News
Grand opening for race course mini pavilion
The Colombo Race Course Mini Pavilion, refurbished at a cost of Rs.125 million, was declared opened to the public yesterday by the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa, the Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council, M. J. M. Muzammil.
Special guests included politicians, members of the diplomatic community, high-profile cricketers, and heads of the armed forces. Others included prominent Cinnamon Gardens residents.
Under the Colombo City beautification project, the 119-year-old race course pavilions in Cinnamon Gardens are being restored in stages to their former grandeur, preserving the original colonial architecture. The Urban Development Authority provided architectural consultancy and the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau acted as engineering consultant.
During the glory days of the races, the mini-pavilion housed the jockeys’ room, the stewards’ rooms, inquiry rooms and betting offices. The pavilion now houses a set of boutique stores and fast-food restaurant McDonald’s.
Formerly maintained by the Ceylon Turf Club, the renovated race course buildings will be maintained by the Defence and Urban Development Ministry.
The restoration work was done by the Sri Lanka Army’s Sixth Engineers Service Regiment. About 300 military personnel were involved. The mini pavilion is part of a Rs. 450 million project that includes the completion of the grand stand, a rugby field and a Sports Ministry building.
The race course project is expected to be completed by December 2013. Land that was once green racing turf is being developed as Sri Lankas first international rugby grounds.
 Back to the grandeur of the past : The new-look complex under floodlights. Pix by Indika Handuwala |
 A restaurant in the new complex |
 The band of soldiers who worked day and night to restore the old race course pavilion |
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