Sri Lanka's Minister for Urban Development and Sacred Area Development, Dinesh Gunawardena, on Thursday requested the private sector to get involved by asking parliament to push through important urban development projects which have been held up at funding. He was speaking at a Ceylon Chamber of Commerce-hosted event where his ministry presented potential investment opportunities in the Western, Southern, Eastern and Northern provinces to members of the private sector.
Further noting that today most regulations have been relaxed to facilitate more rapid economic growth, Mr. Gunawardena added that considering all that the country had lost, it was important that everything be done to speed up growth. He also noted that transportation in cities would continue to be a problem area into the future with traffic congestion on the rise and, while zoning was important in addressing this issue somewhat, alternatives to roads, such as waterways or elevated highways, could be a more effective solution to loading roads even more.
Minister Dinesh Gunawardena with Chamber officials |
Meanwhile, Mr. Gunawardena's ministry presented several projects that were nearing the stage where private sector investment would be warranted. These included mainly mixed developments, or a mix of high density middle and low income housing as well as commercial complexes, in Panchikawatte, Colombo and its suburbs, Greater Colombo Township and Greater Hambantota as well as the overall Regional Development Plans for the Eastern and the Northern provinces.
Said to be a pioneering project which was initiated 14 years ago by the Urban Development Authority (UDA), the Panchikawatte Triangle Re-Development project, outlined Architect Planner Surath Wickramasinghe, will be located just 2 km away from the densely packed Colombo city centre and adjoined by three major roads in an area featuring well-known landmarks like the Supreme Court, Elphinstone Theatre and Tower Hall. The project will 'liberate' 26 acres of land that is currently mostly occupied by tenements and 'unreserved buildings' and so 'relocate' over 800 families to Kadawatha as part of the first phase of the project.
The new development will include hotels and office facilities with parking for 3,000 vehicles as phase one followed by a duty free complex, a shopping mall, day and night entertainment and recreation activities, several towers of 30-plus floor high density, high rise apartments, etc. in subsequent phases.
While the details of this project are currently still being finalised, it is likely that it will be offered to serious developers after the April elections. Plans are also underway for similar projects in Slave Island and even Colpetty and the required cabinet papers for these have already been put in, according to Mr. Wickramasinghe.
Presented by UDA's Director General, Architect Prasanna Silva, the Colombo City and Suburbs plan is geared to attract more investment into the city while also making existing systems in the country's commercial capital more efficient and green. There is also a focus on facilitating more public transportation, including a dedicated bus lane, a green pedestrian network, wider roads, and more high rises. As such the plan for 2020 has identified more concentrated development zones towards Slave Island as well as special areas for recreation and culture near Beira Lake, Independence Square and Galle Face.
Mr. Silva also outlined long-time existing investment opportunities in areas where UDA land is available such as Chalmers Granaries, where 19 acres of land is vacant between Fort and Pettah for high rise, high density apartments and other mixed developmets. He further proposed that as much as half of the business activities currently run out of the Colombo ports could be moved to this venue under the purview of the local port authority while the balance of the commercial developments could be offered to existing Pettah and Fort type of businesses by private developers.
Other Colombo centre projects highlighted include a high rise commercial development at Transworks Square in Fort, a mixed development at Mount Mary at Borella Baseline Road, a development at Southwest Beira Lake, a mixed development at D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha near Lake House, a high rise, high density mixed development over 48 acres of Prison Department, a health and higher education square at Kirimandala Mawatha as well as high density condominiums at Borella Baseline Road, Orugodawatta, and Dematagoda Railway.
Also shared with the audience was the status of the Greater Colombo Township – 3K + Kerawalapitiya project which encompasses the planned Kadawatha, Kottawa and Kaduwella interchanges that form the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) which will bridge the Colombo Katunayake Expressway and the Southern Expressway.
This construction of the OCH, located 10-15 km from the Colombo centre will take 42 months and will open up investment opportunities for retailing, logistics, tourism, housing, business parks, convention centres, etc. at 5 acres at Kottawa town centre, 12 acres at Homagama and 5 acres at Kadawatha as well as 1.5 acres at nearby Mahara.
Expecting its first ship in 2010, the Hambantota port and its surrounding area was the centre of the Southern province investment opportunities, where several development projects situated between the new port and the upcoming airport were spoken of with some even said to be completed such as those for housing and commercial use.
In addition, a botanical garden and cricket stadium were also said to be progressing. Interestingly, 18 banks have already applied to be situated at Hambantota’s aptly named Bank Square.
Further, green recreation and civic zones contained in a concentric circle leading in from the ‘mouth’ of the seaport were also planned.
hampered by on the ground realities. Proposed as a bridge to India as a consequence of Mannar being highlighted due to its significance in the vast Asian Highway, proposed in 2001 by ESCAP; the Northern Province was indicated as being mainly a draw for tourism thanks to near panoramic views of the sun’s journey from East to West. There were also suggestions of commercial developments to aid opportunities in agriculture such as in the budding local fruit, vegetable and spice industries as well as fisheries and even a possible aeronautical university in Iranamadu near Kilinochchi. These would require transport terminals, low and middle income housing, etc.
Meanwhile, the plan for the Eastern Province combines Trincomalee with Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura to form the island’s largest metro, what is being termed as a ‘metropolis’, where tourism would take centre stage while agriculture of crops like sugarcane, cashew and banana would also be promoted.
Additionally, the suggestion for Batticaloa is island-based tourism, Kappalturai is light industry, Sampoor is steel, Kalkudah is recreation, Valachchenai is paper-based industries, etc. As such, to accommodate for these planned industries, the province would require commercial development, middle and low income housing, a transport terminal, an international stadium and two linear parks among other facilities. |
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