# HONG KONG | Projects & Construction



## newyorkrunaway1

this is real good news i think for hk! They needed to do some urban renewal and fix up what they messed up! the city!


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## hkskyline

*SHK outbids rivals for Island project *
Raymond Wang, Hong Kong Standard
August 18, 2005

Sun Hung Kai Properties won its second housing project on Hong Kong Island in two months, outbidding five rivals for a HK$400 million development site in North Point.

The company, Hong Kong's largest real estate developer by market value, confirmed on Wednesday that it bought Minster Court from China Resources Group through a private tender arranged by Jones Lang LaSalle.

Industry analysts said the existing 27-story residential building on a 12,000-square-foot site at 38 Ming Yuen West Street can be redeveloped into a 40-story residential tower, with better seaviews.

They estimated the project will require an investment cost of more than HK$500 million, including land costs of nearly HK$400 million and construction costs of more than HK$100 million.

The 12-year-old property attracted bids from a number of major developers, including Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Henderson Land.

In late June, Sun Hung Kai Properties beat Nan Fung Development, Cheung Kong and Sino Land to win Southside Villa in Island South via a private tender for HK$1.21 billion.

SHKP is considering redeveloping the nine-year-old luxury property at 9 Shouson Hill Road into a low-rise villa project for nearly HK$2 billion, including land and building costs. Separately, Henderson Land is a leading contender to acquire Lane Crawford House after making a HK$2.4 billion offer for the Central property ahead of the tender deadline next month, market sources said.

The current owner, Wheelock, had received a number of offers from local investors and developers, including Angela Leong, wife of casino tycoon Stanley Ho, and Chinese Estates Holdings, sources said.

Wheelock had no one available for comment.

In another development, Cheung Kong and its partner Nan Fung are poised to reap more than HK$100 million from the sale of two duplex apartments next month.

They are at the Metro Town development above the Tiu Keng Leng MTR station.


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## hkskyline

*Old boomtown faces new woes *
Hong Kong Standard
August 8, 2005

Over the past four decades the once-thriving community of Kwun Tong has become one of the poorest districts in Hong Kong. With no immediate plans for urban renewal, the area of 570,000 has now become the focal point of the Poverty Commission, a government body set up earlier this year and headed by Financial Secretary Henry Tang.

Kwun Tong is one of three districts targeted by the commission for a pilot study assessing the level of help needed to alleviate poverty.

Kwun Tong, which lies opposite the old Kai Tak airport runway, was one of the first satellite towns in Hong Kong and the first to have a District Council in 1982.

However, the district traces its roots to the Song Dynasty, in the twelfth and thirteenth century, when it was a boomtown. The area around Kwun Tong's foothills, including Kowloon Bay, was dotted with saltpans which became an important source of government revenue through the production of salt and the collection of taxes from salt producers.

Today, the area is facing rapid urban decay, dotted with old factory blocks and housing estates which were developed in 1960s, a time when large-scale reclamation was carried out along the coast of Kowloon East to provide land for industrial development. The aging population, the decline of manufacturing and decreasing jobs saw the area slip into poverty, according to Ho Hei-wah, director of the Society for Community Organization, a non-governmental organization.

The "old and poor" image is not only demonstrated by the town's appearance but also by the government's statistics.

The median monthly domestic household income of the district in 2004 was HK$13,100, the third lowest in Hong Kong, compared with the territory-wide monthly income of HK$15,500.

The unemployment rate in the district was 8 percent in 2004, ranked sixth highest among the territory's 18 districts.

The district also has the second highest number of old people. The elderly comprise 16.3 percent of the district's population, which is well above the territory-wide average of 11.7 percent. Only one other district, Sham Shui Po, has a larger percentage of elderly people.

Kwun Tong has the highest number of old-age Comprehensive Social Security Allowance cases in the whole of Hong Kong. One resident, Chan Yue-man, 68, is now receiving HK$4,000 from the CSSA monthly which he shares with his wife who emigrated to Hong Kong 18 months ago and who is not eligible for the dole.

He limits his daily spending to no more than HK$50 each day. "It's been many years since I bought any clothes or major article in Hong Kong for the home," Chan said. "Instead, I wait until I get the opportunity to go to the mainland where goods are much cheaper."

Alarmingly, Kwun Tong is now the district with the third highest number of domestic violence cases - both child and spouse abuse.

A Kwun Tong Social Welfare office spokeswoman said the violence was possibly triggered by financial hardship. "Most family violence victims are housewives who were not locally born, and more than 70 percent of the families receiving welfare services for domestic violence involve mainland-Hong Kong couples who rely on the CSSA or have low incomes," the spokesman said.

Currently the Social Welfare Department is carrying out an 18-month trial scheme by holding regular forums on family violence.

Although the government denies it is neglecting the area, authorities have been slow to act to upgrade poverty-stricken neighborhoods through urban redevelopment.

An Urban Renewal Authority spokesman said that although no plan has been started, a five-hectare project will commence in early 2007 involving "dozens of billions of dollars." This project was first announced by the predecessor to the URA, the former Lands Development Authority in 1998.


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## InitialD18

they really should preserved those terraces at shing wong street and lee tung street ... 
Specially Lee tung street ... this is a crucial piece of history left in wanchai and most importantly even the residents 
want to preserve the street ... 
anyone who walked along the street would know
how this could easily be rehabitated and turned into a 
pedestrian only zone with the same usage as it had been for this past century ...


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## hkskyline

*Chinese Estates wins Tai Kok Tsui project*
Peggy Sito
2 September 2005
South China Morning Post

Chinese Estates Holdings outbid eight contenders to win the development rights to a small residential redevelopment in Tai Kok Tsui. 

The project on Larch Street will involve about 152 flats, providing a gross floor area of 119,000 sq ft. 

Estimated investment cost is about $500 million. 

The Urban Renewal Authority invited tenders for the redevelopment on August 19. 

There were bids from players such as Cheung Kong (Holdings), Sino Land and Sun Hung Kai Properties. 

Smaller developers included K Wah International and Chuang's Consortium. 

The project, which is situated on a 13,000 sq ft site, will be residential with some commercial space and about 4,300 sq ft of landscaped area. 

It is expected to be completed by 2009. 

Meanwhile, property agents projected sale and purchase agreements signed last month would dip to between 8,830 and 8,930, from July's 8,933. 

Centaline Property Agency, however, estimated the value of contracts registered during the month rose 2.9 per cent from July to $29.99 billion, suggesting residential prices remained firm despite the interest-rate increases. 

Compared with a year ago, the transaction volume last month jumped more than 25 per cent, according to Centaline Property. 

Midland Realty chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai said the purchase volume should top 9,500 this month as developers released more projects.


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## hkskyline

*Three groups join in heritage push on Central site *
Andrea Chiu 
7 September 2005
Hong Kong Standard

Three groups representing a wide spectrum of Hong Kong's society have jointly called on Chief Executive Donald Tsang to preserve the historical value of the Central Police Station in any future redevelopment plan. 

In an open letter to the chief executive, the Conservancy Association, the Central and Western District Council and the Hong Kong Institute of Architects said the public strongly endorses the preservation of "historical ambience'' and "cultural values'' at the Central site. 

They also said that 68 percent of the 5,000 people surveyed over the past eight months would rather a charitable non-governmental organization handle the redevelopment of the buildings and compound instead of the government or private developers. 

They also urged the government to make the redevelopment a heritage-led project rather than one based on tourism. The letter asks the government to take three key steps to maintain the police compound's historic value. 

The first of these should be the setting up of a provisional authority for cultural heritage that should come up with a conservation plan. The authority should be responsible for defining what is ``culturally significant'' so as to ensure the participants follow the conservation plan. 

The site was originally developed in 1864, but new blocks were added between 1910 and 1925. It covers 17 buildings that include the Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and the Central Magistracy. 

Association vice-chairman Stephen Chan said the site is important to the city because it represents the last remaining evidence of the colonial era. 

"This is one of Hong Kong's Victorian relics that still remains,'' he said. 

He said it also showed that democracy was in place 140 years ago because the site was a one-stop establishment of the democratic process with a police station, a magistracy and a prison all on one site. 

In August last year, the Hotung family made a bid to re-develop the area without tender. 

The Hotungs proposed a HK$500 million investment to turn the site into a cultural complex that would include a visual arts academy, a performance center, housing facilities and space for shops and restaurants. The offer was rejected by the government one month later. 

But Chan said a redevelopment along the lines of the Hotung proposal would be ideal for the site. 

Following the rejection of the Hotung plan, the government faced a number of protests by groups that feared the redevelopment rights would go to the highest bidder without consideration for heritage protection. 

"The Central Police Station is important because it is a symbol of British governance,'' Chan said. 

"It reflects the past history of Hong Kong, which can be viewed by future generations.'' 

The chief executive's office said the government could not comment on the letter since it had yet to receive it. 

However, a government press release said that Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip had met with the conservationists Tuesday. It said Ip had agreed to examine their suggestions and to continue discussions with the group on the redevelopment of the site.


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## hkskyline

*Yue Man Square redevelopment consultation starts next month *
Hong Kong Economic Times
10 September 2005

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is planning to speed up redevelopment of Yue Man Square in Kwun Tong following the successful operation of apm shopping mall and Millennium City by Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP). Since the opening of apm in March 2005, a new kind of retail mall and shopping concept has been introduced into this old district. Apart from night-time shopping, a group of young customers are also introduced to Kwun Tong. 

The Yue Man Square redevelopment plan involves 5 hectares of land, 23 buildings with 1,700 building property rights. It is going to be one the biggest old town redevelopment projects that may last for ten years. 

The URA will start district consultation work as early as November 2005 in preparation for the launch of the project. It has short-listed ten local architects to plan and design the new town and will release these designs and overall development plan for consultation in December. It hopes to submit a town planning proposal to the government by 2006 and starts acquiring properties for redevelopment by March 2007.


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## hkskyline

*Ghosts of Central past mount spirited defence
Leong Ka-tai's photographs poignantly capture an ancient tradition that could soon be history *
4 September 2005
South China Morning Post

It's noisy, colourful and stands in sharp contrast to slick SoHo. Every summer, the Yue Lan or Hungry Ghost Festival dominates Central for a day. Elderly women spend hours folding gold and silver paper into bullion. To ward off the restless spirits, roast suckling pig and fruit are offered, along with paper Lear jets and Rolls-Royces. The culmination of the event is the burning of the paper offerings in the evening, to keep the ghosts at bay for another year. 

Yet this year may have been the last time the festival takes place in Central if the government's plans for its redevelopment are pushed through. The threatened disappearance of the Hungry Ghost Festival is the basis of Coming Near You: The Destruction of Central Hong Kong, the latest exhibition at John Batten Gallery. 

Photographer Leong Ka-tai grew up in Central, studied engineering in Texas, then served an apprenticeship with a photographer in Paris. He now lives across the road from his childhood home. Although he concentrates on photo-graphy for publications, Leong had two successful exhibitions about Sars in 2003. City Heroes was launched at the HSBC Building's concourse, and illustrated how quiet, unassuming people can become heroes. Sars Heroes: In the Eye of the Storm was presented in malls such as Sha Tin's New Town Plaza, and examined the disease through those it affected. 

"This was like a sort of journal for me," Leong says of his latest exhibition. "In 2001, I had time on my hands, and I decided to photograph what happened during the festival over the course of a day." 

Leong sifts through his photos in the John Batten Gallery, explaining each one. "That evening, it was raining," he says. "They told me it rains every year until rice is distributed to the elderly. Then it stops just in time. An old man down the road makes the paper effigy of the Hungry Ghost king on Aberdeen Street from scratch. Many return to pay respects to their ancestors because their ancestral altar is still here." 

During the next five years Central Market and former police quarters on Hollywood Road and Aberdeen Street are expected to be sold and redeveloped. Much of the area between Queen's Road Central and Gage Street, and between Bridges Street and Caine Road, may be demolished. Victoria Prison and the former Central Police Station are being considered for commercial use, and developers are building towers such as the 44-storey block near Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road. 

All of these changes threaten to alter the area held dear by people such as Batten, Leong and Roger Ho, who worked with Batten on the exhibition. A long-time supporter of Central's preservation, he has published a book on the area titled Hong Kong Heritage Zone. 

"Lots of areas in Central are demolished simply for the sake of profit," Ho says. "But Hong Kong began in Central. This area has more history and culture than anywhere else - what will there be left for the next generation?" 

Batten says he's not opposed to development. "It's just the way everything is razed to the ground, and developers use every possible space. If you put a tall building up, the area will become highly polluted and congested. A lot of people don't understand that unless they object at the start of the process, there's no legal avenue afterwards." 

"What I love about Central is that everything is here," Leong says. "Old, new, Chinese, western - do we want to tear down this neighbourhood so we can build something that's the same as anywhere else in the world? If we let it develop organically, the results will be better than if we were to let the government go ahead with what it has planned. 

"We don't necessarily keep buildings because they have artistic merit. Many buildings were considered really ugly when first built. For example, when Dairy Farm opened its cold storage facility on Ice House Street, everyone thought it was a waste of a great location. 

"But over time, we grew to love them as the FCC and Fringe Club. How many of these buildings are left in Central? It should be about what they mean to the cultural fabric of a neighbour-hood. I hope this exhibition helps to create more under-standing - that people will reconsider whether we need new shopping malls and new residential blocks at the expense of demolishing the old ones." 

Coming Near You: The Destruction of Central Hong Kong, John Batten Gallery, G/F 64 Peel St, Central. Inquiries: 2854 1018. Ends Sept 10


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## hkskyline

*Boost urban renewal, says lawmaker *
Carrie Chan 
30 August 2005
Hong Kong Standard

Chief Executive Donald Tsang should speed up urban renewal, a pro-government legislator said Monday. 

Patrick Lau urged Tsang to fulfill a policy pledge made by his predecessor Tung Chee-hwa who in January said urban renewal would begin in earnest. 

Lau said now is the best time to begin renewal as the local property market and government budget deficit are improving. "It is a pity that the Urban Renewal Authority missed a lot of good chances for stepping up its work during the property slump period. Now the property market has revived it makes it difficult to compensate and relocate those residents who are affected by urban redevelopment,'' Lau said. 

Lau, an architecture professor turned legislator, said priority should be given to urban renewal instead of Tsang's plan to cut taxes in October's policy address. It is believed that Financial Secretary Henry Tang is studying ways to cut salaries and profits taxes. 

Although the government's deficit is "much improved, the middle-class, a major group of taxpayers, does not expect to get a significant tax break and instead are looking forward to better medical, education services and more public works like urban renewal,'' Lau said. 

The architectural, surveying and planning sector legislator strongly criticized the government's Urban Renewal Authority for its approach to redevelopment. "Most of my electors are furious over the conservative approach of the authority. 

"It has generated huge revenue but reinvests the money to redevelop old and worn out buildings,'' he said. 

Legislator Jasper Tsang, former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, made a similar request last week. 

Lau also said his electorate wants mandatory inspections and maintenance work on old private buildings and the removal of illegal structures. 

He added that as the construction sector suffers the highest unemployment, Tsang should begin to get more major projects, such as the Tamar site, underway to create jobs. 

"Reviving the plan to convert the the unused Tamar site near Central into a HK$6 billion government headquarters and Legislative Council complex can greatly ease the unemployment problem in the construction sector,'' Lau said. 

"It is reassuring to hear the promise by the Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui on the 19th of this month that financing for Tamar is not a problem at all and its construction is likely to commence by 2007.''


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
September 21, 2005
*Renewal uproar 'a wake-up call'*
Andy Cheng

Recent vehement opposition to redevelopment plans for ageing areas has been a wake-up call for the Urban Renewal Authority, according to a newly appointed official.

Eric Choi Yan-sang, the authority's head of community development, said it was "pro-actively" listening to residents' views about areas marked for redevelopment in the wake of opposition to renewal plans in Wan Chai's Wedding Card Street and First and Second streets in Sai Ying Pun.

Mr Choi said that to get feedback, the authority had increased staff from two to 10 officers who would visit every flat in areas designated for redevelopment. 

His comments followed moves by some residents and shopkeepers in Lee Tung Street, known as Wedding Card Street, to seek the intervention of the Ombudsman and Town Planning Board on its redevelopment plan.

Mr Choi said the lesson learned from the residents' actions was that the authority must monitor the public's views.

"A lot of time and resources have been wasted in dealing with the opposing voices, actions and complaints," he said.

But he was puzzled by the level of opposition.

"A study by the University of Hong Kong found only 4 per cent of residents objected to renewal, while more than 70 per cent were in favour of it. But the recent voice of opposition has been so loud that it seems 80 per cent are opposed to the idea," he said, adding that there had been virtually no resistance when the Lee Tung Street renewal announcement was made six years ago.

While the authority would continue negotiating with the 12 flat owners and eight shop owners who were refusing to leave, Mr Choi said talks would only focus on the amount of cash compensation.

"We will not accept proposals such as property owners getting apartments in the new development in return for leaving. This would be unfair to those who have already left," he said.

More than 90 per cent of the 648 owners in Lee Tung Street had accepted the government's compensation package and had vacated their properties.

The Wan Chai District Council, the Conservancy Association and St James' Settlement will launch a public forum on Saturday at 2.30pm in Wan Chai on urban renewal strategies, using Wedding Card Street as a case study.

Meanwhile, the Independent Commission Against Corruption has charged three people with bribery and fraud involving cash compensation of $ 1.8 million on three URA redevelopment projects from 2002 to 2004. Yip Wa-ming, 40, a director of Kind Year Limited; Chan Lai-ying, 33, a property agent; and Jennifer Ng Suk-ling, 39, a housekeeping assistant, will appear in the Kowloon City Court tomorrow.


