A proposal to refurbish the historical Shanghai Postal Building on the banks of Suzhou Creek into a shop-ping mall has triggered a storm of protest in the city.

Built in 1924, the fourstorey, Baroque-style building with a bell tower on the top, is on the list of the city's 16 national cultural relic buildings.

Since its completion, the elegant edifice has always been the nerve center of the city's postal system.

But its fate was thrown into doubt after the Hongkou District Commercial Com-mission last week announced a plan to turn the building into a shopping mall, a key element of its ambitious project of developing commerce along Sichuan Road N., one of the city's key commercial streets.

The face-lift will "upgrade the street to a high-level shopping and sightseeing complex instead of only catering to low-income consumers," according to the commission plan.

The renovation plan has been worked out by the Shanghai Commercial Economic Research Center, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and Shanghai ACNielsen Ltd.

The whole project, costing 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion), will need 5-8 years to complete.

"Renovating the building into a high-end shopping mall is an essential part of the grand plan," said Yin Jianwei, an official with the commercial commission.

But he added that the pro-posal is subject to municipal government approval. "They are now discussing it," said Yin.

The renovation plan has come as a total surprise to the city's Cultural Relic Protection Committee.

"No one asked for our opinion. We heard about it from the local media," said Li Kongsan of the committee. "I don't think a shopping mall is a good idea. Turning the building into a shopping mall will destroy its original design."

Li insisted that the plan should be presented to the committee for approval. But judging from what they have learned from the media, the committee would definitely say no, he added.

Ruan Yisan, a Tongji University construction professor, "absolutely" opposed the proposal.

"It is a destruction," said Ruan. "Renovating the building for commercial use is not a good idea from the construction point of view also. For example, it will require a large underground room and the engineering will ruin the historical building. It's absurd to do this just for some economic benefits.

"If the district goes ahead with the project without approval from the cultural relic protection department, it will be against the law," said Ruan. "Unlike Xintiandi in Luwan District, which is a successful renovation example (where old Shang-hai houses or 'shikumen' have been transformed), the postal building has a much higher value."

Officials from the Shang-hai Postal Bureau, the current tenant of the build-ing, refused to comment.

The bureau has been talking about a face-lift for the aged building for years, but has balked at the huge costs.

"Its present style is naturally a part of the city's ethos. It will be sad if it becomes a mall," according to Jiang Qiuhua, a 53-year-old woman who lives near the postal building. "How-ever, if the district gov-ernment can add some commercial elements to the building without disrupting its main postal function and construction style, that may be okay," Qiuhua said.