The Hindu Business Line : Mega mall coming up at Meerut

MALLS are supposed to be essentially a metropolitan feature, so it would appear surprising when a private company announces a mega mall and multiplex at Meerut, a small town in western Uttar Pradesh.

"Our internal study revealed that 40 per cent of Meerut residents visit Delhi malls at least once in a year. Neighbouring Muzaffarnagar has the highest per capita income in the State. And, Meerut falls on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, which is a popular tourist route. We feel that the mall would have a large catchment area," according to Mr Sanjeev Gupta of Majestic Properties Limited, which is building the Melange Mall at Meerut.

The construction of the 1.9 lakh square feet mall would begin in August and is likely to be completed in the next two years. The total investment would be in the region of Rs 50 crore, Mr Gupta said. The average sale price would be in the region of Rs 5,000 per square foot, as compared to Rs 8,000-13,000 for similar malls in Delhi and Gurgaon.

The company claims to have already signed up clients like Lee Cooper, Archies, Stryde and Moti Mahal Restaurants to take up space. The project is being commercially launched on Wednesday and the anchor client would be tied up soon, company Chairman, Mr Rajat Gupta, said.

The mall aims to not only cater to the local population of Meerut, but also to traffic bound for Dehradun, Mussourie, Haridwar and Rishikesh. In addition, Mr Gupta expects the mall to become a destination point for Delhi and Noida residents.

"Despite a large number of malls in the National Capital Region, customers are unable to find a large place to hang out with ample parking place. We think the Melange mall would attract week-end mall-goers from Delhi as an alternative destination that provides a hassle-free experience," he said.

On security, Mr Gupta said that the local administration has assured all help for the project. The mall would have its own private security establishment. "Moreover, as it would be seen as a prestigious project for the area, we expect that the locals themselves would ensure security of the place," he added.

More Stories on : Shopping | Other States

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
JWT scripts a shop for film stories

The world of movies

Mega mall coming up at Meerut

Will weather play truant at Asia Cup?

It is their turn for a pick-up