City Hall approves construction of Sh10bn Avic complex

Avic International, a Chinese State-owned manufacturing giant will next week break ground for a Sh9.6 billion complex in Westlands, Nairobi that will host its African headquarters.

The company on Friday received the necessary approvals from City Hall for the project that will cover 250,000 square metres after it paid the permit fees amounting to Sh97.2 million.

The complex will comprise an office block, a hotel tower and four apartment blocks which will sit on 7.5 acres of five plots amalgamated to one block.

It will border ARM Cement headquarters, Villa Rosa Kempinski and the upcoming Mirage Towers.

“We have all we want to start excavation next week,” said AVIC International President Liu Jun.

The project will be composed of a 43-storey office block; a 35-storey hotel; two 24-level, a 25-level, and a 28-level apartment towers.

The complex will also include “a 4-levels commercial podium on the western side of Chiromo Lane connected to a 5 levels podium on the eastern side of the lane with a 2 levels bridge.”

In the fiscal year that ended June 2015, Nairobi County approved developments with a total area of five million square metres.

“AVIC at 250,000 square metres is five per cent of our total approvals. The Sh97 million cheque is the single largest cheque we’ve ever received for a single approval,” said Governor Evans Kidero.

Avic International which is valued at about $42 billion is mostly involved in aerospace and military manufacturing and is viewed as China’s challenger to Airbus and Boeing.