: Sri Lanka’s Army, Navy and Air Force offices in Colombo are being moved to a massive 48-acre complex at Akuragoda in Pelawatta, Battaramulla, opposite the present Army Volunteer Force Headquarters.
The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has started clearing the area to begin the construction work. According to official sources, the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters and several of its Colombo establishments will be housed in one area at Akuragoda with preliminary plans already drawn up.
At present around 500 acres of prime land are occupied by the armed forces with the country’s five star city hotels, banks and commercial buildings clustered in the same area. This area will be cleared for the proposed US$ 500-million tourism zone in Colombo's Beira Lake area with
a US $100-million hotel-casino complex.
The Shangri-La group based in Hong Kong is to be given the land housing the present Army Headquarters and military sports ground in Colombo to build a US $75 million luxury hotel and apartment complex.