Daily Independent (Lagos)
Michael Simire
13 October 2008
Following the clearance of the project site as well as the laying of the foundation stone, construction work is about to commence on the Ibom Tropicana Complex.
The multi-dimensional entertainment complex contemplated by the Akwa Ibom State Government has a landmass of 128,227 square meters (12 hectares). It is located along the Sir Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo (the state capital)and is bonded by roads around its perimeter.
The complex comprises following facilities such the dome, hotel rooms/VIP suites, mall/cineplex, Ibom Tropicana Park, open theatre, utilities building and a multi-storey car park
The dome, for example, is designed for sport and entertainment activities with an overall area of 15,500 square meters, providing seating capacity for more than 10,000 persons. According to sources, it will draw international and local celebrities and exhibitions. The facility will amortize its construction cost in less than five years.
The 258-room hotel has 15 floors including its ground floor, with a 24-hour cafÈ/lounge-bar, and continental restaurant on the ground floor. The banquet hall is also located on the ground floor in a separate structure connected to the hotel via an internal covered walkway.
The hotel will feature a swimming pool, tennis court and gymnasium center. The hotel is designed to international standards in order for its facilities to be certified by Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Holliday-Inn, and Intercontinental Hotels - one of which will eventually manage the hotel.
The hotel, with a built-up area of 13,500 square meters, will be expanded to provide central catering to all the facilities in the complex, namely the Dome and the Tropicana Park
The mall and cineplex will have retail shops, eateries, coffee shops, five cinemas as well as Atriums. The mall will include a kindergarten facility to assist parents in their daily activities as well as staff working in the mall. The retail facilities will be selected to reduce competition, and expected to attract world-class retailers such as Marks & Spencers, Macy's and home appliances supermarket will be provided, as well as an office, depot store, and office and residential furniture show rooms.
The mall and cineplex will cover an area of 22,000 square meters.
The Ibom Tropicana Park will feature facilities and wet and dry parks. An experienced International electromechanical maintenance firm together with Silverbird will eventually manage it.
The theme park will comprise two sections - a wet park and a dry park - accessed from two different gates. The wet park will have its administration services/food outlets/toilets/box office/kiosk near the main entrance while the wet rides consist of wave pool, TOTS pool slide, lazy river ride, activity pool/play structure, inner tube slide and high thrill slide.
This section of the park will have its own mechanical, electrical and plumbing maintenance offices and team.
The dry park it will have at the main entrance the box office, toilets, retail kiosks (souvenirs, shirts and caps). The dry park will have structures/rides like: mini jets, kiddie wheel, mini tower, tea cups, space gun, giant wheel (33 meters), drop zone, bumper cars, pirate ship, jolly jump, top dancer, traffic jam, family coaster and comic shows in open theater.
There will also be several retail kiosks all around the park. A stream bisects the theme park and, in order to enhance the ecosystem, a small barrage will be erected to create an artificial lake to increase the birds' habitat.
The utilities building will house the generators, automatic/manual change over switch, high voltage switch gear, low voltage gear and the control room, transformers, diesel tanks, site management offices and technicians rest rooms.
Located near the mall, the multi-storey car park will provide spaces for 520 cars, and another 800 surface car parking spaces will be provided around the site.
A car park is planned across the main road and accessed via a pedestrian overhead bridge. Additionally, medium buses shuttling between the adjacent parking space across the road and the dome during main events will provide a "Park and Ride" facility.
The main external works (or site works)consist of "see through fence" to encourage visitors to access the site gates, and a network of roads which has been designed with drainage facilities. The site-landscaping plan has been designed in line with the needs of the various structures in the complex and attempts to maintain the ecosystem as much as possible.
State officials believe that Akwa Ibom will become a "State of Destination" and not of passage through as, according to them, the Tropicana International Complex which will be used by local visitors and tourists will be completed by the time the international airport as well as other accommodation facilities in Uyo will be operational.
Project architects and engineers AIM Consultants Ltd alongside Cost Link Associates (quantity surveyors)as well as GreyHawk have prepared necessary documents and are now supervising the works.
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