Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat ul Ibad on Saturday said the country's economic hub Karachi needed recreational and entertainment venues to entertain citizens and the opening of Port Grand Food and Entertainment Enclave is a major step in that direction.
Speaking at the Port Grand inauguration ceremony, Ibad said the project was an effort to revive the culture and traditions of the metropolis, besides recognising it as the city of lights. He appreciated Grand Leisure Corporation for reviving history and heritage as it had not only preserved the 19th Century's Napier Mole Bridge but had also converted it into a world class tourist spot that would ultimately attract millions of people from all over the world.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babur Khan Ghauri said that today the government has fulfilled the promise to provide Karachiites with a world-class harbor-based food, retail, entertainment and recreation complex in shape of Port Grand. He said Port Grand was a great initiative by a private sector company despite the economic, law and order and political uncertainties in the country. He applauded the relentless efforts of the Managing Director Grand Leisure Corporation (GLC) for making it a reality.
He informed the gathering that work on the project had commenced in 2005 and its completion was expected by 2009 but since the old Native Jetty Bridge had been in a bad shape the Port Grand had to rebuild the 19the Century Napier Mole Bridge for the grand project.
"GLC had to rebuild the whole one mile Old Napier Mole Bridge that includes removal of old deck slab, cleaning of rust and scaling of existing structure, strengthening of sub-structure and laying of new deck slab. All this exercise took around 2 years to revamp the bridge hence the project got delayed for around 2 years."
Port Grand Corporation CEO Shahid Firoz said Port Grand had been built in inspiration with world's famous waterfront experiences such as Pier 39 in San Francisco, Quincy Market in Boston and 3rd Street LA USA. "It would be a pedestrian friendly strip on the harbor front," he said.
He hoped the project would only be a recreational spot besides providing immense learning experience to the children and citizens at large for being in close proximity to ships and port activities. "Visitors would experience loading, unloading of cargo from impressive vessels that arrive from ports all over the world. Equally fascinating would be the opportunity to watch the cargo train go by on the tracks parallel to Napier Bridge," he said.
Shahid Firoz said that KPT and Ministry of Ports and Shipping had been supportive for making the Port Grand a reality. Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro, Sindh Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Khan Durrani and Sindh IT Minister Raza Haroon were also present on the occasion.
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