Work to convert the erstwhile State Assembly complex on Omandurar Government Estate into a multi-specialty hospital is set to be completed by the end of this year.
Moving the demands for grants for the Public Works Department (buildings), Minister K.V. Ramalingam on Thursday said the work was taken up at a cost of Rs. 26.92 crore. A new medical college will also be established in the building next to the hospital which will take in 100 students, he said. A design plan for the project is being finalised.
PWD sources said work is progressing in various stages on all seven floors of the new hospital building.
Slew of projects
This fiscal, two other new projects on Wallajah Salai will be kick-started, said the Minister. A new mega Kalaiarangam will soon replace Kalaivanar Arangam, which was demolished. Spread over 1.95 lakh square feet, the Kalaiarangam complex will house an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,200 and a stilt car parking lot.
Two multi-purpose halls that can accommodate 115 persons will be built on the second and third floors. Another hall with a capacity to accommodate 1,000 persons will be constructed on the second floor, sources said. The Rs. 61-crore project will be completed in a year.
This apart, the Omandurar government estate will house a swanky new guest house on Wallajah Salai. The design for the Rs. 15-crore project has been approved. Restoration of five heritage court buildings, including the metropolitan magistrate court in George Town and a new building for preventive medicine at King Institute, Guindy, are among the slew of projects to be taken up.
Skating stadium
The PWD will also construct an indoor skating stadium at a cost of Rs. 12 crore and a sports science centre at the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in the city. The department is in the process of identifying the location and design for the skating stadium.
