The area known as Dumbea Hall will be transferred into a VT 140 million "La Relais de la Francophonie" building that promise to give "a rich French taste in architecture" in Port Vila city council.
Demolition of the Dumbea Hall has began and is expected to last a month before work starts on the French Development Agency (AFD) funded project which should be complete around April 2020.
On Tuesday the Lord Mayor of Port Vila, Albert Daniel and Deputy Mayor of Dumbea City in New Caledonia with delegations from AFD, the French Ambassador, the SIC (building company), Port Vila Municipal, unveiled the display board to announce the start of construction.
"First of all let me congratulate the Mayor of the City of Dumbea, Mr Georges Naturel, because without the initiative of the Vanuatu born politician, who still refer to him as 'Man Epi', this project would not have materialised," Mayor Daniel said.
Mr Daniel also gave credit to the outgoing council headed by former mayor, Ulrich Sumptoh for helping to deliver the goods.
The project is a joint development funded by the AFD, the Dumbea City and Port Vila Municipal Council.
"Let me state here that this development is projected to be the biggest project Port Vila has ever received after it established sister city relations with a French city since independence in 1980", the Mayor said.
Photo supplied. Caption: Port Vila Mayor Albert Daniel (centre) with Dumbea deputy Mayor Gerald Piolet.