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Another star hotel is in the offing in the city, with the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) deciding to make its foray into the hospitality sector. The agency plans to lease out six acres on EM Bypass, between Silver Spring and ITC Sonar Bangla, to a hotel group for a period of 99 years.
With all the five-star hotels in town riding a high, CMDA?s offer has set off a scramble amongst some big players in the hospitality business. The land is presently being used as a stack-yard of scrap transport equipment.
?We are actively considering the CMDA proposal. We have been in the hospitality business for the past 40 years and are one of the biggest players in this field in Calcutta. The developing information and technology (IT) sector in Salt Lake and New Town makes the plot a truly prime location,? said Salmoli Mukerji, director, public relations, The Park.
P.R. Baviskar, chief executive officer of CMDA, said: ?The state government is laying major stress on IT in Sector V and Rajarhat. The new hotel in the Dhapa area will definitely benefit from the growth in IT.?
Though officials of ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers refused to comment, sources in the hospitality industry confirmed that the hotel chain was keen on an expansion plan.
?The hotel is booked for nine months a year. With the tourist and business traffic set to increase in the near future, ITC Sonar Bangla will either add a couple of 100 rooms to its existing hotel or build a new one,? they said.
Elaborating on the eligibility criteria, Baviskar said: ?We will lease out the land to companies that possess expertise in running five-star hotels. We have already received a positive response from leading hospitality groups like ITC, Hilton and The Park. We are waiting for some more responses before taking the final decision.?
The plot in Dhapa was acquired by the CMDA in 1974 for its Calcutta Urban Transport Project (CUTP), a part of the World Bank-financed Calcutta Urban Development Project. Trucks, roadrollers, tar boilers and other equipment, worth nearly Rs 4 crore and purchased under CUTP, were stocked on the plot.
Now that the equipment is turning to scrap and land price is rising, the CMDA is eyeing to cash in by converting the dump into a star address.