Former Dutch Hospital now a shopping centre

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Defence and Urban Development Ministry has taken measures to develop and upgrade each and every city in Sri Lanka as attractive cities in collaboration with the Urban Development Authority (UDA).

In keeping with this plan, they have launched several programmes in each and every city with the aim of making Sri Lanka the 'Wonder of Asia' under the Mahinda Chinthana future vision, UDA chairman Janaka Kurukulasuriya said in an interview with the Daily News.

Accordingly they have taken measures to develop Colombo city as a commercial and tourist city in the near future while transferring all administrative institutions to Battaramulla and Kotte. The UDA has also taken measures to convert the Old Dutch Hospital in Colombo Fort into a shopping complex along with the Defence and Urban Development Ministry. Accordingly, they have established a shopping precinct - at the former Dutch Hospital and it is to be opened today under the patronage of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Oldest building

The Colombo Dutch Hospital is considered to be the oldest building in the Colombo Fort area dating back to the Dutch colonial era. Built as a hospital by the Dutch it has been used for different purposes, last of which as a Police station. It was the Colombo Fort Police Station from the early 1980's to the 1990's prior to which it housed the Colombo Apothecaries. It suffered heavy damage in the LTTE attack on the Central Bank in 1996.

According to the UDA chairman, the government had spent Rs.100 million for the reconstruction activities of the former Dutch Hospital and because of the assistance given by the Sri Lanka Army, the expenses had been reduced on reconstruction. The Department of Archeology lent its assistance to preserve values of the building while the shopping complex is created in the hospital building.

Shopping mall

"After the reconstruction of the building we gave the priority of identifying the suitable businesses for this shopping mall. Hence we decided to establish various types of shops in the complex such as Japanese, Italian restaurants, National Handicraft Council's and barefoot handicraft shops, a tea centre, pub, spar centre, ODEL branch and a Nature Secrets outlet.

Around 12 shops are to be included into this complex. There will be outlets of the Hotel Hilton and Sri Lankan Catering Services as well."

"This is the first time Sri Lankan Caterings open their outlet in the country and all these have been planned with the aim of creating an up market business. We also hope to create a better place to both local and foreign tourists to spend their time with more pleasure day and night," the chairman said.

Tourism industry

The shopping malls are very essential to develop the tourism industry and the Tourist Board and all foreign embassies have been made aware on this. As the second step of this development project, the UDA has taken measures to reconstruct another two buildings near by the formers Dutch Hospital and they hope to build another shopping mall in those buildings as well. All these things are being done to develop the Colombo city as an attractive city and also to give the city a good look, Kurukulasuriya said.

All drainage facilities, sanitary facilities, water, electricity and all other infrastructure facilities have been supplied with the assistance of the Water Board, the Municipal Council and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

They have introduced a special gas supply system to the restaurants in this shopping mall as well. According to that all gas tanks are to be established out side the building and the gas is to be supplied through a certain piping system, he said.

The UDA is looking forward to launch several other development projects islandwide. The UDA has made arrangements to build new shopping complexes in Badulla and Tangalle. Development plans also have been made for Matara, Kandy, Kataragama and Dambulla and all the development plans earmarked for Nuwara-Eliya district are to be implemented next year with the aim of developing the tourism industry. Tourism is the main contributor to the Sri Lankan economy. Because of that, all parts of the country should play their role to develop this sector in diverse fields. The UDA is not a big profit making institution. But it is trying to make Sri Lanka the 'Wonder of Asia' in keeping with the wishes of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, UDA chairman Kurukulasuriya said.