Creekside Mall & Residences

Initial Conditions and Diagnostic Assessment
Creekside Mall was originally designed as:

• 3 basements, Ground + 3 retail floors, and 3 floors of offices.
• Excavation had been completed; however, construction halted due to financial constraints.
• At the time of appointment, the project remained suspended and required a comprehensive re-evaluation at all levels.

Strategic Interventions by Project Management Team
Following a detailed review, the Project Manager implemented the following key interventions:

1. Project Yield and ROI Optimization

• Assessed low project yield in context of market comparables.
  Identified unbalanced product mix with poor early sales potential, leading to:
  • High capital burden.
  • Weak ROI profile.

2. Revised Functional Zoning & Use of Excavated Volume
Reclassified one basement level as a Lower Ground Retail floor to:

• Maximize retail visibility. Activate basement level for revenue-generating use.
• Restricted mall component to 3 levels, reallocating above-ground massing.

3. Car Parking Strategy & Vertical Expansion
Designed a multi-level car park above the retail podium, made feasible by:

• Reduced mall height.
• Improved ramping configuration.
• Two remaining basement levels reprogrammed for parking.
• Carried vertical mass above the podium to introduce residential towers, increasing GFA and improving saleability.

4. Product Mix Recomposition
Introduced high-end residential towers and waterfront villas to:

• Diversify offerings.
• Enable off-plan sales, reducing upfront equity requirements.
• Improve long-term profitability and exit strategies.

5.Urban Planning, Access & Functional Hierarchy
The site’s four-side access was strategically utilized to create:

• Multi-ingress/egress strategy, separating public retail and private residential circulation.
• Improved traffic flow and enhanced security/privacy for residents.
• Zoning Hierarchy:
• Frontage on Zulfiqar Street activated with a 3 level premium mall and high-visibility drop-off zone.
• Side and rear entries designated for residential towers, ensuring exclusive and conflict-free access.

6.Architectural and Planning Achievements

Retail Configuration

• Mall design structured around two major atriums with light wells, maximizing natural light and visibility.
• Placement of:
• Anchor stores and hypermarket to anchor footfall.
• Food and entertainment zones to enhance dwell time and circulation across levels.
• Strategic vertical connectivity via capsule lifts and escalators placed around atriums.

Residential Component

• Three towers offering:
• All apartment units designed as corner apartments with:
• Maximum natural light and ventilation.
• Provisions for panoramic views of the creek and cityscape.
• Layouts provide seamless transitions from public to private living areas.

Lifestyle and Amenity Deck

• Podium-top recreational deck designed with:
• Indoor & outdoor amenities including swimming pool, jogging track, and landscaped zones.
• Soft and hard landscaping with visual connections to the Arabian Sea and creek.

7.Project Outcome
The intervention resulted in:

• A significantly enhanced yield through optimized volume and a rebalanced product mix.
• Transformation of a stalled retail project into a viable mixed-use development.
• Delivery of a design that is aesthetically & functionally superior while supporting early monetisation, reduced capital risk, and market-aligned positioning.