Dubai revamps Sheikh Zayed road area

Published: 21 November 2007 07:33 GMT Author: Colin Foreman More


Dubai is preparing to launch a new real estate company charged with a multi-billion-dollar project to redevelop land alongside Sheikh Zayed road.

The new firm, known as Meraas Investment Company, will be responsible for the project, which will involve redeveloping the tract of land between Sheikh Zayed road and Al-Wasl road, from the World Trade Centre roundabout to Al-Sufouh.

The area could extend for more than 10 kilometres alongside the highway, with a width of about 2km, and affect tens of thousands of people living in the area.

"The project is still confidential, but I can tell you it will be launched soon," a source at the development company that is planning the project tells MEED.

The project is still in the planning stages, but is expected to involve the transformation of the Satwa, Al-Wasl and Al-Safa areas. It will extend as far as the planned Creek extension that will pass through the Safa park before re-entering the Gulf. The Roads & Transport Authority is responsible for the Creek extension.

According to sources involved in the project, it may even extend across the Creek extension through the Al-Manara and Umm al-Sheif areas to Al-Sufouh and the Emirates Hills project being developed by Sama Dubai. The area to be redeveloped is occupied by low-density residential properties, including villas and low-rise apartment buildings, as well as some commercial space in Al-Satwa. It is not clear how the process of moving people out of the area will be managed.

According to documents seen by MEED, Meraas will have an initial pool of capital of $1bn and will operate directly under the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.


Abdullah al-Habai from the Engineer's Office will be chairman and chief executive officer.


Like other government-owned developers in Dubai, Meraas will use the cash surplus it generates from projects in Dubai to invest in other real estate and private equity opportunities, particularly in the retail, media, financial services and industrial sectors. The real estate investments will focus on mature markets around the world.


In recent years, other government-controlled investment vehicles, such as Istithmar, have acquired numerous properties worldwide, including office buildings on Park Avenue, and hotels such as the Knickerbocker in New York and the Adelphi in London (see News, page 9).


The venture is not the first to be set up to rejuvenate older areas of Dubai. In May, the government established the Deira Investment Company in a joint venture with South Korea's Sungwon Corporation. Together they are working on a $5bn redevelopment alongside Dubai creek (MEED 23:5:07).

R

Well we knew that a redevelopment of the area was in the pipeline, however I don't expect supertalls there, more vilas and low/mid rise developments.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8093/deffenceraja6.jpg

cool project, hopefully we'll see some nice highrises

satwaa peoples will luv it :)

http://www.meraas.com/

website. Still nothing

@Dubai 26: where do you have that map from? Do the blue lines indicate future plots?

Holy shit so they're going to level a well established area just like this to make way for another development where only 1/4 of the developments get built because most of the developers either run away with the money, can't afford to build, or is just badly run? Sure, increasing the density might be good but I doubt it's good to do it the megaproject way, the individual building way would be better.
Also won't this destroy smussuw's house? :eek:

does this mean there will be more tall buildings in that area

A lot of people would be glad to see this happen... I just dont think now is the right time for Dubai to be destroying established neighborhoods to make way for high rises just for the sake of building a skyline.

Holy shit so they're going to level a well established area just like this to make way for another development where only 1/4 of the developments get built because most of the developers either run away with the money, can't afford to build, or is just badly run? Sure, increasing the density might be good but I doubt it's good to do it the megaproject way, the individual building way would be better.
Also won't this destroy smussuw's house? :eek:

That's NOT a "well established area", that's a UNDERDEVELOPED area ... and who said it will be Freehold?

A lot of people would be glad to see this happen... I just dont think now is the right time for Dubai to be destroying established neighborhoods to make way for high rises just for the sake of building a skyline.

Altin is rite...they arent "established" and its not skyscrapers:

The area to be redeveloped is occupied by low-density residential properties, including villas and low-rise apartment buildings, as well as some commercial space in Al-Satwa.

R

A lot of people would be glad to see this happen... I just dont think now is the right time for Dubai to be destroying established neighborhoods to make way for high rises just for the sake of building a skyline.

so i'm takeing that as a yes

the area in the foreground in this pic is the area that will be redeveloped...thanks to imre...

http://i5.tinypic.com/80wdjfc.jpg

R

^^ I hope they hurry up and go for it. That stuff there looks pretty third-world-ish.

any news here?

Wouldnt say it looks "third worldish", but definitely sandy. It would benefit from a redevlopment, in my humble opinion that is. Maybe the people there like their sand? :P

I can not wait to see what the plans hold for that area. I would love to see a redevelopment.

Wouldnt say it looks "third worldish", but definitely sandy. It would benefit from a redevlopment, in my humble opinion that is. Maybe the people there like their sand? :P

Believe us who live here: It really is.

it really is what ?

re-- things

oh man... ill be both happy and sand to see this area go.
there are a lot of shabby shacks which will obviously be demolished. but there are also a lot of really nice villas and brand new random buildings like schools and such throughout the area too.

cant imagine a nice new villa being demolished and at the same time cant see a villa with high rises on either side.

oh man... ill be both happy and sand to see this area go.


There is no shortage of sand here....:lol:

I think this is interesting, looks like first time (no idea, probably wrong) that dubai has to act like other cities, comprameising allready built areas to develop new things, so far they have had soooo much space for all the fantastic stuff they are building, I am loving the idea of demolishing crappy areas to develop something that suits the new city,
can anyone point out to me where this is on google earth?? so I can put it into my mental map of the city, not quite understanding where this is and close to what it is

oh man... ill be both happy and sand to see this area go.
there are a lot of shabby shacks which will obviously be demolished. but there are also a lot of really nice villas and brand new random buildings like schools and such throughout the area too.

cant imagine a nice new villa being demolished and at the same time cant see a villa with high rises on either side.


There will not be hi rises here. I am sure shiny new villas in the area will be retained but spare a thought also for the people living in the shacks. It is as much home to them as the expensive villa's are to their residents.

Old villas in Satwa area make way for new project

By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter, and Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Published: March 11, 2008, 23:41


Dubai: A few demolished villas in Satwa stand as a reminder to thousands of other residents that they should speed up their search to find a new place to live.

Bulldozers have been busy demolishing old villas and shanty houses, which were considered an eyesore right behind the skyscrapers on Shaikh Zayed Road.

Several square kilometres of area between Shaikh Zayed Road and Satwa Road will be cleared of all old houses making way for a huge garden city, Gulf News has learnt.

Expected to be named 'Jumeirah Garden City', the project runs parallel behind the towers on Shaikh Zayed Road from the Trade Centre Roundabout to Al Safa Park.

The project, which is still in the design and planning stage will have several gardens, canals and green areas. The canals will be linked to Dubai Creek's extension passing through Safa Park. These canals will also pass through Satwa, Jumeirah and Al Wasl areas.

Details of the project are not available but it aims to make the areas one of the most beautiful places in the emirate. The areas will also have huge ponds. Officials at Dubai Municipality refused to comment saying that they were not involved in this project. (R says - LOL!)

Thousands of residents living in decades-old villas in Satwa have been served with eviction notices by the Land Department.

Among these residents are families and bachelors who have been living in the area for over a decade mainly because of the cheap rent and proximity to the market area.

Jaleel, a Pakistani resident, said that it was proving a nightmare for him to find a place to live, more so because of him being a bachelor.

"We were told that a new project was coming here and that is why the houses were being demolished. I work as a driver for an Arab family. My work place is close to my house. I pay Dh600 for a bed space and was able to save but now I don't think that is going to be possible. I make a living out of Dh1,800," he said.

Mohammad Jafar and his family have been living in one of the villas. He has been sharing the place with an Arab family for the past three years. He works as a telephone operator for a construction company in Dubai.

Sending families home

For him the eviction notice means sending his wife and six-year-old daughter back to India as he is not sure of being able to find suitable place for his family for the same rent that he has been paying in Satwa.

"I pay Dh2,000 per month in rent and my income is Dh5,500. Where I went to look for accommodation I could not afford the rent that was quoted. Even in shared accommodation it was Dh1,800 to 2,000 for a single room, also my daughter's examinations are over and we can look for admissions in India," he said.

A few UAE nationals who live in villas told Gulf News that they heaved a sigh of relief when they learnt they would be compensated by the Land Department.

One of them who did not want to be named said: "I don't know when the compensation will come but it is good to know that we will have something to look forward to. We were told that the compensation will come in the form of money or a new house."

Some companies who have provided their employees with accommodation in some of the villas are looking for alternative accommodation in Sharjah.

Indian Iqbal Mohammad and Pakistani Younis Khan are among the lucky ones as they have found bedspaces for Dh500 each in Karama.


R

WOW WOW WOW !!!! .... not so good for the people living there though...


btw. this goes along with the Jumeirah Hills project I found a couple of months ago. It also showed a canal running into the Arabian Gulf next to Madinat Jumeirah and the Burj al Arab...

^^ can u point out the Jumeirah Hills project you are talking about please?
i am sure it is in projects gossip but that thread has become very hard to track :D

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2832/21833872567de325a0dbbpw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The plan in the front shows the redeveloped Police area around Burj Al Arab, but what is the big one in the back?

here it is...

that would be so cool if that whole project got built

here it is...

Thank you, it looks really nice

Old village in Satwa to make way for ('Jumeirah Garden City')

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Villages in Satwa, located right behind the skyscrapers on Sheikh Zayed Road, are being demolished by bulldozers, which send warning signals to other thousands of residents that it is high time they find a new place to live.

The vast area between the Satwa Road and Sheikh Zayed road will be cleared of all old houses and will make way for a huge new garden city, reports Gulf News.

