A shopping complex built near the beach here about seven years ago is being converted into suits to meet the requirements of tourists and pilgrims.
The Sea Gulls restaurant, constructed during the post-tsunami period, has a sprawling area of over 6,000 square metres. It was utilised for constructing a shopping complex with 20 shops, a restaurant and a bar.
“None of the traders in Karaikal volunteered to put up their stalls on the shopping complex ever since its inception and the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation has decided to re-construct and re-design the shopping complex into suits,” say the sources.
All the 20 shops are being converted into suits. The civil work on re-designing the shopping complex into a suit has been taken up at an estimate of Rs. 2 crore, sanctioned as loan by the HUDCO.
“It was originally designed as a shopping complex and the need for including a toilet or other basic amenities such as drinking water supply was not felt then. Now, with its conversion into suits, all these basic amenities are being provided,” says Manickavasagam, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department.
The work, taken up about three months ago, would be completed by the end of this year, he added.
Three shopping rooms are being converted into two suits, as additional space is required for constructing toilet and bath room.
Each suit will have a spiral stair case, with the idea of accommodating children in the ceiling and parents in the ground floor.
The work involved a challenging task, as re-designing involved partial demolition of the ceiling for setting up spiral stair case.
It has been planned to construct 12 single bed rooms, four suits and one VVIP suit. The rent for the suits would be fixed in course of time after the work was completed.
The re-designing would ensure proper utilisation of the infrastructure.
The Sea Gulls has a restaurant and the conversion of the shopping complex into a restaurant would fetch adequate patronage for the restaurant, according to sources.
