# HONG KONG | Police Married Quarters Revitalization



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Solar vision sees police quarters in new light *
The Standard
Friday, December 11, 2009










The childhood home of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen could be set for a serious makeover - if the vision of a potential developer of the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road is accepted.

The plan includes a large rooftop, huge solar panel, a green atrium, a green roof and a footbridge to link the two blocks.

Announcing its vision yesterday, KF Development said it hopes to integrate the building with Central Market, Central Police Station, the former Central Magistracy and Victoria Park to form a "Central creative cluster."

KF Development director Amil Khan said the solar panel, covering 75 percent of the atrium, will cost around HK$3 million and save about HK$36,000 a year in electricity bills. 

Urban Design and Planning Consultants managing director Sujata Govada expects the panel to generate enough electricity to power the quarters' lighting.

KF also suggests organic farming on the rooftop garden.

"Our vision is for the total adaptive reuse of the site into a mixed use development, for living, work and play for the creative industries and general community," Khan said. 

"It will set the best example for total reuse of existing public structures within the backdrop of a dense urban setting in Hong Kong."

KF will submit its proposal to the Development Bureau, Central and Western District Council and Create Hong Kong Office.

The company is one of the three interested in utilising the heritage sites. The government is expected to accept submissions soon.

In the heart of SoHo , the former Police Married Quarters is also the original site of the former Central School, where Sun Yat-sen studied. 

Built in 1889, Central School was the first government school to provide upper primary and secondary Western education.

It was severely damaged during World War II and demolished in 1948 to make way for the quarters, which were vacated in 2000.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Small developer urges space for innovative ideas 
Firm wants level playing field in battle for former police quarters *
11 December 2009
South China Morning Post

A boutique developer that will bid for the former married police quarters on Hollywood Road has urged the government to provide a level-playing field so small groups can also contribute innovative development ideas.

In a press conference yesterday, Amil Khan, director of KF Development, introduced his proposal to turn the site into one with eco-lodging accommodation, art studios and green roofs for urban farming for the public.

The developer is a Hong Kong-based company set up in 2005 that concentrates on building or converting old buildings in Soho into serviced properties.

Khan said he aimed to make something more accessible to the general public, "not like IFC or Landmark". "We're used to seeing big developers controlling the show, but innovative ideas from small groups can also contribute to progressive development," he said.

KF Development is the third organisation that has shown interest in the revitalisation project, for which the government is expected to invite proposals within the next two months.

A group of second-generation tycoons, who formed Ambassadors of Design and completed an art programme on the site with government sponsorship of HK$1.7 million, was partnering with the Design Centre to prepare a bid.

Another potential bidder, the Creative Professionals Association, a group of mid-career designers, feared the young businessmen might already have the government's blessing. But a spokeswoman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said Ambassadors of Design's application for sponsorship had gone through stringent vetting based on the individual merits of the project.

"The objective of the Detour 2009 is in line with our policy to promote creative industries," she said, referring to the Ambassadors of Design's art programme.

The HK$1.7 million, which was not from any particular funding scheme, was "an allocation of resources" based on annual approved estimates, she said, without elaborating. The sum was part of the HK$2.7 million the bureau had spent sponsoring the creative sector this year.

Central and Western district councillor Tanya Chan said the government should make the vetting criteria transparent.

Khan, noting the sponsorship, said he hoped the tender process would be fair.

A highlight of Khan's design is an atrium between the two former housing blocks, created by a glass cover with solar panels that costs HK$3 million and was similar to those on major Berlin rail stations.

Community engagement was important, Khan said, and the roofs of the three blocks - the two former housing blocks and the Junior Police Call building - would be opened to the public for urban farming of organic food.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Exhibition :










Weekend Magazine


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Proposals invited to transform Former Police Married Quarters into creative industries landmark *
Friday, March 19, 2010
Government Press Release

The Development Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau today (March 19) jointly invited proposals from interested organisations and enterprises for transforming the Former Police Married Quarters (PMQ) on Hollywood Road into a creative industries landmark.