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## michal1982

can you show me some pictures of places what gonna be redevelop i mean wich part of the city and projects if there are


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## hkskyline

Urban Renewal Authority : http://www.ura.org.hk/html/c800000e1e.html


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## hkskyline

*Battle lines drawn on urban renewal*
Chief Executive Donald Tsang's plan to build a HK$6 billion government headquarters on the long-vacant Tamar site in Central is crystalizing the debate over the direction Hong Kong's urban environment should take.

Doug Crets, Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, October 01, 2005

Chief Executive Donald Tsang's plan to build a HK$6 billion government headquarters on the long-vacant Tamar site in Central is crystalizing the debate over the direction Hong Kong's urban environment should take.

Against Tsang's wish for a government headquarters at the site, the pro- Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and its property developer allies say they want yet more commercial and retail space there in one of the world's most crowded city centers. 

But this time the questions are coming from dozens of elite business professionals rather than the traditional green protest groups who have largely been ignored by the government.

They include businesses like the Kadoorie Group, the Airport Authority, and CLP Power, as well as such figures as Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp chairman Vincent Cheng and chief operating officer Andrew Long, and Swire Properties director and general manager Gordon Ongley.

They belong to a variety of civic groups formed in the past few months to attempt to persuade the government to take a closer look at policy decisions they feel are damaging the harbor and culturally rich neighborhoods such as Wan Chai's "Wedding Card Street," which is to be redeveloped.

Concerned that Hong Kong has fallen far behind other world cities in attempting to preserve its neighborhoods as vibrant communities, they met recently as part of an attempt to influence the dialogue on "urban regeneration." 

Says Paul Zimmerman, convenor of Designing Hong Kong Harbour District, an urban design umbrella group: "The failure of Hong Kong is that its urban and transport planning mechanism is outdated, and there is no leadership apparent within government willing to take charge."

"Change will have to come either from the chief secretary or the chief executive's office, and they appear pre- occupied with China relations, constitutional affairs and `lazy' large-scale infrastructure and development projects" like the West Kowloon cultural district.

Zimmerman adds that he and his associates intend to submit a proposal directly to Tsang, advocating a secretariat for planning to centralize planning decisions that are now shuffled between as many as 30 different fragmented agencies and departments.

Activists say the government is planning to increase the total gross floor area by 9.24 million square feet on reclaimed land in Central - twice as much as the entire International Finance Center site, which includes a shopping mall, hotel and serviced apartments. 

The projected government headquarters at the Tamar site itself will cover 3.69 million sqft, with 322,000 sqft of parking.

Analysts outside Hong Kong say planning for a sustainable future is increasingly demanding a mentality that puts design and community attitudes first.

One of those participating in this effort is Richard Brown, who was invited to Hong Kong to speak to professionals about urban regeneration and London's success in urban planning. 

He played a major role in turning parts of London's Thames Valley into the largest urban green space in England's history to prepare for the 2012 Olympic games.

His message to Hong Kong - do not just build, but build better and smarter and the city will prosper. 

Richard Marshall, regional director of urban design for the Asian wing of EDAW, said: "To be competitive in the global economy, you have to create spaces people want to be in."

Peter Cookson Smith, director of design firm Urbis, works very closely with Hong Kong's Planning Department.

"There is a paralysis in government about what to do next," he said. 

He says that Hong Kong lacks the clear mechanisms that other countries have to put "good projects, done with feasibility studies," in place.


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## hkskyline

*DAB confronts chief on Tamar relocation plan*
Hong Kong Standard
Oct. 3, 2005

*Despite the chief executive's recent pleas for support, a staunch pro-Beijing party is pulling out all the stops to force Donald Tsang to abandon his plans to build a new HK$6 billion government headquarters on the vacant Tamar site.*

Despite the chief executive's recent pleas for support, a staunch pro-Beijing party is pulling out all the stops to force Donald Tsang to abandon his plans to build a new HK$6 billion government headquarters on the vacant Tamar site.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong has compiled a report against the redevelopment plans.

After conducting a poll on the issue and launching a public forum attended by Hang Lung Properties chairman Ronnie Chan and Centaline Holdings chairman Shih Wing-ching, the DAB renewed calls Sunday for the plan to be ditched in its report which will be submitted before Tsang delivers his maiden policy address on October 12.

Party spokesman Cheung Hok-man urged Tsang to consider moving to the former Kai Tak airport instead of Tamar, which is a prime waterfront site, saying the change would generate an estimated income of HK$6.65 billion for the government following a land auction of the Tamar site for commercial use.

Cheung argued the government could complete the construction of a new government headquarters in the old airport by 2012, only three years later than the Tamar site project.

He also called on Tsang to consult with the public before rushing ahead with the plan on the site of the former British military headquarters.The party, which is usually considered a close ally of the government, posed the unexpected challenge to Tsang's Tamar vision as the chief executive was determined to proceed with the plan without consulting political parties.

He is keen to make the move, which he believes will generate a handsome profit and create job opportunities because it will free up the prime sites occupied by the government headquarters in Lower Albert Road and the Murray Building. 

The party put forward its counter proposal at an earlier meeting with Tsang, but a source said the chief executive defended his plan and pleaded with the party's lawmakers for support. 

Cheung said if the government headquarters and the Legislative Council complex are relocated to the former airport, it will spur development of nearby rundown districts, including Kowloon City, To Kwa Wan and Kowloon Bay. 

He added the government should consider that land supply in Central can no longer contain growing demand. 

"The government should not occupy the waterfront prime site in Admiralty because there is not enough space for further commercial development. It should consider how to uphold Hong Kong's status as an international financial center," he said.

Cheung said he believed the prices of commercial buildings in Central would not suffer if the government headquarters moved out of the central business district.


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## hkskyline

*Building on experience to preserve city's heritage *
Andy Cheng 
4 October 2005
South China Morning Post

Marina Lo Kai-man's work used to involve knocking down old buildings - now she works to preserve them. 

For more than a decade, Ms Lo, a former commercial director with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), played a part in pulling down the city's old buildings and maximising returns from redevelopments. 

But now the 51-year-old is doing the opposite - fighting to preserve buildings that are of significant cultural value. 

As project director for the Conservancy Association's centre for heritage, she is coming up with ways to enhance the community's understanding of their heritage and culture, such as through exhibitions and a website. 

"The aim for community education is to equip people with the knowledge they need to voice their thoughts on the city's redevelopment to the government," she says. 

To Ms Lo - a lover of arts, heritage and contemporary painting - her change in jobs was not something awkward, but exactly what she wanted. 

From 1988 to 2001, she worked for the Lands Development Council, which was renamed the Urban Renewal Authority in 2000. She then worked at Kadoorie Farm before landing a job with the Conservancy Association this year. 

She says a lot of the city's buildings carry the public's collective memories, but many of them are disappearing. 

With 13 years' experience in urban renewal, Ms Lo is quick to point out a key problem with the current redevelopment approach - the fact the authority only offers cash as compensation for affected property owners. 

She says vocal objections from residents over recent renewals - including Wan Chai's Wedding Card Street - indicate the authority's traditional assumptions that people only want cash compensation and are not concerned about their districts are wrong. 

"These assumptions are outdated. We can see that residents, in fact, value their district's social network a lot. 

"For example, some residents feel it is important to play mahjong with neighbours." 

While the URA is responsible for implementing the government's renewal policy, Ms Lo says it can also act as a mediator between developers and residents. 

She says it is not difficult to formulate different options to tackle the concerns of residents leaving their districts. 

"One option can involve residents in the redevelopment process. Instead of cash compensation, they can be given a stake in the renewal project according to the price of their property," she says. 

"Their returns will peg with their stakes in the project and they will have the priority to buy flats in the redeveloped area. 

"All these are just calculations - it is not a very difficult task," she says.


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon shows eastern promise
Recent land sales have raised hopes for the urban renewal of the district, but analysts remain doubtful *
Ernest Kong and Peggy Sito 
5 October 2005
South China Morning Post

East Kowloon is emerging as a potential cash cow after a leading developer stunned the market by paying a premium price for two relatively run-down residential lots in the district. 

The site is the second prominent East Kowloon site that SHKP has bought at a government auction since last year. 

In October, the developer paid $4.7 billion for a 136,714 sqft site in San Po Kong, again 30 per cent higher than expected. 

Analysts said investors might decide to follow SHKP's lead in investing in the long-term potential of the district. 

They said the district could see a dramatic revival with impetus from the proposed redevelopment of the old Kai Tak airport. 

Recent focus had been on West Kowloon, the growth potential of which has been stimulated by the government's proposed West Kowloon Cultural District. 

SHKP's aggressive bids have raised eyebrows among investors and property consultants, who say that, in the short term at least, the area is unlikely to receive any positive stimulus such as infrastructure or property developments that might boost prices. 

However, SHKP disagrees. "Some people said the Ngau Chi Wan site was far too expensive, but we merely think the price does not fit in to the district's current market price," said Eric Chow-kwok yin, an executive director at Sun Hung Kai Real Estate. 

He said the company had established a successful track record by adding value to old districts, referring to some of the firm's recent projects such as Chelsea Court, near the Tsuen Wan industrial area, which was sold at a significant premium over the district's market price, and APM, a shopping mall that has spurred the gentrification of Kwun Tong. 

Mr Chow expected the redevelopment of the Kai Tak site to give San Po Kong a completely new atmosphere. 

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation's proposed Sha Tin to Central link would further rejuvenate the district, he said. 

"The redevelopment of the Kai Tak site will play a pivotal role in the future development of East Kowloon," said a government planner. 

The government plans to develop southeast Kowloon into a tourism, sports and recreation hub, with a variety of housing projects, a cruise terminal, a multipurpose stadium and the Metropolitan Park. 

According to a planning department feasibility study, the zoning plan for the redevelopment of southeast Kowloon is expected to be approved in early 2008. 

Gazetted in 2001, the redevelopment will have a total reclaimed area of about 133 hectares, on which it was planned to house 260,000 people in 78,000 flats. 

But this capacity is subject to change after public consultation and a government review. 

Lack of new housing supply could help enhance the area's attractiveness, Jones Lang LaSalle regional director Lau Chun-kong said. 

The old Kai Tak airport redevelopment was unlikely to take place soon, and the proposed residential redevelopment in Yau Tong Bay was still not scheduled to start, he said. 

A group of developers, including Henderson Land Development, had planned to transform Yau Tong Bay into a 22-hectare residential-cum-commercial development, with 38 residential blocks over a gross floor area of 9.7 million sq ft, but the project has been put on hold due to protests against harbour reclamation plans. 

Ricacorp Properties managing director Ivan Ho said East Kowloon had definite growth potential but it would not be realised in the short term. 

"Sun Hung Kai is a big corporation and is strong financially, and it has the ability to take a few years to reshape the entire old district," Mr Ho said, adding that for an individual investor, "it's easier to make quick profits in West Kowloon".


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## hkskyline

October 3, 2005 Monday 4:24 AM GMT
*HK's New World Devt takes 70 pct stake in property project for 614.6 mln hkd*

HONG KONG (AFX) - Property developer New World Development Co Ltd said it has entered into an agreement to buy a 70 pct stake in a residential property redevelopment project in Hong Kong for 614.6 mln hkd.

Company secretary Stewart Leung Chi-kin said in a statement that New World Development subsidiary Melowell Investment Ltd will take a 70 pct stake in China Step Ltd, which owns a 1,193 sq meter plot of land at 9-12 Chun Fai Terrace. 

The site is to be used for the development of a new residential development.

Leung said the transaction will enable the group 'to replenish its landbank for future development on normal commercial terms and is in the interest of the group.'


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## hkskyline

*New World buys industrial buildings for redevelopment *
7 October 2005

According to New World Development, they have purchased two industrial buildings in Western District for redevelopment from the private market. 

The two industrial buildings, namely Tin Lung Factory Building and Kam Mow Industrial Building, are located at No.42-44 Belcher's Street in Western District. With an investment over HK$200 million, the two properties will be redeveloped into a mixed-residential-commercial property with 46-storeys. 

Hong Kong Economic Journal


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## hkskyline

*Public consultation for Mallory Street project begins *
28 September 2005
Government Press Release 

_Renderings_

http://www.ura.org.hk/usrurl/1002000/Mallory_St_-_Aerial.jpg

http://www.ura.org.hk/usrurl/1002000/Mallory_St_-Open_Space.jpg

http://www.ura.org.hk/usrurl/1002000/Mallory_St_-_Mallory_Facade.jpg

http://www.ura.org.hk/usrurl/1002000/Mallory_st_-_Garden.jpg

A two-month public consultation exercise for the Urban Renewal Authority (URA)'s Mallory Street revitalization project in Wan Chai, a pilot project to help foster Hong Kong's development of cultural and creative industries, begins today (Wednesday).

Announcing the territory-wide consultation initiative for the project, Miss Maria Tam, URA Board member and Chairperson of a Special Committee for the project, said: "This project is such a new and unprecedented attempt that we consider it very important to widely consult the general public as well as the prospective operators."

The Special Committee is formed by the URA's Wan Chai District Advisory Committee (DAC) with representatives of the Wan Chai District Council and District Office. 

The consultation exercise aims to collect views and suggestions from both the general public and operators in the cultural and creative industries. While the general public will be asked for their aspirations and the trade mix they would like to see in the project, the views of operators will be sought specifically on the architecture design, rent level, mode of self-supporting operational management, etc. 

A detailed consultative document and questionnaire will be sent to operators in the creative and cultural industries by mail. Copies for the general public are available at all District Offices and the URA Neighbourhood Centres. Besides, members of the public can download the document and questionnaire from the URA Website at www.ura.org.hk or send in their views by email. 

"We want to stress that we do not have any preconceived idea of precisely what the trade mix should be and how the project should be run. We are completely open to any sensible and practicable theme, variety of cultural and creative industries and mode of management that may be proposed, as long as they are deemed sustainable and compatible with the goal of fostering the cultural and creative industries," Miss Tam said.

The consultation will last until 30 November 2005.

Occupying an area of about 8,400 square feet, the project stands at a site which currently has two rows of "Tong Lau" comprising 10 Grade II listed buildings. 

Subject to the approval of the Executive Council and the Town Planning Board, the URA proposes to invest $100 million to redesign, restore and refurbish six buildings of four-storey at Mallory Street to provide about 20 partitioned units of about 650 square feet each for individual users.

The remaining four buildings at Burrows Street, which are in a very poor condition, will be demolished to make way for a 3,000-square foot theme garden for public enjoyment. Nevertheless, an effort will be made to retain the façade of the Burrows Street buildings, if technically feasible. 

As there is a limit to the number of operators this pilot project can accommodate, we have to be very careful on the selection of future users, Miss Tam said.

Depending on the time required for completing the necessary statutory planning procedures, it might be possible for construction work to commence in 2006 and be completed in 2008.

Miss Tam said the project would greatly improve the living standard of the existing residents at the site, provide a custom-built environment for cultural and creative business operators to try out innovations and new ideas as well as create a positive rippling effect by catalyzing more economic activities and interests in the neighbourhood.

Of the $100 million development cost, about $62 million is estimated for acquisition and rehousing. It is targeted that the project will be self-supporting in day-to-day operation.


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## hkskyline

*Sing Tao HQ makes way for twin tech towers
Redevelopment forms part of efforts to turn Kowloon Bay into commercial area *
Foster Wong 
21 October 2005
South China Morning Post

Sing Tao Building will be turned into two 33-storey high-technology commercial towers by the end of 2009 at a cost of $869.12 million, according to its new owner. 

The redevelopment of the eight-storey industrial building in Kowloon Bay, acquired by private investment consortium Wealthy Star Development in July, is the latest project in the transformation of the old industrial neighbourhood into a bustling shopping and office area. 

"It is likely to be one of the important projects in the whole commercial makeover for the industrial area of Kowloon Bay," Midland Surveyors associate director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said. 

"It will unlock the site's full commercial value by boosting its rental income potential, given its waterfront location. The only disadvantage is that it is a bit distant from the MTR station." 

Located at No1 Wang Kwong Road, the headquarters of Sing Tao News Corp occupies a site spanning 44,714 square feet with a gross floor area of 277,000 sqft at present. 

With a plot ratio of 12 times, the site could provide a gross floor area of 500,000 sqft, according to property consultant DTZ Debenham Tie Leung. 

Wealthy Star expects the twin towers to cater for technology-related office users. Other details have yet to be unveiled. 

The redevelopment costs include the $370 million purchase price and about $112.26 million estimated land premium payable to the government for relaxing the height restrictions, according to the consortium. 

Construction costs are estimated at $386.87 million. 

The gradual transformation of Kowloon Bay into a metropolitan district follows aggressive expansion by property developers from their footholds in Kowloon East. Most of them have started work on commercial premises that are in sharp contrast to the old industrial buildings for which the district is known. 

Kerry Properties was among the first landlord to develop a grade A office building in the area. The developer is due to complete its 1.1 million sqft shopping centre, MegaBox, in early 2007. 

Earlier this year, Sino Land paid $1.82 billion for a Kowloon Bay commercial site in an auction. It plans to develop the area into an office tower with a shopping podium. 

Meanwhile, locally listed construction company CIG-WH International (Holdings) is to acquire an 8 per cent stake in Wealthy Star for $800 in a move to participate in the Sing Tao Building redevelopment project. 

The company said it would contribute $69.53 million of the project's redevelopment costs.


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## hkskyline

*Vitality of city being sacrificed for money *

Hong Kong needs to involve district councillors in the urban planning process to save the territory's metropolitan landscape, a conference on urban regeneration was told.

Andrea Chiu
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, November 24, 2005

Hong Kong needs to involve district councillors in the urban planning process to save the territory's metropolitan landscape, a conference on urban regeneration was told.

In a presentation called "Destroy Hong Kong," controversial local theater director and architect Mathias Woo Wednesday accused the Urban Renewal Authority of prioritizing money over the city's vitality, and in the process sacrificing neighborhoods such as Wan Chai. "Why use HK$30 billion to build Disneyland and [at the same time] destroy Wan Chai?" he said. "They ignore heritage to build big buildings that are 60 stories. Why? The only reason is it makes more money."

