By staff reporter Ouyang Hongliang

(Caijing.com.cn) China Central Television (CCTV) has named a new director for its headquarters construction project in Beijing, nearly four months after the former director was sacked and arrested in connection with a devastating fire.

Huang Pinggang, 37, is the senior engineer and member of CCTV's editorial and technical committees who replaced Xu Wei, the general office director of site construction and development before a February blaze ripped through the 30-story building and killed a firefighter.

Meanwhile, an informed source told Caijing the opening date for the new complex, which includes the burned building and a larger skyscraper next door, has been postponed until about October 2010.

Officials have yet to decide whether to renovate or demolish the scorched structure. The State Council is investigating the case.

Shortly after the fire, which began during a CCTV Lantern Festival fireworks show on the headquarters grounds, four construction bureau officials including Xu were detained and later charged by authorities. The number of arrests eventually rose to more than 10.

Construction has come to a near standstill since the fire, pushing the project further over budget and farther behind schedule.

So far, its estimated cost has soared to more than 20 billion yuan from the original 7.6 billion yuan.

The project was approved in December 2001 and launched in 2005. The buildings were supposed to open in time for the Beijing 2008 Olympics last summer. A May 7 report by project builder China State Construction Engineering Corp. said the original contract was set to expire January 18.

Full article in Chinese: http://www.caijing.com.cn/2009-06-08/110179862.html