The PMQ project is one of the eight projects under the "Conserving Central" initiative announced by the Chief Executive in his 2009-10 Policy Address.

Responding to the views collected in a public engagement exercise in 2008, the revitalisation project will capitalise on the uniqueness of the site and brings together three project objectives, namely promotion of creative industries, heritage conservation and provision of local open space. Proposals are invited for the management, operation and maintenance of the revitalised site as a creative industries landmark.

Speaking at a press conference today, the Deputy Secretary for Development (Works), Mrs Jessie Ting, said that the PMQ, being the original home of the former Central School, was in a unique location with a unique history.

"The Central School was the first government school to provide upper primary and secondary Western education to the public. Commissioned on the same site in 1951, the PMQ was the first police quarters to provide accommodation for married junior police officers, including Chinese police officers. Surrounded by a wealth of cultural and historic sites in Central, the site has witnessed the development of Hong Kong into a metropolis over the last 150 years," she said.

The Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Mr Alan Siu, said, "Right at the heart of Central and adjacent to the existing vibrant core formed by art galleries, design studios, antiques and craft markets, shops of local designers' brands, a commercial and entertainment precinct, etc, the PMQ site has the potential to become the iconic creative industries landmark where our creative talent will congregate.

"The decision to preserve and transform the site for creative industries uses seeks to build on the existing cluster of cultural and creative industries establishments along Hollywood Road and in the SoHo area. The atmosphere provides a suitable nurturing environment for creativity." 

A new partnership model will be adopted for the implementation of this project, whereby the Government will finance the essential structural and building services works under the Public Works Programme. The proposed government works, to be carried out by the Architectural Services Department, will include:

(a) upgrading two quarters blocks to meet functional requirements and modern-day building requirements;
(b) preserving historical relics of the original Central School;
(c) constructing a canopy in glass steel frame and a sky bridge between the quarters blocks;
(d) constructing a new multi-purpose room-cum-exhibition area and new galleries; and
(e) developing about 1,200 square metres of landscaped open space.

The successful applicant will be responsible for the capital costs for renovation beyond the Government works, if any, and interior decoration specifically for the intended uses, as well as the envisioning and operation of the creative industries landmark.

"The new partnership model draws on the Government's architectural strength and the private sector's expertise in creative industries. While the Government is carrying out pre-construction planning, interested applicants will prepare operation proposals in parallel. This arrangement will help expedite the delivery of the project.

"The Government will charge nominal rent for the site in order to encourage a wide variety of activities, e.g. dedicated space for start-up creative industries establishments at concessionary rent, an exhibition area for display of historical relics of the former Central School, landscaped open space, etc., which will meet the three project objectives but may not be profitable," said Mrs Ting.

Mr Siu said that the exhibition space and galleries for the display and sale of creative products would help attract patronage to the site after revitalisation. The revitalised site might also comprise studios for artists and designers from different creative sectors.

"To realise the project vision of promoting creative industries, the site may provide dedicated space for start-up creative establishments at concessionary rents for incubation purpose. The central courtyard between the two quarters blocks may be used as a venue for activities to promote creative industries and foster a creative environment within the community. The site may also include lodgings for visiting artists to facilitate on-site creative activities and collaboration among diverse talent groups," Mr Siu said.

An operator will be selected through a competitive Invitation for Proposals (IFP) process based on the merits of the proposals in the following areas:

(a) reflection of historical value and technical aspects (10%);
(b) creative industries value, social value and social enterprise operation (40%);
(c) financial viability and other considerations (25%); and
(d) management capability and other considerations (25%).

Assessment of submitted proposals will be carried out by the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Building, augmented by expertise from the creative industries, through two rounds of selection.

The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Building, Mr Bernard Chan, said that the advisory committee was very pleased to help assess the proposals for the PMQ project.

