Amsterdam's vision of transforming the Zuidas office district into a new urban centre moves a step closer this weekend as 46 terraced apartments go on sale.

The apartments are collectively known as Opzuid, a scheme delivered by Zuidschans, the development group consisting of developers AM and Bouwfonds Ontwikkeling. Some 800 people have registered interest in the scheme.

The Zuidas is already a major office hub and is hoe to several major office towers, including the World Trade Center Amsterdam. The Municipality of Amsterdam and project developers plan to build on 270 hectares over several years to turn the Zuidas into a new urban centre with an emphasis on international commerce and knowledge development. About four hundred companies have already opted to locate in the district and Zuidas is also home to one of the Netherlands' largest universities and its academic teaching hospital, the VU Medical Center.

The scheme's backers say Zuidas will before long welcome over 200,000 people every day. This will include 25,000 permanent residents, 80,000 employees and 30,000 students. Some thirty thousand people already work in the district. Schiphol Airport is six minutes away by train.