Park area developed in old Huravee Building area
As it goes, sometimes man-made things need to be taken away to make some space for nature.
The work of demolishing one of the older, run-down buildings in Male’ city, known as ‘The Huravee building’ was started in May 2022. The decision to vacate and demolish this building was taken by the Ministry of Planning in 2019 due to the evident unsafe condition of the building which had been housing different institutions for the past 40 years.
And while many grew up and started their career with Huravee building - a well-known public building, situated right in front of Velaanage, which houses several ministries of the Maldives, the tearing down of the building might be contributing to a greater cause.
As it goes, sometimes man-made things need to be taken away to make some space for nature. And so, the land that will be vacant after the building is demolished is planned to be developed into a public park area with parking space for drivers which is set to open on the 11th of November 2022.
This would ease two issues that are common in Male’ city: difficulty in finding parking around Velaanaage and the lack of trees and accessible public spaces in Male’ city. Anyone who works in the area would know, as one of the areas that locate several government offices and buildings, the demand for parking spaces has always been an issue.
The need for parking spaces only became greater with the introduction of the mini-buses as parking on some of the main roads of Male’ is no longer an option, forcing people to park their vehicles on narrower roads making it hard for both drivers and those who walk.
The construction of a parking area in the freed-up space would mean employees would no longer have to go in circles looking for an empty spot which inevitably leads to them clocking in late for work.
The second issue that would be fixed would be the development of another park which would make Male’ greener compared to the concrete city it currently is. With a public park being developed on this commonly used road, it would not only make it more breathable, but it would also give people a space to relax and enjoy their break time outdoors.
After serving as a building that housed employees who did important work for the development of this nation, the Huravee building is finally ‘retired’, hopefully turning into a beautiful space for the public to use.
