Skydeck project gathers pace as BDA begins preparatory works

One-of-its-kind projects in the country, the skydeck received Cabinet approval in August 2024, when Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister and Mr. Shivakumar was his deputy. The project was estimated to cost up to ₹500 crore.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has finalised the land for the 250-metre-high skydeck, one of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s pet projects, and begun preparatory work to invite design proposals.

With the project gathering pace, the BDA sources told The Hindu that the value of corner sites in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), and plots around the identified project site is expected to more than double soon after work begins. This could, however, potentially place an additional financial burden on prospective buyers.

After considering more than five locations and narrowing them down to two, the BDA has finalised 46.25 acres of land falling under Bheemanakuppe survey numbers 104 and 75, and Challaghatta survey numbers 13, 58/3 and 49. The selected land parcels fall within the NPKL in west Bengaluru.

P. Manivannan, BDA Commissioner, said that the authority is preparing to invite Expressions of Interest (EoI) for design proposals. “We are looking at getting multiple designs and their cost prospects. Once the designs are out, we will assess the cost and the feasibility of implementing the project through the PPP or EPC model,” he said.

Mr. Manivannan said the BDA had also onboarded a transaction adviser. Several aspects of the project, including possession of the land, had also been cleared, he said.

According to the BDA sources, about five acres of the identified land parcel had already been allotted. The BDA is now making arrangements to relocate the beneficiaries by allotting them land elsewhere.

After the Cabinet clearance, then Bengaluru Development Minister Mr. Shivakumar actively searched for suitable land and expressed interest in three locations near Baiyappanahalli, Hemmigepura and Jnanabharathi. However, these were dropped due to feasibility issues.

Subsequently, the BDA had almost finalised a land parcel near Kommaghatta, considering its connectivity. However, implementing the project there would have required land acquisition and posed other technical challenges.

The currently identified land parcel was subsequently selected. The site offers good connectivity, with S.M. Krishna Main Road, the city’s widest stretch, passing close to it. The road will also become part of the Bengaluru Business Corridor (BBC). Further, the site is located a few kilometres from the Challaghatta Metro station.

With this, the BDA has stepped up the implementation of two projects, championed by Mr. Shivakumar. The authority has been making progress on the Hebbal Short Tunnel project, while work on the BBC is also gathering pace.