The new city, likely to be named as 'Jumeirah Garden City', will be positioned behind the towers from the Trade Center Roundabout to Al Safa Park on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

The project is in its planning and designing stage, and will comprise various canals, gardens and greeneries. The Safa Park will connect the canals to the Dubai Creek extension. These canals will pass through Al Wasl, Jumeirah and Satwa areas.

The project aims to beautify these areas, making them the most attractive areas in the emirate. Huge ponds are also likely to come up in these areas.

The Land Department had already served eviction notices to residents in the decades-old villas in Satwa. The area has families and bachelors living there for almost a decade, due to the cheap rent and proximity to the market.

Majority of the people currently living in the area are families with low-income, who face difficulty in paying higher rents in other localities.

R

Anyone has aerial photo of the site to be redeveloped?

so basically yht whole area behind SZR all the way to where tho??? wasl rd? and then to safa park.
here is a pic:

Hi all.

Picasa - E. Eugene - 08 03 11

http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/46639/2000576826017522842_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000576826017522842)

:cheers:

R

seen the masterplan and its massive. cant say more and it will be launched soon

seen the masterplan and its massive. cant say more and it will be launched soon

I hope so. I have only seen the Jumeirah Hills development which also features this canal and it is massive !!!:nuts::nuts::nuts:

lol i am still confused where exactly its located... we need new renders

^^ If you really live in Dubai and bothered to read the articles posted in this thread, what would be so confusing about the location? It can't be more crystal clear then that.

I really live in Dubai but not in that area, i dont visit there that often, the city is very big. But yeah i didnt spend a lot of time on the first page, now i know where it is.. if a thread has 190 pages, do you expect every single person to go over all of the pages, i think not.

^^ But this thread does NOT have 190 pages, it doesn't even have 190 posts ... or 90 ... or 45.

^ i know lol. Just giving example.

I agree that if the real estate markets were freer this would have sorted itself out over time. Nevertheless, sounds like a great plan - can't wait for the masterplan! :D

If people just rent then they really don't have anything to say. As for the Villa owners I hope they are compensated sufficently!

Sidenote: Are there / will there be any 'freehold' plots where individual expatriats can build their own villas?

i thought these area only for high class!!!

I saw this.
Good move forward.. there are more such areas which need improvement.

This is the extent of the proposed development.........

http://i29.tinypic.com/2i0x8p1.jpg


I have absolutely no issues with this area being improved, BUT I do wish they would retain the name of the neighbourhood.... Developers have to learn that not everything to the North of SZR is NOT Jumeirah!!! :bash: It should be called Satwa Garden City instead, or Madinat Al Satwa :)

thats going to look great. that hole area def needs that development. the whole Bur Dubai area is going to look so cool. u got this , buisness bay, burj dubai complex,
Dubai world trade centre district, Dubai international financial centre,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Culture Village, The Sixth Crossing,The Lagoons
last but not least Meydan City. all in the Bur Dubai area!!!!!

i agree it is satwa...NOT Jumeirah!

R

The area to be redeveloped is occupied by low-density residential properties, including villas and low-rise apartment buildings, as well as some commercial space in Al-Satwa.

Sounds better than the current happening there, I hope we see a lot of low rise buildings(and a few medium rise buildings), It will compliment the current skyline very nicely!

When I first read about this project I didn’t
like it but in between I really love it. This area
needs a redevelopment! I love the idea with the
canals and all that greenery, it will look fantastic!
Just to give the non-Dubai-inhabitants (like me) an
idea what the area looks like in the moment, here are
a few pictures:

Street level pictures:
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/2569219.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/2895428.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/2582787.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3137996.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3138115.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244833.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244822.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6504024.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244948.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3138093.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245008.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245309.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245205.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245046.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245032.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244991.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3138181.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3137598.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3137481.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245366.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3138353.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3181850.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5565857.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3155589.jpg
http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/7590075.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/103303936_d5c87aff4d.jpg?v=0
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1125657103_c5edc23d14.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/38342783_4d8ebd9bd1_o.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/2075116799_815167bee7.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/1125662099_93802ce473_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1347/817244374_ce086cf766_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/1125661411_5cf72b7683_o.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/340726518_443f41a32e_o.jpg
http://www.tropicalisland.de/united_arab_emirates/dubai/jumeirah_beach/images/DXB%20Dubai%20Jumeirah%20Beach%20-%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20Road%20skyscrapers%20seen%20from%20Al%20Satwa%20near%20Jumeirah%20Mosque%203008x2000.jpg
http://www.kraus5.de/dubai/dxb036.jpg
http://www.kraus5.de/dubai/dxb037.jpg


Aerial pictures:
http://static3.bareka.com/photos/medium/8426842.jpg[/url]
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6115680.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3469296.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3469296.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5194923.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5611908.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2326027575_f7f990dd3c_o.jpg

Mosques:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/1645968381_1fbd84e998_b.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/324033.jpg[
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/1824973.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3419837.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5565884.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6460088.jpg

Satwa Park:
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/8644996.jpg
http://static2.bareka.com/photos/medium/7024833.jpg
http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/7024811.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5565848.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/4890714.jpg

Al Khazan Park with the water tower:
http://static3.bareka.com/photos/medium/8582714.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6834661.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3941548.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244893.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244876.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244854.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244833.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244814.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244790.jpg


Public buildings:

Canadian University of Dubai
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5627437.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5627424.jpg


Private villas (I can’t believe these people want to leave their homes):
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6504029.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3244903.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/3245103.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/2357369.jpg

According to the article posted by THE DUBAI GUYS
and the map from Julito-Dubai they will develop the
whole area from the Trade Center Roundabout to Safa
Park, but then the development is in Al Wasl 1 and 2
and all over Al Satwa, Jumeirah First, Second and Third
are nearby but I have no idea why they named the project
Jumeirah Garden City, something like Satwa-Wasl-garden-City
would be much better.
So this should be the whole area:
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8052/capture4cb9.jpg

The site is going to be massive, about 7 square kilometres.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7650/capture5ae9.jpg

Greetings from The-King!

^^ 750 sq kms? where did you get that from? This is not more than 20 sq kms.

By the way walking through the Central Park in New York today, can't help drawing comparisons. Early days - but imagine a great big park in that area with twisting promenades, water features, art strewn around the grounds - and fringed on all four sides by high rise buildings. That would be way better than having another villa development in such a prime area of Dubai.

hey opus2009

yes that would be be interesting, but I don't think this would be a very good idea. Just imagine the costs to water all that area all over the year. Of course it would look spectacular but who would earn money with this? I think we already have a few very great parks like Zabeel park, Mamzar park or Safa Park. By the way: I've corrected the size should be 7 square kilometres (1,2 kilometres in width and 6,0 in length)

I like the canals idea, but I want to see more buildings! I think we need new villas (which they will make) And commercial towers. Mayb around 30-40 floors. That would be amazing for the Dubai skyline.

Again, I don't know why they have to destroy a whole area and rebuild it instead of just building infill and keeping most of the buildings, and also keeping the soul and athosphere of the place.

According to the article posted by THE DUBAI GUYS
and the map from Julito-Dubai they will develop the
whole area from the Trade Center Roundabout to Safa
Park, but then the development is in Al Wasl 1 and 2
and all over Al Satwa, Jumeirah First, Second and Third
are nearby but I have no idea why they named the project
Jumeirah Garden City, something like Satwa-Wasl-garden-City
would be much better.

You went too far north with your outline... It stops on the Satwa Road... It does not go as far as Al Wasl Road This is the actual area to be redeveloped...

http://i31.tinypic.com/4ub761.jpg

And Malec, you are absolutely right!!!

okay you are right Face81! the samller the better, I also don't like their idea to demolish all these villas there. It would be much better to fill the empty plots and to renovate the existing buildings, but we don't have the chance to change something so finally this will happen.

That will cause more traffic chaos... great...

I bet there are going to be a parallel row of skyscrapers to the existing ones on Sheikh Zayed Road. Since land is now available, don't see why that should not happen. The views will be incredible towards the garden city and the sea. Density will go up dramatically but then that should not be an issue in the post metro days. My personal preference - ditch the villas, make the area a great park. And fringe with high rises.

I bet there are going to be a parallel row of skyscrapers to the existing ones on Sheikh Zayed Road. Since land is now available, don't see why that should not happen. The views will be incredible towards the garden city and the sea. Density will go up dramatically but then that should not be an issue in the post metro days. My personal preference - ditch the villas, make the area a great park. And fringe with high rises.

hey opus, check out this video. It is a new project called Bawadi Park in Dubailand, that should be axactly what you are looking for!?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9BHRLMXwhBg

^^ Exactly what I was thinking while going through this thread, the low-density bit especially, wasn't JBR supposed to have less buildings than what it has now, but since they had the land, why not just add a few more buildings that you can make more revenue out of, instead of costs.

I live in that area, and till now haven't received any notice that the compound will be demolished, would be a bit sad, but won't be surprised if that happened... In all honesty, it's either that the developers know exactly what this project has to look like and how they'll do it but keeping everything quiet for the time being or they are clueless, all we really know about this is that some homes have already been demolished to make way for a massive project, but what the project's exact scale and time frame is? Is EVERYTHING (Including our home :D) will be destroyed or some homes? If so, on what basis will this house or compound or school be knocked down and what basis the one a few yards away won't?

P.s. am I the only one not arsed about the world cup?:D

I bet there are going to be a parallel row of skyscrapers to the existing ones on Sheikh Zayed Road. Since land is now available, don't see why that should not happen. The views will be incredible towards the garden city and the sea. Density will go up dramatically but then that should not be an issue in the post metro days. My personal preference - ditch the villas, make the area a great park. And fringe with high rises.

