Deerfields Town Square, the flagship project developed by MBI, an Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm with key stakes in real estate and construction, has commenced work at the mixed-use project.

RMJM, leading international architecture firm, has been appointed as lead design consultants for the Deerfields project. Mandated to review the architectural design of the entire development and responsible for the engineering delivery, RMJM will also work on implementing improvement changes to the facade, interiors, and landscape design of the mall.

Marking a new phase in the development of the project, initial ground work and de-watering process has taken off onsite with National Dewatering assigned for the excavation work, while the building contractor will soon be announced.

Located at Al Bahia in Abu Dhabi, with a built up area of 220,000 sq mt, the Deerfields Town Square project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2011.

“We are happy to announce that the ground-breaking ceremony for the project has taken place and we are looking forward to moving into the first phase of construction,” said Banu Tas, general manager of Deerfields Town Square.

“All the preliminary planning has been done and we are in the final stages of selecting a contractor who shares our work philosophy and vision for Deerfields,” he added.

“RMJM’s expertise will add value to the project as it has an excellent track record in the industry and we are confident their deliverables will exceed expectations.”

Tim Baker, director at RMJM, said: “We are providing design consultancy to ensure that the shopping, entertainment, dining, recreation and hospitality venues all come together under one roof in a way that offers visitors and residents a high quality experience.

“The complexity of such planning makes Deerfields an exciting project to work on and we are privileged to take on the contract.”

Earlier this year, MBI signed an MoU with Carrefour hypermarket that mandates a 20-year lease deal. The anchor shop of the French retail giant will span 10,000-sq mt area at the Deerfields Town Square project.

Globally renowned Colliers International is the retail consultant for the Deerfields development that will boast over 200 retailers from medium to upscale brands, anchor shops, retail chains, stand–alone retail carts, food courts, casual and fine dining restaurants and coffee shops, amounting to almost 80 per cent of the development.

Abu Dhabi-based MBI is a major investment company specialising in real estate and construction, infrastructure, and industrial ventures. – TradeArabia News Service