Mumbai: The much-talked about 'Jinnah house' a palatial, 7-decade-old magnificent structure is to be resurrected into a new vista for South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), with a soft launch slated to coincide with the India's 60th anniversary celebrations on August 15.

First of its kind in the country, the hub termed SACAC (South Asian Centre for Arts and Culture) will come up in what was once the home of Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah and later the official residence of the then British Deputy High Commissioner.

"We expect the centre to be thrown open to the public on August 15 this year to coincide with the 60th anniversary celebrations of the country", Sanjeev Kohli, Deputy Director, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) told sources today (Jan 30,2007).

"That is the sentiment, and for SACAC to be fully operational we are looking towards December end", he said.

From cobwebs, weeds and overgrown trees, the house is to be remodelled into a fresh forum, an open space, a new landmark in the national and Asian regional landscape.

After 20 years of controversy, neglect, disuse, and being passed over through several hands, SACAC has finally received the central nod, and the sprawling 2.5 acre plot on plush Malabar Hill has been handed over to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Close on the banks of the Arabian Sea, the 'Jinnah house' has imbibed the salt of many waters and the centre is expected to usher in a new chapter in SAARC cooperation.