THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 164-year-old Connemara Market in Palayam is all set to get a new face with a state-of-the-art shopping complex and multilevel car parking. The renovation is included in the smart city project of the municipality. A five-storey market is in the plans.

A multilevel car parking is provided on the lower two floors of the multi-storeyed building. At present, customers' vehicles are parked without any organization, creating traffic jams on the road front. The parking area in the basement will have the facility to park 350 cars at a time. It is a mechanical hydraulic parking system.

Space limitations have become the villain in the market which attracts thousands of visitors every day for years. The smart city authorities informed that a shopping mall and a multiplex theater containing goods of leading brands are under consideration. The heritage gate and wall in front of the market will be retained. Commercial and trade establishments will be prepared for more than five hundred merchants. The new market will be differently abled and elderly friendly. There are also plans to develop innovative systems for waste management.

The project

A five-storey building

The cost is 113.62 crores

Expected

Multilevel car parking

350 cars can be parked at a time

Movie theatre

Shopping center

Water Kiosk

Waste treatment systems

Renovation without much delay

The market renovation will begin in three months. The construction will be completed in one and a half years. The Smart City Company prepared the master plan for the project with the help of TRIDA. The estimated cost of one and three-quarter acres of land owned by the Corporation is Rs 113.62 crore.

Rehabilitation of existing vendors will also begin soon. A temporary resettlement is being set up on Trida's land on Palayam-Bakery Junction Road. More than 300 vendors will be provided facilities in three blocks. The construction of the 5990 square foot building is in progress.

Discussions were held with the corporation officials last month.