Lands, buildings with historical value to be leased out for investment

• “Visumpaya” to be converted into a Boutique Hotel

By Ajith Siriwardana

The Urban Development and Housing Ministry has initiated a special project to develop lands and buildings with historical value under Public Private Partnership (PPP) where the “Visumpaya”, which was the official residence of several state leaders such as Sirimavo Bandaranaike and D.M. Jayaratne, has been leased out under a 50-year lease agreement to develop it as a Boutique Hotel.

The special project has been initiated with the instructions of subject Minister Prasanna Ranatunga to lease out lands and buildings with historical value, without defacing their original status, as a solution to the economic situation in the country, the Ministry said.

The “Visumpaya” building has been handed over to Azotels Hospitality Limited on a 50-year lease agreement and Azotels Hospitality Limited, Hunas Holdings PLC and Japanese affiliated Consortium will convert this into a luxury hotel.

This building will be developed as an eco-friendly Boutique Hotel with luxury rooms to accommodate high-class tourists with public areas and restaurants and the vast space in the garden would be used for outdoor concerts and weddings.

The MOU was signed with the UDA and Azotels Hospitality Limited in this regard recently.

This building which was originally named as “Acland House” was constructed in Union Place, Colombo in 1835 during the colonial period and it was taken over by the government in 1971 as a state property.

Former leaders Sirimavo Bandaranaike, D.M. Jayaratne, Anuruddha Ratwatte, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Mangala Samaraweera and Prof. G.L. Peiris have used “Visumpaya” as their official residences.