Food court to feature green designs

Chow showing images of the rebuilding plan for the food court. With him is Zairil (seated right)

THE Mutiara Selera food court in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, which was destroyed in a fire last year, will be rebuilt and feature elements rated under the Green Building Index (GBI) system.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said RM3.5mil had been allocated for the project to make it the country’s first GBI-rated public food complex, adding that it was expected to be completed by middle of next year.

“It will feature modern designs that are attractive to local and foreign visitors.

“Despite some delays in the redevelopment due to the movement control order (MCO), the food court can finally be revived to continue serving the local community and tourists in the area,” he said during the project’s launch at the site recently.

He added that although the state could have repaired the food court with just about RM1mil to fix its existing structures that were damaged by the fire, it was decided that the additional spending would better benefit the locals who hope for the food court to be a future tourist attraction.

Construction work is scheduled to start this month and will take about six months to complete.

Penang infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the new food court’s design would include a surau, office and facilities for the disabled.

He said the food court, which was originally built by the Federal Government, had been neglected for about 30 years.

It was then taken over by the state following the 14th General Election.

It is understood that the new complex will house 40 hawker lots as opposed to 33 in the original.

In November last year, a fire broke out at the Mutiara Selera food court, destroying 70% of the structure.