74 of 100 young professional homes under construction at Silica City – Croal

…Govt to soon identify allottees

A total of 110 housing units are slated to be developed at Silica City, the country’s first smart, urban centre, situated along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
During a recent site visit by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, it was revealed that construction has started on 74 housing units.

In the next two weeks, works will commence on additional structures.
Croal disclosed that approximately $3 billion has been invested in the project thus far and government is satisfied with the pace at which infrastructure works are progressing.

In addition to the housing units, he said works are also ongoing on the first phase infrastructure for the city, including the installation of the electrical network, roads, and drainage.
“The soil type is sandy so we had to add additional expenditure in terms of concrete drains… Obviously when we finish building the houses we will move into a different level… We will be drilling an independent well for here to source so we are currently going through the procurement process and then we’ll start,” Croal disclosed.
The young professional homes will be constructed in four distinct styles, comprising two flat units valued at $25 million and two elevated units priced up to $33 million.
According to Croal, the agency is in the process of qualifying persons who have indicated their interest in the properties.
“We do have a list of persons who have indicated an interest, so we’re first of all going through the pre-qualification phase, that’s where we are at now… but no, we have not allocated these units we’ll be moving to the next stages with regards to that,” he added.
The concept of Silica City was first introduced by President Dr Irfaan Ali and the idea was born out of the pressing need for a complementary urban center to alleviate the challenges posed by non-coastal urban settlement development and the impending threats of climate change and rising sea levels.
With its potential to become the nation’s most sought-after location for contemporary, environmentally eco-friendly living, Silica City would serve as an innovative solution, offering a resilient haven for residents in a changing world.
In addition to green areas and other facilities, the state-of-the-art development will include smart homes outfitted with the newest energy-saving technologies.
In February 2023, some $2.1 billion worth of contracts were signed to expedite these efforts.