A property developer has assured residents of a Dubai community that a popular playground will not disappear for ever.
Residents of Bay Avenue Mall in Business Bay are worried they may permanently lose a nearby park after the land was barricaded for construction.
The green space was viewed by the local community as a tranquil oasis in an otherwise sprawling urban jungle.
However, a few weeks ago residents found the area, which in the past has hosted events including farmers' markets and movie nights, was fenced off.
Now long-term residents and property owners are concerned the green area and playground may vanish.
resident
“I’ve been a resident for six years and part of the reason I moved in was because there was a great park on ground level beside the property,” said Briton Jane Clifford, 44, who lives in the nearby Executive Towers.
“When we moved here the park was shown to us by the property agent as one of the benefits of the community.
“We use it all the time. A few weeks ago I was going for a walk and saw it was fenced off with a sign saying it was closed for renovation work.”
Ms Clifford said the residents were initially told the area was closed for cleaning.
“We just haven’t been given any solid information about what is happening with the park,” said Ms Clifford, who works in the communications sector.
The situation has made her and other residents consider their future plans for living in the area.
“I will definitely have a conversation with my landlord when it comes time to renew my rent,” she said.
“This is prompting us to look at relocating to other parts of the city.”
Another resident said the loss of the play area would come as a huge blow to families in the community.
“We came down one day to use the park and it was all barricaded,” said Indian Amol Kulkarni, 41, who works in the computer industry.
“There was some information posted on the walls around the park but it was vague, stating it was closed for enhancements.”
He said he did not receive any communication in advance about the work, despite being an apartment owner in Executive Towers.
The park has long been a key part of life for Saadat Hussain, 43, who is equally upset about its closure.
“I have owned my home here for almost 10 years and we would often use the park,” said Mr Hussain, from Pakistan.
“I have two kids and spent hours and hours in the park with them as they were growing up.
“It feels bad that it has been removed, it’s even worse because we didn’t get any prior notice about it.”
The area played a pivotal role in bringing the community together, said Mr Hussain, who works in sales.
“It has been used for movie nights in the past and lots of people used it for the skate park and to exercise.
“This is going to further reduce the opportunities people have to go outside and exercise in the open air, the opportunities are limited enough as it is.”
Park to be relocated
Dubai Properties told The National the plot adjacent to Executive Towers the area has been barricaded for construction.
“We would like to address the concerns raised by some residents regarding the temporary closure of a playground at Executive Towers,” said a representative.
“Since the inception of the Business Bay master plan, the plot adjacent to the Executive Towers has always been zoned as a development plot and not a common area.
“In order to prevent the unsightly appearance of a development site in an otherwise developed community, Dubai Properties landscaped the area for the comfort of residents and installed playground amenities, whilst the plot remained vacant.”
The representative said the playground facilities would be moved to a nearby location in the community.
“As the plot is now being developed, the area has been barricaded for construction, and the playground amenities will be relocated to ensure that residents and their families can continue to utilise them,” said the representative.
“We want to reassure our residents that the original common areas and amenities allocated for the Executive Towers master community are still intact.”
