Situated along the busy Nairobi to Mombasa road, just 1.2 KM from the Kitengela Mombasa road interchange, the Crystal Rivers Safaricom mall and residential development is only 10 minutes’ drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The Sh4.3 billion project in Athi River, Machakos County, being constructed by the Safaricom Staff Pension Scheme will have a shopping mall and a two-phase residential estate.
Crystal Rivers Safaricom mall is expected to be an exciting project along Mombasa Road comprising of a state-of-the-art mall on 5.7 acres with a total of 200,000 Square Feet of letting floor space, and a residential area consisting of 3 and 4 bedroom townhouses, plus a cluster of 3 bedroom apartments.
Like many other pension schemes, the Safaricom staff scheme is investing in real estate as a long term source of returns that will benefit the members when they finally retire from active employment.
The project is nearing completion and is largest single such real estate development in Machakos Count,
“Crystal Rivers Safaricom Mall will be a space for closing business deals, for valuable family time, growing families, one where livelihoods are made and a commercial space where we build our homes,” says Joseph Ogutu, chairman of Safaricom Staff Pension Scheme Board of Trustees.
Emerging trend
The project also seeks to respond to an emerging trend where many of Nairobi city residents, are moving to the periphery of the city in search of the perfect living space for our families. A major population growth is also being experienced in Syokimau, Athi River, Kitengela and even Embakasi.
More industries and businesses continue to come up here in line with our growing economy, most notably, the Standard Gauge Railway station. As the population of these regions continues to grow, and as our children grow, there will be demand for sustainable living, recreational and working spaces,” explained Ogutu.
The Crystal Rivers Mall and Residences are being built on 25.3 acres of land, with a mall whose lettable area totals 200,000 square feet. The residential units will comprise 267 units of 3 and 4 bedroom maisonettesmeasuring114.5 and 150 square meters respectively, each with parking space as well as servants’ quarters.
Crystal Rivers Safaricom mall is the only development of its kind in Machakos designed to effortlessly fuse suburban living with commercial activity, with the layout of the development leaning on contemporary architecture to provide panoramic views of the fast-growing Machakos County from the Crystal Mall.
The residential units are tastefully designed with spacious rooms. Unlike in regular residential developments, each four bedroom unit at Crystal Rivers has three levels to make optimal use of the land.
In addition, the inclusion of a reclaimed water front, park and jogging track for use by residents provides the allure of a modern gated community just a few minutes away from the capital city.
What Crystal Rivers Safaricom Mall has to offer
The optimal use of natural light and adoption of other green technology (solar water heating, bio-digester) throughout the development cuts down energy consumption by reducing the need for air conditioning and electric water heating, setting it apart from other large developments.
Various factors influenced design decisions by the architects, including results of a market study and the river frontage. Given that the site itself is low-lying, appropriate elevations are being undertaken to ensure an effective drainage system.
Residents and visitors to the mall and will also enjoy adequate parking, with each home allocated two parking slots while the mall will be able to accommodate at least 1000 vehicles.
“Crystal Rivers Safaricom Mall will be a space for closing business deals, for valuable family time, growing families, one where livelihoods are made and a commercial space where we build our homes,” -Ogutu.
Boreholes are to be sunk to guarantee constant water supply while a standby generator will take care of power needs should supply from the national grid be interrupted.
Twenty-four -hour security on the premises will also be provided, backed by CCTV and Access Control systems. The project sponsor, Safaricom, will also be introducing SMART CITY installations for integrated internet and WIFI access.
The Nairobi Hospital will be one of the tenants in the upcoming mall. Others include, the retail chain Naivas supermarkets who has in the past commented that they have already taken around 200,000 square foot ground and first-floor space that will house their newest branch.
Other local and international stores expected to operate in Crystal River Safaricom Mall include Bata shoe company, Lorenzo dry cleaners, Java, pizza delight, Blue Sky wines, Roxy sports-bar, among others.
Apart from Crystal Rivers, the Safaricom Staff Pension Scheme is also investing in Mandharini, an award-winning luxury development in Kilifi County.
For the past few years, the scheme has continuously been registering tremendous growth in its asset classes. Trustees for this scheme felt that it high time that they diversify into real estate in order to realize the aspirations of its members which included being at the forefront of property development in the country.
Convenience
Mixed-use developments have become popular in many locations globally. In Dubai, for instance, residential homes, offices, and amusement parks compete for space with the city’s skyscrapers.
But such properties will command price appreciations of up to 40 per cent on top of average market rates,” said Sakina Hassanali, head of development, consulting and research at HassConsult .
Munge Njoroge, an investor in an upcoming mixed-use development in Nairobi, says convenience is the key word when it comes to projects like Crystal Rivers Safaricom Mall.
“You have an ideal location that is conducive to the working class. For one, you avoid clogging the city’s arteries by having all the amenities under one roof. Such a hustle-free lifestyle goes a long way in improving a person’s life,” he says.