T’puram: The city corporation has unveiled plans for a new state-of-the-art headquarters at Palayam, replacing the existing corporation office with a modern civic administration complex designed to meet the capital city’s future governance and infrastructure needs.The proposed headquarters will be constructed on a 2.6-acre site in the heart of the city after demolishing the existing corporation building. The concept and architectural design of the project were presented before the corporation council by the project’s architect during the council meeting held on Friday.Designed as a landmark civic complex, the building will have three basement levels, a ground floor and seven upper floors. The project will have a built-up area of approximately 6 lakh sq ft, making it one of the largest civic administration buildings in the state.One of the key features of the proposed headquarters is a 200-seat council hall, which has been planned to keep future expansion in mind. Although the corporation currently has 101 wards, the larger council chamber has been designed to accommodate possible increases in the number of elected representatives as the city’s population, administrative limits and governance requirements grow in the coming years.The project also proposes parking facilities for around 1,000 cars, addressing one of the longstanding challenges faced by visitors and employees at the existing civic office.The facility will also provide modern office spaces and improved public interfaces for various corporation departments operating under one roof, the officials said.Mayor V V Rajesh said the corporation aims to complete the project before the end of the current tenure of the BJP-led governing council.The proposal comes at a time when Thiruvananthapuram is witnessing rapid urban transformation, driven by major infrastructure projects such as the Vizhinjam International Seaport, the proposed Metro rail system, the Outer Ring Road and growing investments in the information technology and industrial sectors.
