The second phase of the Broadway beautification drive is set to kick-start on Monday.
The drive, the first in the trade nerve centre in decades, has already given a facelift to the stretch between the CSI Church and Alappat Jewellers, which now stands out with tiled-road, fresh drainage facilities and cable duct alongside for shifting all overhead cables.
In the second phase of the drive, the stretch between Alappat Jewellers and the market will also get similar facilities. The much needed beautification drive has been undertaken with the corporation fund, with the Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce chipping in.
So far, about Rs. 60 lakh has been spent on beautification and the cost is expected to touch around Rs.1.50 crore by the time the second phase is completed. The Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce has volunteered to replace the rickety street lights with cast iron decorative lamp posts, the order for which has already been placed.
Footpaths are also awaiting a facelift with colourful tiles. Besides being eye candy, laying tiles has helped utilise the maximum width of the road. “The impact has already been felt as shop owners have reported an upswing in customer turnout ever since the beautification drive,” said P.A. Sageer, president of the Broadway Shop Owners’ Association.
Another significant development came to the fore during the heavy summer downpour that hit the city recently. Listed for long among the water logging-prone areas in the city, waters kept off Broadway, where in the past rain water had swept inside shops.
Sources associated with the beautification drive said the idea was restore the old glory of Broadway while giving it the sheen of a modern mall. An arrangement for the proper upkeep of the beautified stretches is also on the anvil with the corporation likely to sign a memorandum of understanding with the traders. The Broadway Shop Owners’ Association is planning to hold a ‘Broadway Shopping Fest’ for contributing their bit to put Broadway back on a pedestal. “We plan to make it an annual affair, complete with discount sales, prizes and a mega draw of lot,” said Joseph D’Silva, joint secretary of the association.