"With the committee's experience in assessing the revitalisation proposals for quite a number of historic buildings and complemented by the participation of experts from the creative industries, we are confident that we will be able to select the right operator for this important project," he said

A fixed tenancy term of 10 years, renewable for another five years, will be given to the selected operator to facilitate longer-term business planning for the operation of the creative industries landmark.

Applicants must possess charitable status under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap.112). Applicants that have formally submitted an application to the Inland Revenue Department will also be allowed to apply. Joint ventures of interested organisations and enterprises are also welcome.

To enhance transparency in the operating accounts of the project, the successful applicant is required to set up a special purpose company (SPC) for the sole purpose of operating this project.

The Government will not subsidise the operating expenditure of the project. The selected operator may solicit donations to meet the start-up costs of the project. Any net operating surplus arising from the operation will be shared between the operator and Government every five years on a 50/50 basis. Upon dissolution of the SPC, any surplus funds and assets should be disposed of in accordance with the Inland Revenue Ordinance.

Open days with guided tours will be arranged for prospective applicants to inspect the historic site and premises in mid-April 2010. A workshop will also be organised in late April to answer application enquiries.

CD-ROMs containing the invitation documents are available for collection at the Commissioner for Heritage's Office, Development Bureau, at 21/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, during office hours. They can also be downloaded from the office's website: (www.heritage.gov.hk/en/pmq/ifp.htm).

Interested applicants must submit their proposals by noon on Friday, June 18, 2010. Late submissions will not be accepted.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Boost for city's creative industries*
5 July 2010
SCMP

More large-scale events, including an Asian music awards, will be staged to boost the city's creative industries, but bringing creativity to the community is the ultimate key to success, the head of CreateHK says.

Jerry Liu Wing-leung (pictured) appointed in March to head the government office which leads the development of the creative industries says: "Our midterm goal is to bring creative industries to the community," says Liu, one of the co-founders of Hong Kong film giant Media Asia, which is now headed by Film Development Council member Peter Lam Kin-ngok. "I hope to bring them to the community and only by doing this can we increase the demand for local creative products, and in turn support the industries," he says.

CreateHK manages three funding schemes. The HK$300 million CreateSmart Initiative has approved HK$48.5 million grants to 26 applicants since last year. The Design Smart Initiative channelled HK$147 million to 332 applicants up to this June.

The Film Development Fund has approved HK$3.8 million in funding for 13 film productions and HK$100 million for 58 non-film productions.

Liu says CreateHK will support the organisation of more events. He said that following the annual Business of Design Week, which has already established itself as one of the most important design industry events in the region, the government has talked with various sectors, including television, publishing, music, and architecture, to explore the possibilities of organising other events.

As sponsor of Hong Kong's participation in the Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition next month, Liu says the government is considering bringing the show to Hong Kong and various cities in China after the Italian event. Hong Kong could host an Asian music awards event, given the success of the Asian Film Awards, as well as an Asian TV production exchange platform during the next Entertainment Expo in spring.

The government will also consider sponsoring exhibitions by the city's printing and publishing industries to showcase award-winning publications at overseas book fairs, Liu says.

But, despite government support, there were also limitations to what the government could do. "The government can be more encouraging and create a more user-friendly environment," he says. "At the end of the day, industries have to take the lead themselves. Too much government intervention might not be good."

Liu says CreateHK will also support schemes that groom young talent and support enterprises for youth, including preparing teaching materials on film and visual arts for the new high school curriculum, and developing new technologies, such as a distribution platform for comics.

He says the government has received four applications to redevelop the former police married quarters on Hollywood Road as a creative industries cluster, and he hopes that the site will become a centre for such industries and a location for events.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Arts group vies for Hollywood Road site *
30 August 2010
SCMP

A star-studded group is competing against a developer and a newspaper boss to turn the former married police quarters in Hollywood Road into a creative area, where they will mentor budding artists.

The all-star cast has been assembled by the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture, which has been promised a loan of HK$25 million by a group of five people including Pansy Ho Chiu-king, daughter of casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun.

The institute, set up in 1998 by artists and educators, runs a creative school in Lok Fu and has organised international programmes to promote culture.

