By P. Chandra Sagaran
Motorists who have to put up with parking problems in the Ipoh Old Town area can rest assured it would be solved with the construction of a RM15 million parking and commercial complex.
The ground breaking ceremony for the project at Jalan Panglima was performed by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming on April 25.
Currently the area only has 378 parking lots with an additional 353 lots it would double the facilities and would overcome the difficulties to find a spot in the area where business and other activities are centred.
Nga in his speech said the Ipoh City Council’s initiative project would be implemented through the Private Financing Initiative (PFI) model in line with the People-Public-Private Partnership which prioritizes cooperation between public and private sectors.
The construction which is expected to be completed in 15 months is a five storey building which includes 12 shop lots among them a creative cultural gallery, local souvenir merchandise, cafe and various food outlets.
According to the Minister the project would boost the tourism industry in Ipoh Old Town in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 to inject a new breath of life to the heritage town.
The design of the building would feature colonial architecture to complement the historical buildings nearby and create a unique panorama .
Other attractions are LED lightings which would make the most beautiful parking area in the state especially at night.
He also noted solar panels would also be fixed and places to charge electric vehicles would be made available.
“There are also parking facilities for the disabled, lifts, toilets apart from surau and public toilets.
“The complex will have the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design concept which provides closed circuit cameras to ensure the safety of the public,” he added .