AMPANG: There will be no future development at the Highland Towers site after the remaining two blocks are demolished.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) deputy president Hasrolnizam Shaari said the site would be converted into a recreational and green area once the planned demolition, expected by the end of the year, is completed.
“From an economic standpoint, the structures that remain there may not make development around the Highland Towers site viable.
“But once the abandoned blocks are removed and replaced with a green space, the area can be reintegrated with the surrounding neighbourhood,” he said after chairing the MPAJ monthly full board meeting yesterday.
Hasrolnizam said demolition could take place by the fourth quarter of this year.
“We will arrange proactive coordination meetings in the next two months so that the demolition process can proceed.
“One of the requirements is for the relevant parties to officially submit an application for demolition, accompanied by the proper design plans and technical studies,” he said, adding that the stakeholders involved include the landowner and the insolvency administrator.
“We will monitor the process closely to ensure all subsequent steps are carried out in an orderly manner and that the project is implemented through to completion,” he added.
Recently, it was reported that MPAJ secured a court ruling allowing it to proceed with action on the remaining two blocks.
The decision clears the previous legal hurdle and paves the way for the long-abandoned blocks to be demolished.
The Ampang Magistrate’s Court had allowed the council to continue the process of removing the nuisance posed by the structures.
The two remaining blocks have stood abandoned since the Highland Towers tragedy on Dec 11, 1993, when one block collapsed, killing 48 people.