"We have no big business behind us. What we have are people who have a proven track record and passion in their fields," said Mathias Woo Yan-wai, director of the institute, introducing the proposal to the media. Wu is also co-artistic director of theatre group Zuni Icosahedron.

The revitalisation project for the police quarters site was announced by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in his policy address last year.

The institute has gathered about 30 top figures from the local art and design sector, including actor Daniel Wu Yin-cho, director and actress Sylvia Chang Ai-chia, co-founder of local lifestyle brand G.O.D, Douglas Young, Brian Tse Lap-man and Alice Mak Ka-bik, creators of the Mcdull stories and animation that drew a wide local audience, pop singer and producer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, ink brush painter Kan Tai-keung, and designers Freeman Lau Siu-hong and Stanley Wong Ping-pui.

Wu said they had signed agreements to commit themselves as anchor tenants of the two former residential blocks at the site if the institute won out.

The agreements did not stipulate how much time they would spend in the buildings. Asked whether these people would end up being absent from the place most of the time, Wu said: "They are all based in Hong Kong. They undertook to use the buildings as their offices, to mentor at least one young talent every year, to give lectures and workshops for the public and to arrange open sessions for their studios.

"The tenants will deliver something different, working with local craftsmen to produce new products. For example, the G.O.D. shop will sell exclusive designs that are unavailable in other branches. A designer will dedicate his workshop to make chairs and stools of different styles with young people."

The anchor tenants will comprise about 60 per cent of the tenant mix and pay market rent. The rest of the studios will be open to young talent and creative firms at a discount.

Wu said the institute would partner with the Federation of Hong Kong Industries to line up manufacturers keen to help young designers looking for opportunities.

While 60 per cent of the 15,000 square-metre total floor area will be used as studios, the other 40 per cent will be open to the public as shops, cafes, exhibition space, a black-box theatre, and a heritage interpretation centre exhibiting the history of Hollywood Road and the Central School, founded on the site in 1889 before the police quarters were built.

The institute would form a company to manage the project, with a board comprising figures from industry and academia to monitor the operation.

In the government's brief, the operator, a non-profitmaking body, will take a 10-year tenancy to set up a creative area. Half of any profit will have to go to the government, with the rest ploughed back into the operation. The administration will invest millions to cover basic renovation of the buildings and to add a skybridge and glass canopy to connect the two blocks.

The others vying for the project are the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation, set up by Sino Land executive director Daryl Ng Win-kong; an unknown cultural organisation based on the mainland; and the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation, formed in 2008 by Hong Kong Economic Times Holdings chairman Lawrence Fung Siu-por and others.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Arts group loses bid for former police quarters *
1 September 2010
SCMP

An all-star group of artists has failed in its bid to turn the former married police quarters in Hollywood Road into a creative cluster.

The committee vetting applications for the project has shortlisted a foundation set up by a Sino Land executive and another established by a newspaper boss, leaving the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture out of the running.

"The institute's creative elements are outstanding, but in other aspects it is outshone by the others," a committee member said.

The committee comprises building professionals together with industry and community representatives. The member said the proposal lagged behind the others particularly in management capacity.

The shortlisted bidders - the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation, set up by Sino Land executive director Daryl Ng Win-kong, and the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation, formed by Hong Kong Economic Times Holdings chairman Lawrence Fung Siu-por - have yet to reveal their proposals.

The member said the institute's proposal could be reconsidered if the shortlisted ones were found unsatisfactory. Honorary institute chief executive Ada Wong Ying-kay said last night she would not comment until she was informed officially about the decision, which was made at a meeting on Monday.

Criteria considered by the vetting committee included reflection of historical value and technical aspects, creative industries' value and social value, financial viability and management capacity.

The institute announced last week that it planned to invite 30 top arts and design figures as anchor tenants. The star would-be tenants included actor Daniel Wu Yin-cho, G.O.D. founder Douglas Young and Brian Tse Lap-man and Alice Mak Ka-bik, creators of the McDull stories and cartoons.

