Work Begins On $93m Shopping Mall In Accra

Work has begun on the construction of another shopping mall in Accra. To be known as the West Hills Mall, the $93-million project is expected to be completed in October 2014. When the Daily Graphic visited the site at Dunkonah, near Weija, workers were busily constructing drains, levelling the land and putting up concrete pillars to pave the way for the actual structure of the mall. The project partners, Delico Property Developments Limited of Mauritius and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), have committed $28 million and $18 million, respectively, into the project. While Delico Property holds a 60 per cent stake, SSNIT has 40 per cent shares in the project. The mall has been designed to house over 65 businesses and facilities, including the provision of social and recreational services. Addressing the media during a tour of the facility, the Chairman of the Board of West Hills Mall, Mr Kofi Sekyere, said 300 local workers had so far been employed on the project He said five local sub-contractors had also been engaged under the supervision of Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) of South Africa, a company with speciality in building construction, civil engineering, roads and earth works, to give advice on the construction details. Mr Sekyere said the mall was an exceptional example of public-private partnership development. “Delico and its partners are determined to ensure that all stakeholders, notably the Ghanaian public and the media, have full appreciation of what the project is about and the socio-economic prospects it holds, not only for the city of Accra but also the entire country,” he added. Explaining the design concept, the architect for the project, Mr Augustus Richardson, said the mall was about 30 per cent bigger than any existing mall in the country. He said it had an extended parking bay with a capacity for 1,400 cars and would offer shoppers a much wider variety of shops, outlets and product choices. Mr Richardson said the exterior of the mall also had a bay dedicated to taxis, buses and trotros, adding that it would also have a functional health centre with a physician at post. He added that a special traffic interchange and pedestrian underpass would be constructed across the highway to preserve free and uninterrupted flow of motor traffic.       Source: Daily Graphic