Singapore breaks ground for Formula One building

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SINGAPORE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Singapore broke ground on Friday for a Formula One building that will host what is set to be the world's first street grand prix to be held at night.
The Southeast Asian city-state won a five-year deal in May to host a street grand prix in the heart of its business district with the first race scheduled for Sept. 28, 2008.
The planned building -- currently an undeveloped muddy field surrounded by trees and a highway -- would house 36 garages for 12 grand prix teams, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
Singapore, which wants to woo more tourists to the country to boost its services sector, is building a string of tourist attractions, including a casino and the world's largest Ferris wheel in its business district.
"We look forward to the sound of race engines roaring to life," Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's trade minister said at the ground breaking ceremony, before sticking a gold-coloured shovel in a sand box to mark the occasion.
Lim said he was confident that Singapore could stage a night race as planned, although that was subjected to the approval of the FIA, the international governing body for motorsports.
Several F1 drivers have spoken against the idea of a night race, citing safety concerns such as poor visibility, especially during rainy weather.

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