It said the key players had promised to mentor budding talents in their arts.

The Musketeers earlier said it would partner with the Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Design Institute.

The successful operator will take a 10-year tenancy to set up a creative area at the site, which is composed of two vacant police quarters blocks and the remains of the Central School, founded at the site in 1889.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Central sites expose patchy heritage regime 
Mixed reviews for government performance on landmark conservation projects *
4 October 2010
South China Morning Post

A year after Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced his Conserving Central package to revitalise the area's historic sites, the government is getting a passing grade - but only just.

Some of the projects highlighted in the chief executive's 2009 policy address are getting the thumbs-up from district councillors and heritage activists for the transparent way in which public consultation has been conducted. But others have proved disappointing. As lack of consultation has led to public rejection, some projects are being held up or sent back to the drawing board, causing delays and potential rises in costs.

At the top of the class is the Central Market, for which the Urban Renewal Authority is conducting a thorough consultation, assisted by a committee comprising four district councillors and including a historian and conservation architects.

The one receiving the most criticism is the Central Police Station project, which was awarded to the Jockey Club without prior consultation and has gone back to the drawing board after the public objected to an obtrusive observation tower.

*The selection process for the former police married quarters in Hollywood Road - where three of the four applicants declined an invitation to spell out their plans at a public forum, leading to its cancellation - has also been criticised.* So has a proposal for an office tower on part of the present government headquarters site in Central. There appears to be no real standard by which a revitalisation project should proceed to meet public demands for transparency.

*Central and Western district councillor Cheng Lai-king said that of the seven Conserving Central projects, the best approach so far was that for the Central Market.* The consultation has involved a questionnaire covering more than 6,000 Hongkongers and tourists on possible uses, and workshops with residents and professionals.

The committee, of which Cheng is a member, will go on to discuss the business model and select operators for the project, with meeting records uploaded to its website.

Cheng said the most undesirable approach was the one for the Central Police Station, a historic complex of law-enforcement buildings including the former Victoria Prison.

The government announced in 2007 that it would lease the site to the Jockey Club to run an arts and commercial complex. The subsequent six-month consultation resulted in the club bowing to public pressure and scrapping the observation deck designed by renowned Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron. It is due to announce the revised plan soon.

Activists are also unhappy about what they see as secretiveness by applicants for the police quarters site.

The forum proposed by Cheng and the Central and Western Concern Group was aborted on September 25 because only one of the four applicants accepted the invitation to introduce their proposals to develop creative industries on the site.

*"People have in the past complained about noisy rock concerts organised inside the [disused] police quarters. It is important the operators hear what neighbours think," Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the concern group said.*

Law said the approach adopted for the Blue House tenement in Wan Chai, where residents were included in the process, was good and should also be adopted for the quarters site.

The Development Bureau has given an advisory committee on revitalisation of historic buildings, comprising professionals and government officials, the task of choosing an operator for the police quarters site.

Applicants include an NGO set up by Sino Land, a charity set up by a newspaper proprietor and a group of artists and designers.

Cheng said she felt annoyed that the applicants did not attend the forum. "We want to know what they will do with the heritage site and how much they will open the space to the public. The government has the responsibility to engage the public in the selection process," she said.

A bureau spokeswoman said it had conducted a three-month public engagement exercise in May 2008 before launching the tender.

Advisory committee chairman Bernard Chan said it was up to the government to decide how much consultation should be conducted.

"It is actually not bad to hear more views. In the Blue House project, we initially thought it would be difficult to make a judgment together with residents but it turned out to be the opposite," he said.

The recent announcement of the redevelopment plan for the government headquarters, which involves knocking down the west wing for a new office tower and mall, is also likely to run into opposition during the consultation, which continues until the end of next month.

Activists such as Law and lawmaker Tanya Chan are asking why the symbol and landscape of political power have to be commercialised.

