Rapid revitalisation

The historic city of Zhengzhou has undergone rapid urban revitalisation to revive its status as a major transport hub between the eastern and western parts of China.

The city government has drawn up a plan to redevelop Zhengzhou through ecological and infrastructure improvements, which include some of the key property projects being built or planned.

The Henan Hongguang Industry Group has commissioned Trahan Architects of the United States to design a mixed-use development on a site near the city's landmark Erqi Square.

The US$880 million project is expected to radically change the city skyline, with construction expected to begin next year.

Consisting of three tapered towers with glass exteriors, the project will provide a gross floor area of 408,775 square metres. The towers share the seven-floor podium of the shopping mall. The project includes a 47-storey hotel and two 27-storey residential and office buildings. Separating the towers will be green terraces on the rooftop of the podium in the form of an elevated garden.

Another project, which will form the city's new urban infrastructure, is the Zhengzhou Tiandi Bay Mixed Use Development designed by Woods Bagot.

Located in the northern new city district of Zhengzhou, the project aims to be a new landmark in the urbanisation of the area, according to a spokesman for the design firm.

Situated at the junction of Huayuan Road and Yingcai Street, the project consists of a five-storey shopping mall with a construction area of 100,000 square metres and the nine-storey Radisson Hotel which will have a total construction area of 80,000 square metres, including public spaces.

It will have 280 guest rooms, a large conference centre and a basement. Construction is scheduled to be completed next year.

"The hotel is located in the southern plot so that guests will enjoy the spectacular views of the river and waterfront park to the south," the spokesman says.

"The retail facilities are located in the northern plot across the road, but on the same central axis of the hotel building. This layout helps to provide pleasant public spaces on both sides of the road."

The biggest infrastructural project is development of the Zhengdong New District in the east. Covering an area of 115 square kilometres, the new district has been planned as a pilot area for scientific development and as an integrated transport hub, logistics centre and district service centre.

The growth potential of the property market around Zhengdong New District has attracted the attention of leading domestic real estate developers, including Agile Property Holdings.

Agile has acquired two sites with a total area of 83,681 square metres. The land parcels are in Baisha Town, Zhongmou County, about 10 minutes' drive from the new district. This will be a commercial and residential development with a total gross floor area of 196,634 square metres.

According to a spokesman for Agile, the new projects will be served by a comprehensive transport network.

It is near the Beijing-Zhuhai-Macau Expressway.

The city's light rail station is only one kilometre away and construction of a high-speed railway station in the neighbourhood is under way, making it easier to commute between Zhengzhou city and the surrounding regions.

Meanwhile, local property developers are concentrating mainly on luxury residential projects and mixed-use developments. Among them is Henan Xinyuan Corporation's Colourful Garden, which is located at the junction of Jinshui Road and Jianshe Road in the centre of the city.

Colourful Garden consists of two phases with a total construction area of 180,000 square metres.

Phase one is 14 low-rise and low density villa-style apartments with units ranging from 117 to 193 square metres, while phase two consists of nine blocks of apartments, with sizes ranging from 33 to 88 square metres.