23 June 2016, 02:18

GEORGE TOWN, 22 June 2016: 

The Penang government has decided to move the planned Penang Art District at Sia Boey, here, to another piece of land next to it to make way for the transportation hub project.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Sia Boey had been identified as the best spot for the transportation hub for the planned light rail transit (LRT) and mass rail transit (MRT) interchange under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

“The transportation project is likely uncertain and the construction period is in the span of 10 years from now, so we have decided to provide an alternative location for the art centre,” he said at a news conference
today.

The RM27 billion PTMP project consists of the LRT and MRT lines across the state – including the mainland, several new link roads and LRT to link George Town and Butterworth – aimed at solving the traffic issue in the state.

The new proposed 3.72ha site for the art centre is situated at Gat Lebuh Macallum while the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway is located some 500m from the original site.

Lim said the state government believed the project would revitalise the Macallum area, catalysing urban renewal in the area adjacent to the George Town UNESCO heritage site.He said the new site would cater to the largest collection of art galleries, cultural museums and cafes featuring local cuisine to enhance Penang’s reputation as a food haven.

“We believe this Penang Art District will be the largest in Southeast Asia and will be a must-visit art destination.”

The art district project will also feature a container city, aimed at being the largest in the world to house galleries, studios, art spaces and others – like how it has been done in Christchurch, New Zealand; Al-Safa, Dubai and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Source: http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2016/06/22/penang-to-turn-sia-boey-into-transport-hub-with-lrt/

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