The Hindu 15.03.2011
New building trend catching up in city
‘Non-availability of land is a major constraint to construction of new apartments'
The trend of old apartment complexes being pulled down to construct new ones is fast spreading in Vijayawada, as seen here at Mogalrajapuram. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar
A new trend in construction industry is catching up in the city. Faced with scarcity of land to take up new constructions, a few builders have started looking for apartments constructed decades ago so that they could pull the buildings down and construct new apartments.
Builders say that non-availability of land is a major constraint to construction of new apartments. Land prices have over the years skyrocketed in the city and on the outskirts. With the people preferring to live within the city area, builders have started looking for apartments constructed when the culture of living in flats just started in the city. The dwellers of such apartments too are coming forward for re-construction for various reasons, including to gain more plinth area, have better amenities like lift facility and, of course, to get a ‘new home'.
For instance, Bhanu Apartments in Moghalrajapuram is now being demolished for redevelopment. At present, there are only 32 flats in the two blocks of Bhanu Apartments. After redevelopment 60 flats are expected to be ready for occupation, says G. Narayana Rao, the builder who is redeveloping it. “The plinth area of each old apartment was just a little more than 1,100 sq. ft. But now at least 1,200 sq.ft. is ensured for each flat. As many as 30 three-bedroom flats and another 30 two-bed room flats can be constructed in the half-acre land available there. Probably, ours is the first venture of this kind in the city,” he says.
Senior builder Gadde Rajaling compares the trend to reconstruction that took place in London. “Vijayawada is locked between hills and canals and there is hardly any scope to grow horizontally. And, the land rates are so high that a square yard of land has touched Rs. 35,000, though it was just Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000 per sq. yard till a year ago. As an alternative, we are in search of old apartments and we are negotiating with flat owners in two to three areas,” he says.
New rules
But not all builders are early birds. The chances are meagre for new entrants for one reason: the new building rules. Those who took approval of plans before the commencement of new building rules in that came into force in 2007-08 only would be able to take up these kinds of ventures. The new rules stipulate that fire tenders should be able to move around the building. It might not be possible in apartments constructed in smaller areas, explain a few other builders.