Woo suggested giving district councillors more influence on urban planning to help curtail the sameness of city building. In his policy address last month, Chief Executive Donald Tsang pledged to expand district councils' power.

The forum brought together a wide spectrum of local and international experts including architect Steve McAdam, a member of the London Olympic Games' masterplanning team, and Hong Kong University department of architecture head David Lung.

"There is a lack of ownership in the Hong Kong fabric," architect and harbor activist Jonas Chan said at a post- forum roundtable. He called on people to take responsibility for their own neighborhoods, which, in turn, would empower their local councillors.

Wan Chai District councillor Mary Ann King said it is important for her and her counterparts to have a larger role in urban planning because they better understand local needs and sentiments.

She gave as an example Wan Chai, where deep-rooted communities are being bulldozed as part of a large urban renewal project. Residents, she said, do not want "mega-buildings" overwhelming the neighborhood's small streets that date back 90 years. "Giant buildings will upset the environment," King said. "We don't mind development but it should be sensible."

In addition to engaging the public, she said the government needs to properly educate citizens so they can make informed decisions about urban planning. She described the Urban Renewal Authority's methods of public consultation in Wan Chai as "anti-intellectual and inaccurate." The average person cannot give an informed opinion because they do not have a well-rounded grasp of the issues, even after "a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation," she said.

An Urban Renewal Authority spokeswoman said: "The authority respects the opinion of district councillors very much and keeps close contact with them for every project."


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## hkskyline

*灣仔重建規劃﹕莊士敦道倡改單向行車 *
11月 30日 星期三 05:05 更新










【明報專訊】市建局在灣仔這充滿歷史建築的舊區，已陸續收購逾14幢樓宇重建或保育，市建局將擺脫昔日項目各自發展的模式，投入更多資源協調項目設計及綠化鄰近街道，建議莊士敦道行人路拓闊至電車路旁，務求將這些「點」串連成線，翻新整個灣仔面貌，又仿效澳門的「議事亭前地」建築，替歷史建築前方預留更多空地作陪襯。

*拓闊行人路 建築物留「前地」*

市建局正進行灣仔總綱構想諮詢工作，以整區的規劃角度協調各項目發展。市建局高級規劃及發展經理區志偉表示，灣仔會以「點線面」的形式規劃，透過開展項目重建或復修工程，藉以向路政署、康文署等政府部門溝通協調，爭取同時間翻新附近一帶街道，以及進行綠化工程。

他舉例，即將開展的利東街重建及船街項目，街道將劃為行人專區，方便市民穿梭，而運輸署正研究如何改善莊士敦道交通，建議將之改為單向東面行車，將行人路拓闊至電車路旁，市建局則配合提供設計，可望將各式景點連接起來。

區志偉又指會仿效澳門建築物的「前地」特色，如發展利東街，3幢受保護的唐樓前的一片空地將會保留，讓市民「影相會有位站立」，並令這些歷史建築在鬧市中更引人注目。


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## hkskyline

*Walls come down as plan to redevelop village is approved - Nga Tsin Wai will become part of a housing and shopping complex, but sections of it will be preserved *
16 November 2005
South China Morning Post

A project to turn the 800-year-old walled Nga Tsin Wai village in Wong Tai Sin - hailed as the last cultural relic in downtown Kowloon - into part of a luxury residential and shopping complex has been approved following years of wrangling between conservationists and residents. 

After repeated petitions by residents, the Wong Tai Sin district council last week approved the redevelopment project, reversing its decision five years ago to preserve the village as a cultural heritage site. 

Parts of the village will remain, however, and the new ruling calls for the preservation of the clan hall, Tin Hau goddess temple and an ancient arch, which can be traced back to the Soong dynasty 

The 50,000 sqft site, comprising a myriad of ageing one- to two-storey houses, is surrounded by mostly high-rise public units built by the Housing Authority. 

Of the 50 families living in the village, only two tenants are opposed to the redevelopment. 

Before the now-defunct Land Development Corporation - subsequently replaced by Urban Renewal Authority - announced plans to redevelop the walled village in 1993, Cheung Kong (Holdings) had already acquired more than a third of the properties in the village. 

The private developer reportedly now owns almost 80 per cent of the properties. 

Cheung Kong plans to build two 25-storey residential-cum-commercial blocks with about 650 units and a 10-storey office building on the site. 

The renewal authority will likely have to carry out the redevelopment project in a joint venture with Cheung Kong. 

The Nga Tsin Wai village site is close to another 137,000 sqft site acquired by Sun Hung Kai Properties last year. The developer plans to develop a luxury apartment block there with 250,000 sqft of retail space. 

Work is expected to be completed in 2009. 

The completion of the two projects would turn the run-down area into another residential and commercial hub serving southeast Kowloon, according to some market watchers. 

Executive director of CB Richard Ellis Yu Kam-hung said the development potential of the area was excellent. "It is a very big site, and I expect it to become another self-contained luxury residential area in the district," Mr Yu said. 

Village representative Ng Chin-hung said the district council's decision was long overdue. "The living environment in the village is very poor. Most people want the government to redevelop the place soon and get rehoused," he said. 

Villagers claimed they had been offered compensation of $4,800 a sqft in 1999, but they hoped the authority would consider making a better offer. 

However, Pang Shiu-kee, managing director and property surveyor of SK Pang Surveyors, estimated the land was only worth about $4,000 a sqft. 

The cost of the redevelopment project would be about $2.5 billion, according to Mr Pang. 

Village representative Mr Ng blamed the district council for the delay in the redevelopment. The project had slowed down in 2000 after the Wong Tai Sin district council passed a motion demanding the entire walled village be preserved. 

This was despite the fact that the Antiquities Advisory Board determined that the village homes did not possess a heritage value worth saving when it visited the area in 1994, 1999 and 2000. 

Veteran councillor Wu Chi-wai, of the Democratic Party, said councillors had no intention of holding up or halting the project. 

"We only asked the government to preserve what should be preserved. If the government was satisfied that nothing needed to be preserved, there was little we could do," he said. 

"We were aware of the slow progress of the project, but we had thought it was because of some compensation disputes. It was not until recent months after petitions by residents that we knew they had misunderstood [that] our 2000 decision was meant to block the project." 

He said that, in any case, the progress of the project would have been slowed by the market downturn. "The authority did not have adequate funding to do the redevelopment anyway," he said. 

A spokesman for the Urban Renewal Authority said: "The [authority] will now proceed to [make] preparations for redevelopment while putting together with the help of conservation experts [a] plan on how to preserve the relics in a serious and meaningful way." 

The spokesman said residents and district councillors would be consulted when more details of the redevelopment plans had been made public. 

Nga Tsin Wai village is among the oldest in Kowloon, and is the only traditional Chinese walled village in the urban area. The clan hall and the Tin Hau Temple in the village have remained intact. 

The walled village was designed in a grid with homes connected by six narrow alleys. The village has been home to generations of three indigenous families - the Chans, the Ngs and the Lees. 

Historians and urban conservationists had staged a fight to block the redevelopment, saying the village should be preserved and turned into a heritage park. 

Previously, the village featured a watch tower, a moat, and a drawbridge. The moat was filled up during the Japanese occupation. Two cannons were buried near the entrance. 

Once every 10 years the village celebrates the Tai Ping Ching Chiu festival to thank the goddess of Tin Hau for pacifying the sea and driving away evil spirits. The last festival was held in 1996.


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## hkskyline

*Residents wary of plan for Sai Ying Pun *

The Urban Renewal Authority plans to spend HK$357 million to turn a decrepit area of Sai Ying Pun into a public park with just one residential skyscraper and a few small shops.

Winnie Chong
Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, December 03, 2005




























The Urban Renewal Authority plans to spend HK$357 million to turn a decrepit area of Sai Ying Pun into a public park with just one residential skyscraper and a few small shops.

However, a Central and Western District councillor fears that many of the 180 tenants living in the area may not agree with the redevelopment plan unless they are adequately compensated.

The 19,000-square-foot area is bounded by Yu Lok Lane and Centre Street. It is currently cluttered with 21 old buildings, eight of which date before World War II while the others are at least 40 years old.

The authority proposes to keep one 60-year-old, two-story building, complete with its balcony and wooden ladder as part of the "old Hong Kong theme" for the park which will encompass two-thirds of the total area.

It will build a 30-story block comprising 220 flats in the residential section, with about 1,350 sq ft of floor space reserved for shops.

The authority's senior planning and development manager, David Au, said that as Sai Ying Pun has a high population density, there should be more open space for residents.

To do so, the authority will have to acquire 47 property interests.

"In fact, many lanes in the area had in the past been designated as leisure space. However, because of individual property interests, the government found it difficult to develop [the area]. So we feel the best way forward is via urban redevelopment," Au said.

The authority will first have to obtain the consent of the Town Planning Board and the approval of the Chief Executive in Council, the government's top decision-making body, before it can offer compensation or rehousing to tenants in exchange for the properties.

It is expected that the acquisition process will start in 2007 and the redevelopment completed by 2012.

However, Central and Western District councillor Kam Nai-wai said the project may not be welcomed by all tenants.

He said a similar plan in 2002 around First and Second streets was met with strong opposition by many tenants who said the compensation they were offered was not enough to find comparable accommodation in the same area.

"Even though their buildings are old, some residents may not welcome the redevelopment plan, especially as they do not know the compensation they can expect from the authority," he said.

A flat owner, surnamed Ho, did not agree with the development plan saying she will not be able to buy a similar- sized flat with the same quiet environment. A tenant, Lam Sau-kwong, said the provision of more leisure space is a good idea but he is not sure if he will be able to get another flat in the same area.


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## hkskyline

*重建大計保留百年舊樓
塘西故城變身小綠洲*
03/12/2005
太陽報










市區重建局準備耗資三億五千七百萬元，推行西營盤餘樂里及正街發展計畫，改變西區舊貌，把一片殘破不堪的塘西故城，轉化成一個歷史主題公園及住宅用地，並構思將之打造一個市區小綠洲，預計約有八十戶家庭，共約一百八十人受影響。有關計畫待城規會及行政會議通過後展開收購行動，並於二○一二年完工。

市建局發展總監李敬志表示，重建計畫的初步構思，是盡量在地面騰出空間，建造有獨特園藝設計的休憩公園，營造懷舊情懷，反映西營盤傳統的地區特色。市建局會再與居民商議新構思，及尋求歷史學家和建築設計專家提供協助。

保留兩老樹增綠化空間
該建議項目新落成的樓面，集中在一座離地二十多呎的住宅大廈，預計三十層高、可提供約二百二十個單位，及約一千三百五十平方呎的商業樓面。李敬志續稱，整個地盤會發展成市區小綠洲，為公眾提供面積近一萬二千平方呎的休憩公園，在重建範圍內，將最少會保留其中兩棵樹齡較大的樹木，又會種植新樹木，增加綠化空間。

重建地盤面積共一萬九千六百平方呎，休憩公園將佔地六成，是市建局規劃中地面面積比例最大的公園。該重建區現時有二十一幢樓宇，大多建於四、五十年代，樓高兩至三層，樓宇情況十分殘舊，無法進行具效益的復修，部分戰前樓宇甚至沒有基本生設施。但市建局會保留其中一幢逾百年樓齡的樓宇，納入休憩公園範圍內，以保留古舊特色。

李敬志指出，預計受計畫影響有四十七個業權，八十多戶家庭共約一百八十人，該局在取得城規會及行政會議批准後，於○七年初展開物業收購工作及處理租客的安置補償，並按該區樓齡達七年以上的樓宇為準則，估計開支為一億一千九百萬元，而整個發展計畫成本，包括建築費等，合共約為三億五千七百萬元，預計可於二○一二年完工。

發展計畫昨日刊憲，待城規會及行政會議批准後，正式按同區七年樓齡收購物業，及向租客提供現金補償或公屋安置。據美聯物業數字，附近七年樓齡的「雅賢軒」最近成交呎價為約四千元。

港島西被視「油田寶庫」
美聯物業中西半山營業董事馮劍釗稱，發展商求地若渴，港島西區更屬「油田寶庫」，相信即使餘樂里項目的商住面積比例較低，但主題公園加上日後的地鐵西港島線，對買家有一定吸引力，應可如西營盤第一、二街重建項目般受多個發展商爭奪，每平方呎成本價可達五千元。

市建局為受重建影響的居民，成立聖雅各福群會市區重建區服務隊，提供幫助。連同今次項目，市建局自○二年起，共開展二十三個重建項目，總成本估計約為一百八十億元。


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## ferrariguy

I pitty on you, do you think anyone reads your article apart from you obviously.


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## hkskyline

Actually a lot do, and there are plenty of discussions in the Hong Kong subsection, and obviously *you* came in here. Scroll back a page and check out the comments left by other forumers. Cheers.


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## jose_kwan

im reading!!! support!!!


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## hkskyline

*TST East faces urban decay 
Even a new rail link has failed to draw shoppers to the area *
7 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Investors and retailers in Tsim Sha Tsui East hoping for a boost to their businesses after the opening of a new rail link between Hunghom and Tsim Sha Tsui a year ago appear to have lost out. The line has failed to draw shoppers to the area, as some analysts had expected. 

And with Hong Kong's biggest nightclub, China City, due to move out on Friday, the area is likely to become even less attractive as a commercial hub, according to some market watchers. 

CB Richard Ellis executive director Yu Kam-hung said the business outlook in the area was gloomy. 

"There can hardly be further development," he said. "It is a natural process of urban development, or decay, if you like. Hong Kong has developed into a financial centre. Most prime offices have moved to Central or Wan Chai. Tsim Sha Tsui East, where the offices were built to accommodate traditional trading firms, has inevitably become quieter." 

Last year, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp opened East Tsim Sha Tsui, an interchange station with Tsim Sha Tsui station on the MTR. The government also has plans to relocate the bus terminal outside the Star Ferry pier on the Kowloon side to Tsim Sha Tsui East, making way for an amphitheatre at the Star Ferry site in a project to beautify the waterfront. 

Ricacorp Properties sales manager Adam Lai warned that retail business in the area could be further hit when more construction work began. 

"People will not go shopping in a big construction site. At present, the main park in the area - the Centenary Garden - is undergoing redevelopment. More hoardings would scare away shoppers," said Mr Lai, who cited the example of Wing On Plaza near an exit of the East Tsim Sha Tsui station, where more than a third of the shops have been idle over the past year. 

Rents at the New Mandarin Plaza, on the periphery of Tsim Sha Tsui East, are between $70 and $115 per square foot, while rents at prime malls such as Peninsula Centre, where the China City nightclub is located, are about $130 a square foot. 

These figures are 5 per cent to 10 per cent up from last year, but lag far behind the almost 200 per cent returns for some shops in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, according to Ricacorp Properties. 

Sino Land is reportedly planning to renovate its two shopping arcades in Tsim Sha Tsui East - Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre - in an attempt to boost business. 

A senior executive at a leading private developer said: "The multi-ownership of shopping malls in the district has made large-scale improvements difficult. One mall does some renovation, but others do not. It can hardly jazz up the whole district." 

Albert Tong, deputy regional sales director (retail) in Kowloon for Centaline Property Agency, was more optimistic. 

He said several new, upmarket restaurants would be moving into the area. 

"At present, it is more or less a tourist precinct. But changes are expected around March or April next year," he said.


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## Sexas

I'm reading on it too, thank you HKskyline


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## hkskyline

*Vision builds up a winning complex 
Great Eagle deputy chairman K.S. Lo wins honour for his foresight *
8 December 2005
South China Morning Post

The vision of an old residential Mongkok transformed into a trendy shopping and hotel complex has earned Lo Ka-shui, deputy chairman and managing director of Great Eagle Holdings, the DHL/SCMP Business Person of the Year award for 2005. 

With Hong Kong's business environment the best in six years, the judging panel said it was a difficult process choosing a winner. 

"The winner every year deserves the award as there is quite serious competition," said Eden Woon, chief executive of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, who has sat on the judging panel for nine straight years. 

As the winner this year, Mr Lo paid tribute to his family and especially to his parents. 

"The Chinese characters in the name Great Eagle are made up of the characters for the names of my parents who are the founders of the company. I hope we will continue to bring pride to their hearts," said Mr Lo. 

The owner of the Mongkok complex Langham Place, Mr Lo dismissed claims that retailers were being squeezed out by steep rental costs. 

"We have spent a lot of money in upgrading the whole mall and the environment in order to encourage more traffic flow. The tenants should benefit in turn," Mr Lo said, adding that most tenants in the newly opened mall were already tied into two to three-year leases that could not be changed until they expired. 

This year the panel awarded a new prize - the lifetime achievement award - to Chiang Chen, chairman and founder of Chen Hsong Holdings and Chiang Chen Industrial Charity Foundation. 

"There are many people in mainland China who had suffered from the harsh economic environment by the time I set up the foundation. My desire has been to change China from an agricultural to an industrial country and further into a politically well-developed country," Mr Chiang said. 

Phil Yang, senior vice-president of DHL, said 2005 had been a particular good year for Hong Kong and strong trade growth and buoyant customer confidence meant DHL could fast forward its Asian expansion plans. 

David Armstrong, director, editorial at the South China Morning Post, also said 2005 had been a remarkable year, with China Construction Bank's US$8 billion initial public offering, the largest in the world, taking place in Hong Kong and the Housing Authority successfully relaunching its Link Reit which had attracted the likes of The Children's Investment Fund Management to be its largest shareholder. 

The judging committee also named Alfred W.K. Chan, managing director of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company, as the winner of the executive award; Chow Yei-ching, chairman and managing director of Chevalier International Holdings, as the winner of the owner-operator award; Albert Wong, president of Eastern Worldwide Company, as the winner of the young entrepreneur award, while A.S. Watson Group won the international award, and Value Partners took the enterprise award.


