Nagpur: A commercial textile park is proposed on a 15,503.60 square-metre plot on Subhash Road, with the project estimated to cost around Rs1,226 crore.The multi-storey complex, coming up opposite Geeta Mandir, is planned as a dedicated destination for textile trade, manufacturing, warehousing and allied commercial activities.According to sources, the complex will have a carpet area of around 7.898 lakh square feet and comprise 672 units. These will include shops, manufacturing units, warehouses and offices.The project is expected to create direct employment opportunities for around 8,000 to 10,000 workers on its industrial floors. The complex will have 34 lifts, four escalators and six staircases to facilitate movement within the building.A food court and event space with a capacity of around 6,000 to 7,000 people are also planned as part of the project.The central location of the proposed complex is expected to make it accessible to textile traders, small entrepreneurs and manufacturers from Nagpur and other parts of Vidarbha and Central India region. The project is also expected to generate an estimated profit of around Rs175 crore for the Nagpur Housing and Area Development Board.The proposed development comes against the backdrop of Nagpur’s long association with the textile trade and is being positioned as an attempt to bring textile-related commercial and manufacturing activities under one roof.The project has received a mixed response from textile traders and retailers in the city. While some traders have welcomed the development, particularly its central location and concentration of textile-related businesses, others have raised concerns over the size of the proposed units.There are also questions among traders about the response to a multi-storey textile complex. They said customers in Nagpur have traditionally preferred shopping at easily accessible ground-level commercial establishments and questioned whether they would be willing to go to the upper floors of a large complex for cloth purchases.Traders pointed to the closure of several malls in the city as an indication of the challenges faced by multi-storey shopping destinations. The actual response to the proposed textile park, they said, will depend largely on customer footfall and the ability of the complex to attract traders and shoppers once it becomes operational.