YES!!!! Thank you! I hope so, if that happens... OMG! Dubai will be teh best ever!

hey opus, check out this video. It is a new project called Bawadi Park in Dubailand, that should be axactly what you are looking for!?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9BHRLMXwhBg

^^
Thanks for that The-King, great concept. But is this real? I thought Bawadi was going to be a long strip. But then that might just be one component of a larger project.

^^
Thanks for that The-King, great concept. But is this real? I thought Bawadi was going to be a long strip. But then that might just be one component of a larger project.

Yes it is. It is going to be a part of the project, only a very small part.

http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/7590075.jpg

link to this tower? on these forums

^^ thats an old design

So according to RTA our house will be amongst those to be demolished, but according to the landlord the compound is not part of the plans for JGC... Hmm

Found this online

http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com/2008/04/jumeirah-garden-city.html

http://i28.tinypic.com/34ywyoj.jpg

1 massive canal parrallel to SZR and 3 cannals linking that cannal back to the sea, lots of expropriated land

^^ What's all that nonsense off the coast? Please tell me those are not more reclaimed islands for this project???? :bash::bash::bash:

I know for a fact that many of the new villas on the Jumeirah beach road, where commercial units have been allowed to set up shop have been given eviction notices of June 1st.... I am talking about the line of bank villas, close to Dubai Zoo...

1 massive canal parrallel to SZR and 3 cannals linking that cannal back to the sea, lots of expropriated land

I think the black lines mark the border of the project, the canal itself will be much smaller.

I hate this development. They will demolish all the good Shawarma places and finally you won't get a good shawarma in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. Same situation in the Marina... :bash:

Islands are called the universe and have mars, saturn etc all linked with bridges

but didet see uranus on the map!!!!!!

Islands are called the universe and have mars, saturn etc all linked with bridges
That is so messed up, I don't understand why they are building "The Universe" :(

Islands are called the universe and have mars, saturn etc all linked with bridges

I didn't realise that the rubbish Universe project was that close to the coast! :puke:

That's not The Universe. Not "universey", wrong location (it should stretch around the World, that's way too far), too close to the coast. Of course The Universe was just a concept and not the finalized design, so all this is just a blind guess...

http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/7590075.jpg

link to this tower? on these forums

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=321939
and
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=502746

this is the demolition going on in Satwa:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/2443245958_8ff5367175_o.jpg

That's not The Universe. Not "universey", wrong location (it should stretch around the World, that's way too far), too close to the coast. Of course The Universe was just a concept and not the finalized design, so all this is just a blind guess...

mate the masterplan was in my hands and belive me its called the universe and will have bridges linking the islands

^^ Well, so the plans changed. But if Nakheel wants to fill all the remaining space to The World with islands like these than someone has gone really crazy there.

all modern cities deserve a wide garden space at least !!

100,000 Dubai residents face eviction

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/arabianbusiness.com/web/100k_thumb.jpg




on Tuesday, 20 May 2008
RESIDENT EVICTION: Thousands of people will be displaced by the construction of Jumeirah Garden City.More than 100,000 Dubai residents face eviction from their homes as large parts of Satwa are demolished to make way for the massive Jumeirah Garden City project, according to a report to be published in magazine Time Out Dubai.

Jumeirah Garden City will be built over several kilometres between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Wasl Road, running between Al Diyafah Street and Safa Park, one of Dubai's oldest, most established and demographically diverse communities.

Satwa is one of the last remaining areas of central Dubai where housing is affordable for people on low-incomes and is home thousands of families and bachelors from the Philippines and Indian subcontinent.

Land and home owners in the area are being compensated at up to twice the value of their properties, a source has told ArabianBusiness.com, while Dubai's Land Department told Time Out Dubai that some tenants are being given up to 80,000 dirhams ($21,700) to find new housing and that low-income Emiratis are being rehoused in new villas.

However, the thousands of "illegals" that live in the area, estimated to be as high as 60% to 70% of its population, are unlikely to receive any compensation.

"They live, six to a room, in buildings completely unsuitable for inhabitation. When the Land Department comes round to research how many people need rehousing, they have already scarpered," a source from the company responsible for developing Jumeirah Garden City told Time Out Dubai.

Dubai is presently at the epicentre of a region-wide construction boom, and Satwa borders the Manhattan of the Middle East - Downtown Burj Dubai.

"These low-quality villas and the illegal inhabitants they house simply can not continue to exist so close to Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road and the heart of the city," the source said. "Not in such prime real estate."

The full report on 'What's next for Satwa' will appear in the next edition of Time Out Dubai, on newsstands on Thursday.

The full report on 'What's next for Satwa' will appear in the next edition of Time Out Dubai, on newsstands on Thursday.

please someone buys this magazine and scans the article, maybe it will include the first coloured masterplan:cheers:

I cant wait to see what its going to look like! Sucks for those illegals though, no where to go.

they gotta leave the same way they came in , so we can get a peace of mind , because they are nothing but trouble

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/arabianbusiness.com/web/100k_thumb.jpg

i think that the islands are gonna be part of the universe.

yes they are:cheers:

"These low-quality villas and the illegal inhabitants they house simply can not continue to exist so close to Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road and the heart of the city," the source said. "Not in such prime real estate."

:ohno:

And when they realize that Deira and Bur Dubai is between SZR and Palm Deira, they will demolish it???

I hate Jumeirah Gardens City (and The Universe)! :bash:

Some of that article is BS, not the whole area set to be demolished comprises of "low-quality villas"... The article makes it seem like this "unacceptable" area came up after the announcement of all the skyscrapers and developments on SZR, not the other way around... Well, I'm just bitter because I live there...

Unrelated, but what the heck happened with the business bay creek extension through SZR and Safa Park etc.? Or is that part f JGC?

^^ Not related ... however it seams like they are starting to prepare for the SZR diversion. :runaway:

They started preparing the SZR diversion??? Are you sure, they will digg the canal there now? The metro doesn't seem to be ready (no special pillars for long distances are visible)... I assume the Metro is more important to finish than the Damn Jumeirah Gardens City... ;)

Can you make some pics? Mine are 2 months old... :(

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8555/img3854fe3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8555/img3854fe3.7cd4898744.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=100&i=img3854fe3.jpg)

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5332/img3855tu7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5332/img3855tu7.14659765f8.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=100&i=img3855tu7.jpg)

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3122/img3866so2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3122/img3866so2.0252ff1946.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=220&i=img3866so2.jpg)

^^ The special pillars for the long bridge have been completed already, however the suspected activity was on the other side of the road. It can be a false alarm though, just Municipality workers cleaning and maintaining the landscaping in the area.

Nice, so the connection to the ocean will come. I had already given up on this project...
Maybe they will build the metrofirst, then the SZR bridge... this will be a BIG traffic mess!!! :lol:

100,000 Dubai residents face eviction

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/arabianbusiness.com/web/100k_thumb.jpg


oh so now they steal my picture?

some how i feel sad for the ppl of limited income in Dubai, im living in sharjah now, but the prices is getting higher and higher, im not against these great building, but what will happen to the low class ppl in Dubai some of them are ( mwateneen )

Hussamb, you made a very good point. It is very clear that Dubai (and to some extent the whole UAE) is trying to become a place only for the rich and wealthy. As this project shows, there is not respect for the current, here-and-now Dubai. Any way to get money and make Dubai look more world-class will mean getting rid of the true Dubai.

Well obviously they were not getting a lot of these areas so they want to replace them with more lucrative developments, very unfair to thousands of people, but as mentioned before, seems this city is aiming to attract only the rich and famous

http://i31.tinypic.com/1para0.jpg

What is the exact reason for the wierd shape? And why does it include Safa Park? Are there plans, other than for Business Bay, to develop the park?

^^ The project boundaries are defined by two things: the canals that are going through and the ownership of the plots.

Is the masterplan of this thing out yet? Any renders?

In my humble opinion, the area outlined by smussuw will be 90% green area and 10% canals. If my reasoning is correct, then i believe that the idea of this whole project is to convert the location to somewhat like Central Park in Manhattan surrounded by tall towers on SZR on one side and potentially some high-rise and mainly mid-rise buildings on the plots surrounding it.

I for one can totally see this place getting converted to the Central Park of Dubai.

Anyone with me on this?

Edit: Just went through the previous pages and realized that others came to the same conclusion too. All i can say is...Bring it on! Can't wait for this to go through :)

so has the developer started marketing any units yet ?

^^ I doubt it will be a free-hold area, but even if it would be, is not that plans are released.

Has demolition for Jumeirah Gardens City already begun?
Saw this pic in gulfnews and it says: "The demolition of Satwa is captured in this shot by Shruti Desai."

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/06/15/15_jun_readers_pics_9_5.jpg

^^ Yep, half of Satwa has also been boarded up! :eek:

yest:

http://i27.tinypic.com/vh6gaw.jpg

R

Some friend who works in Crowne Plazza offices told me they have a dug allot, so not just demolishing going one.

Looks like the demolition machine is sitting on the back of that silver car. he he. :D

^^ Who cares for a silver Nissan Sunny as long as the silver Passat next to it would be ok. :D

From Vu's Bar in the Emirates Towers one could see that they already made some deep holes into the ground just two blocks behind crown plaza hotel!

What is the exact reason for the wierd shape? And why does it include Safa Park? Are there plans, other than for Business Bay, to develop the park?

