KOTA KINABALU – The dilapidated buildings of former Shan Tao Primary School here are all set to be demolished to make way for the construction of the new Catholic Centre.
Father Cosmas Lee officiated the rite to begin the demolition work on 28 Nov 2017 in the presence of members of the Building Committee headed by Anthony Lee, Dr Jeffrey Soon of the Steering Committee, Tan Kian Guan of Perunding BSK Sdn Bhd, John Voo of JV Champion Sdn Bhd who will handle the demolition and earthworks, and Chan his project manager.
The demolition and earthworks are scheduled to be completed by January 2018.
The idea of building the Catholic Centre there was first mooted in 1996 when there was definite news that Shan Tao Primary School (founded in 1938 as Kung Ming Primary School, renamed as Shan Tao in 1963) would be relocating to Kapayan Ridge.
The new centre is necessary because the two buildings at the Catholic Diocesan Centre in Taman Hiburan Penampang have been declared unsafe after cracks were detected in several walls of the buildings.
The Catholic Diocesan Centre, built about 30 years ago, currently houses the Archbishop’s Office, the Archdiocesan Archives, the commission offices, Catholic Sabah, among others.
The new centre will have two office blocks: a two-storey block housing a conference room, archives and gallery; and the other a three-storey structure for the offices, meeting rooms, a chapel, Catholic Sabah, conference facilities for seminars and training.
The buildings are a fusion of new and old language with heavy use of coloured glass panes on the exterior, designed pro-bono by Daniel Koh of ADK Architect.
The launching of the building project officiated jointly by Archbishop John Wong and Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was held at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre Karamunsing on 22 July 2017.
Fundraisers have started for the RM9.6 million building project but as with all building projects, donations are always welcome to offset ever-increasing costs of building materials.
Donations/cheques are to be payable to RTDKK – The Catholic Centre Building Fund, Maybank Berhad, Lintas Branch A/C No 510198683591. Official receipts will be issued for all donations. For details please contact 088-712297 (Ms Angela Yen, Mdm Cecilia Funk, or Mdm Teresa Chin).
Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu