After escaping demolition, Taj Mall is now Airgate Centre

Taj Shopping Mall on Outering road is set to be renamed Airgate Centre.[File, Standard]

When Taj Shopping Mall launched seven years ago, everything appeared to have gone right.

Rameshchandra Gorasia, the owner, could not have asked for a better location for the business. It was at the intersection of Outering Road, Airport North Road and Airport South Road, hence easily accessible.

After its launch in August 2011, the four-storey mall, which is valued at Sh5.5 billion, boasted of immense success. It hosted businesses such as Uchumi Supermarket and Bata, which brought in high traffic. This was until the National Land Commission, in a joint initiative with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, announced that part of the establishment would be demolished as it stood on land that was illegally acquired.

Now, the mall is set for a relaunch on January 19. And the establishment’s owner and director hopes the move will turn around its dwindling fortunes. Already, the name has changed from Taj Shopping Mall to Airgate Centre and renovation works are in progress to transform the now dreary face of the building premises.

From grace to grass

“I was an innocent buyer. I did not grab the land. In fact, I will be suing for damages. A lot of negativity was extended to this business for no reason,” Gorasia told The Metropolitan.

Since then, the mall has endured a steady fall from grace, after tenants vacated the premises, bringing down the number of tenants from more than 150 to just 12.

In recent times, the sprawling mall has been synonymous with anything but shopping. Lately, the building has resembled a lifeless landmark, occasioned by countable businesses and occasional shoppers. Majority were Pipeline Estate residents who conveniently use the premises as a shortcut.

But Gorasia was positive that the new supermarket would satisfy the shopping needs of the residents of the populous area, while breathing new life into the mall. He also affirmed that threats to the building’s existence would not recur.

Meanwhile, traffic at the section of the mall remains high, caused by the loading and off-loading of matatus on the busy road. A service was supposed to have been built on the land currently occupied by the mall.  Kenya Urban Roads Authority however insists it will still build a service lane in the area, yet there is no space between the road and mall.