Includes Safa Park and Jumeirah beach Park

Last goodbye to Satwa

By Shalaka Paradkar, Gulf News Report
Published: 25 June 2008, 00:01

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7751/25tbsatwa045yx8.jpg
Satwa is the cheery and cheap go-to place in Dubai for everything. (Supplied photo)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/2772/25tbsatwa025xg6.jpg
Mahmoud Kaabour and Denise Holloway wanted to record Satwa's urban memory before it disappears. (Atiq-Ur-Rehman of Gulf News)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/2513/25tbsatwa035bq1.jpg
19 slides of pictures taken in Satwa will be shown at Pecha Kucha night. (Supplied photo)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/2057/25tbsatwa015zb4.jpg
A picture from Satwa Stories. The project aims to show how a spirit of a place can form part of the real lives of people. (Supplied photo)


On a map of Dubai, Satwa shows up as a tight-knit urban fabric, a dense conglomerate of houses shot through with narrow streets. On the ground, this jumble of buildings conceals an assortment of urban riches.

Satwa is the cheery and cheap go-to place in Dubai for everything: from plants and parakeets to auto accessories and haberdasheries.

Of course, that is about to end.

Large swathes of Satwa are being razed for a new development, Jumeirah Garden City. Once done, the precinct would be transformed into yet another manicured gated community.

Film makers Mahmoud Kaabour and Denise Holloway are just two of the thousands of people affected by the proposed redevelopment of Satwa. Their loss, while not as severe as the estimated 200,000 people who have lost or about to lose their homes and businesses, was keenly felt.

For the duo, neighbours in an apartment block on the edge of Satwa, the redevelopment is transforming one of their favourite parts of Dubai, a place where they often hang out, go for dinner or head for daily chores.

"Satwa is what makes Dubai a special place. Hemmed by Shaikh Zayed Road, which is postmodern and hi-tech, it is old, traditional and organic. We wanted to pay tribute to a neighbourhood we loved by documenting its special locales and interesting characters," says Kaabour.

Real people

Thus began their three-month long project which culminated in Satwa Stories, to be shown at the Third Line gallery's Pecha Kucha event tonight (see bottom: What is Pecha Kucha).

The two film makers started interviewing the people of Satwa in their shops and homes before capturing their stories in a series of poignant photographs.

"We would meet people, talk to them, discover who they are and their dreams. We then tailored the shot based on their real personality," says Kaabour.

These staged pictures required their subjects to always do something — so the end result is fascinating insight into the everyday lives of the Satwa community.

"We set up the photo, spoke to the people, agreed on the action and Sid [photographer Siddharth Siva] was the instrument to make the photo happen. In terms of filmmaking, he played the role of a still cinematographer," says Holloway.

This approach created characters like Satwa Man, the tall and strong Iranian frame maker who becomes a superhero. Satwa Man can balance massive photo frames around his neck, support a family of eight and pay a mortgage too.

Exhibition

For the Pecha Kucha night, they will be showing 19 slides of pictures taken in Satwa, overlaid with a spoken word performance by Kaabour and live music.

Eventually, Satwa Stories is going to be a full fledged exhibition that will be hosted at an art gallery in Dubai next year. "Neither of us thought that a traditional documentary would really work.

It would have been too plain. We wanted to do something more artistic," says Holloway. The final project will feature video installations, photography, live music and multimedia, all based on Satwa as a pretext. Kaabour says it's their way of honouring the neighbourhood and changing it from a place of residence and business to an artistic idea.

Community

What is it that makes Satwa so special? "It is the quintessential pedestrian neighbourhood," responds Kaabour. "You can walk from one shop to another for all your daily needs — from the tailor to the key cutter to Ravi's for dinner," adds Holloway.

"It's a real community. All the shops are run by the people who own them. People talk to each other and know their neighbours — if they run out of change, they get it from the next shop. Satwa also has a high concentration of workers, who hang around the area after work.

"Every nationality has its own favourite hang-out spots, which makes this such a lively place in the evenings. Satwa has a unique dynamic which has not been modelled anymore in the newer neighbourhoods."

Did they encounter any hurdles while taking their pictures? "We were not trying to do an investigative piece, what we are doing is more artistic. It's about the retention of urban memory," says Kaabour.

"Dubai has transient populations and neighbourhoods get redeveloped quite often. If there are no records of what used to be at a particular time, Dubai will be the victim of urban amnesia."

Though people are generally wary of cameras and film crews, Holloway and Kaabour say they were given a warm welcome.

"People quickly espoused what we are trying to do, they tend to see it from the same perspective as us. We weren't there to exploit their suffering. We were there to celebrate them," explains Holloway.

At one stage, they discovered a house filled with hundreds of racing pigeons that the owner bred. "We wanted to shoot something really poetic on the rooftop with the pigeons," reminisces Kaabour.

"However, the roof gave way and they ended up with a picture of the filmmaker's bruised leg along with hundreds of pigeons. "In a way, it was also very organic, because it showed us physically involved with the project."

Urban memory

Their favourite Satwa character? Both agree it is Niyaz, the regal looking Afghan baker, pictured with loaves of bread slung over his shoulder and the spires of Sheikh Zayed Road in the background.

"Initially, he did not quite grasp what we were trying to do or why we wanted to take his picture on the roof, and not in his bakery. But when he saw the pictures, he understood that we were giving him a pedestal that does not exist in the real world. We were taking his picture like we would a CEO in a suit."

What did Satwa Stories teach them? "The project brought the concept of neighbourhood to a new level for us," responds Kaabour.

"Denise and I have been the kind of neighbours who borrow sugar from each other. But we have now broadened the circle and extended that same courtesy to the neighbourhood that lies next to us.

"We wanted to go out and find out how those people are coping, what are their realities. We want to continue to do that and cover many other Dubai neighbourhoods, not necessarily those that are going to vanish."

The makers of satwa stories

Lebanese national Mahmoud Kaabour is a filmmaker, lecturer, curator and DJ, who lived in Dubai from the age of 10 to 16 before relocating to Canada.

A graduate in film from Concordia University, he is best known for his documentary Being Osama, which has won multiple awards and has been televised around the world.

Since 2005, Mahmoud has been based in Dubai where he directs commercially through his company, Veritas Films. His upcoming projects include MetroSufi and the documentary version of Satwa Stories.

Canadian national Denise Holloway is a filmmaker, writer, mother, and enthusiast of all things Satwa. Also a graduate of Concordia University's Film School, she has completed two feature length documentaries and a number of shorts in Canada. A Dubai resident since 2003, she considers Satwa her favourite part of town.

Satwa Stories

Was their labour of love, a project they worked on in their spare time when they walked through the neighbourhood in the evenings. They highlight Satwa's different layers through their presentation.

What is pecha kucha?

Pecha Kucha Night (www.pecha-kucha.org), was a format conceived by Tokyo architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture). It is a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.

What makes Pecha Kucha Night different is its crisp discipline. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, shown for 20 seconds each — giving six minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This ensures that the audience stays engaged and more people get the chance to show.

Pecha Kucha (Japanese for the sound of chatter) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown. Its popularity has grown since 2003 — there are now 100 cities across the world with a Pecha Kucha Night.

The Dubai volume of Pecha Kucha night is hosted by The Third Line gallery tonight from 8.20 pm. For more information call 04-3411367 (www.thirdline.com)


http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/06/24/10223483.html



This is one of the first articles that I have ever read that looked into the lives of the people and how their lives are being effected by the development of Dubai. It is such a shame.

I just hope they keep at least the area around dhiyafa street. Like the place very much and the prices are the best for the Bur Dubai side of the city!

http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20008408.html

that drawing on this website is very freestyle!!

http://www.xpress4me.com/images/08/07/03/venice_plan_5.jpg

did anybody else see the xpress article last thursday?that had a good article about jumeirah garden city, no renders though.i love how jumeriah now stretches from umm sequiem right the way to nearly bur dubai now!
shame about satwa though, dubai continues to not realise that the living heart of dubai is in the lower income neighbourhoods like satwa. hope karama isnt next or i'm doomed!

http://i33.tinypic.com/2u4ogt0.jpg

R

Look at the out of proportion Burj Dubai. he he :lol:

just realised the link was posted above my last message, sorry...

I hope that Jabal al noor and Al mallah , both located in the heart of Satwa are not on the chopping block. I love having a "charles & diana" shake and sitting outside watching traffic pass me by!.

http://carolynn-in-dubai.smugmug.com/gallery/5395887_j5zhv#330252507_PxyGf

destruction photos of Satwa

I so hate what they are doing ...

terrible...
anyway , what is this "charles and diana" shake?

I so hate what they are doing ...

I completely agree. It is terrible what is happening to Satwa: the destruction of homes, businesses, lives, and history.

Looking at the images that Julito-dubai linked to, I could not see anything wrong with the area. People used to live in those houses and probably led very good lives.

The government (and/or developers) could have constructed new buildings on empty lots or remodelled older structures. Revitalization/gentrification would have been a better option than the destruction and subsequent rebuilding which is taking place before our eyes.

Do they really tear this whole neighbourhood down? I am okay with the Nissan Sunny, but other than that... it just seems like it is a very special part of Dubai.

It's really messed up, force around one fifty thousand people from their homes, more from their jobs, livelihoods, neighbours, friends, the place they grew up in, their social network and support and give them nothing, no affordable accomadation, no alternative options and just leave them to fend for themselves. All so that we can have another semi-gated neighbourhood where around 10,000 people live instead of the 150 thousand that lived before. Surely there is enough unutilised land in Dubai to build this "Garden City" in instead of breaking down Satwa - an important part of Dubai, it's history and culture and then labelling it as "Jumeirah".
They stopped construction on a beach in Jumeirah cuz the residents there complained, but who cares about a hundred thousand or so people, demolish their homes and throw them out, they'll manage somehow.
Dubai is nothing but a facade of glass buildings without a soul.

is there going to be any developments for sale her? Or have I missed the boat again?

any news?

Nope, just more demolition....

Nope, just more demolition....

that just sounds horrible! :no::fiddle:

R

Satwa - so there goes all that history!

