The proposed 10,000-seat indoor sports arena at Nairobi Railway City has moved to the public review stage after the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) invited Kenyans to submit comments on the project.NEMA said it had received an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study report for the proposed development on Plot L.R. No. 209/12180 in the Railway Station area of Nairobi.The project by Metroarena Development Company will comprise a 10,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena, a 140-key branded hotel, a 77-key serviced apartment tower and a three-level public podium.The development will also include a sports park, parking areas and other supporting amenities and facilities as part of the proposed mixed-use project.NEMA has invited members of the public to submit oral or written comments within 30 days from September 25, when the notice was published in the Kenya Gazette, before the authority makes its decision on the project.The environmental assessment identifies traffic disruption as one of the potential impacts during construction, with the developer expected to prepare a traffic management plan and coordinate with Nairobi County and traffic authorities.Other potential impacts identified in the report include dust emissions, construction noise and vibration, generation of construction waste, and possible contamination of surface water.The proposed mitigation measures include restricting construction near settlements and other sensitive areas to daytime hours, regularly watering roads to control dust and establishing measures to manage construction runoff and waste.The project is part of a wider development planned for Nairobi Railway City, with the arena expected to provide a venue for sporting events, concerts, conferences and cultural programmes.The development was previously disclosed as a $294.5 million (Ksh38.2 billion) project backed by Pan-African investment firm Zaria Group and U.S.-based Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, with the partners holding a long-term lease for the land from Kenya Railways.Zaria Group was co-founded by Masai Ujiri, President of the Dallas Mavericks, and the Nairobi project is expected to form part of a wider sports and entertainment district within the Nairobi Railway City urban renewal plan.The developers have projected that the wider project will create about 3,500 direct construction jobs and 1,500 permanent positions once operational, while events hosted at the facility could generate up to 25,000 temporary jobs annually across hospitality, retail and live production.
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