Antiquities Advisory Board member Dr Ng Cho-nam said the landmark buildings in the heart of Central would inevitably draw attention and it would be wise to heed public views. "It's natural people are concerned to whom the government will hand over these key development sites. Without active consultation it's easy to think that the decision is made at officials' will," Ng said.

Ada Wong Ying-kay, a member of the only applicant for the Hollywood Road project that accepted the invitation to the forum, said the approaches to the sites were inconsistent and a mechanism to govern heritage revitalisation was lacking.

"It's all up to officials to decide which buildings are put up for revitalisation and who will take them. There should be a heritage policy that goes through the list of all heritage buildings and categorises them to identify which should be opened up to community discussion," Wong said.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Musketeers have winning shot *
16 November 2010
The Standard

A cultural foundation teaming up with design institutes has won the 10-year right to run the creative hub at the former police married quarters on Hollywood Road.

Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation won over three other bidders. Formed in 2008, its directors include Stanley Chu Yu-lun, chairman of Adsale Exhibition Services, and Lawrence Fung Siu-por, chairman of Hong Kong Economic Times Holdings.

The foundation will donate HK$100 million to revitalize the site and run the creative industries landmark to be named ``PMQ.''

The government, meanwhile, has set aside HK$420 million for the construction and renovation work, slated to be completed in 2013. The hub is expected to open in the first quarter of 2014.

The foundation also received HK$10 million from an anonymous benefactor. The donation will be dedicated to helping cultivate creative talents.

The 59-year-old compound is the original site of the Central School, which educated the father of modern China, Sun Yat-sen. It consists of two now-empty low-rise residential blocks and a two- story Junior Police Call clubhouse.

The foundation, teaming up with the Polytechnic University, the Vocational Training Institute's Design Institute, and the Design Centre, was one of the four groups which bid for the contract to run the site.

It defeated two proposals from the Heritage Revitalization Development and the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture.

The remaining application was considered invalid as it did not propose turning the site into a creative industries hub.

Under the foundation's revitalization plan, the site will house more than 130 studios for local and overseas artists to create, sell and display their artworks and products, occupying more than 55 percent of the 165,764 sq foot floor area.

Chu said the studio space will be leased at concessionary rents but the exact level remains undecided.

About a quarter of the area will be for catering and other shops while the rest will be set aside for open space.

``The group winning the contract will set up an advisory committee to vet tenants and enthusiasts in the creative industry can join in,'' Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said. ``What matters most is that the hub is not for making profit and has its own missions. So we need not worry that it will become another high-end place for brand stores.''

If the occupancy rate reaches 80 percent, the project will have a surplus starting from 2018.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Transformation of Former Police Married Quarters into "PMQ"*
Monday, November 15, 2010
Government Press Release

The Development Bureau today (November 15) announced that the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road would be transformed into a creative industries landmark named "PMQ" by the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation Limited (Musketeers Foundation), with the support of Hong Kong Design Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Vocational Training Council's Hong Kong Design Institute.

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, Mr Bernard Chan, held a press conference today to announce the selection result of the invitation for proposals exercise for transforming the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road into a creative industries landmark.

Mrs Carrie Lam said that the PMQ project was a very thorough and comprehensive proposal, and would best fulfil the three objectives of the scheme, namely promotion of creative industries, heritage conservation and the provision of local open space.

PMQ will provide studios for retailing creative products, an indoor multi-function activity hall, outdoor open space for creative activities, a creative resources centre, rooms for artists-in-residence, an interpretation area displaying the remains of the former Central School, a landscaped open area and other ancillary commercial facilities such as food and beverage outlets.

Mrs Lam said, "With the completion of the selection process, the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road, together with the contemporary arts centre to be taken forward by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Central Police Station Compound and the Central Oasis to be created by the Urban Renewal Authority at Central Market, an 'area' is gradually being formed under the approach of 'spot', 'line' and 'area' for heritage conservation. Several years from now, Central will not only be the financial centre of Hong Kong, but also become a great place for public enjoyment."