Satwa - so there goes all that history!

Horray:banana:

I have driven only once on the Satwa road and swore never to do it again ... and then to think that I have driven and walked around numerous times in the Naif area :runaway:

The Jumeirah Garden City masterplan overlaps the recent satellite photo of land reclamation currently under construction offshore.

You can see that it is identical, so it is the Jumeirah Gardens City, 100% confirmed!

Is there enough room for the universe?

http://i38.tinypic.com/zvyhr5.jpg

I think the reason behind all these NEW land reclamation projects is to save the existing beaches from the sea currents which were always an eroding problem, even before shifting of some of them when The Palm and The World were reclaimed.

Absolutely Agree.. All the water canals and island are designed to stop onshore, offshore drift.
Without them they would have to constantly have erosion and sand build up on either side.
Also for water circulation and access via boat to inside dubai

Yeah

^^ Nope that is not true at all... sea currents are not responsible for the erosion of Dubai's beaches, the land reclaimation is.

When islands are created offshore using sand from the sea bed, the sand on the beaches slides back into the water to fill the voids being created offshore. I believe the pscientific term for this is "shelving" and I am sure some one on here explained this a long time ago.

^^ Come on, the beach erosion was happening way before they even started any reclamation. I remember in 2000 being in Royal Mirage and the beach was almost inexistent with step slopes like you can see now near Radison SAS. When the Palm was reclaimed and the currents shifted, the beach returned to normality and gained width.

The reclamation made the problem worse, didn't created it in the first place.

The reclamation made the problem worse, didn't created it in the first place.

Beach erosion is a very natural and gradual process, but you're right, the reclaimation work has made it a lot worse.

A birdie told me that the three tower complex by Adrian Smith is part of this project and the tallest one has a proposed height of 850 meters. :runaway:

^^ do you mean with "three tower complex" the Atrium city towers?

^^ do you mean with "three tower complex" the Atrium city towers?

Yes, of course.

Nothing surprises me anymore. Any chance that we might see it at Cityscape or would that be too premature?

This one i believe is called EP 07. Why East Park?

I really wonder how will they fit those towers with the surrounding areas :nuts:

I really wonder how will they fit those towers with the surrounding areas :nuts:

Maybe by demolishing more villa's? :D

A birdie told me that the three tower complex by Adrian Smith is part of this project and the tallest one has a proposed height of 850 meters. :runaway:

Not surprising at all, though it's possibly the best site they could've chosen for that project.

^^ Well, I can live with 50 million AED compensation :nuts:

You're kidding right? Have they really compensated someone with that much?

I really wonder how will they fit those towers with the surrounding areas :nuts:
SZR, Burj Dubai, etc :)

Really though, the least they should do is make this a high density project and not ultra-expensive villas, etc that nobody can afford.

Dubai would have so many dense clusters in that sense. No uniformity whatsoever which i really don't know is a good thing or a bad thing.

You're kidding right? Have they really compensated someone with that much?Well, I think the compensation of those crappy houses in Satwa were 3 millions, other houses varied from 5 million for small land plots to 11 millions from what I've heard. I think some even got something like 14 millions but am not sure !

Our house land plot size is 20,000 sqf which is 4-6 times bigger than the size of the plots in Satwa so we should get minimum 20 millions. Then there is the prime location in front Safa Park and the canal in the future so it should worth much more. Al Tayer, the CEO of RTA told me father that he should keep the house and not think of selling it (not that he thought about it anyway). He was joking that he is willing to buy our house for 20 millions because it will worth 60 millions in the future.

Sweet!

You should definitely hold on to it in that case! Worst case scenario, where would you move to if you had to relocate?

Or get 60 Million and buy a nice big place in Emirates Hills or Al Barari :) Do you know of any locals who live in Emirates hills or do they prefer not to stay in themed communities?

^^ We would probably buy plots in Nad Al Shiba, build a small house (as most of the family members have married and moved out and keep the other plots for future, we have two crappy houses in Al Rashidya and Al Jafiliya but they are no where an option !

I don't think that we would want to live in a place like Emirates Hills, too overpriced and too prefect which makes it creepy, it doesn't feel home. I think some Emiratis live there but it isn't an option for most of the ones who can afford it !

Posted earlier ... and already giving a (ignored) clue.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/Joeyjordisonfan16/Adrian%20smith%20projects/untitledrhrthhrhr.jpg
Just over a year ago the office, hotel and condo tower known as the Burj Dubai became the tallest building in the world. But when its developer, Emaar Properties, announced that the Burj had surpassed the 509-meter Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan, it refused to say how much higher the building would go. That set off a guessing game among architects and developers who follow the tall buildings equivalent of the arms race. A spire that is being built inside the tower has yet to be unveiled, according to Emaar, which hopes to keep the guessing - and marketing - game going until the building opens next year.

But in Chicago, Adrian Smith, the building's lead designer, says that the Burj Dubai is already "in the past." He predicts that a taller building will surpass it within five years. And when the Burj Dubai cedes the title, it may well be to another building by Smith, a blond bear of a man whose firm, Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture, has made a specialty of designing "supertall" buildings, some as high as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building put together

Already he is designing six other buildings more than 330 meters (about 2,000 feet) tall in the United Arab Emirates, including a futuristic three-pronged tower with so many curving surfaces that it required technology created for Frank Gehry.

Thanks to his oil-rich clients Smith has the chance to create mammoth landmarks that will long outlive him; the risk is that these buildings, which are freed from nearly all stylistic constraints, will look ridiculous, like alien spacecraft that landed in the middle of the desert.

At 63, Smith is performing this high-wire act while building a big architecture firm essentially from scratch. When he led the team that created the Burj Dubai, he was part of the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the blue-chip firm behind many of the world's most famous skyscrapers, from Lever House in New York to the Sears and Hancock buildings in Chicago to the pagodalike Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai.

But after 39 years at Skidmore, including a stint as chief executive from 1993 to 1995, Smith left in 2006 to start a competing firm. That set off a struggle over bragging rights to the Burj.

Emaar lists Smith as the building's architect on its promotional materials. "They were buying Adrian Smith as a brand," said Carol Willis, director of the Skyscraper Museum in Manhattan. She described Smith as "a true artist." But when her museum, which occupies a space that Skidmore designed pro bono, organized a lecture series on the Burj, Smith was not included. (William F. Baker, a structural engineer from Skidmore, was the keynote speaker.)

Smith concedes that years of acrimony preceded his departure from Skidmore. But ultimately, he said, he left because the firm requires partners to retire at 65, and he was not ready to stop designing.

Today his Chicago firm is working on two dozen projects. The one closest to home is a proposed retrofit of the Sears Tower, a Skidmore landmark just a few blocks from his office. Smith is investigating ways to reduce energy and water use with a new glass skin and new mechanical systems
Otherwise nearly all of the firm's work is in the United Arab Emirates. As for his clients' penchant for supertall buildings, he said it is less about egomania than real estate savvy, a way of creating value in the middle of the desert. Emaar, he said, may never make money on the Burj, but it will profit from all of the buildings that surround it - including at least three by Smith. The developer has already commissioned Smith to design three condo buildings with views of the Burj.

Like many architects, Smith - who collaborates with his partner Gordon Gill on all of the firm's designs - is fond of saying that he wants to make buildings responsive to their context. That can be a problem in the Emirates: most of the time, he concedes, there is no context, at least in the form of surrounding buildings, to respond to.

As a result he has turned to a larger context. He explains the buildings' architectural features as responses to geography, geology and climate and is consumed by the notion of making supertall buildings "green."

Hauling vast amounts of steel and concrete into the desert to create an edifice that needs to be heated, air-conditioned and supplied with huge amounts of water hardly seems eco-friendly.

But Smith casts those projects as an opportunity for environmental innovation. Several of the towers he is designing have wind turbines that can take advantage of their elevation - winds are stronger at high altitudes than near the ground - to generate electricity. And cool air surrounding the top of a supertall building can be pumped to the lower levels, reducing the load on the air-conditioning.

Many of the buildings Smith is working on will be double walled, meaning that a gap of 20 centimeters, or 8 inches, or more between layers of glass will allow heated air to be directed toward the outside of the building in the summer or toward the inside in winter.

One of Smith's projects, the centerpiece of a development in Abu Dhabi called Masdar City, will have double walls as well as wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, which can convert sunlight into electricity.

But there is a risk that the green features will be more about good intentions than about results. Chris Twinn, a director of the energy sustainability team at Arup, the London global engineering firm, said that a wind turbine "may be worth its weight in gold" in terms of drawing attention to alternative energy sources, but that it "certainly doesn't generate a significant amount of the energy the building uses." As for solar energy, he said, it would take vast arrays of photovoltaic panels to power a supertall building in Dubai because of its reliance on air conditioning.

Twinn said that the only thing inherently green about a skyscraper is that it permits high-density development, which can encourage the use of public transportation. But that benefit diminishes, he said, when a building goes supertall, since the abundance of elevators and other mechanicals takes up a lot of usable floor space.

And then there's the possibility that the building won't serve much of a purpose in the first place. Smith isn't clear on who will be filling his towers in the Middle East.

Smith started work at Skidmore while still a student at the University of Illinois, Chicago. In later years he designed Modernist towers, most of them for corporate clients in Chicago, Europe and the Middle East. But around the time he made partner at Skidmore, in 1980, architecture was entering its Postmodernist period, when historical detailing was de rigueur.

One of his largest buildings for Skidmore, the AT&T headquarters in Chicago, completed in 1989, is a perfect illustration, from the huge bronze lanterns over the entrances to the granite in Art Deco-inspired patterns in the lobby.

Walking through that lobby on a recent afternoon Smith said that, viewed in hindsight, the building "related too much to the past." But he is not regretful: "Each building becomes a part of who you are."

