Archives

by Shirajiv Sirimane

Ceylinco Developers Ltd, (CDL) have sold 1,000 houses upfront from their Millennium housing project in Athurugiriya and achieved a milestone in the building industry of Sri Lanka.

"This is the first time in Sri Lanka that 1,000 houses have been sold before they were being completed," said the Deputy Chairman, CDL, W. G. B. M. Ranaweera. He attributed this success to their unique concept of not just selling houses but a complete package that meets the demands of the next millennium. "The Millennium City has recreational facilities and a carefully planned environment which includes a lot of greenery and a natural lake, Club house and cable TV facilities."

"Apart from these facilities wide access roads, individual septic tanks, community centres, commercial complex and high security tower are some of our main features that attract customers," he said. He said that a security control tower is a first for Sri Lanka in the housing industry.

Another special feature of the project is the Commercial housing section where the owner of the shop would be living upstairs while the business is being done downstairs.

Ranaweera said that the concept of the Millennium city was taken from the popular housing projects in Malaysia and Thailand.

Ranaweera said that the project will consist of houses tailor-made for the upmarket as well as middle class families. "We offer Paradis, Olympus, Heartland, Tulip and Horizon designed to cater to anybody's financial needs."

The Deputy Chairman said that the entire project with 1,700 houses will be completed in two years. "Some houses have already being completed with 600 families being already settled."

He said that the success of this project had prompted them to plan two more such housing schemes in Piliyandala and Ja-ela.

Ranaweera said that it is not feasible today to build your own home and is advisable to move into a house built by a trusted contractor. "If you build your own home it will be more expensive. Firstly it will be agonising for an individual to get the building plan approved by the authorities and it would be another hassle to get electricity and water connections.

If one is to build individually the building materials cost and labour would be very high and the builder would also face the daily rising prices of building materials." He said that the rent on residential properties is going up daily and the government must address this problem.

"The solution to this would be more housing complexes similar to Sri Lanka's biggest housing complex, the Raddolugama housing scheme built by former President R. Premadasa."

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager