Dubai: Limitless, a Dubai World company, on Wednesday announced the development of a Dh70 billion township, Downtown Jebel Ali, that will house 235,000 people.

The massive project, to be completed in phases by 2011, will occupy an 11 kilometer land stretch covering 200 hectares with built-up area of 70 million square feet on Shaikh Zayed Road between the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Waterfront and Techno-Park.

"It is designed to be the gateway to the World Central international airport in the area," a company statement said.

There will be a total of 326 buildings of which 237 will be residential and the rest commercial.

Limitless will invest Dh5 billion in infrastructure and also build 35 towers.

"Limitless is following a new strategic and sustainable approach to developing projects that will help create thriving diverse communities. This approach led to the creation of this distinctive development," Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World said in a statement.

The whole township is divided into four quarters, each divided into three districts that will have business, residential, dining and retail facilities.

"Downtown Jebel Ali will be more than a development, it will be a community where public spaces between the building — streets, parks and plazas — matters as much as the buildings themselves," Saeed Ahmad Saeed, CEO of Limitless said.

"The Downtown will reflect some of the world's most vibrant cities. This is going to be a pedestrian friendly area, four freeway interchanges connection to Downtown Jebel Ali. It will have an unrivalled transport infrastructure and a place where people will live and work without having to drive cars."

The project will be connected to Dubai with four Dubai Metro stations and an automated people mover system (APM) while there will also be pedestrians congestion free areas, he said.

Limitless, a new company floated earlier this year by Dubai World, has also projects under way in Pakistan and China while other projects are being planned in India, Russia and the Gulf.

"Construction of the project is currently underway, with the first four commercial buildings due for completion by mid-2007."

"The infrastructure works for the whole project is to be completed by 2009 while the entire project is slated for completion by 2011," Stephan Ashford, senior development manager of Limitless told Gulf News.