CDA Plans Major Upgrade of Jinnah Convention Centre

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has moved to upgrade the Jinnah Convention Centre and add a new block ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit planned for August next year.

The civic agency has invited construction firms to submit pre-qualification proposals for the project and set October 9 as the deadline.

The CDA had earlier planned to build the New Islamabad Convention, Exhibition and Expo Centre (NICEEC) near Malpur. However, delays have shifted the focus toward expanding and modernizing the existing Jinnah Convention Centre.

The new plan will add NICEEC facilities to the Jinnah Convention Centre. A CDA source said the authority now wants to expand the convention center while upgrading its existing building.

The CDA had completed bidding for the Malpur project and received a lowest bid of Rs. 37 billion. The contractor later offered a Rs. 3 billion concession, but the authority could not start the project on time and subsequently dropped the plan.

Officials have warned that the new project faces a tight deadline because the SCO summit will take place in August. One official said the work should finish by mid-July to provide at least a month before the summit. The CDA has yet to finalize the project cost, although sources estimate spending at around Rs. 12 billion.

Via: Dawn