This city's Corniche will sport an entirely new look once a new project, to be implemented this year, is completed, a municipal official said Saturday. New buildings, parks, recreation centers will be constructed, including towers and cables, to make the area more attractive to tourists and locals. “The project area measures 9.6 square kilometers, extending from the Fatima mosque to the Coast Guard headquarters,” said Ibrahim Kutubkhanah, Undersecretary for Reconstruction and Projects. The plan will cover the entire Corniche but work will be conducted in phases. Kutubkhanah said the first phase will cover a length of 3.4 kilometers and preparations – which include drawings, tables of operational specifications and the final draft – will take eight months before actual work is done. “The East Corniche project consists of two sites. The first is located between Al-Salam Palace and south of the Border Guards and the second is in the area between the Equestrian Club and the Border Guards,” he said. The North Corniche will have 17 sites, with each site providing a package of services and facilities that would reduce the need for private vehicle use. There will be sites for sport centers, parks for water sports, recreational games, areas for swimming and diving, fishing, shopping, functions, markets and restaurants. An ambitious structure, called the “Jeddah Eye,” similar to the London Eye or Millennium Wheel in Britain, will also adorn the Jeddah skyline surrounded by buildings that will include a museum, shopping malls and a variety of restaurants and cafes, according to Kutubkhanah. The central area will have a park, beach, museum, an open arena for celebrations, a fountain, and shopping centers. “The central area will have a presentation area, children's playgrounds, sports stadiums, restaurants and cafes, shopping centers and sales booths,” Kutubkhanah said. He said the project with aim to restructure the whole area and give it a distinctive urban and global appeal by providing services, facilities and recreational activities associated with beach and would contribute to the formation of a tourist landmark. __
