Zone to combine business and pleasure
THE Dalian Xinghai Bay Reconstruction Engineering Administration reckons it is killing two birds with one stone in its plans for the Xinghai Bay New Zone project.
When completed, the 200-hectare zone will have a dual role of a financial and trading centre, and a tourist and entertainment district.
Reclaimed land will account for 110 hectares of the zone and the administration has completed reclamation of 750,000 sq metres.
Administration deputy director Li Shugen said the project would ensure a land bank sufficient to tide Dalian over to the next century.
'We need the project for reserves and it is necessary to develop this area immediately,' he said.
As economic development in the northeastern city takes off, likewise the need for more space and Xinghai district together with others including the economic development zone supplement the old city district.
Xinghai Bay project will accommodate offices, international convention and exhibition centre, as well as residential properties.
But with the district a stone's throw from the beach, the authorities also wanted to transform the district into one for entertainment and commercial activities.
Mr Li said under construction was a mini car racing centre and a recreational building to be completed next May.
He said the new beach created as part of the project would have a coastline of 1,400 metres.
The zone has attracted foreign investment totalling 100 million yuan (about HK$93 million), excluding 105 million yuan for the International Convention and Exhibition Centre - the 'dragon head' project.
The exhibition part of the centre is scheduled to be completed in next year.
About 900,000 sq m of area in the zone to be made available for development of which, 420,000 sq m is still available for lease.
