The Grand Venezia, developed by city-based Bhasin Infotech & Infrastructure, will open for public in the third quarter of 2012. The Venetian-themed mall has been built with an investment of approx Rs 450 crore and is touted as an emerging tourist destination in Delhi-NCR.
According to Satinder Singh Bhasin, MD, Bhasin Infotech & Infrastructure, the mall will become a must-visit destination for every individual living and coming to Delhi- NCR. “On your visit to Singapore, you go to Suntose tower and in Dubai you go to Atlantas. Similarly, we have tried to create The Grand Venezia as a must-visit tourism destination. Just imagine riding a Gondola amidst a quaint Venetian setting – all within a multi-million square feet contemporary, up-market destination in the vicinity of the capital city,” Bhasin added.
The mall is spread across the built-up area of 1.4 million sq.ft. and a gross leasable area of 1.2 million sq.ft. The architecture of the mall has been taken care by ARCOP and has four floors including premium canal level + ground + two. The mall will house a multi-level mega car parking system which will accommodate approx 2,200 four-wheelers and two-wheelers. There will be 20 lifts and elevators in the mall provided by Kone. The construction has been done by Shapoorji Pallonji & Co, while the lighting has been provided by Lucent. The mall is also planning to provide a pick-and-drop facility to its visitors with its buses.
The Grand Venezia, which will have 270 stores, has already signed Pantaloons, Ethnicity, Planet Sports, and Zara as its anchors. Some of the other brands signed by the mall include Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Kazo, Blackberry, Biba, Zara, Jack & Jones, Catwalk, and D&A. The mall will house over 40 F&B joints spread all across the development and a 5-screen multiplex by Cinepolis with a seating capacity of 1,000. The mall is already 40 percent leased out and the fit-outs have begun in the first quarter of 2012.
The mall which was supposed to open in the third quarter of 2011 has to postpone its opening due to the implementation of the contractors because in the words of Bhasin, ‘”it has been very explicit.” “Every treatment has taken more time than we had planned. The delay was beyond our control and there have been no major specific reasons for it,” he added.
Around 90,000 to 200,000 sq.ft. has been allotted in the mall for entertainment zones. The mall will also host meandering canal, inspired by the canals of Venice, and the central piazza, evocative of the Piazza San Marco, which serves as the main atrium of the mall. “In the air-conditioned environment, The Grand Venezia has created the boating experience along with the gondola rides and the Venetian facades. For the first time we have created the marine life aquarium which in itself is very exquisite,” said Bhasin.
Talking about the location of the mall, Bhasin said: “The proximity of Greater Noida to Delhi and the superb connectivity with the Metro Rail Road and Noida Expressway will add to the benefits of the location.”
On the competition from the other upcoming malls in the same vicinity, Bhasin said: “I don’t want to talk competition because we have done our work very meticulously and passionately. Other developers like Omaxe and Ansal are there before us but we have a clear first war advantage right now.” He added that the decision to come up in Greater Noida was not wrong as the other projects which are there or are going to come up are just business models and they are there to just sell spaces and get out of it. “We are going to hold Venezia for our lifetime,” he said.
According to Bhasin: “India is all ready for such huge projects when it comes to retail real estate. The overall purchasing power of the Indians has increased tremendously. There are huge opportunities and we just need to see the entertainment in a true form as there is sufficient market for anyone to do more things like this. In overseas, wherever you go, there are always entertainment destinations. Through such endeavours, we will come a step closer to the international tourism.”
-Priti Payal
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