WITH housing projects mushrooming, builders are going out of the way to innovate. On Wednesday, Gera Developments launched the ’Emerald City’ in Baner with a special focus on children.

Kumar Gera, Managing Director, Gera Developments, said the Rs 20 crore project, spread over four acres, will have 160 flats in all. “There are small innovations which help kids nurture their talent in a safe environment,” he said. The project has got all mandatory government clearances and will be completed in 18 months, he added.

Rohit Gera, Director (Operations), said children will never encounter vehicles as they will drive straight into an underground parking lot measuring 80,000 sq ft instead of entering the main buildings. “There will be a separate parking space for children’s bicycles and tricycles.”

Gera said there will be separate playgrounds for different age groups, a common pond for children to put in their fish, space for birthday parties, music room with instruments and even roller skating space.

“A special feature is the Gurukul areas where children can study under the open sky without being disturbed as they are in the four corners,” he said. Within the building itself, lobbies on alternate floors will have games, telescope on the terrace to promote astronomy and swing gates on top of each staircase to ensure that kids don’t fall.

Inside the apartments also, Gera said more than a dozen features will be thrown in to make it child-friendly. The homes will have child-safe switches, fire proof wires, coloured walls in kiddies bedrooms, connecting doors between children and parents’ bedrooms and matt floorings in bathrooms to avoid a fall.

While accepting that maintenance would be a crucial issue for the success of Emerald city, Gera said most of the features would be fixed and upkeep planned during initial design. “We are not charging anything extra under maintenance,” he said.

The flats in the scheme, ranging from 1,200 sq ft to 1,600 sq ft are available at a price of Rs 1,325 per sq ft, he added. However, Gera clarified that the company would not provide for lifelong maintenance.