The Osaka Prefectural Government wants to tear down its 80-year-old main building because it was deemed unlikely to withstand a severe earthquake, it was learned Thursday.
Experts say the building, located in Chuo Ward, could collapse in the event of an earthquake of upper 6 or a 7 on the Japanese intensity scale to 7.
According to sources, the office will be rebuilt on an adjacent plot owned by the prefecture. It will be paid for under the public finance initiative format, under which the private sector designs, builds, maintains and operates the facility, while the government monitors the services provided.
This will be the first time the PFI method is used in the construction of a prefectural office.