Brookfield Multiplex Lands $410M Qatari Construction Contract

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

Doha, Qatar—Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf WLL, the consortium of Canadian-owned Brookfield Multiplex and the local insurance and reinsurance firm Medgulf has been awarded a QAR1.5 billion (or approximately $412 million) construction contract for a section of Msheireb Downtown Doha, a redevelopment project in Doha, Qatar.

Other major contractors for the project are a consortium between Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co and HBK Contracting Co., and Carillion with Drake & Scull Water & Power, part of Drake & Scull International developing the project’s energy-efficient district cooling plants. Contractors for future Phases of the project are to be announced in the future.

Msheireb Properties, formerly known as Dohaland, appointed Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf WLL as the main building contractor for Phase 1C of the QAR20 billion (or $5.5 billion) Msheireb Downtown Doha, the massive revival project for the capital’s commercial hub. More to the point, Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf WLL will be responsible for the Phase 1C’s substructure and superstructure construction.

Phase 1C will comprises a total constructed area of 2.21 million square feet, more than half of which (1.31 million) will be in a three-level underground facility housing logistic operations like a 1,200-car parking garage, a 66KVA electric substation and a cooling facility. Above ground, Phase 1C will incorporate four office buildings with 30 street-level retail outlets, five residential towers, 51 apartments and a primary school with day-care center. Phase 1C will also include a mobile telecommunication node, and an automated waste collection center.

“We are privileged to have been selected to join the team developing Msheireb Downtown Doha. We hope to leave our mark on the project by delivering work to the highest standards. With so many ground-breaking achievements in the field of sustainable design and construction to its name, Msheireb Downtown Doha will be a great legacy for Qatar,” Renier Breitenbach, General Manager of Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf WLL said in a press statement.

Msheireb Downtown Doha is Msheireb Properties’ flagship project and entails reviving the Qatari Capital’s historic commercial downtown. The QAR20 billion ($5.5 billion) project stretches on 76 acres and combines traditional Qatari architecture and aesthetics with modern designs and technologies.

Msheireb Downtown Doha will incorporate over 100 commercial, residential, cultural and governmental buildings, with various retail and entertainment areas. Heritage, cultural and worship sites, such as the Eid Prayer Ground and the National Archive, will also rise at the site.

A defining feature of the project is sustainability: all buildings will target a LEED Gold certification, with several structures striving for a Platinum rating. Aiming to reverse recent years’ real estate development trends in Doha such as isolated and energy-intensive land use, urban sprawl and overtly car –centric transport, the project focuses on management of local climate, vertical development, use of natural light simplicity, a reduced carbon footprint.

“A unique mixed-use development, Msheireb Downtown Doha will consume fewer resources, generate less waste and operate more cost efficiently than a conventional development of a similar size thanks to its comprehensive sustainable design,” emphasized Eng Mohammad Al Marri, Chief Officer for Design and Delivery at Msheireb Properties. Msheireb Downtown Doha is the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project.

Msheireb Downtown Doha broke ground on January 13^th, 2010 and is due for completion in five phases, starting with 2012 and completing by 2016. Main developer Msheireb Properties is a real estate subsidiary and the commercial arm of the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and enrichment of Qatar. Founded in 2009, Msheireb Properties is chaired by Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, wife of the Emir of Qatar.