Blog

The Sri Lankan government and its officials define Port City Colombo as “an economic game-changer” for the country. Situated in the capital of the country, the Port City promises a bucketful of new business opportunities to the island nation Sri Lanka. Let’s discuss this exciting new project and what it brings to the table for the general public of the island in particular.

What Is Port City Colombo project?

As said, situated in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, the Port City is a reclaimed portion from the sea which is converted to a high-tech city. It will consist of both residential and business districts. In addition, it is safe to label that the Port City Colombo is definitely one of the most noteworthy projects, especially in the South Asian region.

How Many Acres in the Port City?

The total land of the project is spread around 660 acres (269 hectares), and the majority of the land is reclaimed from the sea. The ongoing project is controlled, managed, and owned by the China Harbor Engineering Company (also known as CHEC).

Is Port City open to the public?

Yes, a 500m of walking path was declared open on 9th January 2022. The opening ceremony took place on the 65th diplomatic anniversary of Sri Lanka-China. As of now, the public can enter Port City Colombo promenade from 9 am to 6 pm, and if you are interested in witnessing the brand new project, you can access it via the main entrance, which is at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

Are there any environmental concerns of Port City?

Actually, there were numerous concerns raised by the environmental activists right from the very beginning of the project. The main pain point was rock extraction, which was said to have a significant impact on the biodiversity of the country. In addition, the impact on marine life was another issue.

Moreover, the fishermen around the coastal area have been complaining that the project has caused their incomes to go down considerably. However, as far as we are concerned, these things do happen when there is such kind of a mega project takes place in a country like Sri Lanka. The important thing is to minimize the environmental impact as much as possible, which we think authority should take total responsibility for.

Although it is open to the public, the total project will take about 25 years to get completed when it comes to the construction side of things. The governing body of Port City Colombo expects the land to lease out in the first 15 years.

How about investing in Port City?

According to the news, they are planning to attract investors, especially from South Asian countries, and the priority would be given to Indian investors. Concerning the residential accommodations, the government of Sri Lanka is expecting it to be around 70,000 in total and 200,000 employees at the conclusion of the project.

Further, there will be a dedicated stock exchange in Port City Colombo. That said, the execution part of it is still not finalized, and there is hardly any news about how the stock exchange of Port City would operate and the operating regulations in general.

Activities to do in Port City for the public

As we initially said, this article is mainly written to cater to the general public rather than the investors. So, we thought to bring you some exciting stuff you can get involved with when you are at Port City Colombo.

Yachting

Luxury yachting is one of the first ventures opened to the public. If you are searching for a breathtaking weekend holiday destination, we strongly recommend you to opt for a luxury yachting at Port City. As of now, this service is in the hands of Sail Lanka, and there are multiple packages available for you to pick one to suit your requirement.

Golfing

Finding a golf course near to the ocean is not very common, isn’t it? Well, Port City is different from the rest in many aspects, and the spectacular golf course is one thing we can include in that bracket. This property is under the helm of Colombo Golf Academy; if you are a golf lover visiting or residing in the city of Colombo, this is one activity that you should not miss.

Beach

When it comes to beautiful beaches in the world, the Sri Lankan ones hardly have a competition with the rest, to be honest. It’s the same with Port City beach! Although it is not currently open to the public, the news says that it will begin its operations within the year. In addition, it will consist of many water games, fishing, and many other attractive activities to keep the visitors engaged.

Conclusion

So, Port City Colombo is now officially open to the public to relish. Although it is not at its full swing as of now, there are ample activities available inside the “city of future” for you to spend quality time. Let’s hope everything goes according to the plans and it to be the “city of the future” sooner rather than later. Cheers!