CHENNAI: The state government has identified around 26.36 acres of land at Pattinapakkam, south of Santhome and at the southern end of the Marina coastline, for the construction of a new secretariat-cum-assembly complex. The integrated complex is proposed to have around 20 lakh sq ft of built-up area spread across a 15-storey structure, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore.
A highly placed official told the TNIE that the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB), which own portions of the land, have granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for using their respective parcels. An order granting administrative approval is expected to be issued in a few days. “Among the three locations considered, Pattinapakkam emerged as the suitable site due to the availability of government land and the relatively easier approval process for taking up the project,” the official added.
Meanwhile, in view of the anticipated traffic demand along the stretch due to the proposed project, the state highways department has decided to construct a 3.5-km elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Adyar. The alignment of the corridor — whether along Kamarajar Salai/Santhome High Road or the Loop Road — will be finalised after a detailed study, sources said.
The land parcels identified for the new secretariat-cum-assembly complex total 25.16 acres. The proposed site includes the Foreshore Estate residential complex and playground, besides other parcels earmarked for roads. The site is located between Santhome/Mylapore to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Adyar estuary to the south. Another 1.2 acres for which revenue records were said to be unavailable has also been identified, taking the total land available to around 26.36 acres.
The proposed site is also located about 350 metres from the apartment on South Canal Bank Road in Mandavelipakkam, R A Puram, where Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s office-cum residence is located.
In 2021, the then DMK-led government had announced plans to develop a 25-acre site at Pattinapakkam into the Marina Business Centre. The announcement was made by then minister S Muthusamy, who said the complex would be modelled on par with commercial complexes in Singapore and that a study would be undertaken during that financial year.
However, the proposal failed to take off due to pending court cases concerning the eviction of residents from the site. Multiple litigations pending before the Madras High Court were disposed of in May this year, with the demands of the TNHB tenants being addressed, including the allocation of alternative accommodation.
A senior highways official said, “The government made the announcement in the Assembly recently. Since the entire stretch is highly congested and there are several schools and religious institutions along the route, widening the road by acquiring land is not feasible. Hence, an elevated corridor will be constructed. A detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared at a cost of Rs 30 lakh. A G.O will be issued soon.”
During the preparation of the DPR, a decision will be taken on whether the elevated corridor should run along Kamarajar Salai/Santhome High Road or through the Pattinapakkam Loop Road. The corridor is also expected to have entry and exit ramps at locations witnessing heavy traffic congestion.
“Once approval for the new secretariat is granted, orders for preparing the DPR are also expected to be issued,” the official added.