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RAZED DOWN: Landmark buildings - Vijaya Sesh and Rani Mahals along with Vijaya Vauhini studios were demolished for a swanky multiplex at Vadapalani. Photos: B Anand

        In two years, the aerial view of Arcot Road coursing through Vadapalani and western suburbs will undergo a sea change if everything goes at the current pace of development. Yes, a big multiplex - Forum Vijaya mall will jostle shoulders with Hotel Green Park near the signal junction.

        Grapevine has it that talks are on with Reliance Fresh which is keen to acquire the land on which a hotel chain is operating now, near Vadapalani bus depot, through outright purchase for setting up a supermarket for vegetables and fruits. 'If Reliance Fresh opens its outlet on Arcot Road and multiplex also comes up near it, then imagine the plight of motorists and commuters travelling from Valasaravakkam and other interiors in peak hours. The only way to regulate this busy choke point is to broaden the width of the road,' says V Eswaran, head, Clarity Public Relations at Vadapalani.

        But then the implementation of road-widening on Arcot Road is easier said than done as many departments have to put their heads together for a master plan to execute this critical project step by step. Recently the opening of a big retail bazaar at Saligramam has created a host of problems for traffic police as they are hard pressed during weekends to regulate the movement of vehicles in and out of the shopping complex which invariably create hassles for motorists and pedestrians on the busy motorway winding through many residential hubs.

        Vijaya Sesh Mahal and Rani Mahal, two marriage halls that are booked throughout the year, along with Vijaya Vauhini studios near Vadapalani signal and once owned by Nagi Reddi group have been razed to the ground now. This entire stretch of 27 acres of prime land was purchased by Bangalore-based Prestige group, a real estate firm and property developer with 35 years of business experience. 'Forum Vijaya mall will become fully operational by March 2009 at an investment of Rs 380 crore, including the cost of land acquisition and other expenditure. It will have nine-movie screens and a multilevel car parking with 12 floors,' informs Stephen Daniel, general manager, Chennai Office, Prestige Estate Projects Pvt Ltd. Besides movie screens, the multiplex will have a vast food court, retail stores, hypermarket and department stores to cater to diverse needs of elite families, apart from commercial offices.

        Spread over 10 lakh sq ft of built up area, Forum Vijaya mall will have ultra-modern comforts in a luxurious ambience for a range of entertainment and shopping bonanza. Besides Forum Vijaya mall at Vadapalani, the company has two on-going projects - Cyber Towers on Old Mahabalipuram Road at Rs 120 crore with an office space of 5 lakh sq ft over 12 floors and an office complex on Greams Road occupying 2.5 lakh sq ft. 'We will be announcing two or three projects shortly that will come up on either side of Anna Salai,' he says. Prestige group is a 35-year-old group with high stakes in property development. So far it has completed 15 million sq ft of projects covering 200 buildings and is expanding into Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin and Mangalore. The company has earned a reputation for setting up glitzy malls and multiplexes in Bangalore over decades.

        On both sides of Arcot Road there is an incremental pressure for ground water and other resources, given the hectic pace of building activity for high-rise residential complexes and commercial malls. Close to Vadapalani bus depot, an apartment complex with nearly 400 flats is getting ready at a feverish pitch and the construction work is on throughout the day. Also, another builder near Avichi school has resumed construction after a gap, despite many residents complaining to authorities, including the CMDA, for stoppage of work that had disturbed the peace in the locality.

        'Every day traffic is increasing on Arcot Road, especially near Vijaya Hospitals. The board of trustees have to take cognisance of traffic crisis that is bound to affect the arrival of patients in future and take a decision. We have no control or voice over the road situation near the hospital at present,' says D Rambabu, general manager, Vijaya Hospital.

        The top officials at Green Park are tight-lipped when queried over the multiplex being constructed adjacent to their plot. 'We only know that Prestige group is handling the project. Apart from that, we are not aware of their business plans and what ideas they have got,' says Krishnakumar Menon, manager, Green Park, in a cryptic reply.

        However, the traffic police are not unaware of the goings-on in the real estate front. 'Discussions are being held with top-level police and officials for ways to bring in new routes and diversion to accommodate the rise in the movement of vehicles, once these buildings materialise,' says V Sethu, Assistant Commissioner at R8 Vadapalani Police station.

        Once the builder gives the plan-outlay to the CMDA for its permission, 'we will work on it to find suitable means of regulating the movement of vehicles,' according to Sunil Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Traffic. But when informed that the construction for the multiplex has already begun at full pace, he says the 'issue will be looked into without delay.' After the building plan of the multiplex is given to the police by the CMDA, 'we will do what all needs to be done for easing traffic flow on this stretch of Arcot Road,' he assures.