Yoma Central
Yoma Central is a major mixed-use development project in Downtown Yangon, Myanmar, located at the intersection of Bogyoke Aung San Road and Sule Pagoda Road, beside Bogyoke Aung San Market.[1] The development entails a number of buildings, including the historic Myanma Railway headquarters first built in 1877, two new office towers, luxury residencies, and a business hotel.[1] The development will eventually encompass 2,440,000 square feet (227,000 m2).[2] Groundbreaking was held on 16 January 2017.[3]
Location | Downtown Yangon, Myanmar |
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Coordinates | 16.780222251968844°N 96.15784036135761°E |
Status | Under construction |
Estimated completion | 2022 |
Website | yomacentral |
Technical details | |
Size | 9.5 acres (3.8 ha) |
Leasable area | 2,440,000 square feet (227,000 m2) |
The build–operate–transfer project is being developed on land owned by Myanma Railways.[4] The project is being developed by a joint venture comprising Yoma Strategic (48%), FMI (12%), Mitsubishi (30%), the Asian Development Bank (5%), and the International Finance Corporation (5%).[4]
Controversies
The focal point of Yoma Central, the former Myanma Railways headquarters, is listed on Yangon City Heritage List, meaning it cannot be modified or demolished without approval.[4] The developers nonetheless gutted the building's interior, leaving only the external facade intact.[4] Further work in July 2018 caused the collapse of an exterior wall.[4] The developer's approach to conservation has been criticized by the Yangon Heritage Trust.[4]
Yoma Central has also been the source of ongoing labor disputes. In March 2020, construction workers at the site protested the lack of paid leave during the Thingyan holiday.[5] In January 2021, hundreds of Yoma Central construction workers protested the late payment of wages and unpaid social security allowances.[6]
See also
References
- "Yoma Central". Sedgwick Richardson. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Yoma Central and The Peninsula Yangon to be built by Construction Giants, Bouygues Construction and Taisei". AsiaOne. 2017-11-30. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Yoma Central breaks ground in downtown Yangon". Mizzima Myanmar News and Insight. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Myanma Railways seeks consultants to supervise Yoma Central". Frontier Myanmar. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Workers protest at Yoma Central construction site". The Myanmar Times. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Myanmar Workers at International Joint-Venture Construction Site Strike for Unpaid Wages". The Irrawaddy. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-19.