexes and sports-related activities, common amphitheatre and assembly points. Open space design - hard and soft areas suitable for gardens, butterfly park and planting design for evolving eco-tourism. However, these developments will come without harming nature as the RFP made it clear that the selected consultant should consider conserving and preserving rain water, restoring natural areas by creating afforestation/ponds, for water management strategies.
The development to be responsive to climatic and seasonal variations to build energy-efficient systems and introduce innovative design elements. The last date for the submission of the proposal is up to 3 pm on August 25.
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