23 October 2021 12:00 am Views - 111
The renovated ‘Eighty Club’ (80 Club) at Independence Avenue, Colombo 07 was declared open by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last night (21st October), a statement from his office said.
The Prime Minister illuminated the premises and unveiled the plaque symbolising the official opening.
‘Eighty Club’ was named after the Room 80 at the Queen’s Hotel, Kandy where the inaugural first meeting was held. The club was later established at the Independence Avenue property. Followed by the 1971 uprising, the then government handed over the property to Sri Lanka Army. In 1978 , the ‘Eighty Club’ was re-licensed under the government and the Land Reforms’ Commission maintained the property until it was taken over by UDA in November 2020, which then moved to renovate the property.
After the comprehensive refurbishment and restoration, the Eighty Club has got a luxurious and stunning finish today.
Retired Major General Udaya Nanayakkara, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) presented the ‘Eighty Club’ information leaflet to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister presented a souvenir to the Navy Commodore S.H. Balasuriya to applaud the successful completion of the refurbishment and restoration works by the Sri Lanka Navy.
This project was implemented on the instructions of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing. The government plans to enhance the facilities and provide star class hospitality in parallel to the Water’s Edge Hotel.