Kolkata Port to lease 23.49 acres land for riverfront luxury resort in Moyapur
Kolkata: Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata, is planning to lease more than 20 acres of land in Moyapur, Budge Budge, for a project involving setting up of a riverside luxury resort, including redevelopment of its heritage British-era Moyapur Magazine storehouse and the Semaphore Signal Post.
Kolkata Port sources confirmed an Expression of Interest (EOI) has been floated for the project involving the development of a luxury resort with state-of-the-art infrastructure at a riverfront site on the outskirts of Kolkata in Moyapur which is instilled with historical heritage. The proposed development will be on a 60-year long-term land lease model. The annual reserve rent will be approximately Rs 5.64 crore without taxes.
The subject site at Moyapur measuring 23.49 acres is located between Atchepore and Birlapur in Budge Budge I CD Block of South 24-Parganas. The site is located at an approximate distance of 25 km southwest of Taratala, an important junction in the southwestern part of Kolkata. It is well connected by Budge Budge Trunk Road and enjoys approximately 500 m frontage on the river which is being considered a “key USP” of the project.
As to the heritage value of this site, port sources said that a gunpowder magazine storehouse was built by the British at Moyapur, apart from the one built at Atchepore in 1801. Kolkata Port record showed that from June 01, 1803, all ships were asked to store their gunpowder at the new facility in Moyapur instead of Atchepore. The Moyapur Magazine is a fortified building where active gunpowder or any other types of explosives were stored. The site still holds remnants of the old factory and is presently a picnic spot.
Another heritage structure at the site is the Semaphore signal post. Since the Hooghly River carries heavy silt and at some points, the river is very shallow and dangerous for ships to navigate, a signal post at Moyapur was installed atop a tall metal pole. This is a method to alert ships of the height of water during tides.
Port sources said that for the luxury resort project, the factors which need to be taken into account while planning the site are that the Moyapur Magazine premise can be redeveloped and showcased as a heritage site while the same be done for the Semaphore signal side which enjoys unhindered river frontage. The Port authorities want the project to be executed by individuals or groups of entrepreneurs or companies with business interests in the hospitality sector.
Recently, Kolkata Port had also invited e-tender-cum-e-auction for allotment of land for the development of an ‘iconic riverfront commercial complex’ in Kolkata at Strand Road on a long-term lease of 60 years.
