Muvattupuzha municipality plans to convert its long-shut Urban Haat into a food street, reviving a public facility that failed to become operational after it was inaugurated in 2015. The proposed transformation is part of the Future Muvattupuzha project, which aims to reuse idle municipal assets to support local commerce, employment and municipal revenue.
The Urban Haat was built with Kudumbashree funds sanctioned in 2011, along with municipal funding, and was inaugurated in October 2015. It was originally intended to provide a venue for displaying and selling handicrafts. According to the report, however, the facility did not operate effectively even for a single day and remained closed for years.
The municipality is now examining a different use for the property. A team led by Regina, the Kudumbashree district mission coordinator, visited the Urban Haat and noted that approval could be obtained to repurpose the facility. The proposed change would move the site away from its original handicraft-market function and create a food-and-entertainment destination.
A detailed project report has been prepared for the redevelopment. The proposed works include removing sealed walls to create an entrance, expanding rooms and renovating the open stage. These changes are intended to make the site suitable for food-related activity and entertainment, although the report does not specify an implementation schedule, estimated cost or final operating model.
The municipality expects the proposed food street to attract visitors from outside Muvattupuzha while creating opportunities for local businesses and jobs. It also expects activity at the site to generate additional municipal revenue, which can then be directed towards public-benefit initiatives under the broader Future Muvattupuzha programme.
The project places the focus on reusing an existing municipal facility rather than allowing it to remain idle. Its next steps will depend on securing the required approval and carrying out the works outlined in the detailed project report. The municipality has not announced a completion date or confirmed when the proposed food street will open.
