There she sits forlorn and decrepit amidst well-tended mansions on 30th Street, NW, thanks to years of neglect and patchwork maintenance by a succession of distracted governments preoccupied for more than two decades with a fight for the nation's territorial integrity and political stability. The final reckoning for its very survival came when Ambassador Devinda Subasinghe tried to occupy the official residence upon his appointment in December 2002. Alas, the residence was not deemed safe for habitation. Extensive water damage, unsafe masonry, exposed wiring, gas leaks, antiquated plumbing, leaky walls, wood rot and an eroding foundation greeted his family instead of the welcoming residence the community has grown to cherish over the past 55 years as the symbol of their nationhood in America.

Purchased outright for the Government of Sri Lanka in October 1948 by the first envoy accredited to the United States, Sir Claude Corea, the residence was a dignified jewel beckoning the promise of a newly freed nation to the movers and shakers of the American colossus. From the then Vice President Richard Nixon to the current Chief Justice William Rehnquist have graced its once elegant confines during happier times.

Shocked into action by the benign neglect visited upon this grand residence, the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka have firmly decided to reverse further deterioration by commissioning an extensive renovation of the premises. This is a major expense and a time consuming task for the Government of Sri Lanka, yet so essential for shoring up the nation's burgeoning ties with the remaining superpower. It will be money well spent even if the final bill approximates $2 million, and Ambassador Subasinghe has to languish in rented space for the duration. His personal discomfort will, no doubt, hasten the renovation process and restore the residence to its elegant roots.

A tripartite committee headed by the Director General - National Budget, Ministry of Finance will visit Washington, D.C. shortly to prepare a feasibility report on the repairs to be made. The Committee will, no doubt, lean heavily on the recommendations made by a firm of reputed American architects, with far flung credits from Houston to Shanghai, about the structural flaws and damage that will require a complete renovation of the building. The architects in question have not had any role in work done at the residence over the past 20 some years, according to Ambassador Subasinghe, a point of cogent interest to the present government and the Sri Lankan community.

The time for a complete turnaround in the fortunes of the official Embassy residence is finally here. Ambassador Subasinghe did all of us a favor by forcefully making a case with Colombo to preserve and protect this national asset for generations to come. Although we are into the eighth month of preparations to renovate, the process needs to gather some urgency to prevent the winter snows from wreaking further damage on the already leaky flat roof. Help is finally on the way.

It is anticipated by all parties that the Government in awarding the renovation work to a competent contractor will adhere to a transparent process.

Nihal Goonewardene
Sri Lanka Association of Greater Washington DC