She also said that the Government had reserved about $420 million under the Public Works Programme for primary renovation of the project by the Government. The Musketeers Foundation would bear the costs incurred beyond the Government's works, as well as the costs for interior decoration and daily operation of the creative landmark.

The project will create about 280 jobs during the construction period and about 130 full-time and part-time jobs upon commissioning. About 630 further jobs will be provided by future tenants of the studios. Renovation work is expected to commence in 2012 and to be completed in 2014 for operation in the same year. 

The applications were assessed by the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings together with four experts from creative industries. The committee scrutinised the applications in accordance with a marking scheme comprising the following four criteria:

(a) reflection of historical value and technical aspects;
(b) creative industries value, social value and social enterprise operation;
(c) financial viability; and
(d) management capability and other considerations.

The committee chairman, Mr Bernard Chan, said that the committee had visited a number of sites that had been revitalised for creative industries in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong before vetting the applications. 

Mr Chan said, "The proposal submitted by the selected applicant is comprehensive. It can best meet the requirements stated in the invitation for proposals. It also has the most potential for transforming the site into a creative industries landmark." 

Also attending the press conference were the Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Mr Alan Siu, and the Chief Architect of Architectural Services Department, Mr Li Ho-kin.

Mr Alan Siu said that creative industry was one of the six new economic areas the Government sought to drive forward. Developing creative clusters in the community and turning them into focal points for creative activities was one of the development strategies for driving the industries. 

"PMQ will provide an all-round platform where different creative establishments can carry out their creative works, display and sell their works, and organise events to attract visitors and develop a creative atmosphere in the community," he said. 

The transformation of the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road is one of the eight projects under the "Conserving Central" initiative announced by the Chief Executive in his 2009-10 Policy Address.

The Development Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Architectural Services Department will work closely with the Musketeers Foundation and the local creative industries sector to implement the project and provide necessary assistance to the Musketeers Foundation in complying with the various administrative and statutory procedures.

Details of the project can be found at the heritage conservation website (www.heritage.gov.hk).

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201011/15/P201011150214.htm


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)




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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Opinion : Keep HK's property developers well away from our arts centres*
12 January 2011
SCMP

Not content with controlling property development, shopping malls, retail, private hospitals, transport and the entertainment industry, our tycoons are now intent on taking over arts facilities. These facilities were ostensibly set up to encourage creative industries and provide opportunities for talented individuals and small businesses to gain commercial experience and flourish.

Sino Land was one of the bidders for the management of the former police married quarters. Now we learn that it has set up a joint venture with Emperor Group to tender for the management of the Urban Renewal Authority's Mallory Street arts project ("Sino Land, Emperor eye tenement arts site", December 31).

It is obvious that these conglomerates want to leave nothing for the little people in the community and their objective is to ensure that our every activity generates income for one or another of their subsidiaries.

The URA, in encouraging this tender, will no doubt say it has a duty to appoint the most experienced operator.

However, it is now time for some positive discrimination in order to allow people other than tycoons and their offspring to demonstrate their abilities and expertise.

If these individuals never get the chance to test their skills, the community will be deprived of their potential.

Our tycoons have dipped into the URA honey pot for years whenever its modus operandi allowed them to cream off billions on joint developments.

Sino Land boasts of its experience in revitalising historic buildings but has repeatedly come up with proposals to build a tall hotel on Staunton Street, completely incompatible with the historic low-rise nature of the district.

Emperor proposes to open a karaoke spot at the Mallory Street arts project. Its intention is obviously to promote its stable of artistes at a low-cost venue conveniently close to its headquarters.

If Hong Kong is to progress, we have to shake off the shackles and the all-pervasive influence of local tycoons.

Having arts centres managed by property developers is certainly not the way forward. The URA will fund the Mallory Street project from its reserves - read, public funds.

These funds should be used to give opportunities to ordinary residents and not to perpetuate the stranglehold tycoons currently enjoy on our daily lives.

The administration keeps promising to close the wealth gap and to help people to advance in society. If it takes a little positive discrimination, then so be it.

