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AG’s former office complex soon an upmarket shopping mall
View(s):The Auditor General’s former office complex at Independence Square, which is undergoing a major facelift, will soon become an upmarket shopping mall selling some of the world’s wellknown brands, said officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA).
Pix by Indika Handuwala
The complex, estimated to cost Rs. 400 million, will house around 40 shops, and is expected to be declared open around April this year, as a major part of the reconstruction process has already been completed.
The restoration of the building has been undertaken by the Sri Lanka Army under a programme started by the Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to restore colonial buildings in the city of Colombo to their past glory. The Colombo Race Course restoration project too is a part of this programme.
“We hope to attract foreign investment with the opening of this complex, while locals too are welcome to start their businesses here,” a UDA official said.
Some of the brands that will set up shops here include Levis, Nike and Splash, as well as branded Sri Lankan teas and gem and jewellery shops.
-D.W.