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## Gerard

I read them too so keep them coming. Thanks


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## SanMiguel

I'm reading most of the articles as well!
THX to hkskyline

btw, i remember reading abt below project yrs ago...
was it on hold?


*Residents wary of plan for Sai Ying Pun *




























.


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## Sexas

^^^ Will done on 2012...long way to go


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## hkskyline

I'm not too sure whether the Si Ying Pun project was proposed years ago and recently revived. There are a lot of old buildings in this area and redevelopment has been quite spotty. It doesn't seem high on the government's priority list, especially with much older district such as Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong that are in more urgent need of attention.


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## hkskyline

*灣仔舊街變身潮流區*
10/12/2005









_免費奇幻表演
巡迴全球多個城市表演的索拉奇藝坊，十六日將在本港為結束亞太區巡迴表演作最後告別，昨更於海港城免費公演「奇幻之旅」的「空竹」表演。四名中國年輕表演者利用傳統中國玩意—搖搖，在人形金字塔上表演。 _

【本報訊】位處金鐘與灣仔新舊區交界的太古廣場是港島時尚消費點，發展商太古地產去年起擴大「地盤」，在廣場三座附近街道進行美化工程，吸引不少食肆和其他店舖進駐該區，令較舊的建築物增添一份時代感和潮流感。該處今年已有七間食肆開業，勢必將帶動附近舊街成為港島區另一至潮食肆及商舖集中地。

美化工程曾掀小風波
太古地產去年大事粉飾位於皇后大道東一號的太古廣場三座附近街道，在皇后大道東、萬茂里、星街、永豐街和永豐西街等街道鋪上新地磚、街燈及欄杆、又美化巴士站、更換新款路牌、廣植樹木綠化等。太古地產會承擔日後的維修保養，政府毋須付出額外費用。

太古地產發言人表示，集團早於五年前規劃太古廣場三座的美化工程，包括重鋪路面、更換新路牌、改善巴士站、興建連接地鐵金鐘站的行人隧道等，但主要工程去年才動工。在永豐街開業才兩個月的三文治店Pantry負責人亦對美化工程讚不絕口。美化工程曾引起小風波，香港貨車從業員職工會主席葉滿林便對美化後的路牌有疑惑，認為是有財團私下更換路牌，企圖限制車輛進入，將公共街道據為私產。但運輸署發言人強調，太古地產獲該署「港島區交通工程部」批准更換三十五個路牌，署方檢查過後，全部符合法定標準。


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## hkskyline

*變身銀座商場 鄰舖租金升兩成
東英重建店戶被迫結業*
11/12/2005
太陽報










【專案組記者陳佩雯報道】屹立於尖沙咀四十年的東英大廈將於明年初拆卸重建，變身成銀座式人氣商場，工程尚未展開，區內的商舖業主，便趁大量受影響租戶流出租務市場而大幅加租。東英大廈附近街道地舖加租平均達百分之二十，其中加連威老道、彌敦道、北京道等地舖加租情況最明顯。有在金巴利道經營結婚禮服租售店負責人表示，業主在重建計畫公布後即加租超過百分之三十，同街有不少商戶不堪加租而紛紛結業。

美聯物業九龍區舖位部助理營業董事呂炳坤表示，受東英大廈重建計畫影響，坐落於該大廈一至三樓的百多個商場商戶，需要全數遷出，搬往區內地舖繼續經營，加上受區內凱悅酒店重建影響的百多個零售商戶，尖沙咀區的商舖租售市場需求大量增加，地舖業主遂趁機加租。

呂炳坤透露，由今年中至上月的舖租加幅平均達百分之二十，其中位於漢口道、北京道、加連威老道及彌敦道等「一線街」的地舖加租情況最為明顯。

*地舖依然搶手*
以位於彌敦道一百三十二號至一百三十四號的一個相連地舖為例，面積共一千四百多平方呎舖位，租金由原來的十一萬七千元，大幅增加一倍至二十二萬元，又如加連威老道六十三號一個面積七百呎舖位，租金亦由原來的七萬二千元，增加至十一萬元。

業主自六月起雖陸續加租，但區內地舖依然「搶手」。在東英大廈附近、有「婚紗街」之稱的金巴利道，地舖租金自重建計畫公布後即時上調。經營結婚禮服租售店 Own Image的負責人Greenie Chau不諱言，業主在六月時要求加租百分之四十，協商後最終加租逾百分之三十，加幅是她開業六年以來最高的一次，她坦言惟有盡量節儉，又期望營業額回升可以彌補租金開支。

Greenie透露，現時「婚紗街」約有逾三十間婚紗店，其中小部分因不堪大幅加租結業，舖位隨即被具財力的商戶租用。


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## hkskyline

*Push is coming to shove for urban renewal planners *

Space, or the lack of it, is prompting pressure groups to try and force government planners into rethinking major urban redevelopment projects.

Andrea Chiu
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, December 12, 2005

Space, or the lack of it, is prompting pressure groups to try and force government planners into rethinking major urban redevelopment projects.

The government, constantly under fire for poor urban planning, is not doing enough to protect valuable public space according to organizations like the Conservancy Association, a group that promotes the conservation of natural and cultural heritage in Hong Kong.

The Housing Authority reported that in 2004, average living space per person in public rental housing was 123.8 square feet. That is less than one sixth the space the average American enjoys, based on US Census Bureau and National Association of Home Builders statistics.

Street-level space for the public diminishes as development increases, said the association's communication officer Martin Wan.

In every project, developers build out to the street and compensate with rooftop gardens, he said, adding that "we don't think you can compensate for the loss of public space because the owner still owns it."

Wan Chai District Council chairwoman Ada Wong said she doesn't think development is having a direct impact on public space, but the authority is not helping it either.

"The Urban Renewal Authority is developing many sites in Wan Chai, but they're not saying `we are developing the space to create a public piazza,"' she said.

The authority argues it has more than compensated with open space for the public in its 24 redevelopment projects.

A spokesman argued that the authority has provided about 38,000 sq ft of open space but acknowledged that while the space is supposed to be accessible to the public, only part of it is to be managed by the government while the rest is be privately owned.

Private owners have the right to restrict access and monitor the spaces with their own security.

"While the URA does its fair share to contribute to the creation of open space within the boundaries of its projects, it must address other equally important demands such as provision of [government/institution/community] facilities, conservation building of historical values and promotion of building rehabilitation," the spokesman said in a written statement.

British designer Thomas Heatherwick, who heads the redesign team for Wan Chai's Southorn Playground, said the issue is not about the quantity of public space but the quality of ways space is used.

"At the moment, [Southorn Playground] is very much dominated by sport. There's such a need in Wan Chai for public space that can just be public without being reserved for a football match or a basketball match," he said.

"The more we spoke to people, the more they told us they want a space for them to take their birds for a walk or they want a place to sit and eat their lunch, more trees, more green."

Polytechnic University associate design professor Michael Siu echoed Heatherwick's stance, saying "we need more space to allow people to think and intersect with other people."

He said that while sports facilities and children's play areas are great for the people who use them, they exclude other people from using the space.

A designer with special interest in public space and public furniture, Siu said kids' play structures, for example, should be designed so as to be more welcoming for the elderly to sit and watch their grandchildren.

Ng Mee-kam, associate professor of urban planning and environmental management at Hong Kong University, said that the effective use of public space benefits the entire city and is an integral part of sustainable development.

"Social aspects in public space, if well designed, can integrate with people's life pattern," she said.

"Land in Hong Kong is so important to so many people and so valued.

"Everyone is very greedy. Everyone wants to build to the last inch but they forget that the public realm and sustainability are very important, especially for the long-term quality of life and even the image of the city."


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## Mosaic

Yeah!! Land in HK is so important and expensive so use it well!!!.


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## hkskyline

*蘇屋居民促落實重建*
12/12/2005

【本報訊】五十多名蘇屋居民昨日到房屋委員會門外示威及高叫「房署報告，一拖再拖！」口號，不滿前房屋署署長梁展文曾承諾本年十月公布蘇屋的勘察結果，但房署現時反口說要改於明年一月始能公布，卻未有交代原因。民協主席馮檢基認為，事件令人擔心蘇屋樓宇結構是否惡化，以致房署才遲遲未能公布有關報告。

*要求公布勘察結果*
民協昨率領近五十名蘇屋居民到何文田房委會總部請願，要求房署盡早落實重建蘇屋，原區安置居民，並盡快公布屋勘察結果；示威者將請願信交給一名房署職員後和平散去。團體又表示，若房署兩星期內再不交代，將發起其他抗議行動。

蘇屋居民服務中心主席劉惠德稱，蘇屋於一九五九年建成，該綠柳樓地下至十五樓均有逾二百支鐵柱支撐各層天花及地板，走廊亦有一厘米闊裂痕，令人擔心該樓是否已變成危樓，但他引述房署指有關措施只是檢查設施。

於蘇屋居住了四十多年的陳紹強指出，內有三條長斜路，街坊多為長者，對他們造成很多不便，他認為政府應盡快重建該。居住蘇屋十多年的謝先生則表示，其單位天花及牆身均有石屎剝落，晚上地板亦不時滲出鹹水。


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## Mosaic

Whoa!!! Skyscrapers are everywhere in HK.


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## hkskyline

*Strike the right balance in urban renewal plan *
10 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Faced with persistent demands from the property sector to further facilitate urban redevelopment, the government has proposed making it easier for developers to force the sale of buildings. The proposal requires critical scrutiny, as forcing property owners to divest their holdings strikes at the heart of private property rights. 

At present, a person who owns not less than 90 per cent of the undivided shares in a lot can apply to the Lands Tribunal for a compulsory sale of the whole lot for redevelopment. The relevant law was introduced in 1998 after years of debate. Before then, a lot could be redeveloped only with the consent of every owner. For many multi-storey buildings with hundreds, if not thousands, of flats, achieving a consensus among all the owners was almost an impossible task. It took only one owner's refusal to sell to frustrate years of efforts by a developer to buy up every other unit at huge costs. 

Since the law came into effect in 1999, only 19 applications for compulsory sale had been submitted by the end of last year. Of them, five had been granted by the tribunal and four are being processed. The others have been discontinued, apparently because agreements were reached between the parties concerned. The property industry has claimed that the process of gathering titles remains protracted, and has therefore asked for a lowering of the threshold to 80 per cent. 

The government has evidently tried to strike a balance between protecting private property rights and facilitating redevelopment. It has not acceded to the industry's request, and has opted for a compromise. Officials have proposed lowering the threshold to 80 per cent for only three types of properties - a lot with all units but one acquired; a lot with buildings that are aged 40 years or above; or a lot with at least 10 per cent of its owners missing or untraceable. 

The "all but one" rule will make it easier to redevelop some old buildings with five to nine units. It is fair, as just one unit in this type of buildings may account for more than 10 per cent of the undivided shares of the lot. Missing or untraceable owners are a serious problem in many old buildings. Provided that the tribunal is satisfied that exhaustive efforts have been made to trace them, a small number of absentee landlords should not be allowed to block redevelopment. 

There is a need, however, to fine-tune the proposal to lower the compulsory sale threshold to 80 per cent for properties that are more than 40 years old. The problem with this proposal is that it sees an ageing building as synonymous with a poorly maintained one. While that may be the situation for many buildings now, it cannot be right as a general rule forever. Properly maintained and refurbished, buildings can last a lot longer. As a result of building management initiatives introduced in recent years, there is reason to believe that buildings completed over the past two decades should remain perfectly habitable when they are 40 years old. 

For too long, Hong Kong people have equated urban renewal with urban redevelopment. It is time they abandoned the misconception. Many cities have shown that neighbourhoods can be renewed without pulling down their old buildings. A Sustainable Development Council survey last year found widespread support for revitalising old urban areas. A sustainable lifestyle should not mean a preference for tearing down old buildings. 

Instead of adopting the age of a building as a simple cut-off point for relaxing the forced sale threshold, the law should stipulate that the threshold can be lowered to 80 per cent only if a building is in a serious state of disrepair. 

The caveat is needed both as a safeguard for private property rights and a check against rampant redevelopment. The existing 90 per cent rule is barely acceptable as a justification for breaching the rights of owners unwilling to sell; lowering the figure to 80 per cent, without proper caveats, just for the sake of facilitating redevelopment would be wrong.


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## hkskyline

*Hysan pins hopes on rental growth *
Property investor confident that office income will offset revenue decline from Hennessy Centre redevelopment 
8 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Hysan Development expects rental growth in its office portfolio to help it comfortably weather a revenue decline from its Hennessy Centre redevelopment. 

The 45-storey, 719,642 square foot Hennessy Centre is due to be demolished in the fourth quarter and redeveloped with a heavy retail exposure by late 2009. 

Analysts have estimated Hysan might have to sacrifice $140 million to $200 million of rental income a year as a result. 

But the biggest landlord in Causeway Bay yesterday said the days of negative rental reversion - where rents fall short of earlier tenancy agreements - were behind it and it expected higher office rentals to kick in this year. 

"Redevelopment of Hennessy Centre will certainly affect our rental revenue in the next few years," managing director Michael Lee Tze-hau said at the developer's results announcement yesterday. 

"But such risks are very much under control because positive rental renewals in our office portfolio will not be fully reflected in our accounts until this year." 

He said lease renewals in its office properties, which accounted for about 59 per cent of Hysan's 4.5 million sqft gross floor area portfolio, were strong last year with occupancy staying at 95 per cent. 

Office rents at its core Lee Gardens, for instance, surged more than 50 per cent last year. This compared with an overall 15 to 20 per cent increase for its retail and residential properties, he said. 

Nonetheless, revenue from the segment was flat at $501 million last year. Income at its retail arm grew 13 per cent to $503 million, while residential income jumped 23 per cent to $209 million. 

Analysts generally agreed with Hysan's positive outlook on the upward leasing market cycle, although the already high occupancy could possibly cap rental growth. 

"All the property companies now are well past the point of getting their earnings growth from filling empty space. Their earnings growth now is from rental reversion," CLSA head of regional property research John Saunders said. 

"As Central rents get higher, rents in Causeway Bay are going up. Hysan is in a good position to benefit from rental improvements in decentralised areas." 

For the year to December, Hysan's underlying earnings, which excluded property revaluations, soared 65 per cent to $1 billion. 

This beat the market consensus estimate of $833.95 million, according to Thomson Financial. 

The underlying earnings included a $467 million gain on asset disposal, mainly arising from the $2.7 billion sale of Entertainment Building in Central last year. 

Stripping out this gain, its net profit grew 9.4 per cent to $641 million. 

Including the $3.76 billion revaluation gain from its investment properties, its bottom line shot up 577 per cent to $4.12 billion under the new accounting standard. 

Turnover rose 8.25 per cent to $1.24 billion. 

A final dividend of 35 cents per share was proposed, up 16.6 per cent from last year. 

Net asset value grew 19.6 per cent to $23.42 per share, while net gearing was at 6.4 per cent at the end of last year. 

"The outlook for this year is still positive, although uncertainties of interest-rate rises and high oil prices remain," chairman Peter Lee Ting-chang said. He added Hysan had no immediate plan to jump on the real estate investment trust bandwagon but would continue to enhance its portfolio to narrow its net asset value discount.


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## hkskyline

*Recalling lost battle and wrecked hopes *
15 March 2006
South China Morning Post

The plight of the individual owner is invariably highlighted whenever a property is identified for redevelopment. More often than not, there is resistance from owners who do not welcome the idea of giving up homes or properties that have belonged to them for years. 

The proposal to relax rules on the compulsory sale of old buildings has raised concerns about the rights of minority private owners. 

Legislator Chim Pui-chung, of the financial services constituency, recalled his own experiences two decades ago as an individual property owner. 

In 1982, the former Land Development Corporation (LDC), which later became the Urban Renewal Authority, approached Mr Chim and told him his property on Des Voeux Road, in Central, was required for an office project to be jointly developed by Cheung Kong (Holdings) and the LDC. 

After a three-year legal battle with the LDC, Mr Chim lost the case and was forced to sell the property in 1985. 

The escalator of The Centre has been built on that site. 

"I was given no chance to redevelop my property, even though I had the ability to do it," he said. 

Mr Chim is still bitter about the experience. He said he had had plans to raise the value of the property by redeveloping it as a new block with about 50,000 sq ft of space. 

Referring to the proposed amended law on the compulsory sale of old buildings, Mr Chim expressed hopes that developers and minority property owners could arrive at an agreement rather than take matters to court. 

Sze Lai-shan, a spokeswoman for the Society for Community Organisation, said: "The proposal will weaken the rights of property owners - a lower threshold would mean less bargaining power." 

Ms Sze said redevelopment was an answer to the issue of maintenance for decaying buildings. But at the same time it overlooked the impact on communities that had spent years in an area, building up a social world and often businesses based in the neighbourhood.


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## hkskyline

*Change to law will promote redevelopment *
Consultation paper urges lowering the threshold for an application for an order for the sale of land under certain conditions 
15 March 2006
South China Morning Post

The fine balance between the need for urban renewal and protection of private property rights has always been a significant consideration by the government and the Legislative Council in the making of relevant laws. 

No less so the government's recently published consultation paper to solicit views from the public on the enactment of subsidiary legislation to expand the scope of the application for an order for the sale of land under the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance. 

Since the Ordinance came into operation in June 1999, there have been five successful applications and all of the land concerned has been sold. 

The redevelopment of the five plots of land, including the Garley Building (which had been badly damaged by a fire) and an industrial building, would enhance the urban landscape and provide better accommodation for the people of Hong Kong. 

