Sia Boey: Reborn (next to future LRT station)
Penang launches heritage arts district in heart of George Town
Penang is set to have its very own Heritage Arts District on a 2.2ha land in the heart of George Town, which will also feature a RM30 million museum, to be called the Ilham Penang.
Chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who today witnessed the signing ceremony between Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and Haji Zainuddin Foundation to set up the museum, said that the privately funded public art museum would be a catalyst for urban regeneration in George Town.
“Penang is extremely excited with this new proposed development because every renowned international city in this world has within its walls a collection of iconic and illustrious art museums,” Lim said in his speech.
“Ilham Penang, when completed (in 2018), will certainly go a long way towards making Penang an international destination of choice.”
The project, dubbed “Sia Boey: Reborn project”, will see the development of the abandoned Sia Boey market in the Prangin area in George Town costing the state some RM100 million to implement.
The Haji Zainuddin Foundation will invest RM30 million to build Ilham Penang, which will cover 45,000 square feet of space, making it the largest art gallery in Malaysia.
“Besides this, PDC will be investing an additional RM70 million to make Sia Boey, the Penang Heritage Arts District.
“In line with George Town’s World Heritage status, the dilapidated heritage shophouses will not be torn down but will be meticulously restored, to be occupied by art galleries, studios, schools and work spaces.
“We have never done this before. But we are boldly going ahead and treading where we never ventured before,” Lim added.
Also present at today’s launch was Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua – one of the brains behind the project, and Ilham Gallery’s creative director Valentine Willie, who praised the state government for allocating the prime land for the project.
“This is an extraordinary act by the state government to give back prime land to its people,” he said.
Source: TheMalaysianInsider.com
Can’t wait to see what they do with the site. The restored shophouses should look lovely.
maybe can take inspiration from Bugis Junction
Transforming it to Sia Soey.
Loser.
@sky
The real born loser.
Sky, some people just have no life, or wait, maybe they do, but they have nothing else to do other than to post such comments.
I say, we ignore such trolls?.
@penang_kia
Another loser trying to get it right.
Someone is butthurt, eh?
@penang_kia
This person is “sia soey” with low mentality.
Said the person who labelled other as such. So sad..