As Postmodernism petered out, Smith returned to designing glass-and-steel buildings that were sleek but often bland.

An exception is Skidmore's Jin Mao Tower, which resembles a glittering stack of pagodas. But even as Jin Mao was rising on the Shanghai skyline, becoming the tallest building in China upon its completion in 1998, Smith's influence at the firm was waning.

The decision to leave was a hard one, he said, since he could only continue to design large buildings if he had a large staff. He and Gill, then a young associate partner at Skidmore, and a third partner, Robert Forest, invested over $3 million in the new firm, Smith said.

Many of their employees work on the top floor of a 1957 building in Chicago's central business district that has all the hallmarks of exuberant postwar corporate Modernism - walls of dark green marble, aluminum-sheathed columns and gurgling bronze fountains.

It is classic Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. That Smith's offices would occupy a space designed by the firm he left, and now competes with, isn't a coincidence.

"I like S.O.M.'s stuff," he said, explaining why he chose the space. He also liked its location, in the center of the city's business district, known as the Loop, surrounded by important buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. They are a constant reminder, he said, of his desire to create an urban fabric.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/13/travel/tall.php?page=2

^^ We would probably buy plots in Nad Al Shiba, build a small house (as most of the family members have married and moved out and keep the other plots for future, we have two crappy houses in Al Rashidya and Al Jafiliya but they are no where an option !

I don't think that we would want to live in a place like Emirates Hills, too overpriced and too prefect which makes it creepy, it doesn't feel home. I think some Emiratis live there but it isn't an option for most of the ones who can afford it !

Err, shouldn't it be the other way round? I mean shouldn't it BE an option for those who can afford rather than not be an option?

Or do you mean that those who are rich enough to afford a place in Emirates Hills choose to invest it elsewhere?

Simply WOW AltinD! Looks like a 3 fork prong actually. I wonder where they got their inspiration for the design; shop class perhaps? Will be very unique not only for the design and layout but also for that super shiny cladding.

Or do you mean that those who are rich enough to afford a place in Emirates Hills choose to invest it elsewhere?Yes they would probably choose to build their houses in other areas, in non free hold zones !

Yes they would probably choose to build their houses in other areas, in non free hold areas !

Ok, i don't mean to pester you with these questions, but i'm just curious.

So, why non-freehold areas? Isn't it better to live in a beautiful themed development like Emirates Hills which is completely integrated and provides you the highest quality of life. You have a golf course, shopping areas, schools everything within the development itself.

Isn't that a step up?

Ok, i don't mean to pester you with these questions, but i'm just curious.

So, why non-freehold areas? Isn't it better to live in a beautiful themed development like Emirates Hills which is completely integrated and provides you the highest quality of life. You have a golf course, shopping areas, schools everything within the development itself.

Isn't that a step up?

Maybe but that's boring :)

I agree! I would hate living in those large villa's myself. I'm more of a condo guy myself, but since the Emirati's have always been accustomed to living in large villa's, a project like Emirates Hills in my opinion is definitely a step up.

^^ because it looks out of the place, too isolated and too fake. The style doesn't suit the Emiratis. The new popular prime location right now is ironically Nad Al Shiba which hosts many ultra wealthy Emiratis. They would want to have huge plots of land and big house and surrounded with other Emiratis.

Hmmm, i guess that makes sense. I just thought that you guys would enjoy a round of golf and sometime with your kids by the lakes too as opposed to being confined to your villa's.

If thats the case, then you definitely wouldn't even consider the Garden Homes or the Signature villa's on the Palm Jumeirah right?

Out of curiosity, how much would a 10,000 Sft piece of land in Nad Al Shiba cost? I remember 5 years back, we were offered 11,000 Sft land in Al Barsha, just behind MOE for 1.2 Million. Wish we had grabbed it then! Must be worth 10 times that now :(

^^ Signature villa's on the Palm Jumeirah would be suitable as picnic homes but not for living :P

I think the lands are still cheap in Nad Al Shiba but obviously getting very expensive in the future. I think they were as low as 100 per sqf in 2000 but I dont have accurate prices.

http://i31.tinypic.com/1para0.jpg

If that tower complex is part of this project then I recon it's in that large area opposite the burj dubai downtown.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/Joeyjordisonfan16/Adrian%20smith%20projects/untitledrhrthhrhr.jpg

^^ Malec this blue area you marked, will this be canals or the areal of this project?

^^ The real project

Potentially, a mini-venice of the middle-east!

I hope JGC will at Cityscape 2008

Ok, i don't mean to pester you with these questions, but i'm just curious.

So, why non-freehold areas? Isn't it better to live in a beautiful themed development like Emirates Hills which is completely integrated and provides you the highest quality of life. You have a golf course, shopping areas, schools everything within the development itself.

Isn't that a step up?


it is never completely intergrated to be quite honest...
if you lived in sharjah or in other places in dubai. you can actually come out of your house and go to the grocery to buy something.
in springs you would have to drive your car.

where do you get a haircut?
where do you get to the cobblers if you shoe just snapped?
which restaurant do you go to if you wanted inexpensive food?
if you wanted to go to the fish market for example, would you know where it is located?
where do you fix your computer? get to a net cafe? type some documents?



satwa had all these... i still support development as i am a hardcore capitalist but this is an example of seeing the other face of the coin

Wasn't it possible to integrate the existing Satwa into the new plans in stead of demolishing it all together?

^^ This can come only from someone never visiting Dubai. ;)

Point taken. I don't know much about the building mentality in Dubai, that's true. However, I am wondering if a great chance to create a thriving neighbourhood mixed with impressive skyscrapers has been wasted. People always seem to have a high esteem of this area (or so I gather from this forum), so why not preserve this more traditional area. On the one hand you will have impressive skyscrapers on the other hand you will talk about an area that still has the authentic Dubai feel to it. Tradition doesn't have to be the opposite of progress, they can go together. I think this can be particularly relevant to Dubai.

I hope JGC will at Cityscape 2008

Meraas Properties will have a stand there. They are on the official exibitor's list:banana:

New Island that may or may not be part of this (it showed up on a blueprint for this project).

Imagery is August 24, 2008 from GEOEYE:

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/8632/jumgardenyy4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

:cheers:

What was that small island on the bottom left again?

^^ Work started there since early 2004 but we have no idea what it is or who owns it.

I guess they could utilize it as one of the JGC islands now...

Imagine owning a place there, wow the views would be stunning, but I assume they will be so expensive it will be too deep for our most people's pockets...

terrible...
anyway , what is this "charles and diana" shake?

A charles and diana shake is a fruit shake at Al mallah. Quite good. the shakes are names are people and places. Highly recomended you go there before they take down al mallah and jabal al noor- the original location is in satwa.

If you are a chocoholic like myself try the Maradona- its bloody out of this world. I live in NYC now and chocolate tastes like dung here. All chemicals and the like, nothing real. Wished I had more cadbury's from the choithrams freezer section!. :bash:

From a friend:

http://i38.tinypic.com/343iruf.jpg


http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8329/dsc000041so3.th.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000041so3.jpg) http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9725/dsc000051px0.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000051px0.jpg) http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3171/dsc000061mx9.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000061mx9.jpg)

:runaway:

where are the renders?

Wow, these guys work fast! Thanks for the pics AltinD. We should start seeing this thing rise by the end of next year if they keep this up :)

Announcement at Cityscape? I don't think they would as that would mean overshadowing of the Burj, unless ofcourse its an Emaar project. Wait, is it?

This project is from a newly created company called Masjar or something. We don't know for sure if the AC Towers will go there and I didn't took the pictures, a friend did.

SA Boy said this though:

I have it on good authority (and I have a 100% track record of breaking news on projects in Dubai), that the affection plan was issued for this site and that the pilling is underway.If someone can get pictures, the area is behind the park in Badda and has Swiss boring rigs on site. It is in the area where the first villas were demolished in Satwa.
Technically speaking its U/C.


I'm finding it hard to believe an 850m tall tower will go there, especially since sama tower was reduced to 200m and is only down the road.

This project is from a newly created company called Masjar or something. We don't know for sure if the AC Towers will go there and I didn't took the pictures, a friend did.

Masjar or maybe Masyaf?

lol this is like area 51, we don't know what the heck is going on there... anybody has any renders or anything more than pictures? Can't be just canals, should be a new project, but which?

^^ Check the AC / EP Towers thread

Company is called meraas, is on the first post :)

well, if it is meraas then we know they will be at cityscape....

When approximately are they going to be completed? With the current speed of digging and piling, I see faster timetable...

Again, the area of the site is too small for 3 such massive towers.

When approximately are they going to be completed? With the current speed of digging and piling, I see faster timetable...

id say around 2013

^^ 2015 would be more reasonable. Gone are the days of lightning speed construction terms.

10 years only for redevelop infrastructures ! then this place can recalled it Jumeriah.G.C

on the cityscape website is an add for Meraas development with the Atrium Tower !!!

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/registration.aspx

http://www.cityscape.ae/index.html

16 September
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/2862752831_fff5b1683f_b.jpg

Larger size >>http://flickr.com/photos/annp/2862752831/sizes/o/in/set-72157607330898625/

Anyone have any idea whats going to be put on the park?
I can see the top of a pilling machine there.

From which tower is this shot???

Btw the site reminds me on the Burj Dubai plot!!!

Nice :nuts:

From which tower is this shot???


Golden Sands Tower?

I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO FIND IT: !!!!!!!!!