Another 14 applications have been made under the Ordinance in the past seven years. The government understood that some applications had been discontinued, as agreements for the unity of ownership of the lands had been reached before the hearing by the Lands Tribunal. This demonstrates that the Ordinance has helped facilitate the assembly of some lands, as it has promoted a consensus of agreement among owners. 

The existing law provided that an application for an order for the sale of land can only be made when the majority owner has secured not less than 90 per cent ownership. Since the Ordinance's enactment, the Chief Executive has been empowered to designate classes of lots, whereby an application can be made in which the ownership threshold could not be less than 80 per cent, subject to Legislative Council approval. 

The land ownership system in Hong Kong has been characterised by its strata title ownership. This promotes ownership by individuals and rapid development of land in Hong Kong, but makes redevelopment difficult as unity of land ownership is a prerequisite. The Ordinance has promoted private sector participation in such initiatives, but the 90 per cent ownership threshold has limited its application. 

The government considered submissions made by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and other industry views before making its current proposal. As a result, the three proposed classes of lots where the 80 per cent threshold would apply include: 

a lot with "all units but one" acquired; 

a lot with building(s) aged 40 years or above; and 

a lot with missing/untraceable owners. 

Applications under the Ordinance would be driven by the release of the redevelopment value of the lands or, in other words, the creation of marriage value through the unity of the strata title ownership of the lands concerned. 

For instance, a building could have higher redevelopment value than its existing use if the floor area was increased during redevelopment, or the value enhanced as the redevelopment was for office use instead of industrial use. 

With the benefits and/or the hope of selling the concerned land as a whole for redevelopment, individual owners would be able to participate in the redevelopment value (which would be higher than its existing use value) and thus higher value could be created for the owners than if the relevant units were sold individually. 

Once the government proposal can be implemented as law with the support of the general public and the Legislative Council, it is likely there could be more active private participation in the urban renewal exercise by developers and individuals whose land has redevelopment potential. 

Lau Chun-kong is a regional director with Jones Lang LaSalle


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## hkskyline

*Collective finger on the sale button *
15 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Owners of at least 12 old buildings are looking to sell to developers if the compulsory sale regulations are relaxed, according to property agents. 

These buildings are mainly in traditional luxury residential districts, with Mid-Levels and Kowloon Tong the most popular. 

"The proposed relaxation on compulsory sale would allow individual property owners to join forces to sell their flats more easily through collective sales," said Henderson Land Development general manager of sales Tony Tse Wai-chuen. 

The owners of 9A-9H Seymour Road have high hopes the proposal will go through after fighting for seven years to sell their building for redevelopment. 

Collectively, they own about 80per cent of the 61 flats in the development. 

The sale, if realised, will achieve an estimated $320 million for the 9,948 sqft site and could be worth even more if it is redeveloped with sites nearby. 

Ms Lam, a member of the auction organising committee of the building, said: "We believe we will have a much better shot with our redevelopment if the proposal is passed." 

Owners accounting for about 80 per cent of the flats at nearby Merry Terrace at 4A-4P Seymour Road hope to put the building up for tender by June. 

A collective representing about 90 per cent of the flats at 27-29A Seymour Road is looking to sell. 

The owners of about 90 per cent of the flats at 105 Robinson Road are looking for buyers, while owners who account for 70 per cent of the flats at 25 Robinson Road have put the building up for tender. 

Meanwhile, the owners of more than 70 per cent of the units at Minerva House and Carol Mansion on Lyttleton Road, and Sung Ling Mansion and Ping On Mansion on Babington Path are hoping to sell. 

The owners of more than 80 per cent of the flats in the 448-unit Kut Cheong Mansion on King's Road in North Point are waiting for the owners of ground-level shops to join them so that they can sell by tender. 

All of the owners of flats at 36 Marble Road have agreed to put their units up for tender. 

In Kowloon, owners of 80 per cent of Moonbeam Terrace and Lung Cheung Court in Kowloon Tong have agreed to sell their buildings. The owners of about 90per cent of Joy Garden and 15-15A Belfran Road, also in Kowloon Tong, are looking for a buyer.


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## hkskyline

*Residential blocks for ATV site *
22 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Cheung Kong (Holdings) plans to build five 10-storey residential blocks on the Kowloon Tong headquarters site of Asia Television. 

The Buildings Department approved 22 plans last month, including the redevelopment projects of Cheung Kong and Hysan Development. 

Cheung Kong plans to provide for a total gross floor area of 137,720 square feet at the Kowloon site. 

The Town Planning Board imposed a building height restriction for residential and commercial sites in Kowloon Tong last month. Under the new rule, the limit for the site will be 13 floors. 

The ATV headquarters at 81 Broadcast Drive, with a site area of about 50,000 square feet, has been sold to Cheung Kong for $600 million. ATV will shift its operations to Tai Po next year. 

Meanwhile, the Buildings Department has approved a revised plan for Hennessy Centre in Causeway Bay. Hysan Development plans to build a 41-storey commercial tower over four basement levels, with a total gross area of 713,752 square feet. 

The existing 45-storey office and retail complex, built in 1981, has seven levels of retail space only. The new development will provide more retail space. 

The investment cost of the redevelopment is about $1.2 billion. Hysan expects to complete the project in late 2009. 

Swire Properties has made a concession on the redevelopment project of Castle Steps in Mid-Levels. It now plans to build one 57-storey residential block, which is lower than its original plan for a 63-storey residential block that was opposed by residents. The project will provide a total gross floor area of 132,525 square feet.


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## hkskyline

*Forced to move with the times *
The crucible of Hong Kong's manufacturing revolution in the 1960s, San Po Kong Industrial Estate, is dead, but new industries are being drawn to the district 
18 March 2006
South China Morning Post

The gates to the Hip Shing metal shop creaked to a close yesterday. Around it, gates leading to other workshops at the San Po Kong Industrial Estate were already boarded up and padlocked, eviction notices from the Housing Authority the official seals of their fate. 

Just in front, Tang Sai-bun was taking one more look at the place that defined not just his work but his life for the past four decades. By the end of the month, he will have finished relocating Hip Shing to another Housing Authority factory estate in Kwun Tong, but the 74-year-old said it would not be the same - even though he is moving everything, down to the gate itself, so the new shop will look exactly like the old. 

Mr Tang was among the 40 tenants who protested last month against the authority reclaiming the estate for redevelopment, and he said every person on the estate was a friend and a neighbour he would now have to leave behind. 

The protesters, representing about 10 per cent of the estate's 900 units, wanted more compensation but the authority refused to give in. Mr Tang was offered $250,000 for his two 24-square-metre units, but he said the authority should have helped pay for moving and the cost of installing water and electricity in the new shop. 

Then again, Mr Tang recalled, there wasn't much help the last time he had to move either, back in 1963. On January 15 that year, he moved from Tai Kok Tsui to the then newly built estate. The government resettled him and his store after Typhoon Wanda nearly flattened the city the year before. 

"There were just Blocks One and Two then, and broken ground all around with no buildings or anything," he said. "For the first eight months there was no water or electricity because it was such a new development." 

Mr Tang makes metal products and ornaments such as fences, stairway railings and metal gates. 

"I don't remember how many thousands of gates I made," he said. "It was mostly soldering by hand and other manual labour because we didn't have any fancy machines. And we made everything to order." 

San Po Kong was already booming as a manufacturing centre in the 1960s, with metal shops like Hip Shing and garment factories that never closed. Factories had begun springing up in the district in the 1950s as a result of government planning after the second world war. The most notable example, perhaps, was a company that exported plastic flowers started by a young man named Li Ka-shing. 

Wong Tai Sin District Council chairman Wong Kam-chi said the development of San Po Kong helped draw people to the "frontier areas" of Wong Tai Sin and Diamond Hill. "At its peak, over 200,000 labourers worked there, and around 70 per cent of the residents in the area were working in the factories there," he said. 

Mr Tang said Hip Shing took in about $500,000 a month in its heyday - a pittance compared to many of the other, bigger factories. "I hired just four or five people, paid by the day, whenever there was work. It was difficult because most things were done manually and so labour took up such a large part of it." Several thousand dollars worth of labour went into every few hundred dollars of metal, he said. 

The good years lasted until the late 1980s, when the vast migration to the mainland began. "What's left now is less than 10 per cent of the factories," Mr Wong said. "Most of the companies just use their San Po Kong factory for packaging or as a transfer point." 

One exception is Star Industrial Company, which continues to make its ubiquitous Red A plastic household products in its Dai Yau Street factory. 

With the continued decline of industries in the district, San Po Kong is once again undergoing a transformation. "The government is quietly pushing for it," said Mr Wong. "We've discussed rezoning some factories to include commercial and industrial uses, for example." Mr Wong said two parcels of land were bought by developers to build hotel-type residences, but construction had yet to begin. 

"The change in San Po Kong is really happening very quickly," he said. "I won't go as far as to say that industry will die out completely in the district, but I think it will be very hard for them to survive." 

But where traditional labourers like Mr Tang are on their way out, new industries may yet find their way into the district. DCDCorp, a computer graphics production house behind Dragonblade, Hong Kong's first 3D computer-generated animated feature film, is based in the glass-fronted Stelux House in the district. 

Marketing manager Karen Choi Pui-yan said the company decided to move there from Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong nearly four years ago mainly because of the cheap rent. 

"The unit is huge and the rent is cheap," she said. "It's also much more conveniently located than Cyberport."


----------



## hkskyline

*Kerry unveils $2.7b Quarry Bay project Hong Kong Tobacco headquarters makes way for office tower *
25 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Kerry Properties will redevelop an industrial block in Quarry Bay into an office tower, at a cost of at least $2.7 billion. 

The company recently bought the 450,000 square foot headquarters of Hong Kong Tobacco from the family of Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, a tobacco tycoon who owns the Sing Tao Group. 

Kerry Properties executive director Steven Ho Shut-kan yesterday declined to give a breakdown of the land price and construction cost, but he said: "Total development cost for the building will be not less than $2.7 billion." 

"We will hold it for long-term investment," Mr Ho said. 

The investment was in line with the company's plan to build up its office property portfolio in areas with good access to mass transport, he said. 

The plan was unveiled yesterday when the company announced a 35.03 per cent increase in net profit to $3.06 billion for the year to December. 

The bottom line included a gain of $1.3 billion arising from the revaluation of investment properties. 

Taking out the revaluation gain from investment properties, the company saw an 11.32 per cent increase in net profit to $1.75 billion. 

Earnings per share were $2.53, up 33.15 per cent. Directors declared a final dividend of 50 cents per share, with a scrip dividend alternative. Full year dividend is 70 cents per share. 

Kerry Properties is controlled by the Kuok Group, which is also the largest shareholder of the SCMP Group. 

During the year, net profit from the mainland dropped 32.1 per cent to $372 million from $548 million in 2004. 

Deputy chairman Wong Siu-kong said the decline was partly a result of the central government's austerity measures on the property sector but he expected the market to improve this year. 

In Hong Kong, net profit rose 20.38 per cent to $1.42 billion. 

About 70 units of Tregunter Towers in Mid-Levels are available for sale. 

Mr Ho expected sales income this year would exceed last year. 

The company said it would announce more details of its Macau property project in the coming months.


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## hkskyline

*Demolition decision looms for Shamshuipo estate *
24 March 2006
South China Morning Post

About 15,000 residents at a 46-year-old Shamshuipo public estate may learn by the end of next week if they face rehousing. 

Chan Wai-ming, a Shamshuipo District Council member, said yesterday he had learned from housing officials that the Housing Authority's strategic planning committee would meet next Thursday to discuss a proposal to demolish So Uk Estate, which is his constituency. 

The move follows media reports that a Housing Department survey revealed serious structural problems among the 16 tower blocks of the estate and that further repairs would be ineffective and a waste of public money. It is understood one of the options would see demolition starting in 2008 and lasting three years. 

Mr Chan said residents generally welcomed news of the demolition proposal, which they felt was long overdue. 

"Of all public estates in Shamshuipo, only So Uk Estate is over 40 years old. Other estates such as Shek Kip Mei Estate and Pak Tin Estates have been included in the redevelopment project and works are already going on," he said. 

"From residents' perspective, they hope to see an improvement in their living environment. Also, after So Uk Estate is demolished, the use of the vacant land will offer many options. For example, we can either use it to build public housing or sell the land to private developers to generate much needed income for the Treasury." 

Mr Chan said a residents' meeting will be held tonight to discuss the matter and some residents will go to the Housing Authority next Thursday to voice their views. 

"On top of intra-district rehousing, we need to solve the problem of elderly residents, who make up about 40 per cent of the estate's population. Are there sufficient single or two-person public housing flats in Shamshuipo for this group?" he said. 

"Moreover, there is the issue of rent. In So Uk Estate, it is on average $40 per square metre, whereas in other estates in the Shamshuipo area, it is $63 to $64 per square metre. This may pose a problem for those families who are earning about $8,000 to $9,000 a month and are neither CSSA households nor eligible for public housing assistance." 

Mr Chan said these residents ought to be offered a choice of more affordable public housing in nearby districts, if they are to be rehoused, in soon-to-be-completed estates such as Un Chau Estate and Shek Kip Mei Estate. 

Wai Woon-nan, chairman of the district council's housing committee, said it had received no details about the redevelopment plan. "We hope the government demolishes the estate in two phases. The blocks which require temporary structural support should be pulled down first," he said.


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## hkskyline

*More banks join old buildings push *
Jonathan Cheng
18 March 2006
Hong Kong Standard

The Urban Renewal Authority has expanded an incentive program that it credits for sparking a wave of rehabilitation of Hong Kong's aging buildings, roping in four more banks that will offer mortgage perks to owners who voluntarily renovate their buildings. 

District development director Stephen Lam Friday framed the announcement as a reaffirmation of the government's turn to private partnership and market incentives to spur urban renewal. 

Under the terms of the scheme, 17 banks will consider offering preferential mortgage terms to prospective buyers of units in renovated buildings, making it easier for owners who invest in renovations to sell their flats. 

The scheme applies to owners of buildings 20 years or older who voluntarily carry out the renovations voluntarily under two URA-financed loan schemes. 

Lam described the program as an unquestioned success, crediting the scheme with triggering a 48 percent jump in flat transactions at 42 renovated buildings after the URA rolled out the mortgage incentive scheme in August 2004. 

"The response has been very good, and now we're pressing forward with the support of four more banks.'' 

The four new banks - Citibank, DBS, GE Money and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China - will join a list of 13 participating banks that includes HSBC and Bank of China. 

But Lam conceded that there are limits to the incentives, since they only offer benefits to those wanting to cash out their aging properties - not those intent on staying. 

Many older buildings, he added, did not have a single owner or an owners' corporation to make decisions on building renovations. Lam said the URA is willing to help owners lacking the expertise to go about renovating their aging buildings, saying it often stepped in to propose color schemes to increase the buildings' attractiveness and marketability. "First, we present an artist's impression to the owners, and then we work to persuade them to realize our vision,'' he said. 

Lam then projected a series of before-and-after photos which he said showed off the URA's design savvy. 

Centaline Property senior research manager Wong Leung-sing said renovated buildings gave an undeniable boost to flat values. 

"We saw jumps in the value,'' he said. "Not just a gradual increase, I mean a jump. And it's clearly linked to the renovation.''


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## hkskyline

*Demand surges for flats in renewal scheme buildings *
18 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Sales have surged almost 50 per cent and prices have risen in buildings revamped through government-run schemes, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and owners say. 

Property agents say the schemes, which provide materials, advice and interest-free loans for renovations, have helped such buildings regain a foothold in the second-hand market. 

But the authority says there are still obstacles, including a lack of owners' corporations that are a requirement before a building can benefit from the services. 

The comments came as the authority announced four more financial institutions would provide preferential mortgages on properties spruced up under the rehabilitation material incentive scheme and interest-free loan scheme. This brings the number of providers to 17. 

Since August 2004, banks have been offering loans of up to 70 per cent of valuation at an interest rate comparable to buildings 10 years old for buildings renovated under the two schemes. 

The authority said that since the preferential mortgage services were launched, it knew of about 460 transactions involving 108 buildings improved under its schemes, in which about 30 per cent had been able to secure mortgages, usually difficult for older buildings. 

Tommy Lo Kin-ming, owners' corporation chairman of Johnston Court in Wan Chai, said the value of his flat had risen about 10 per cent since the building was repainted and new lifts installed. 

"Before, it cost around $1.7 million to $1.8 million. Now, after rehabilitation, it has gone up to about $1.9 to $2 million," he said.


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## hkskyline

*五年分兩期拆遷 將發放特惠津貼
蘇屋村5000戶原區安置*
25/03/2006
太陽報










坐落深水近半個世紀的蘇屋將於五年內全面清拆。房屋署消息人士證實，蘇屋十六幢樓宇的結構老化，未來的維修費用高達二億四千多萬元，不符合經濟原則，故決定分兩期清拆整條屋，一萬三千多名住戶受影響。第一期需調遷的劍蘭樓、楓林樓等十座樓宇的居民，最遲於○八年十一月遷出；其餘則需於二○一一年八月前遷出，全部居民皆可獲原區安置。

消息人士指出，雖然蘇屋的樓宇結構問題不大，但須進行大規模修葺工程，尤其需鞏固大廈走廊、重澆廁所樓板、更換露台橫樑、走廊護欄等，費用高達二億四千五百多萬元，但亦只可將屋現狀保持十五年，至於日後的維修費，更可能以倍計增加，故署方認為不符合經濟效益，及考慮到維修期間的滋擾嚴重，因此建議全面清拆。

重建符合經濟原則
房屋署又指，蘇屋共十六幢大廈中，其中九幢的維修問題較為嚴重，尤以劍蘭樓的洗手間天花滲漏情況為甚，整幢大廈的維修率高達八成；而楓林樓亦有四成的單位天台橫樑出現裂縫。署方估計，以修葺方案的每年補貼水平，預算每個單位需二千三百元，但在比較全重建的所需費用後，每單位平均只需二千五百元，故認為重建較符合經濟原則。

房署全面清拆蘇屋將分兩期進行，首先會清拆十座位處較高平台上的樓宇，如劍蘭樓、楓林樓等，以減少長者及兒童住戶需上下山進出屋的不便，第一期受清拆影響約三千戶，最遲需於○八年十一月遷出。至於第二期位處較低的六座大廈，共約二千戶居民，則會連同商業和福利設施等一起於二○一一年八月前遷出，以便未能遷出的居民，仍可使用有關設施。

房署將會提供原區多個屋的單位給受影響居民調遷，該批單位包括元州第二及四期共三千五百個單位，長沙灣分層工廠大廈重建項目共一千六百個單位及石硤尾的數百個單位。

署方亦將會給受影響住戶發放特惠津貼，及讓居民優先以綠表購買居屋，建議會在下星期交由房委會策劃小組討論。至於蘇屋的地皮將會作何種用途，署方則未有定案。


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## hkskyline

*'Crown jewel' office project finally begins in Quarry Bay *
Leslie Kwoh
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Leading land developer Swire Properties has begun construction on its HK$2 billion office flagship in Quarry Bay, following a year-long hiatus triggered by high vacancy rates in the office market.

