Left to Rot Away
The Colombo Commercial Company sits in an area of four acres situated in Slave Island. The company was founded in Ceylon in 1876 by John Burn, a British Engineer. The 133-year old building is today a mere shell of its former self. It lies neglected and unoccupied while ministries pay multi million rupee rentals to private individuals for office space in congested areas. Picture by Asoka Fernando
This is a prime example of waste and corruption in sri lanka.In the eighties and before,there were many profitable enterprises on this site serving the public – then the rot started.Even now the site can be taken over and a series of buildings of many floors, planned by reputed architects & constructed by foreign firms selected on strict tender procedure, to serve as a hub of commerce to the nation, erected.
This should entail no expense to the state.
Its sad to hear these kind of information of wastage. I was with the impression this land was leased to Ceylinco. There are so many large parcels of land in and around Colombo which should be released to the private and foreign developers for high rise projects. This land is ideal for a five star hotel project. Industries located in downtown Colombo should be relocated and the land be sold and re-developed on a JV. Hope the UDA and the private sector will expedite the release and development of such lands.