A MAJOR redevelopment of the Manama Central Market in Bahrain is back on agenda after the company charged with overseeing the project was ordered to come up with a new plan to take it forward.

Tashgeel for Commercial Buildings Management was chosen for the project last month after beating off competition from another company. However, the Manama Municipal Council immediately ordered it to go back to the drawing board – saying the proposal it put forward could be improved.
The company has now come up with a modified plan, which has been approved by the council. “The procedure that’s going to be followed is that after we agree to them implementing the study, we ask them to present a draft of the contract,” said council chairman Majeed Millad Al Jazeeri.
“The company will be then asked to present the draft contract before the council seals the deal. It will also be asked to discuss every phase with the council before starting.”
Officials said work would go ahead in five phases over the next 18 months. This would include determining the best way to handle investment, marketing the project, coming up with criteria for investors, selecting the best bidders and supervising the creation of artist’s impressions. Once that initial period of preparation is completed a contractor will be brought in to oversee construction.
The development is expected to cost BD1 billion ($2.65 billion) and is intended to turn the area into a ‘city within a city’. Designs for the project include a new BD120 million ($318 million) central market, which could be renamed the Capital Trade Centre.
The development includes business, residential, shopping and leisure space and initial designs account for four 28-storey office and shopping towers, a new central market, car parking, a five-star hotel, a ‘Green Plaza’ heritage village and park and a bus station that connecting to routes through Saudi Arabia.