Demolition of the two former buildings, Melbourne Industrial Building and Aik San Factory Building, at the site on Westlands Road was completed 13 months ago but, "because the commercial aspect was not so good, we did not feel the need to rush," Swire's head of public affairs, Miranda Szeto, said at a presentation Monday.

While construction is not expected to be completed until 2008, high demand in the area means Quarry Bay office rents have more than doubled over the past year to average HK$31.21 per square foot a month, and are expected to increase by another 30 percent in the next 12 months, according to Knight Frank.

The 70-story glass office complex, which will add 1.5 million square feet of office space to Swire's investment properties portfolio, is currently the only major Grade A office development under way on Hong Kong Island after overall office property completions fell to a 35-year low last year.

Senior project manager Kenneth Ng described One Island East as the crown jewel in Swire's Island East business district, which includes 61 residential blocks and 12 commercial buildings.

It will also be the tallest building in Quarry Bay, at 308 meters, only 27m shorter than Hong Kong's tallest building, Two IFC.

A covered walkway will integrate the complex with neighboring Tai Koo Place.

Ng said he predicted construction would be "exceptionally efficient" as more than 2,100 glitches in structural planning, such as plumbing obstructions, were identified and resolved in the design stage, with the help of HK$10 million 3-D digital visualization software Swire adopted last February.

According to Ng, previous clashes between design and actual construction were checked manually and randomly by consultants, and only at an advanced stage of construction, thus resulting in a high wastage rate of new and unused fittings and finishes.

Design clashes alone were responsible for about 2,000 cubic meters of construction waste at Three Pacific Place, which Swire completed in 2004, he said.

As such wastage is expected to be completely eliminated in the One Island East project - the first project in Hong Kong to use the software - Ng estimated that total construction waste would be reduced by 15-25 percent. He predicted the new "Designing Out Waste" initiative would bring long-term gains for Swire, especially after accumulating landfills prompted the government to implement waste charges in January ranging from HK$27 to HK$125 a ton for all projects costing HK$1 million or more.

One Island East will also be the first project in Hong Kong to use "concrete crushers," multimillion dollar vehicles used during demolition to "bite" materials into smaller chunks, which can then be more easily divided into groups for recycling.

Only about 1 percent of waste from demolition works for the One Island East project went to landfills, Ng said.

The remaining 99 percent was recycled or reused, including 57,125 tonnes of concrete and bricks, 2,840 tonnes of steel and 740 tonnes of other inert materials - which would have incurred anywhere from HK$1.6 million to HK$7.6 million under the new waste charges scheme.

Responding to concerns that One Island East would overcrowd the area, where office workers often complain they endure long restaurant lines during lunch hour, Szeto said she was "confident" the new complex will spark a new flurry of supplementary commercial developments.


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## Skybean

308M!!!!

:WOW:

:eek2:


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## pookgai

hkskyline said:


> *'Crown jewel' office project finally begins in Quarry Bay *
> It will also be the tallest building in Quarry Bay, at 308 meters, only 27m shorter than Hong Kong's tallest building, Two IFC.


Ermmmmm someone lacks some basic skills in Math!

So lets hope that the figure provided is correct. Another 300m+ to add to Hong Kong's skyscraper arsenal!!!! Just wondering when/where the next 300m+ will be located on HK Island... I know that the government is trying to scale back developments on HK Island but who knows.


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## pedang

wow.. good news for HK


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## hkskyline

*Luxury project broadens Western horizon *
Mount Davis units are priced higher than average for Sai Ying Pun, but the development's proximity to Central will be the deciding factor 
29 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Kowloon Development is hoping to cash in on the public's growing appetite for new properties with the launch of its Mount Davis 33 luxury development in Sai Ying Pun as early as Easter. 

The developer intends to price the Western district project, a joint redevelopment venture with the Urban Renewal Authority, on 33 Ka Wai Man Road, at levels comparable with luxury apartments in Mid-Levels, hoping that its proximity to Central will attract homebuyers. 

The 42-storey project has 89 units ranging from 770 sqft to 1,000 sqft in two and three-bedroom layouts. 

The developer will set an average price of $6,200 per sqft, while the two penthouse units would be priced at about $12,000 per sqft. 

Property agencies said this average pricing was a 13 per cent premium above average prices of about $5,500 per sqft for homes in the secondary market. 

Kowloon Development marketing and sales manager Peter Yam Kin-wah said: "We believe our pricing is competitive, given the shortage of new supply on Hong Kong Island." 

He said its target customers were those working in Central and upgraders in the neighbourhood. Sales of Mount Davis 33 will start 10 days after it receives the government's Certificate of Compliance, which is expected to be issued next month. 

Agents say the pricing of Mount Davis 33 is justified but other larger-scale projects such as New World Development's The Merton and the upmarket The Belcher's are priced lower. 

Ricacorp Properties' Western district manager Cathy Chiu Pui-ching said: "Most of the larger developments under five years old in Western district are priced at around $5,500 per sqft. However, Mount Davis 33 has an advantage over others because 1,000 sqft three-bedroom flats are difficult to find in Western district." 

The area is seen as a cheaper alternative to Mid-Levels, especially Kennedy Town which draws expatriates and the younger generation, because it is a short bus ride to Central, Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo. 

The latest project there is 60 Victoria Road, developed by Wheelock Properties. Sales of the 25-storey single tower project were positive, with 40 of the 73 units sold at an average of $5,500 per sqft since its launch. Western's biggest drawback is that it does not have an MTR station. 

But that will change when the MTR Corp's long-awaited $7 billion West Island line, a 3km railway with three stations - University, Sai Ying Pun and Kennedy Town - starts operating in 2012.


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## pimvdh

that's a lot of text


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## Manila-X

Mosaic said:


> Whoa!!! Skyscrapers are everywhere in HK.


Yup they're everywhere. But there are plenty of areas in the city that are not all covered by high-rises like Shouson Hill for example.


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## hkskyline

Danish_guy said:


> so the crime will stop if they build a scraper?


It's not about crime. A lot of the pipes have deteriorated and the interiors require significant renovations to the point where demolition and reconstruction would be more economical. In fact, Hong Kong's public housing estates are very safe compared to the low-income housing in Europe and North America. These are not crime hotbeds at all.


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## Danish_guy

hkskyline said:


> It's not about crime. A lot of the pipes have deteriorated and the interiors require significant renovations to the point where demolition and reconstruction would be more economical. In fact, Hong Kong's public housing estates are very safe compared to the low-income housing in Europe and North America. These are not crime hotbeds at all.


i that about there aint much crime in HK but i thought that the way u described it


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## hkskyline

*A haven for rent refugees 
Demand is growing for office space in the industrial district of Kowloon Bay, where firms can more than halve their costs *
31 May 2006
South China Morning Post

Kowloon Bay is fast becoming a prime focus in the office leasing market as Hong Kong's towering rents force companies to relocate to cheaper business zones. 

Two major new developments - Kerry Properties' Enterprise Square Five and Glorious Sun Enterprises' One Kowloon - had begun pre-leasing activities and were drawing a growing number of rent refugees from a wide range of industries wanting to move into the industrial district, industry players said. 

"The main reason for the growing demand for office space in Kowloon Bay is that rents in core business districts are just too expensive at present," said Tom Tong Kwan-ki, an executive director at Kerry's MegaBox Development, part of Enterprise Square Five. 

"The new commercial premises in the district are not only filling up the shortage of supply in traditional CBDs, but also helping companies to save more than half of their rent." 

Mr Tong said Kerry was now in talks with several anchor tenants who were interested in taking whole floors or multiple floor space in the remaining tower of its new project, with prices averaging about $20 per sq ft. 

Potential tenants were in logistics, trading, electronics and shipping, and were located outside Kowloon Bay, including Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay. 

Hong Kong was ranked the third most expensive business location among 117 global cities last year, with annual office occupancy costs increasing 61 per cent to US$107.20 per square foot, according to a DTZ Debenham Tie Leung survey. 

Hang Seng Bank last week graphically demonstrated the benefits of cost savings by leasing Tower 2 in Kerry Properties' Enterprise Square Five. 

The lease is for 15 floors totalling 262,000 square feet for a fixed term of six years, with an option to renew for three years. 

The company plans to relocate about 1,600 of its staff from its Hang Seng Building headquarters in Des Voeux Road, Central, by the end of next year. The Hang Seng Building has been sold to Morgan Stanley Real Estate for $2.25 billion. 

The bank said it would rent the new office for about $17 per sq ft, 75 per cent lower than the average rent of about $70 per sq ft in Central. 

"It is a good move by Hang Seng Bank to lock in those low-cost levels. Rents there are still at a steep discount [compared] to core locations," said Simon Smith, senior director of research and consultancy at Savills (Hong Kong). 

"The whole area is undergoing an upgrade. But the problem in the area is arguably its relatively weak internal linkages among buildings compared to somewhere in Island East, which is quite unified by the Swire portfolio." 

Kowloon East, which comprises Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong, rapidly followed in the footsteps of Island East by targeting tenants wanting to move from Tsim Sha Tsui to reduce their office rental costs. 

The old industrial area is undergoing a commercial makeover and is expected to be Hong Kong's third-largest office market with a supply of 10 million sq ft by 2010, compared with about 5 million sq ft at present, according to Savills' data. 

Kerry Properties is part of Kerry Group, the largest shareholder in the SCMP Group, which publishes the South China Morning Post.


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## hkskyline

08 May 2006 
*URA conducts community opinion survey for Sai Yee Street project*
URA Press Release	

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Monday) conducts an opinion survey in the site boundary as well as the vicinity of Sai Yee Street project in Mong Kok to collect the views of affected owners, tenants and the community at large on the way forward for the project. Sai Yee Street project is one of the 25 projects announced but not commenced by the former Land Development Corporation in 1998. 

The survey, undertaken by a survey team of the University of Hong Kong appointed by the URA, is to gauge community aspirations and their preferences for redevelopment and rehabilitation. "Recently, there have already been diverse views voiced within the community on the subject of whether redevelopment or rehabilitation should be adopted as the mode for this area's renewal," a spokesperson for the URA said.

"Those advocating building rehabilitation say that it is a practical way to retain the local character, social network and the economic vibrancy of the area," he said.

"However, many domestic residents living on the upper floors of the buildings concerned consider that they have already been waiting too long for redevelopment to improve their deplorable living environment."

"We remain open-minded on the mode of renewal for the area and we want to first listen carefully to what people there have to say about it. The community survey will therefore provide us with useful and objective information for further deliberations on the project", the spokesperson said.

During the survey, the URA aims to collect the views of owners and occupiers on their preferences for the mode of renewal.

"With the consent of the owners concerned, the Authority would also like to conduct a building conditions assessment on the viability of the rehabilitation option," he said.

Apart from the questionnaire survey, the team will also conduct public forums and focus group meetings with the interested parties to collect their views on the implementation approach of the project.

Beginning today, survey team members with identity cards issued by the HKU will visit the affected owners and tenants residents within the project area. It is estimated to last for about three weeks. 

"We would like to seek the co-operation of the affected owners and tenants and if they have any enquiries or any doubts about the survey, they can call the URA hotline at 2588 2333," the spokesperson said.


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## hkskyline

*嘉里土瓜灣項目成功闖關 *
3 June 2006

【明報專訊】嘉里建設發展的土瓜灣旭日街商住項目，在調低物業至49層高及改善通風下，近日獲城規會通過。該項目佔地19,375方呎，可發展總樓面16.7萬方呎，其中住宅部分佔14.8萬方呎，非住宅部分佔約1.9萬方呎，提供256伙。 

該項目原發展51層，高155米，但城規會關注到該項目的設計窄長，或出現通風問題，結果嘉里將該項目的發展計劃，調低至49層，高146米，單位平均面積亦由592方呎，下調至570方呎，單位數目增加10伙至256伙。最終城規會在要求發展商改善通風設計的條件下，通過項目申請。 

此外，元朗大生圍第104約地段第3719號H分段第1小分段餘段，以及毗連政府土地的低密度住宅項目，因城規會關注恐怕項目影響后海灣的水質，以及在興建交通通道時，或需穿越錦綉花園內的私家路，故最終不獲批准。 

西貢蠔涌第244約多個地段和毗連政府土地的綜合住宅發展，亦因未決定項目的出入口位置，以及環保署擔心毗鄰工廠會否還原工業用途的問題，最終亦未能成功闖關。 

另外，遠東發展新近購入的埃華街35至43號及大角嘴道88號的興利工廠大廈，申請興建酒店，地盤面積5528方呎，可發展成66,336方呎樓面的24層高酒店，提供約299間房間。


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## hkskyline

*Merton defaults trigger concern *
9 June 2006
Hong Kong Standard

The forfeiture of more than 20 flat deals at The Merton, a New World Development and Urban Renewal Authority project in Western district, has sparked concern that payment defaults may grow if highly geared buyers walk away from their purchases amid bearish market prospects. 

Nearly 90 percent of the 1,182 apartments at The Merton were pre-sold early last year at prices ranging between HK$6,000 and HK$7,000 per square foot ahead of project completion by the end of last year. 

The developers have decided to cancel the sales and purchase agreements of the buyers who were unable to complete their deals, the URA confirmed Thursday with Sing Tao Daily, sister paper of The Standard. 

The buyers have forfeited their deposits of 15 percent of the flat value. 

Prevailing price levels for The Merton flats in the secondary market range from HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 psf, prompting some buyers, including those speculators who purchased the uncompleted flats last year, to give up the deals to minimize their losses, real estate agents said. 

The developers intend to resell the more than 20 defaulted flats, together with the remaining 160 apartments at The Merton for sale in the third quarter of this year. 

The selling price will depend on market conditions. 

Industry observers see potential for defaults at other residential projects that are ready for occupancy later this year as fears of higher interest rates hang over the property market. 

Even so, a repeat of the mass defaults of 1998 during the Asian financial crisis, when hundreds of buyers walked away from deposits, is unlikely, they said. A dozen or so defaults would not have a significant effect on the home market because there are thousands of residential property transactions a month, they added. 

Cheung Kong (Holdings) said earlier that no forfeited flat deals were recorded in its Caribbean Coast development in Tung Chung.


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## hkskyline

*Historic site fuels guessing game among residents 
Speculation mounts on what K Wah will develop at the location of a 100-year-old pawn shop at Johnston Road *
5 July 2006
South China Morning Post

The guessing game among Wan Chai residents about the future of a 100-year-old pawn shop and several pre-war houses is heating up, with speculation the historic site could become a resident club, a museum or even a theme restaurant. 

Two years ago, mid-tier property developer K Wah International Holdings outbid 13 competitors to secure the tender for the Johnston Road redevelopment project offered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. 

A special requirement of the tender is the conservation of five pre-war buildings of historic value, one of which is the pawn shop, built more than 100 years ago. 

A spokesman for the authority said it was the first project to incorporate heritage design considerations. 

The site, in Johnston Road at its junction with Ship Street, will be redeveloped into a 190,000 square foot residential space - equal to 381 units - and about 28,000 square feet of retail area when completed next year. 

Pang Shui-kee, the managing director of surveyors S K Pang, believes the conservation work could cost as much as 20 per cent to 30 per cent more than ordinary equivalent projects. 

He said construction costs for conventional residential projects averaged $1,000 per square foot, but those that required the renovation of existing historical buildings came at a premium. 

Variation in costs, he said, depended on the type of preservation required - for instance, whether the developer only required the retention of the façade or whether the whole property, inclusive of internal fittings such as staircases, was to be preserved. 

In order to comply with current development safety requirements, he said the developer would have to spend extra to upgrade historical buildings to bring it up to commercial use standards. 

"The developer has to install sprinklers, water tanks, and may even need to assess the loading and unloading capacity of historical buildings-cum-commercial premises as they will attract more visitors," he said. 

"It will not have a significant impact on the developer's profitability as the historical buildings [at Johnston Road] that need to preserved are not big in scale." 

Alnwick Chan, executive director at Knight Frank Petty, said the developer would need to alter the layout as the protection of the historic building was of paramount concern during the construction. 

"After leaving the historical buildings untouched there, the shape of the site is long and narrow so it is not easy to come up with a layout with a higher efficiency," he said. 

Mr Chan said he believed the residential development would favour single people who prefer studio flats with open kitchen plans. 

"The design will also maximise the floor area for each apartment," he said. 

Unit size could still range from a relatively generous 600 to 700 square feet each, he said. 

K Wah declined to comment, saying it was inappropriate to release details at this stage. 

Mr Chan said the existing pawn shop and shop houses could be used as the entrance to the retail levels, creating a modern estate that could blend harmoniously with the historical structure. 

