Move to turn run-down Natikar Building into hotel
KOTA KINABALU:
The City Hall is all set to assist developers wishing to redevelop the Natikar Building, which has been an eyesore after being left abandoned since the early 1990s. To date, two developers have shown interest to develop the 11 -storey building near Padang Merdeka here and turn it into a hotel, said City Hall Building Engineer, Kalvin Liaw. In this respect, the City Hall is trying to trace some of the 24 private lot owners of the building to enable works to be done on it, he said, adding that the project can be done immediately after all the lot owners have been located and given their consent.
“It would be easier for us to develop the abandoned building. Turning it into a hotel would also be good considering there is a lack of hotel rooms to accommodate the growing number of tourists entering Sabah,” he said. The building is in bad shape and is believed to be occupied by both locals and immigrants, as well as drug addicts. “Those occupying the building have even built their own personal rooms illegally, and made illegal electricity and water connections,” he said. Kalvin said that to enable the building to be certified fit for use, all facilities such as sewerage, water piping, electricity supply and elevator must be fixed and upgraded.
KOTA KINABALU:
The City Hall is all set to assist developers wishing to redevelop the Natikar Building, which has been an eyesore after being left abandoned since the early 1990s. To date, two developers have shown interest to develop the 11 -storey building near Padang Merdeka here and turn it into a hotel, said City Hall Building Engineer, Kalvin Liaw. In this respect, the City Hall is trying to trace some of the 24 private lot owners of the building to enable works to be done on it, he said, adding that the project can be done immediately after all the lot owners have been located and given their consent.
“It would be easier for us to develop the abandoned building. Turning it into a hotel would also be good considering there is a lack of hotel rooms to accommodate the growing number of tourists entering Sabah,” he said. The building is in bad shape and is believed to be occupied by both locals and immigrants, as well as drug addicts. “Those occupying the building have even built their own personal rooms illegally, and made illegal electricity and water connections,” he said. Kalvin said that to enable the building to be certified fit for use, all facilities such as sewerage, water piping, electricity supply and elevator must be fixed and upgraded.
The City Hall is ready to assist the developers in their applications and would give approval to those wishing to develop the Natikar Building, but first, the 24 lot owners must be located. “To ensure that the building structure is still strong, a registered professional engineer is required to carry out a thorough investigation and certify whether it is fit or otherwise,” Liaw said. Meanwhile, City Hall architect Sally Edward Ghani, when met, said the Natikar Building has four housing units at each level, meaning there are 48 units altogether. Twenty-four of them are under the Insolvency Department, while 24 others belong to private owners. In 1999, City Hall, in collaboration with Health and Water departments, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and police, inspected the building in a move to overcome a host of perennial problems such as cleanliness. Another inspection was conducted in 2003, followed by the issuance of letters to the owners based on their income tax addresses but only 24 of them responded. On Oct 6, 2004, the Legal Department and City Hall Urban Development Department issued a notice to the occupants to vacate the building. The City Hall and the police, Water Department, Immigration and SESB discussed on Oct 13, 2004 a proposal to obtain a court order to seal the building. The court order was obtained on Feb 28, 2005, following which barbed wires and fences were built around the building to prevent intruders from entering it.