Meraas dreams of a city in the sky
Bradley Hope

Last Updated: September 19. 2008 12:30AM UAE / September 18. 2008 8:30PM GMT
Demolition work has begun in the Satwa neighbourhood of Dubai for Jumeirah Garden City, but Meraas has not yet specified which of three building plans it will pursue. Pawan Singh / The National
It may seem like a tall order, but a Dubai developer is considering building a tower three times the height of the Burj Dubai.

Three designs have been drawn up for the planned Jumeirah Garden City project, with the most breathtaking being a 2.4km-high edifice called the Dubai City Tower.
Renderings of the Dubai City Tower show six separate buildings twisting into a single structure dubbed a “vertical city”, capped by a 400-metre “energy-producing spire”.

“The Dubai City Tower pushes every edge of building design,” says the design proposal, which is circulating on the internet.

“For centuries man has pushed construction toward the heavens. The sheer scale of this project will focus the world’s eye towards the city of Dubai, but it will be the tower’s design and image that will preserve Dubai City Tower’s grandeur into the future.”

Meraas, the property developer and private equity fund of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is behind the project, according to a consultant for the company and a developer familiar with the plans.

The Dubai City Tower would dwarf the Burj Dubai, which reached 688 metres earlier this month. Emaar, the developer of the Burj Dubai, has kept the final height secret in part to prevent other developers from announcing taller projects.

The design prospectus for the Dubai City Tower, which does not list its developer or architect, shows the tower looming over the waterfront, near a marina.

It would have 400 storeys with each set of 100 storeys forming a “neighbourhood” and a Sky Plaza operating as a “town centre”. A vertical bullet train would ferry people from one “neighbourhood” to another.

The building would be fitted with solar panels and wind turbines, and biospheres that double as recreational parks and water purification centres.

Carol Willis, the director of the Skyscraper Museum in New York and a professor of urban studies at Columbia University, said the project appeared “buildable in technical terms” but economically difficult to justify.

Alastair Collins, of the international Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, said that height was the easy part with skyscrapers.

“The hardest part is the servicing of the height: the transportation, power, water and waste disposal,” he said, adding that such a tower would also produce swarms of traffic.

Another of the plans for the Jumeirah Garden City project includes designs for a building called the Atrium City Towers, which would incorporate three tall towers and was designed by architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill. Mr Smith also designed the Burj Dubai.

A spokesman for Meraas declined to comment on the designs, but said the company would reveal its plans at Cityscape Dubai on Oct 6. An advertisement for Meraas on the Cityscape website hints at a design similar to the Atrium project.

“They are seeking to create a standout building in that location, which is otherwise going to be really low-level,” the consultant said. “It will have the best quality hotels and commercial space in the heart of what is going to be a predominantly residential area with gardens.”

Meraas was created in 2007 and gained attention this year when it joined a coalition of investors that financed Boston Properties’ purchase of the General Motors building in New York for US$2.8 billion (Dh10.28bn). It was the most expensive office building sale in American history.

Jumeirah Garden City will be located in two districts, Satwa and Al Wasl, that are being razed to make way for the new development. The project includes a canal system and several iconic buildings.

“Sheikh Mohammed likes competition,” a consultant familiar with the company said. “He wants to add another layer to the other government-backed developers to challenge Sama, DP World and Nakheel.”

The company has also been hiring veterans in the Dubai market, including Binod Shankar, the former chief financial officer of Dubai Waterfront Corporation; Rashid Doleh, the former chief executive of Emaar Malls Group; and Vivek Rao, the former head of finance at Tamweel.

A mile-high tower is planned by Kingdom Holdings for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also has a 1km tower in the works. Nakheel, another Dubai developer, is expected to announce a tower to rise higher than 1km in Al Burj, according to published reports.

link:

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080918/PAGETHREE/8525129/1119

^^Nice find...i really hope they build both the AC towers and the 2.4km tower!!!:)

Fantastic news! Can't wait for Cityscape!

Cool a 2.4km tower, so u found it first uh? lol, some people get all da credit, hehe!:lol:

so the city tower is not only a vision, damn....just can't believe that!

so the city tower is not only a vision, damn....just can't believe that!

Um...I still think they just got the information from this website.

^^
My thoughts exactly.

Those two sites are currently fenced, the one on the right is the one AltinD posted. The other one is what used to be a prison. The boxes I've drown is in proportion of how big the current sites are, they are not very accurate but just to give u a general picture !

http://i33.tinypic.com/2s13pzq.jpg
Any chance we could get a picture of the site on the left as well? That's probably where the atium city towers will go. It might be viewable from the burj residences.

^^ Not from Burj Residence :D

houses waiting to be demolished

http://i36.tinypic.com/2h3y16x.jpg

On the left of this site there are like 20 palm trees being planted. Unfortunately I couldn't take a picture. Could it be a future sales center?

http://i35.tinypic.com/24n32oz.jpg

a board but nothing is there on it yet

http://i37.tinypic.com/2vt1dsg.jpg

The site fence

http://i38.tinypic.com/11ih9hg.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/fbg8lj.jpg

Inside the site

http://i35.tinypic.com/2dj9qgp.jpg

22/09/08
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2883033892_64de1802ef_o.jpg
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielcheong/2883033892/

i tried to scale the plot with the help of the picture above and Google erath and i think this plot is pretty big

its aproximately 490m in lenght and 433m in width. That´s 212170m² or 3,3 times bigger than Ground Zero.:nuts:

here is a picture how i measured it.

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/8269/plotscaling2sa8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

copyrights
left picture :google earth and Nasa
right picture: Daniel Cheong

nice work germantower, this plot is definitely big enough for Atrium City Towers I hope it is the right location xD

:omg: What a pictures The King !!!! :eek: OMFG !!!!!!

We will have to see whether this is for atrium city or not. If that model with the silver looking atrium city towers is correct then this plot can't be them since in the model there are more towers between it and the szr towers.

^^ yes, I want to point out that now there are many fenced sites poping all over Al Wasl and Satwa so just the fact they are fenced doesn't necessarily mean that the location of the towers will be there.

Work continues on the island off of this project. Imagery from Digital Globe, September 17 2008:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/3252/jumgarden917vj2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

:cheers:

the press release of meeras lunch was out today, nothing special though except that there was no indication about any governmental involvement.

Thanks alot for stephan ;)


http://i34.tinypic.com/2qbbv6h.jpg

Just reposting !! :cheers1:

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa01_5.jpg

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa16_5.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/bg-hero-image-projects-jg.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/005.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/004.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/001.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/015.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/012.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/011.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/009.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/008.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/007.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1dubai/006.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1parkavenue/002.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1parkavenue/005.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1parkavenue/011.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1parkavenue/008.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/1parkavenue/007.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/parkgate/002.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/parkgate/004.jpg

http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/gallery/jgc/parkgate/005.jpg

GO Meraas . Looking for Jumeriah Sea City & OR Dubai Marina 2 Close to Romantic tower Next Cityscape 2009 or 2010 insh'allah :D

o m g. imagine this completed along with Mohammad bin rashid gardens, BDC, BB, DIFC, ect ect ect and all the other mega projects ugh its mind blowing. they say this city has no soul, i say give it time. twenty more years when the population continually rises and the dust settles itll be something out of this world.

oh shit what a project.I think this proove that NO other city around the world, will ever come close to Dubai in the future.

In the new renders the atrium city towers look even better than in the previous ones. the EP towers are also damn beautiful.

I am curious about the tower shwon on one of those islands under reclamation. Maybe this is the location of the 2,4km tower we heard about, from today on NOTHING would suprise me when related to Dubai except a lift to the space :)

This project and the bin rashid gardens are the best projects in Dubai. On the aerial render you can clearly see that the architects have thought about how to include this project within a excisting enviroment. Great project meraas. I am now more curios to see the model tommorow.

Thanks for posting those renders smussuw.

Hi all.

Wow - yet another fantastic area. Atrium City Towers looks great so close to the BD.

Go Dubai.

THE "must see before I die" place.

:cheers:

Oh My God!!!!!

Dubai is just frickin unbelievable! This is going to be the BEST Cityscape EVER! 6-7 Supertalls launched in just one Cityscape. HISTORY is going to be made here today people; you can absolutely count on it.

Mannnnn, i can't wait to get inside today. I don't know which stand i should visit first; this one or Nakheel's stand. Nakheel has the tallest tower but a boring design while this one has a design that just nobody can dislike!!! Way to go Dubai!

Keep checking the liveblog guys. I'll have as many pictures as i can uploaded as fast as i can. Just pray that there's a nice fast Du or Etisalat Hotspot around! Liveblog address:

http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/sscuae/

Just a little something to consider before Satwa is changed forever:


Soul of Satwa
By Alice Johnson, Staff Reporter
3 October 2008, 00:14

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa11_4.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
The Satwa community is a one-stop-shop for textiles, tailoring and all those who love shopping for bargains.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa10_4.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Aside from shops offering bargains, barbers and watch repair shops are just a small number of businesses that provide all daily needs for a smoothly-run life.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa13_4.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Satwa is busy, bright and bustling - a representation of life itself.


A stroll down Satwa road, through the heart of the community, greets visitors with the smell of roasting chicken, the hubbub of a busy suburb and the bright flashing signs of shops advertising their wares.

A mechanic rolls a new tyre to a waiting motorist while another wipes the desert dust from a windscreen.

Textile merchants throw swathes of multi-coloured fabric into the air, measuring it for their waiting customers.

Tailors busy themselves adjusting clothes, accompanied by the rattling of their sewing machines. Ishwar, a tailor, opened Coventry Tailoring in 1989, and has been in Dubai since 1981.

"The best time for me in Satwa has been in the last couple of years," he told Gulf News. "I sleep well at night because I have satisfied customers. Customers buy the material in Satwa and then come here to have clothes made. The area has grown over the last 20 years: if I ever leave here, I will miss it very much."

