Consultants to help build LDA’s flagship

Walk ‘n’ Shop Arena will embody Mughal, Italian, Spanish, American and Chinese architecture

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) will appoint a consultant to form a business and marketing strategy for its flagship project – the Walk ‘n’ Shop Arena in Johar Town.

The governing body of the authority has given the go-ahead to appoint a consultant, as per provisions of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. A meeting was chaired by LDA Chairman S M Imran on Monday in which this was decided.

The Walk N’ Shop Arena is the first of its kind in Pakistan and is designed to be a masterpiece that embodies Mughal, Italian, Spanish, American and Chinese cultures and architecture. This 130-kanal project has 120 two-storey buildings of four-marla each. It is located on Khayaban-e-Firdousi in Johar Town near the Aleem Dar Cricket Academy.

It is being built as the first transport-free mall of Lahore with showrooms, shops, food courts, park and walkways. Commercial plazas are being constructed around the park, while food courts are in the centre. Over 85% of development works on the project have been completed after a prolonged delay.

The project aims to attract local and international fashion brands, food chains and renowned local eateries under the same roof.

The available information shows that the project will have several recreation facilities, like virtual reality games, zip line, horror house, Lahore eye, amusement park, playground for toddlers and kids, skating rink, water channel, amphitheatre, mini golf, bumper cars and joy rides.

Work on the project was initiated in 2017. Earlier, the authority had announced the completion of development works by March 2018, but failed to meet the deadline. Now the authority has decided to complete the project by August 2019.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2019.