Chennai: With land availability the key challenge for urban housing, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) plans to develop 416 flats across three Chennai locations — Thirumazhisai, Nerkundram, and Govt Estate — at a cost of ₹410 crore.The proposals for modern gated communities include a 228-flat high-income group (HIG) housing project, 76 rental flats, and a 112-flat mixed-income development. What stands out in the three tenders floated by TNHB is the emphasis on optimising land use, parking, and infrastructure rather than simply maximising the number of apartments.“We will try to optimise FSI (floor space index), plan internal roads and pedestrian spaces, and integrate parking, open spaces, and community facilities. Amenities include convenience shops, gyms, children’s play areas, mini community halls, multipurpose spaces, senior citizens’ areas and landscaped recreational spaces,” said V Siva, chairman, TNHB.TNHB has called for tenders to appoint architectural consultants to prepare alternative building layouts, integrate community facilities and utility systems, and demonstrate how their designs can keep construction and long-term maintenance costs under control, the official said.The largest of the three proposals is at Nerkundram, where 228 HIG flats are planned on 3.35 acres. The estimated eligible project cost is ₹262 crore. Each flat is proposed to have a super built-up area of 223 sqm, with a permissible FSI of 3.25 and a building configuration of up to 19 floors, subject to statutory approvals.“Parking is a particularly important component of the Nerkundram assignment. Surface, stilt, podium, semi-basement and basement parking options will be examined,” the official said.The second proposal is at Omandurar Government Estate, where TNHB plans to construct 76 flats under the Tamil Nadu Government Rental Housing Scheme (TNGRHS) on 1.23 acres. The estimated eligible project cost is ₹76.16 crore and the super built-up area ranges from 175 to 225 sqm.At Kuthambakkam, TNHB plans to develop 112 flats on 1.2 acres within the Thirumazhisai Satellite Township Scheme. The project, estimated at ₹72 crore, will comprise 56 HIG flats measuring 139.35 sqm each and 56 middle-income group (MIG) flats measuring around 102.19 sqm each. The proposed building configuration is up to stilt plus 14 floors, with a permissible FSI of 3.25, subject to approvals.“Integrated Building Management Systems (IBMS) will be planned to help with centralised monitoring of building services, including electricity, water pumping, STP operations, lifts, fire alarms, energy consumption, and security systems. The consultants are expected to incorporate rainwater harvesting, water conservation, wastewater reuse, natural lighting and ventilation, energy-efficient systems, and provisions for solid waste management,” the official said. Independent structural vetting has also been made mandatory.