One of the historical buildings is a four-storey tenement house, comprising three retail houses, which was built in 1930s. 

The building, which is located at 18 Ship Street, has been identified by the Antiquities and Monuments Office as a grade II historical building. 

A spokesman for the Urban Redevelopment Authority said future redevelopment projects to target the protection of historical buildings included heritage properties on Lee Tung Street, Mallory Street and Burrows Street.


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## hkskyline

*Motion to spare 'city lung' fails *
Leslie Kwoh 
6 July 2006
Hong Kong Standard

A motion to protect Government Hill from commercial development was voted down by the Legislative Council Wednesday despite strong support from the two pan-democratic parties. 

Introduced by the Democratic Party's Fred Li Wah-ming, the motion called on the administration to preserve the four-hectare historical site at Lower Albert Road as a ``city lung'' by prohibiting any commercial use while converting part of the site into a museum. After surveying more than 600 members of the public last week, the party found that only 8 percent supported the commercial development of the site, Li said. Forty-four percent wanted to see the site preserved as a historical monument. 

``Building high-rises at the site would create an eyesore and worsen traffic congestion and pollution in the area,'' Li said. ``There are more losses than gains.'' 

The motion came less than two weeks after the Democratic Party supported the HK$5.2 billion Tamar development project, despite the government's refusal to reveal plans for the existing headquarters _ a fact that fellow pan-democrats from the Civic Party were quick to point out at Wednesday's meeting. 

``The Government Hill issue is related to Tamar. There was a chance of success when we still held the purse strings, but now the government is free to do anything it wants,'' said Civic Party's Audrey Eu Yuet-mee. 

Independent lawmakers Kwok Ka- ki and Leung Yiu-chong, who both aligned with the newly formed Civic Party leading up to the Tamar vote, were less subtle in blaming the Democrats. 

Kwok reminded legislators that the party, which originally vowed to oppose the Tamar project unless the government disclosed its plans for Government Hill, changed its stance after officials promised to preserve an old Burmese rosewood tree at the site. 

Leung questioned the party's timing in introducing the motion, saying he had little hope the government would respond positively. 

``The motion comes too late. We should have talked about this before Tamar, when it would have made some difference,'' he said. ``Now [the government] won't listen to us.'' 

Despite the nearly three hours of debate and finger-pointing, the Civic Party and independent lawmakers banded together to support the motion, helping to pass the vote 15-1 in the pan- democratic-dominated geographical constituency. 

Even ``Long Hair'' Leung Kwok- hung, who said he was hesitant to participate because he sensed the motion involved ``political transactions and compromises,'' voted in favor of the motion. 

However, unyielding opposition from the three other pro-Tamar parties _ Alliance, Liberal Party and Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong _ saw the motion voted down 8-12 in the functional constituency side. 

Li blamed the Liberal Party's ``single-minded concern with money'' for the failure of the motion. 

Responding to the accusations against his own party, Li maintained the party never saw Tamar and Government Hill as related issues. 

He said the party introduced the motion simply to ``follow up on a sort of promise'' by the government not to develop the site. 

He dismissed the Civic Party's suggestion that his motion came too late, saying he felt there was still ample time for public consultation before the Tamar project is completed in 2010.


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## hkth

From news.gov.hk:
Sham Shui Po redevelopment plan approved


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## hkskyline

*Kwun Tong facelift to go on display *
21 July 2006
South China Morning Post

Kwun Tong residents will next month be shown three models of how the area could look after redevelopment in what the Urban Renewal Authority calls an exercise in community participation. 

Billy Lam Chung-lun, the authority's managing director, yesterday said the authority would hire an independent institute to survey the views of the residents and businesses about the three proposals. 

"Community participation tops our agenda in this redevelopment project," Mr Lam said at a meeting of the Kwun Tong District Council. 

"We hope there will be a mainstream opinion on how the redevelopment should go ahead after the consultation." 

The redevelopment project in the rundown former factory area, the authority's biggest, will cost $25 billion and take more than 10 years. 

Affecting 23 buildings and 1,635 property rights, it was announced in early 1998 by the dissolved Land Development Corporation. It was passed on to the authority after it was set up three years later. 

The 5.3 hectare project includes Yuet Wah Street bus terminal and the area bordered by Hip Wo Street, Mut Wah Street, Hong Ning Road and Kwun Tong Road. 

Mr Lam told district councillors the authority would follow four principles - community participation, phased redevelopment, financial viability and capping compensation at the equivalent of a seven-year-old building in the same neighbourhood. 

Lau Wai-chung, chairman of the Alliance of Kwun Tong's Urban Renewal, said they wanted the project to start as soon as possible.


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## hkskyline

*Housing Society denies threats to widow, 85 *
30 July 2006
South China Morning Post

The Housing Society has denied threatening an 85-year old widow with jail and a fine of $100 a day if she does not clear out of her residence in an urban renewal zone in Shamshuipo. 

The Sunday Morning Post reported last week that Leung Kwai owns an illegal structure on a roof in the Un Chau Street renewal zone where she has been living for more than 40 years. 

She had been threatened by a Mr Lee from the Housing Society if she refused to leave by the end of next month. 

Ms Leung is not entitled to public or temporary housing as she owns a small unit that she rents out in Mongkok. But the lease runs out next June, and until then she would have nowhere else to stay. 

A Housing Society spokeswoman said the penalty had been "explained" to Ms Leung when she agreed to a $14,000 compensation package in March, which may have been misunderstood as a threat. 

"The difference [between an explanation and a threat] is in the tone of voice. We just informed Ms Leung we have this penalty for those who have agreed to the compensation then refuse to move. We have the right to explain that policy. Jail was never mentioned," she said. 

She added that the Housing Society had been working with social workers to provide Ms Leung with counselling and practical assistance in finding a new flat. 

Social workers also helped her draft a letter to the Housing Society asking for a deferment to vacate her premises, which was granted until the end of October. 

But Ms Leung was adamant the threat of both jail and a fine had been made when she met Mr Lee, and she had never heard of any such penalty when she agreed to the compensation in March. 

"It is easy for them to say I am old and confused," she said. 

"I may be a little deaf but I don't have Alzheimer's disease." 

She claimed Mr Lee had visited her again last week and had told her not to bother speaking to "****** reporters". 

The response from the Housing Society did not sit well with members of the Shamshuipo District Council's panel dealing with urban renewal problems, which convened last Thursday to discuss Ms Leung's plight. 

District councillor and panel chairman Leung Yau-fong criticised the officers. 

"Lo Lin-fat [officer in charge of the Un Chau Street Urban Renewal] initially denied any of the comments were made," he said. "When we asked them how he knew, he just said he had asked his officer and he believed him. 

"He hasn't even been to see Ms Leung. There has been no investigation, no impartial judgment. 

"Then there is the fact that this penalty exists, which we [panel members] didn't even know about. If we don't know, how could Ms Leung possibly know?" 

The panel has asked the Housing Society to investigate, produce a report on the handling of the case and to set up an impartial mechanism for handling complaints.


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## hkskyline

*Urban renewal ultimatum for shops 
Get out or face legal action, Housing Society threatens *
29 July 2006
South China Morning Post

Housing Society lawyers yesterday sent letters to shop tenants in the Un Chau Street urban renewal zone in Shamshuipo, warning them to leave by the end of next month or face legal action. 

Twenty letters were hand delivered to worried shopkeepers still negotiating a compensation package for vacating their shops before the buildings are demolished. 

"I was so scared to receive the letter," said Chau Ping-kwong, 56, who has rented his garage in Un Chau Street for 30 years. 

"I don't know what to do. We haven't even managed to find a new store. Everyone is worried about the lawyers. 

"I haven't been able to find anywhere in Shamshuipo with enough space and where I could afford the rent. 

"The Housing Society is only offering $540,000 for the shop and the flat, but I have to buy new machines and pay for renovations, and if I have to move I will lose all my customers and have to start over again. It would be very difficult." 

Wong Nai-chung, 48, who sells decorative Chinese signs called pai lau, was forced to move his shop only six years ago during the redevelopment of the nearby Un Chau Street Estate. He said he felt the renewal of Shamshuipo was forcing him out the district. 

"I was so happy when I found this shop to move into last time around. The place is big and the rent cheap, so I was relieved," Mr Wong said. "Now I can't find a new place and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to calculate the costs for moving that the Housing Society is asking for, and the $35,000 they offered is not enough." 

Shamshuipo Renewal Concern Group co-ordinator Maggie Chau Yee-mei said the Housing Society moved at a pace to suit itself. 

"Those who have handed in their estimates for relocations have not heard back from the Housing Society for nine months," she said. 

"Suddenly everyone has to move out in one month. If they are so relaxed about working out compensation, why are they in such a hurry to kick us out." 

Ms Chau will hold an emergency meeting with residents next week and plans to complain to the Shamshuipo District Council and the Legislative Council about the Housing Society's conduct. 

A Housing Society spokeswoman said the letters were sent to unco-operative tenants. 

"We understand the situation for many of the tenants is complicated and the settlements have yet to be agreed on, but they have not been willing to speak to us at all," she said. 

"We asked those who were unhappy with the compensation to give us an estimate of what they think it will cost them to relocate their shops. Even though some of them have yet to find a new location, they can provide at least some basic information based on the experience of their neighbours who have had to move." 

She added flexibility could be offered for those who returned to the table to restart negotiations.


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## hkskyline

*Mandarin Oriental*


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## _00_deathscar

That doesn't look too bad ~ I was fearing worse!

That actually looks quite decent.


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## Sexas

^^ that's the old, the M.O. facelift not done yet.


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## _00_deathscar

O 

Thought it was too good to be true.


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## hkskyline

*市建局擬伙長實重建衙前圍 長實擁八成業權 局方指收購再招標易被控 *
08月 01日 星期二 05:05AM 

【明報專訊】僵持多年的新蒲崗衙前圍村重建計劃有新發展。本報獲悉，市區重建局聽取法律意見後，認為長實已收購村內近八成業權，倘按一貫賠償機制收購對方業權再另行招標，很大機會被控侵佔私廣 告

產及輸掉官司。故市建局正與長實談判，共同合作發展項目，可望2007年3月前達成協議，但要想辦法淡化給予公眾「官商勾結」印象。

一直跟進衙前圍村重建的立法會議員陳婉嫻，批評市建局與長實私下談判合作條件是「官商勾結」。

衙前圍村面積近5萬平方呎，又鄰近九龍塘及啟德新發展區，屬九龍罕有靚地皮。按前土地發展公司推算，土地可發展逾37萬呎住宅樓面，興建648個單位。但多年來市建局就其發展模式一直舉棋不定，主因是長實遠在1982年起已展開收購重建工作，至今已成功收購近八成業權，搶佔談判上風。

爭取合理條件 免被指「益長實」

市建局消息人士透露，經董事局商議後，傾向選擇與長實合作，但此舉定必惹來「官商勾結」、「明益長實」的指摘，現在唯有靠一個比較合理的條件，盡量減少「益人」的感覺。

市建局曾考慮以一般程序，即按「7年樓齡」收購長實業權，然後公開招標項目，並公開表示長實的收購價與小業主無異，避免外界質疑與大財團「官商勾結」。

但事件至最近出現轉捩點，據悉，市建局尋求的法律意見認為，長實遠在前土發公布項目前已展開收購，非一般的「落釘」行為。加上對方擁有大多數業權，若市建局拒絕與對方合作，強行以《收回土地條例》收購對方物業後作獨立招標，很大機會被長實以《基本法》控以侵佔私有產權，市建局敗訴機會亦很高，迫使市建局返回談判桌，與長實「討價還價」。

另一市建局消息人士指，市建局為維護公帑用得其所，須確保合作條件公平合理。但長實開出的條件「很辣」，包括要求「地積比轉移」，即將圍村的部分可發展樓面轉移至鄰近土地。

長實條件「辣」 要求「地積比轉移」

他續指，若長實堅拒接受較低條件，市建局可亮出「尚方寶劍」——收回土地條例，即自行收購餘下業權另謀發展，令長實業權分散成數個「牙籤盤」，損害發展潛力。

消息人士續說，在雙方籌碼相當及「大家都不想拖」的心態下，正付出誠意尋求共識，現時談判進展良好，更有「眉目」在07年3月的市建局目標前達成協議。

目標明年3月達成協議

市建局發言人表示，正積極與項目內擁有多業權的發展商，就不同發展模式進行研究。長實在截稿前未有回覆。

立法會議員陳婉嫻強調，政府應「企硬」立場，先透過社會參與磋商圍村的保育規劃工作，才決定發展方向，不能與長實私下談判。她指，圍村土地上的冷巷全為政府土地，長實只能與市建局合作才能有效發展地盤，故談判王牌仍在政府手上。

逾600年歷史的衙前圍村是市區最後一條圍村，其命運在過去20年可說一波三折。因長實一度以「購一間、拆一間」策略搶購物業，令圍村建築支離破碎，無法保存。

明報記者 賴偉家


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## hkskyline

*恒基十億奪銅鑼灣兩舊樓 *
08月 03日 星期四 03:30AM
綜合報道
星島日報報道

核心區大型重建地盤受追捧，恒基剛力壓兩大財團，以十億元奪取銅鑼灣兩幢大型舊樓逾九成業權，由於該兩幢物業極具重建商廈或酒店的價值，預料恒基將引用強收條例一統業權，預計日後將物業作重新發展，若以可建總樓面達二十四萬方呎計算，每方呎樓面地價約四千餘元。

近日成為市場焦點的銅鑼灣告士打道兩幢舊樓金國大廈及國民大廈，逾九成業權於上周二正式截標，合共收到約六份標書，大業主於上周五「篩選」三大財團進入「次輪出價」，連番討價還價之後，昨日有突破性進展。消息人士透露，大業主已選定出價最高的發展商恒基，物業以約十億元成交。

本報昨日致電恒基求證，惟直至截稿時還未聯絡得上，負責標售的第一太平戴維斯發言人則表示，暫時沒有消息公布。另外，本報又聯絡上舊樓大業主之一的關先生，關氏回應，不想談這件事。

不過，消息人士說，六間入標財團於上周首輪出價，只介乎八億至八億五千萬元，與大業主意向價逾十億元有距離。經過一輪討價還價，最終進入次輪出價的三大發展商恒基、長實及南豐，三大發展商都表現得相當積極，經過連番追價，最終由恒基成功購入。

金國大廈、國民大廈坐落於銅鑼灣告士打道、謝斐道、馬師道交界位，佔地一萬六千方呎，現規劃為商住用途，可按地積比率十五倍，重建商廈或酒店，可建總樓面達二十四萬方呎，若以此計，每方呎樓面地價約四千餘元。

消息人士續說，上述該兩幢舊樓可望海景，又是核心區銅鑼灣唯一可供「收購」的大型地盤，所以市場反應理想，截標前多個星期，多家發展商，以至具雄厚實力的財團，都派員親臨現場視察地盤，同時積極研究物業樓契等資料。

一名研究過該盤的發展商表示，上述兩個地盤集得逾九成業權，加上樓齡達四十五年，「有條件」引用強收條例拍賣統一業權。他又指，由於該地盤面向告士打道，加上坐落銅鑼灣，適合重建成甲級寫字樓以至高檔次酒店，再加上大廈外牆以及天台的廣告靚位，物業極具發展潛力。

有測量師指出，據了解，該物業目前尚餘約十個單位業權，市場普遍預料，新買家將會援引強收條例，統一業權才另行重新發展，若果一切順利的話，按照一般程序推算，物業可望在明年首季強制拍賣。

地產界人士指出，現時勾地困難，就算大型發展商也不容易勾地，所以不少發展商為求補充土地儲備，都轉向私人市場，積極出價洽購地皮。當中市區核心地段具重建價值地盤尤其吃香，令一眾舊樓小業主紛紛合併業權放售物業，掀起「合併放售熱潮」。


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## Rachmaninov

Hope that something nice would pop up at that location.


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## hala

Rachmaninov said:


> Hope that something nice would pop up at that location.


Ya, it is in such a valuable location. Hope it will come up with some design.


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## hkskyline

Dallas star said:


> I am over loadded with information


There are a lot of redevelopment projects happening in Hong Kong right now.  There are huge ones, such as the planned Kwun Tong downtown to smaller ones involving individual buildings and small plot sites.


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## hkth

From news.gov.hk:
Sham Shui Po project acquisition starts


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## hkskyline

*Thousands view Kwun Tong redevelopment options *
18 September 2006
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority's managing director, Billy Lam Chung-lun, said the public's response had been encouraging, with 80 per cent of people polled by the University of Hong Kong favouring one of the models. 

But he remained tight-lipped on which option the public preferred, stressing early disclosure would jeopardise the fairness of the public consultation. 

But Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit, who is a non-executive director of the authority, said the public was still missing crucial information, included financing of the redevelopment and details of development phases. He said the redevelopment had a plot ratio of close to eight for residential space while the existing density was below five. 

"The authority's high density ensures the project's financial viability. But it has never disclosed details of the project's financing. It has to tell us more to justify the high development density," Mr Leong said. 

Kwun Tong's redevelopment was announced in early 1998 by the Land Development Corporation. The project was passed to the authority when it was set up three years later, following the dissolution of the corporation. 

The 5.3-hectare project includes Yuet Wah Street bus terminal and the area bordered by Hip Wo Street, Mut Wah Street, Hong Ning Road and Kwun Tong Road. The redevelopment will affect 24 buildings and 1,635 property rights. About 5,000 people and 300 shops will be affected. The HK$30 billion redevelopment is the authority's biggest project and will take more than a decade to complete. 

The authority has stressed it is crucial to redevelop Kwun Tong in phases to maintain the vibrancy of the busy district. But it had not decided how to phase the redevelopment or tender it. 

