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The GTC Nairobi or Global Trade Center is the newest face of an ever-growing Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). The mixed-use development was officially opened on the 23rd of December 2021. Nicknamed ‘Dream City’, it’s a mix-use development that is set to change the face of Nairobi in Westlands and make an offering of world-class work, play, and living luxuries.
GTC Height
The GTC is an investment that encompasses 6 buildings including its tallest which is the GTC Office tower which is 184m (604 ft) long, with 43 stories.
The GTC office tower is currently the second largest building in Nairobi, preceded by Britam towers which sits at 200m (660 ft) long with 32 stories. To mark the significance of GTC Nairobi, the fourth largest building in the city is its Hotel Tower which is 143m (469 ft) long with 35 stories.
What the GTC Entails
The GTC is a 40 billion development that sits on 7 acres. It hosts six towers including its office tower, the hotel tower, a boutique shopping mall, and four residential apartment towers with an average of 28 – 31 floors.
The apartment towers will include 1-3 bedroom apartments and 4 bedroom penthouses. The apartments will also feature rooftop gardens that will entail numerous amenities including swimming pools, a children’s playground, with services such as cafes, gyms, spas, and hair and nail salons, etc.
The shopping mall is located on the western edge of Chiromo lane and sits on a podium that will connect to Chiromo lane via a bridge. The GTC also boasts a family area that includes a swimming pool, children’s play area, and lounging area.
GTC Nairobi Location
GTC Nairobi is located in Westlands, Nairobi at the intersection of Chiromo road and Waiyaki way in close proximity to Villa Rosa Kempinski and the Mirage. GTC is also just a stone’s throw away from the Nairobi Expressway which is currently under construction and slated to be completed by March 2022.
GTC Nairobi Jobs
The beauty of a new establishment of the scale of the GTC Nairobi is the promise it brings in terms of employment. The construction of GTC has well-created thousands of jobs for both local and foreign workers but is slated to create even more as it kicks into operation. As such, hundreds if not thousands of workers will get employment in numerous professions including hospitality, security, construction, building maintenance, and retail, among many others.
GTC Nairobi Apartments Price
The prices for renting or buying an apartment at GTC Nairobi are yet to be revealed even as the company is accepting custom offers. You can, however, visit their website: gtc.co.ke for more information.
GTC Nairobi Owner
GTC Nairobi is owned by a Chinese firm by the name of AVIC international. The company will operate GTC towers in Nairobi and will headquarter its Africa operations in the GTC office tower.
JW Marriott Hotel
The GTC towers will also house a 35-story JW Marriott hotel that is slated to give Villa Rosa Kempinski a run for its money. The hotel is seen as an emerging interpretation of first-class international hospitality encapsulated in the Kenyan city of Nairobi. According to plans, the hotel will host over 50 serviced apartments, a 750-square-meter ballroom, and 315 guest rooms.
Years of Court Battles for the GTC
The mixed-use development that is GTC has faced numerous court battles chief among them against Simba Corp, the parent company that owns Villa Rosa Kempinski, mostly due to environmental concerns. Analysts say, however, that it was more of a case of the ‘stealing of site and grandeur’ that the new development has presented to the Kempinski hotel. Even more, there had been concerns that hiving off part of Chiromo Lane Road would cause a traffic snarl-up in the area, blocking access to Kempinski.
Barriers to Investment in the Country
The court battles that preceded the GTC Nairobi coming to life are a shame for the country as they could be translated as a barrier to entry for foreign investors looking to make an investment in the country. Kenya still has a long way to go to ensure that it streamlines the investment process in the country by avoiding bureaucracy and uncalled-for legal battles for investors looking to make a mark on its economy.