Candy Tam, Wan Chai


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Modernisation to disturb history*
22 March 2011
SCMP

Parts of historic foundations and an old underground toilet will be disturbed in revitalisation of the former Police Married Quarters in Hollywood Road.

According to a paper to be considered by the Antiquities Advisory Board today, three areas in the foundations of the historic Central School at the site will be affected by construction of an access to an underground display area.

Government architects and a consultant for The Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation, which won a 10-year contract to set up a creative industries hub at the site, said the affected areas were small, without giving details.

"We will collect and properly store as much of the impacted remains as practicable to cater for future replacement," the consultant said.

The Central School was built in 1862 as the first institution to provide modern education in the city, and the police quarters were built after the second world war.

Another reminder of century-old architecture, a typical underground public toilet built in the first decade of the last century in Aberdeen Street, will have one of two entrances decked over to provide a footpath along the street. The toilet is proposed for a grade-three rating, which does not offer preservation but only photographic records.

Roger Ho Yao-sheng, a conservation writer who campaigned to push officials to study the site, said it was inappropriate for the tenant to suggest which parts should be preserved and removed. "It is not up to them to introduce irreversible changes to heritage."


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*No half measures for PMQ design team*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Monday, April 20, 2015

_Images from : http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/65170/pmq-the-new-creative-hub.html _




























The team behind the HK$560 million revitalized PMQ project prepared several plans when redesigning the 1950s former police married quarters, its project architect said.

PMQ two mid-rise buildings set around a large central courtyard. taking up a whole block on the western edge of SoHo had its soft opening last April.

The original structures, including the large balconies and grilled windows, have been retained. Architect William Tsang Wai-lun said the team adjusted the design a few times to retain the characteristics of the structure and minimize the effect on the traffic on busy Aberdeen Street.

"The design team had to consider all kinds of possibilities ahead," he said. "[We] needed to coordinate with different government departments and implement the pipelines connection plan according to the actual circumstances at the scene after the digging started."

Between January 2012 and December 2013, the two buildings of PMQ were transformed into studios, offices, bedrooms, creative resource centers, boutiques and restaurants, with little change in room size. Fire sprinklers were installed in each room.

The bedrooms are rented out for HK$1,000 a night for designers. A glass canopy is built to cover the large central courtyard that connects the two buildings.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Sheung Wan arts hub draws 300,000 people a month, management says after reports of few visitors*
3 June 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A year-old arts hub at the former police married quarters (PMQ) in Sheung Wan is drawing about 300,000 visitors a month, a number the hub management describes as "beyond expectations".

The renovated grade three historic building officially reopened in May last year as PMQ and now has about 100 tenants who are in the fields of fashion and product design, furniture, as well as other arts and crafts.

The tenants use their rented studios as both an office and a shop where they sell their own products.

Victor Tsang, executive director of PMQ Management, said the arts hub currently received 300,000 visitors each month. "Since our opening, four million people have visited. This is beyond all our expectations."

Before its rebirth as a home for the arts, the site provided residences for police officers and their families from 1951 to 2000. Celebrity residents included Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his predecessor, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.

In 2010, the building was given a heritage value of grade three - the lowest of three gradings by the Antiquities Advisory Board - and underwent renovation two years later.

Earlier reports had criticised PMQ for attracting few visitors on weekdays.

"The number of visitors during weekdays is lower than that on weekends. That's normal," Tsang said. "But the difference is narrowing."

He said 500,000 people visited during the first month of opening, but this was because of an exhibition of 1,600 panda models that turned out to be very popular. Since then, visitor numbers had hovered around 300,000 a month, he said.

Tsang said this was out of his expectations because museums in Europe and the United States tended to draw about six million a month - and PMQ was not a museum. The portion of tourists at PMQ rose from 10 per cent of all visitors initially to about 28 per cent now, he said, attributing the increase to entries about the arts hub in tourism guides around the world.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

PMQ by Eugene Lim, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC_1543 by yukikei, on Flickr


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