15 February 2017

State-backed property developer Nakheel has begun work on an 850 million dirham ($231.4 million) 55-storey residential tower at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

With a built-up area of 675,000 square feet, Ibn Battuta Residences 2 will have 279 apartments, a 16-screen cinema complex, a multi-storey car park and retail units. Directly connected to the mall, the new tower will have 108 two-bedroom and 171 three-bedroom apartments, available for lease, plus ground floor retail facilities, the master developer said in a statement on Wednesday.

The new tower will complement the 48-floor twin-building apartment complex known as Ibn Battuta Residences, with the three towers having a combined total of 810 apartments.

A health and wellness centre – featuring swimming pools for adults and children, a fitness club and café – will occupy the top-level of a four-storey parking podium housing 515 spaces. The complex will also have a 32,000 sqft landscaped park with a 200 metre jogging track, a children’s play area and shaded seating.

The new 16-screen cinema and dining complex will cover more than 700,000 sqft, including 114,000 sqft of leasable space. Built over four levels, the new facility will have a multi-storey car park with nearly 1,400 parking bays.

Construction proposals are due for assessment soon, the Dubai developer said in a statement on Wednesday.

The new project is part of Nakheel’s phased expansion at Ibn Battuta Mall. Phase one, comprising a 300,000 sqft retail extension, a 210 metre link to the Dubai Metro and a 372 room hotel, opened last year. Subsequent phases include a one million sqft mall featuring a retractable roof for year-round shopping and dining, and a second hotel.

© Zawya 2017