Dubai: A long-awaited public park on Dubai’s man-made island of Palm Jumeirah is expected to open soon, Gulf News has learnt.
A spokesperson for the developer, Nakheel, said Central Park will open “shortly”, with plans for shops under study by Nakheel Retail.
The shops and cafes will be located in the Golden Mile row of residential buildings right next to the park. Golden Mile developer IFA Hotels and Resorts confirmed to Gulf News that at least 24 outlets are expected to open by mid-2013.
The list includes upmarket British grocery chain Waitrose, Starbucks, Pizza Express, London Dairy Ice Cream, Mothercare and many other cafes, pharmacies and stores.
Work on the one million square foot park, located between Shoreline apartments and the Golden Mile, started in October 2011. Unofficial sources in July said the park would be ready by August.
The park is still under construction, with incomplete greenery, landscaping and water features. That has not stopped residents from hitting the jogging track or visiting its playgrounds.
“People are using it, and things are going to get real busy when the weather cools down. I think they want to see it ready by winter time,” said Chris, 42, a German resident of the Palm.
The park’s outer ring is a jogging track about 1.5km long in each direction. Shaped like a giant rubber band in the trunk of the Palm, the facility will be open to non-Palm residents and have dedicated parking spaces. It will also be accessible by the monorail on the date palm tree-shaped island.
By contrast, beach access on the Palm’s fronds is for residents and guests only.
