Executive Summary
At the heart of Morocco’s exciting metamorphosis is a mega-development that will transform 470 hectares of land along the western coastline of Mehdya, in the Kenitra province of Morocco. Located strategically between the Cities of Rabat and Kenitra, it is easily reached by the land air and sea.
Stretching eight kilometers along Mehdya’s coastline, where the
golden sands dissolve into the
deep blues of the Atlantic Ocean, Project Mehdya will be a world class destination concentrating on medical and wellness tourism, education and rejuvenation for residents and visitors alike. Master planned by Dubai- based multidisciplinary architectural engineering firm, Incorporated Consultants (Conin), the development will be aimed at families and will introduce some key landmarks to
the region targeting both adults and children. The development also includes an important conservation component: the rear side of the site is hemmed
by a wildlife sanctuary that will be preserved as part of this development with controlled access that will provide a snapshot and educate visitor on Morocco’s rich wildlife, flora and fauna. Additionally a natural life museum (Museum of Sidi Bu Ghaba) is to be constructed close to the Bu Ghaba Natural Reserve.
Respecting the sensitivity of waterfront location and its unique features including the breathtaking view of
the endless ocean changing its hues with the weather, the genius loci
in Conin’s master plan carves out a series of spaces and sympathetically injects a variety of experiences to fully exploit the return on investment (ROI) potential of the development. Fused together with the elements of nature and despite the large investment-driven components, an over-riding sense of well-being permeates through the entire master plan.
The master plan divides the site into distinct zones: Medical and Wellness (Practice and Theory), Residential (Golfing Community, Marina Living and Ocean View), Waterfront Mixed Use, Cultural and Civic, Hospitality, Retail and Commercial, Recreation and Parks. Each of the zones is distinctive in character and clearly demarcated through circulation routes and/or level differences.
Its first venture outside the USA and
at the heart of the development will
be a world-renowned Clinic ranked number one in more specialties than any other hospital in the US. Located on the far right side of the site, the facility will be reachable by road, Ocean and air with its own private marina
and two helipads. The zone will be a ‘secure’ area with dedicated gateways monitoring and controlling access
and exits for the wellbeing of its client base comprising the rich and famous including A-list celebrities, government officials, Sheikhs, Presidents and Royalty.
offering students the opportunity
to work on a wide range of basic, translational and clinical research projects in state-of-the-art facilities. Upholding its 100-year history, it will be committed to providing education opportunities and promoting cultural awareness to a diverse population
of learners including a branch of the clinic’s Collage of Medicine and the School of Continuous Professional Development (MSCPD) with its distinguished history of teaching physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals the latest, most advanced medical and surgical practices.
The Medical and Wellness zone also includes a five-star hotel resort with water bungalows for an unrivalled healing experience. Patients also have the option of staying in VIP furnished apartments situated close to the Clinic together with their accompanying friends and family.
Acting as a buffer between the busy ‘urban centre’ of the development and the tranquil Medical and Wellness zone is the Golfing Community. Centered
on a full 18-hole golf course will be residential community comprising
600 luxury villas of which 200 (four- bedroom) villas will enjoy views of both, the ocean and the golf course while the remainder 400 villas (one-, two- and three-bedroom) villas will have direct pedestrian access to the golf course and the beach.
Covering a massive 50 hectares, the Mehdya Championship Golf Course will be a sweeping spectacle of fairways
and rolling greens, offering residents and visitors an unsurpassed golfing experience. The clubhouse facilities
will be in keeping with the overall five- star experience including a lounge, restaurant and café/bar with terraces offering spectacular views, a proshop, short game practice area and putting green. Golf lessons will also be available from the Club’s PGA Professionals
The second gateway into the development will be located at the midpoint of the sote and leads to
the centrally-located zones. Passing through the Gate, residents and guests will be welcomed by a majestic boulevard tree-lined with Royal Palms,
and a landscaped central reservation designed as a public park running the entire length of the boulevard. Flanking this, will be a number of six-story residential buildings that enclose the boulevard and frame the vista of the Cultural and Civic zone directly ahead. These mid-rise buildings, some of which will offer views of the golf course and the ocean will accommodate the 2,000-students of the Academia located in the Medical and Wellness zones
as well doctors and nurses and other professionals, thus creating a thriving community of young professionals that will add character and life to this zone.
Further along, the boulevard leads to the Retail and Commercial zone. On the right side of the boulevard, the retail mall will be located offering a world-class shopping experience. A long spine of street-facing retail outlets looking onto the public piazza of the Cultural and Civic zone will lead visitors and residents to the shops, cafés and restaurants of the public promenade. This arrangement explores the full potential of revenue generation by
the commercial components from the passing public, who, through the careful arrangement of the site will be concentrated in these areas linking the Waterfront Mixed Use zone and the Cultural and Civic zone to the Residential zones. Thus, by creating guaranteed customers for the Retail and Commercial zone we increase the potential rental yields for these units, and thereby increase the ROI.
The Retail and Commercial zone also includes the furnished hotel apartments aimed at the delegates attending the many planned medical conferences. Strategically located on the periphery
of the pedestrian precinct of the Cultural and Civic zone will allow delegates to walk to the planned Convention Centre. Adjacent to the hotel apartments will be the large office complex housing the management offices and additional leasable space for small businesses to support the various commercial activities spread across the development.
The boulevard forks at the Cultural and Civic zone where the Convention Centre seated in the middle of a large public piazza. This venue will be a state-of-the art facility providing
the most advanced meeting space. Designed with a multitude of halls and auditoria, it will be capable of hosting large medical conferences, scientific forums, lectures and workshops. A defining feature of the Cultural and Civic zone is its pedestrian precinct that circumvents the public piazza and meanders through to secondary public urban spaces, eventually reaching the promenade, marina and the Cruise Ship Terminal building.
The left fork of the Boulevard leads
to the Residential zone (Ocean-View) while the right fork of the boulevard leads to the Waterfront Mixed Use zone including the Residential zone (Marina Living) and eventually to the Hospitality zone before looping back around the complete site.
The architectural style of the residential buildings in the two Residential zones: Ocean View and Marina Living, is clean and contemporary Moroccan. The building types is limited to just two that are repeated thus major cost savings are achieved during the design, engineering, construction and maintenance after completion.
In the Residential zone(Ocean-View), the arrangements of the buildings and their increased heights (12 stories) will ensure more than 70% of the front facing apartments will enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean, while the remaining 30% will enjoy a partial Ocean-View thereby increasing the annual yield if rented, or sale price if sold. In both case, combined with the reduced engineering, construction and maintenance costs, the ROI in this zone is maximized. All of the apartments on the rear side will enjoy view of the rich landscaped public gardens and thereby generate higher financial returns than regular apartments.