Nagpur: The iconic Saraf Chambers building in Nagpur’s Sadar locality, which got sold in March this year, will be re-launched as ‘SK Chambers’ by summer next year. Sources in the real estate sector speculate that the deal for the over seven decades old building could be worth between Rs 35-45 crore, according to a report in local Times of India daily.
For decades since its construction in the 1950s, the building dominated Nagpur’s skyline and the imposing structure continued to attract the gaze of all passersby.
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According to the ToI report, Saraf Chambers was the first private building in central India to have an elevator, said Rohit Agrawal, whose family-owned company bought the building. “This building was like an architectural magnum opus, with the legendary industrialist Durgaprasad Saraf ensuring that the highest quality of construction material and design were part of it,” added Agrawal. He, however, preferred not to comment on the purchase price.
An adjoining, but physically separated, portion of Saraf Chambers was also part of the deal. But now that structure has been sold to a well-known business family that resides in the vicinity.
The most striking feature of this ground-plus-five storey building is its massive pillars right at the entrance. Agrawal said, “We are going to retain these pillars as they have a charm of their own. The building won’t be demolished, rather strengthened and given a modern look from inside,”
Built during the erstwhile Central Provinces and Berar (CP & Berar), Saraf Chambers was a major landmark of the then state’s capital. Located on Mount Road, a bustling commercial area, the walls of Saraf Chambers have literally seen time go by.
The top floor comprised residential units and back in the 50s and 60s, the address itself was a calling card of fame and prosperity. A well known city businessman, who had shifted to Saraf Chambers in 1955 as a child, recalled the top floor view. While less than 10, but grand residential units were on the top floor, the rest of the building had tenants which were mostly government departments.
Now that the building is completely vacant, Agrawal is focusing on fortifying it structurally. “Tonnes of steel and concrete have already been poured in and we have constructed additional humongous pillars to make this building rock-solid. We have used the latest technology like micro-concrete to close in all cracks and seepages,” said Agrawal.
Renamed after Agrawal’s late father Satyanarayan Kumpawat, ‘SK Chambers’ will have over 20,000 square feet of parking space. Plans are afoot to install a massive digital media screen like the one at Times Square in New York.
While Agrawal did not reveal the purchase price, sources in the real estate sector speculate that it could be anywhere between Rs 35-45 crore, the report said.
