Surat adds to its list of iconic project

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has further decided to include a floral garden, a view tower, a war memorial and a times museum, which are proposed to be built in the city, also in its list of iconic projects for which expression of interest (EOI) will soon be called.   Expansion work of indoor stadium, construction of outdoor stadium, Sardar Smruti Mandir, SMC headquarters building, another weir on Tapi river, riverfront development, second phase of Gopi Talav and eco park at Dumas, have so far been classified as iconic projects. However, none of these inconic projects have seen work commence so far, even though a few had been conceptualised eight years ago.   The view tower has been envisioned with a multi-cuisine restaurant like the one that exists in London. It will be a 40-m-high tower, with a diameter of at least 35 m, as per reports. The view tower will also spur development of a city square, which can be another identity for the city. SMC is checking viability of the structures before calling for EOI from parties. Additionally, as per reports, the floral garden will be like the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, while the war museum and times museum will depict the country’s and Surat’s glorious maritime past.   SMC aims to make provisions for the projects in this year’s budget, in view to not allow it to linger on for years.