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Urban Development and Housing Ministry Secretary outlines housing plans for middle-class professionals
Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Nimal Perera[/caption]
What new plans do you have in terms of providing housing for the working class in Colombo?
We are now also focussed on middle-class professionals. In Colombo, there is a need for houses for this class, as they do not have a place to live in when they come to Colombo for a job when they start their careers. We started this in October with a debenture of Rs. 25 billion and we negotiated a very reasonable rate of 6.25% with a repayment period of 30 years. Thus, 3,000 houses are being constructed in Colombo in 10 sites, and in Anuradhapura and Kandy.
As of today, there are 10,585 houses being constructed in 26 sites at a cost of Rs. 93.5 billion. Our plan is to construct 36,000 houses by the UDA, for the low-income, upper middle-class, and lower middle-class, by 2024. At Eliot Place, 400 houses are being built for the upper middle class at a price of Rs. 36 million per house.
Additionally, the State Ministry, in charge of rural housing, is building one house per grama sevaka division, so that means 14,022 houses in total and 100 houses per district by 2024. The estate houses are built through an Indian loan scheme and the Sri Lankan Government, under (State) Minister of (Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure) Jeevan Thondaman. The Indian Government would be sponsoring 10,000 houses. So by 2024, in total, we would have planned 125,000 houses.
We are also targeting government sector workers. The Summit Flats belonging to the public administration were built in 1972. It is very dilapidated right now and we hope to build 400 new houses for the government servants there.
The Ministry has divided Colombo into the Heritage City and the New City. What changes can we expect to the Colombo landscape in the future?
When we left in 2015, we got the award for the fastest growing city in South East Asia due to developments in (Independence) Arcade, Racecourse, and so on. We divided Colombo into the Colombo Heritage City and the New City – Port City. We put jogging tracks and walking paths, and now we are continuing the same things. We recently opened the Madiwala (Diyawanna) Jogging Track and we are developing agriculture also in the Colombo area.
Now we are trying to move a pedestrian walkway from the Fort Railway (Station) through Trace City, to Maradana. We are trying to introduce marquee shops on both sides.
We renovated the Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH), spending Rs. 250 billion. It was another shanty – rain would seep in when it was raining. We repaired everything. And we are going to open the opposite road, through the Police Headquarters, to the jetty for those coming on cruises. The people from the cruises can come straight to the Grand Orient Hotel to stay one night in the hotel. We are also planning a 89-room boutique hotel with a view of the harbour at the Gaffoor Building. We hope to open that before 31 December. We are trying to list the GOH in the stock exchange as a public-private partnership, with 49% for private investors and 51% held by the Government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs office is going to the CISR building. The old yellow building behind the Foreign Office will be transformed to a tea museum. The nine-acre Chalmer’s Granaries will also be beautifully transformed – we are currently trying to find an investor for that.
The Shravasti building is also a heritage building and we hope to make it a middle-class convention centre for the Government, where government seminars and such could be held. We hope to build eight car parks in Colombo; one in Narahenpita, near the old Otters’ Park, SLT land, near Access in Union place, Norris Canal Road.
Are there any plans to move the University of Colombo to Gampaha?
Not yet, but there are ideas and proposals.
Do you think it is necessary to move the Colombo University, considering its historical, political, and cultural significance being at the heart of the city?
Different people have different ideas. Along with that, we want to put a good university in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, similar to the one that Hon. Chandrika Bandaranaike (Kumaratunga) studied in France.
What is the status of Port City at the moment?
In terms of the Port City, we are looking for investors for an international convention centre, international school, international hospital, and an international hotel. We are ready to find investors for this new city now.
What is going to happen to the land where the Manning Market was located in Pettah?
We were hoping to put the transport hub there, but that has stopped for now, and we have temporarily planned to put small shops like the ones in Malwatta Road there – similar to the concept of a “Chinatown”. If the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is implemented, we will shift this to Chalmers Granaries and then go ahead with the transport hub there.
What will happen to the land where the prison is currently located in Welikada?
We are relocating the Welikada Prison to Horana, where it will have 250 acres. The ground-breaking there will happen on 31 October. This (Welikada) is 40 acres of highly commercial land since it is on the border of Colombo 7 and Colombo 8. Nothing (has been) confirmed, but we assume we would develop an apartment complex and a mall.
Will all the buildings at Welikada be torn down?
We cannot tear down one building, the one containing the Chapel, as it is a heritage building.
Many seem to be raising concerns and accusations that the development in Colombo is centred around the higher classes and that the city is becoming increasingly affordable only to a significant portion of its working class. What are your thoughts on this and what solutions do you propose to combat this?
We are building for middle-class professionals. The upper middle-class is also getting housing. Then no one can complain.
How are the development plans beyond Colombo?
In Nuwara Eliya, we hope to put cable cars and also improve the viewpoints in the three roads leading to Nuwara Eliya. We are also building 28 walking paths and jogging tracks in 23 different districts.