South Korean Company Aims To Build City’s Tallest Building
By Kay Kimsong
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
A South Korean-owned firm calling itself Boeng Snour Development Investment Co told Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday it wants to invest $300 million to build a massive "world trade center" skyscraper in Phnom Penh's Meanchey district, officials said.
"The company will build a 50-story world trade center building," Hun Sen's spokesman Eang Sophalleth said. "The whole project would take 10 years.... The investment will create a positive image for Cambodia because we will have a 50-story building if the project is complete," he said.
Hun Sen told the firm during a meeting at his Takhmau district home in Kandal province that it must meet with City Hall officials to work out details of its plan, he said.
Currently, the tallest building in Cambodia is the 15-story Intercontinental Hotel in Phnom Penh.
Canadia Bank and Vattanac Bank are both building taller buildings of about 26 stories, near the city's railway station.
The 70 hectares of land the company is seeking to build on is technically located on public property—the former Boeng Snour lake, which in recent years was filled in by unknown developers.
Youn Heng, deputy director of the Evaluation and Incentive Department at the Center for the Development of Cambodia, said the CDC will grant the Boeng Snour investors a license as soon as they produce a master plan.
Phnom Penh Municipal Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong said City Hall is studying Boeng Snor Development's plans.
South Korean firms have recently become major players in Phnom Penh's real estate market. Last year, South Korean firm World City was given approval to buy a $2 billion satellite city in the northwest of Phnom Penh and has begun filling in Pong Peay lake there.
Sok Kong, Sokimex oil tycoon, also owns about 200 hectares of filled in land on the former Boeng Snour lake. He was urged last year by the government to build a new national sports complex, but has since declined.
"The company will build a 50-story world trade center building," Hun Sen's spokesman Eang Sophalleth said. "The whole project would take 10 years.... The investment will create a positive image for Cambodia because we will have a 50-story building if the project is complete," he said.
Hun Sen told the firm during a meeting at his Takhmau district home in Kandal province that it must meet with City Hall officials to work out details of its plan, he said.
Currently, the tallest building in Cambodia is the 15-story Intercontinental Hotel in Phnom Penh.
Canadia Bank and Vattanac Bank are both building taller buildings of about 26 stories, near the city's railway station.
The 70 hectares of land the company is seeking to build on is technically located on public property—the former Boeng Snour lake, which in recent years was filled in by unknown developers.
Youn Heng, deputy director of the Evaluation and Incentive Department at the Center for the Development of Cambodia, said the CDC will grant the Boeng Snour investors a license as soon as they produce a master plan.
Phnom Penh Municipal Deputy Governor Pa Socheatvong said City Hall is studying Boeng Snor Development's plans.
South Korean firms have recently become major players in Phnom Penh's real estate market. Last year, South Korean firm World City was given approval to buy a $2 billion satellite city in the northwest of Phnom Penh and has begun filling in Pong Peay lake there.
Sok Kong, Sokimex oil tycoon, also owns about 200 hectares of filled in land on the former Boeng Snour lake. He was urged last year by the government to build a new national sports complex, but has since declined.
4 comments:
So, building a 50-storey building will create a positive image of Cambodia, and not the improvement of the government's track records on human rights, poverty reduction rate, anti-corruption, accountability and transparency, democratic and judicial reforms. Lakes around Phnom Penh are being filled and owned by certain individuals, instead of beautifying them as public parks. After so many years of development, Phnom Penh flood during the rainy season remains a serious problem.
Land grabbing and swapping, corruption and political intimidation go on unabated. More and more people are living below the poverty line. The 50-storey building is supposedly removing these negative images of Cambodia. How many storeys in a building to qualify it as a skyscraper? It should be the height of the building that makes it a skyscraper worthy of comparison with those around the world. Otherwise, it will be just another tall building being called a skyscraper by Cambodian standards.
I bring you another story of one of several American-Cambodian families here. This story is somewaht related to this article.
The head of the family driving new model of SUV Landcruiser while the poor spouse is on Federal Government disability benefit(SSI)and kids on welfare and living in a scramble and tiny place rent to them by their relative. NOTE:(Both parents are deceptive of divorce). What do you think about this situation?
While tall buildings will modernize the Cambodian city but in reality people are poor and suffering. The gov't must take propriate measures to deal with issues that affecting people's everyday lives.
This is very interesting article! I had watched some program on PBS about these skyscrapers and their design and it seems that skyscraper are very inefficient in every way about their design! I just hope the South Korean can build many beautiful 50 story buildings that would dominate Cambodian skyline! But I have doubt very much about the South Korean capability and technology! For most of today skyscrapers are built to last about 30year to 50years and these skyscrapers produce more carbon dioxide than an average automobile! In the long run, people will be paying more financially to maintain these 50 story buildings!
Any fool can claim that they can build a 50 story building, but can they build it beautifully to fit the background and enviornmentally efficient in their design! Most fool will say no because it cost too much! So Cambodian people can expect to see an ugly looking building with ton and ton of concrete to block the sunlight!ahah
Now that Cambodia is running out of space, all those Cambodian people who had been dispossessed of their land with no place to go or to live and this is a perfect solution to the housing shortage!
With today technology anything is possible, so go ahead and build it the right way! Let say 30year to 50 years from now and Cambodian people can look back and marvel at the South Korean's genius and their technology and how they can pull off this big project and the legacy they left behind for many more years to come!
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