A tailoring colleague continued: "For the last 20 years the textile market has been here - you can get it all in Satwa. People buy material at the market or shops, bring it to the tailors to be made and we can get the raw materials to make the clothes."

Just a short walk across Satwa Road, visitors following their noses can find some of the most well-renowned dishes in Dubai.

Ravi's restaurant has been serving up Asian sub-continental food for the past 30 years, welcoming customers of all nationalities, typical of Dubai's multicultural landscape.

Salim Marakkarkandi has been a waiter at Ravi's since he came to Dubai 18 years ago.

"Satwa is very busy with all the shops that have opened over the last 18 years. Our meat grill is famous, particularly the chicken tikka. The best thing I like about Satwa is the bargains you can find in the shops - everything is very reasonable," he said.

The bright lights of Satwa gleam as bargain-hunters weave through a maze of jewellery and accessories, stopping next door to buy traditional Indian sweets from the tiny cafes dotted around the area.

A short walk towards the Iranian hospital uncovers many home-improvement stores, with their plants and desert cactuses providing leafy accompaniment.

Satwa is a 'city' that never sleeps, a haven for community spirit, an Aladdin's cave offering a never-ending treasure trove of bargains for everyone who visits.

Satwa is busy, bright and bustling - a representation of life itself.

Insight: Development of suburb

Literally translated, Satwa means 'power' or 'authority'.

It was once a small suburb, but over the years it became known as a place offering low-cost housing, good food and shopping bargains, as well as a one-stop-shop for textiles, garments, tailoring, minor car and watch repairs and also hub of traditional restaurants for different communities.

It has expanded along with the rest of Dubai over the past 30 years, with a growing Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino and Arab population.

Many expatriates live in Satwa because of its close proximity to the business centres.

The redevelopment of Satwa is already underway. Demolition has started in some areas of the suburb, as part of the Jumeirah Garden City project.

This project is still in the planning and development stages.


http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/10/03/10249350.html



A Day in Satwa Life
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/10/02/10249331.html

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa07_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Satwa is a 'city' that never sleeps, a haven for community spirit, an Aladdin's cave offering a never-ending treasure trove of bargains for everyone who visits.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa14_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Satwa has expanded along with the rest of Dubai over the past 30 years, with a growing Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino and Arab population.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa01_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
The redevelopment of Satwa is already underway.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa16_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Demolition has started in some areas of the suburb, as part of the Jumeirah Garden City project.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa11_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
The Satwa community is a one-stop-shop for textiles, tailoring and all those who love shopping for bargains.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa05_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
After an evening stroll down Satwa Road, shoppers can refresh themselves at the many tiny cafes and restaurants.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa13_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Many expatriates live in Satwa because of its close proximity to the business centres.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa15_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Evenings at Satwa where the shopping malls and the roads are very much alive.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa12_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Satwa is very busy with all the shops that have opened over the last 18 years.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa10_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Barbers at work. Barber shops are commonly situated in Satwa where men get good grooming.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa09_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Gold on display at the stalls along Satwa Road.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa08_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
The photocopier stall in Satwa is very useful for office personnel and job seekers as well.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa06_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Satwa is not complete without shawarma.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa17_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Want car accessories? You can find those in Satwa.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa02_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Bus stops are part of people's life in Satwa. Satwa residents take public buses to go to work.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa03_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
Some of the famous landmarks along Satwa Road.

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/02/03_ae_satwa04_5.jpg
Hadrian Hernandez of Gulf News
In Satwa you can get all the services you want for your car.



Now, we wait and see what the future brings...

Another offshore development??

Is this the reclamation which is going on and we don't know for what??


http://www.meraasdevelopment.ae/en/images/bg-hero-image-projects-jg.jpg

Stephan,

Go back to pages 4, 7, 9 and 11. Look for the posts with images, and you will see that we have known about the islands for some time.

http://www.meraasdevelopment.com/en/projects-jgc.htm

website is up !

Just downloaded the press package from their site, one PDF file means that the "one park avenue tower" from which we heard will be located within this project.

" 1 Park Avenue: This 600,000-square-metre tower, whose undulating form is a tribute to Dubai’s historic relationship with the Arabian Gulf, will be a marvel of 21st-century technology and sustainable design."

^^ NOTE: content obtained from the press package from Meeras website.
content copyrights by Meeras!

EDIT: just read that one EP tower was changed to 1 park avenue....so we will have two "1 park avenue" towers in Dubai!

Meraas Development launches Dhs350bn Jumeira Gardens


The mixed-use, freehold and leasehold development will be an integrated city within a city, with distinct neighbourhoods linked by a diverse network of transportation options, and comprising low-, medium- and high-density areas with business, residential, retail, leisure and recreational components.

Sustainability and urban liveability were overriding concerns for planners and architects, who also were encouraged to devise bold designs that would help redefine Dubai's visual character and cityscape. Some of the city's biggest towers will be located in Jumeira Gardens, and they - like all buildings in the project - will set standards of 'green' building design, through features such as passive energy generation, shaded foliage-covered atriums and roofs, heat reducing cladding and shading fins.
A developer owned by the Dubai government announced today that it will build a 'new city' in the emirate at a projected cost of $95bn. The mixed-use Jumeira Gardens development will be 'an integrated city within a city', to be built over 12 years, Meraas Development announced at Cityscape. Jumeira Gardens will be built out over 12 years, across an area north of Sheikh Zayed Road between Diyafa Street and Safa Park. There will be several major parks and a large canal will run through the heart of the development and will flow, at one end, into the Business Bay Canal and at the other end, out to the sea. The development will also have a number of high rise towers, including 1 Dubai, set to be one of the tallest and largest buildings in the world. This mega-structure will consist of three towers that are linked by bridges that contain suspended apartments within them. Each tower will be at least 600 metres tall, with mosaic-like glass and aluminium-mesh cladding.

H.E. Abdulla Ahmad Al Habbai, the chairman of Meraas Holding, of which Meraas Development is a subsidiary, said, 'Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a global city, Meraas Development has created Jumeira Gardens, which we believe will be an integral part of this great city's future.'


http://www.ameinfo.com/170513.html

Pics of model from Cityscape 08 today.
http://i33.tinypic.com/f9ifk1.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/2yw8wvd.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2pydyzd.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2vt1mox.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/2n6yd1g.jpg

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooom :nuts:

http://i36.tinypic.com/332nk90.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/xp6c5e.jpg

OMG $$$95 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!

OMG $$$95 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!

OMG! Thats so much money. I wonder in total whats the cost of all the projects in Dubai put together???????

I wonder where the money for that will come from.

OMG! Thats so much money. I wonder in total whats the cost of all the projects in Dubai put together???????

Lets not even try think think about that one...i might get sick:puke:

OMG! Thats so much money. I wonder in total whats the cost of all the projects in Dubai put together???????

Lets not even try to think about that one...i might get sick:puke:

It seems the construction site everyone keeps going on about is for the 6 towers with the hanging gardens.

http://i36.tinypic.com/1111rfo.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2918187545_9717220d7b_b.jpg

http://flickr.com/photos/24363755@N04/2918187545/sizes/l/

It seems the construction site everyone keeps going on about is for the 6 towers with the hanging gardens.

http://i36.tinypic.com/1111rfo.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2918187545_9717220d7b_b.jpg

http://flickr.com/photos/24363755@N04/2918187545/sizes/l/

I wonder where the money for that will come from.

95 islamic Bonds (Sukuk) ...everyone bond with billion of dollar ($_$)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukuk

Smussuw, is your house affected?

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/sscuae/DSC08399.jpg

This video gives a better look to the area around Safa Park:
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/sscuae/th_JGC1.jpg (http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/oo325/sscuae/?action=view&current=JGC1.flv)

^^ The map isn't very accurate so I cannot be sure. This is where our house is located so go figure ;)

http://i35.tinypic.com/2a5kl78.jpg

^^ The map isn't very accurate so I cannot be sure. This is where our house is located so go figure ;)

http://i35.tinypic.com/2a5kl78.jpg

Well, good luck. Hopefully you will not be forced from hour house.

It seems as though the anti-Marina Sky Towers e-mails sent to Sheikh Mohammed worked.
Do you think Jumeirah Gardens City requires a similar effort?

How do you think this will impact your neighbourhood if you house remains?
Higher home prices, higher traffic, ... ?

^^ I don't think that will work. Money is the religion in Dubai !

The southern area which is mostly affected is very underdeveloped and have either crappy houses that could crumble any day or governmental facilities.

Most of the people owning those house have moved already and the ones left didn't because they cannot afford it. Most of the ones living there aright now are Filipinos and south Asians in horrific numbers, u would see 30 people living in a house that can barely host 10.

Anyway, the owners of those houses would've preferred to move in their conditions. That is that they should be given double the compensation they are given now especially considering the current market rate and the profit Meraas will get from it. Still, people don't like the idea of being kicked to build projects that will host mainly foreigners.

The traffic is already bad in our area, and many people park their cars in front our house on weekends in winter to go to Safa Park. Most of the ones living here own their houses and living in it so they wouldn't really be affected by any higher rents or from their property price unless they decided to sell theirs. The area is becoming too busy and not suitable for our life style, we are becoming in the middle of everything, I mean if we want to have this life style we'd rather live in a skyscraper. So If it was up to me I'll try to get a plot in Nad Al Sheba and rent this one, we will get a fortune from renting it out :P

http://www.gulfnews.com/images/08/10/06/7_bz_jumeirahgarden_master_5.jpg

In fairness with this amount of money they could build several of those mile high solar towers (and they're big as well so they'd like it) and power the entire UAE's energy needs through solar power. Now that would be a feat! :yes:

what about the people who lives in that area?

where they will live?