Mr Leong said: "They must have an idea although they may change their mind later, but they should let the public know and let them comment on which part of the Kwun Tong town centre will be redeveloped first." 

The public also should be informed of the schemes' proportions for residential, commercial and community space. 

The redevelopment marks the first time the authority has consulted the community and come up with designs before it resumes properties and redevelops. 

After two rounds of tendering, three architecture consultants were shortlisted to come up with three concept plans. They are Wong & Ouyang (HK), MLA Architecture (HK) and WDA Group. 

The authority's plan is to submit the master plan for Town Planning Board approval before March. Then it will begin resuming property rights.


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## hkskyline

*Residential blocks, office towers and hotels feature in designs *
18 September 2006
South China Morning Post

The public has been asked to choose from three designs for the Kwun Tong redevelopment. 

All share four basic elements: 

Five residential blocks between 30 and 40 storeys at the northern part of the town centre with 2,000 flats; 

Office towers and hotels in the south, facing Kwun Tong Road; 

A pedestrianised Yue Man Square surrounded by government facilities, shops and offices; 

A large underground car park. 

Architectural firm Wong & Ouyang received harsh criticism when it revealed its model included a 280-metre high office and hotel tower. 

"We have participated in all public forums and residents said they don't mind tall buildings but they want a landmark," director Lam Wo Hei said, adding that the proposed skyscraper was slightly higher than the 200-metre APM shopping mall. 

"The building will be close to APM and other existing high rises. They will form a cluster of tall buildings. By being slightly taller than the other towers, we will create a landmark for Kwun Tong without upsetting the design of the neighbourhood." 

The firm proposes broadening roads surrounding the site to improve traffic flow. It has also promised that residential blocks would be separated so residents could enjoy views of a regenerated Yue Man Square. 

WDA Group's scheme stresses preservation of the town's narrow streets. 

Managing director Chow Wai-lee said: "We will keep the existing lanes in our design. After talking to residents, we know people treasure the narrow streets." 

The architect was referring to Tung Yan Street, Fu Yan Street and Yue Man Passage. People will enter Yue Man Square through these streets and shop along them. 

Keeping the streets adds ground-level entrances to the square on top of pedestrian footbridges linking the town centre with the rest of the district and creating extra commercial space. 

Low-rise shopping centres will surround the square, which will also feature an open-air theatre with an artificial waterfall. 

Ms Chow's design also incorporates a skyscraper taller than Sun Hung Kai's APM shopping mall. 

Architectural firm MLA's design puts the emphasis on government and community facilities. A major feature is the dome-shaped multi-purpose community centre that will stand in Hip Wo Street. 

"Civic presence is important in our design. It is to let the public know we have them in mind," MLA director Yuen Tak-chuen said. 

Mr Yuen hopes the redevelopment will make Kwun Tong more of a cultural area, so exhibition spaces for artists have been included at the shopping centres and hotel. 

Yue Man Square is surrounded by a five-storey podium level shopping centre.


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon bowling club goes up for bidding *
Yvonne Liu 
21 September 2006
South China Morning Post

The 106-year-old Kowloon Bowling Green Club in Jordan has invited developers to submit proposals to redevelop the site into a residential project that would include club and bowling facilities. 

The club has appointed Levett & Bailey Development Consultant to tender the 76,994 square foot site, with a November 3 closing date. 

Levett & Bailey director Stephen Lai Yuk-fai said: "We can't disclose the details of the tender to the public at this stage as it will be unfair to people who pay HK$2,500 for the tender documents." 

Potential developers have to propose a land price and a scheme for the site at the junction of Austin Road and Cox's Road that includes a clubhouse and bowling facilities. 

The club's facilities are expected to be smaller than the original under any new development. 

Under the outline zoning plan, the site is restricted for sports and recreation club use, but there is no restriction on usage in the land lease. 

Lanbase Surveyors director Chan Cheong-kit said: "If the land lease has no restriction on usage, the developer can develop a residential project once the Town Planning Board agrees to rezone the site. The developer doesn't have to pay a land premium for [the conversion]." 

The Kowloon Bowling Green Club was built in 1900 in what was a luxury residential district. 

"The average price on the secondary market in the district is HK$7,000 per square foot. Carmen's Garden at Cox's Road fetched HK$10,000 per square foot in 1997," Mr Chan said. "The accommodation value of the club redevelopment project is valued at HK$6,000 per square foot."


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## hkskyline

*Residents want density of Kwun Tong plan cut *
Leslie Kwoh 
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, September 25, 2006

More than half the residents of Kwun Tong want to see the area's residential density lowered, even as government plans for the redevelopment of the district's town center show plot ratios will skyrocket by almost 40 percent.

Fifty-seven percent of Kwun Tong residents want to see this density reduced from the current plot ratio of 4.7, according to a report released Sunday by the Civic Party.

Another 26 percent said they want density to remain the same after redevelopment, while only 4 percent desire an increase. Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit said the results of the survey, which took in more than 750 people between March and July, showed most residents were not keen on seeing more developments like the APM mega-mall in the area.

One of the three proposals for the 5.3-hectare project - which will affect 5,000 people, 300 shops and 24 buildings - includes an office tower that appears to be about 280 meters high, or about 100m higher than the seven-story APM.

"We urge the Urban Renewal Authority to avoid high-density developments as much as possible," said Leong, who is also a non-executive director at the authority.

"We also ask the authority to ensure that any new developments will not interfere with the natural ridgeline."

The study found that 74 percent of residents wanted to see the Yue Man Square area redeveloped into a place for mixed commercial and residential developments that includes both cheap and expensive establishments.

Only about 25 percent of respondents said the area should be used to develop high-end commercial and retail buildings. 

"The area right now is old, but it is bustling and many people said they enjoy the convenient and cheap shopping," Leong said.

Estimated to cost HK$30 billion, the redevelopment is the authority's largest - and also one of its most contentious - projects.

Authority chief Billy Lam Chung- lun has revealed an average increase of one point in plot ratio would mean a potential revenue increase of HK$3 billion - a revelation that has prompted critics to question the government's definition of "renewal" and demand limits on the height of proposed skyscrapers.

Land surveyors estimate the redeveloped town center would lift the value of residential properties to about HK$7,500 per square foot, which might prompt landlords and tenants to move to less expensive areas in the territory.

While the authority has devoted about half the project's cost - HK$13 billion - to compensate holders of property rights in the area, Leong Sunday called for more information to prove that such an undertaking would be financially feasible. The authority, which has a cash reserve of HK$3.2 billion, has not disclosed details on how it plans to bankroll the compensation except to say it will be carried out in three phases.

Leong urged the authority to speed up the renewal process, expected to take 12 years, to protect the project against market fluctuations.

"We recognize there's always been some tension between the need to balance the books and to answer the public's demand for sustainable development, but the residents have waited eight years [since the project was first announced], and we need to find a way out of this impasse," he said.


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## hkskyline

*In the shadows *
As a group of Tai Kok Tsui residents makes a futile last stand against renewal, experts question officials' approach to revitalising old districts
26 September 2006
South China Morning Post

HOMEGROWN CARTOON PIG McDull and long-term residents of Tai Kok Tsui share feelings of helplessness and gloom over the redevelopment of the old district in West Kowloon. In the animated film Prince de la Bun, McDull is frustrated by a giant robot's bid to demolish parts of Tai Kok Tsui. In real life, shop owners and residents such as Tse Ngai-shing are just as upset by the area's urban renewal. 

They're tearing up the community, says Tse, who runs an ironworks shop in Beech Street. "The government is trying to kick us out of the inner city because we're dirty, blue-collar people," he says. 

Lee Wong Kit-fong, an elderly resident who used to run a metal-fabrication shop with her late husband, laments that grand revitalisation projects have done little to improve life for people such as her. 

"Our hands were always very dirty because we collected scrap metal for recycling. But those were happy days," she says. "We could still see the harbour from our shop, back then, and at Mid-Autumn Festival, my children would play with lanterns near the waterfront. But now we can't get a glimpse of the sea any more." 

Tse is among a group of residents hunkered down in the district, despite a September 14 deadline for their removal under the redevelopment scheme. The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has issued writs against the hold-outs, but most say they have no choice as they can't find affordable alternative accommodation. They don't have funds for a court battle, and can only write letters in their own defence, Tse says. 

Tai Kok Tsui once thrived on its mixture of residential blocks, dock facilities and clusters of metalwork and vehicle workshops, but URA officials say redevelopment is necessary because buildings in the district are too old and ground-floor workshops generate air and noise pollution. About 1,300 households are affected by five URA projects covering Cherry, Larch, Fir, Pine, Anchor and Fuk Tsun streets. 

"There's a need to improve pedestrian linkages in the district, as road traffic is busy due to street parking and loading activities of workshops," says a URA spokesman. "Through a comprehensive approach, including the implementation of redevelopment, rehabilitation [and] revitalisation projects, we can bring a better living and working environment to the area." 

But district representatives say the authority's vision for Tai Kok Tsui mainly benefits developers, who focus on high-density, high-rise estates to maximise land use and profits. 

The Yau Tsim Mong District Council has long lobbied the government for improved public facilities, including the construction of a waterside promenade from Sham Shui Po to Kowloon City, but to no avail, says council chairman Henry Chan Man-yu. "We've been asking for a promenade so that old people living in poorer areas can gather to chat with their friends, while professionals living in new luxury high-rises can go jogging," Chan says. 

"Residents of the old and new neighbourhoods now live in two different worlds. There's a serious polarisation in Tai Kok Tsui. Existing residents don't enjoy benefits from redevelopment of the district at all." 

Tse, who has lived in the district for nearly 30 years, feels the difference. "The better environment is not for us. The rest of Tai Kok Tsui will be just like the reclaimed coastal area with high-end flats and big shopping malls," he says. "We seldom go to the department stores near Olympic MTR station. People there dress very nicely, but they seem very cold." 

But the hold-outs know eviction is almost inevitable and senior citizens such as Wong are anxious about their future. 

"I rely on the HK$8,000 that I get from renting out our old shop space. That is very important to me as I am chronically ill - I have to support myself," says the widow, who suffers from cancer. 

The residents say they will also miss the sense of community and friendliness of their neighbourhood - a rare quality in many developments. 

"The buildings in my neighbourhood might look shabby, but people are friendlier," Tse says. "Although our shops are small, we know [the] names and background of nearly every customer and give them the best service." 

Wong says extensive reclamation work at Tai Kok Tsui and the demolition of old buildings has erased all trace of her and her husband's old haunts. 

"Whenever I used to walk past, memories would flood into my mind," she says. "But I can't bear to visit since the project has begun." 

Kevin Manuel Kwo-keung, a lecturer at the department of building science at City University, says the redevelopment of Tai Kok Tsui needs a human touch. "The government and private developers are only concerned about economic viability. They don't formulate people-oriented plans, and the new development poses a serious threat to the culture and history of the district," Manuel says. 

"Tai Kok Tsui used to be a shelter for fishing boats and ships. Can you find any trace of history along the harbour now? It seems memories of the past have all been wiped out." The renewal projects will destroy the community, he says. 

"They totally break down the social network because those long-time residents can never be neighbours again," Manuel says. It's hard for many of them to find places to move because rents and flat prices have gone up considerably, the lecturer says. "Without government help, it's difficult for them to settle somewhere they can afford to buy or pay rent," he says. "It's very sad." 

Manuel calls on the government to rehouse affected residents within the district, so they can be resettled as a community. The academic also criticises planners for failing to include better recreational facilities for residents in their revitalisation schemes. "Developers have taken over most of the coastline for the construction of high-rises, but the government has yet to do anything at the waterfront to introduce more recreational facilities," he says. 

Bernard Lim, the president of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, says the government should create more open spaces and public facilities when redeveloping old districts. "There's concern over whether there's enough recreational facilities for residents," he says. "Long-time inhabitants in the older part of Tai Kok Tsui don't benefit from the new construction in their district." 

High-density developments along the reclaimed waterfront not only fail to meet the needs of Tai Kok Tsui residents, the blocks of tall buildings form huge barriers that block the older areas from sun and wind, Lim says. 

According to a study last month by environmental group Green Sense, the blocks of tall buildings have sealed off 63 per cent of Tai Kok Tsui's 6km coastline, preventing sea breezes from reaching ageing inner neighbourhoods. 

Built to maximise the number of flats with sea views, the wall of high-rises impedes ventilation and makes the old quarters even hotter in the summer, the group says. As a result, families in the inner-city blocks suffer more respiratory diseases. 

"The government can't just give developers a free hand," says Green Sense chairman Roy Tam Hoi-pong. "Some think the solution in urban renewal projects is to tear down old districts and build again, but [new construction] can actually make the quality of life worse."


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## hkskyline

*Rethink urged on Kwun Tong master plan 
Pressure group says all properties needed for huge redevelopment should be bought at the same time *
Ng Kang-chung 
25 September 2006
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority has been urged to acquire in one go all properties included in its mega redevelopment of Kwun Tong. 

Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit, who is also a non-executive director of the authority, yesterday said acquiring properties in phases could be unfair to those included in later stages. 

"Some owners may want to take advantage of a booming property market and sell their flats to the authority, while others simply do not want to wait because they have lived in their rundown flats for too long," said Mr Leong, who released a report on the multi-phase redevelopment. 

The report, which forms part of a project entitled "KT Vision" conducted by Mr Leong's office and five social and local students' groups, urged the authority to release more information on financing of the project and details of rehousing and compensation packages. 

Mr Leong also urged the authority to retain the characteristics of the old town, instead of simply replacing old blocks with skyscrapers or shopping malls. 

A street poll, conducted as part of the KT Vision project, interviewed 775 people in Kwun Tong between March and June. It found 56 per cent complained that Kwun Tong was already too densely populated. And 57 per cent wanted more low-rise buildings to be built as part of the redevelopment. 

Mr Leong said the designs released by the authority did not seem to meet the residents' needs. 

Last month the authority launched a two-month consultation process over three conceptual designs for the renewal of 5.3 hectares in the heart of Kwun Tong, bounded by the MTR station, Hong Ning Road, and Hip Wo Street. 

All three designs feature high-rise office towers and hotels, residential blocks of up to 40 storeys, and a large underground car park. 

The planned project - Hong Kong's biggest redevelopment - would cost the authority HK$30 billion and take up to 12 years to complete. On completion, Kwun Tong will be transformed into a commercial and retail hub for eastern Kowloon. 

About 5,000 residents living in 24 rundown blocks dating from the 1950s will have to relocate. 

Charles Ng Ka-kui, programme director of the Christian Family Service Centre - a partner in the KT Vision project, said the rights of poor families in the district should not be overlooked. 

Once a booming industrial district, Kwun Tong was one of Hong Kong's first satellite towns. Over the decades, however, it degenerated into one of the poorest districts. 

With a population of about 570,000, the district has become a focal point for the Commission on Poverty, a government body that was set up to explore ways of helping deprived groups. 

A plan to redevelop Kwun Tong town centre was first drawn up in the late 1980s, but the project has been held up despite rounds of studies because of its cost.


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## hkskyline

*Mega mall 'may shut 90pc of Kwun Tong stores' *
Chester Yung
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, October 09, 2006

Up to 90 percent of retail stores in Kwun Tong may be forced to close if a proposed mega mall plan for Yue Man Square goes ahead because it will drive away customers used to cheap goods and services, an academic has warned.

Speaking at a forum on the planned redevelopment of the popular shopping area Sunday, Chinese University of Hong Kong associate professor of architecture Wallace Chang Ping-hung said he was worried the project proposed by the Urban Renewal Authority will destroy the district's traditional image as a place for low-cost shopping.

Kwun Tong - a mainly industrial district - is known to be Hong Kong's second-lowest income district due to its vast number of factory workers.

"If the proposed mega mall goes ahead, we may not have the teahouses now selling a bowl of herbal tea for HK$3, but upmarket cafes selling a cup of coffee for HK$30," Chang said.

The URA has already begun a two- month public consultation exercise that ends tomorrow on three concept designs for the redevelopment of the 5.3-hectare area bounded by Hip Wo Street, Mut Wah Street, Hong Ning Road and Kwun Tong Road.

The project, which has been in the pipeline since 1998, is expected to cost HK$30 billion.

According to the plan, Yue Man Square will be expanded to about four times its existing area into a vibrant, modern hub for shopping and entertainment.

But Chang urged the developers to think twice before launching the project. "For many years, Kwun Tong has been a place catering to the needs of the grassroots society - inexpensive goods and entertainment. Shop operators will not be able to sustain their business by selling costly goods," he said.

"I fear that if the mega mall development materializes, about 80 to 90 percent of the retail stores will close down."

Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions member and Kwun Tong district community officer Kan Ming-tung agreed, saying any radical change for Kwun Tong would have a negative impact as the district is home mainly to low-income groups and the elderly.

"Yue Man Square, in the center of Kwun Tong, is a symbol of the masses," Kan said. "The URA's plan to build the mega mall project will kill the residents' lifestyle and affect their livelihood, as well as the spending patterns of the grassroots workers in the district."

According to a recent survey carried out by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, nearly 70 percent of 430 people who live and work in or near Kwun Tong said they spent less than HK$100 each time they went out shopping or dining. The union also spoke to the operators of about 300 shops and businesses and found almost half paid less than HK$10,000 in rent a month.

"Yue Man Square, with its cluster of low-cost shops and restaurants, fits in perfectly well with the consumption pattern of the grassroots society," said Nelson Chan Wah-yu, a Kwun Tong District Council member.


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## hkskyline

*Mega mall 'may shut 90pc of Kwun Tong stores' *
Chester Yung
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, October 09, 2006

Up to 90 percent of retail stores in Kwun Tong may be forced to close if a proposed mega mall plan for Yue Man Square goes ahead because it will drive away customers used to cheap goods and services, an academic has warned.

Speaking at a forum on the planned redevelopment of the popular shopping area Sunday, Chinese University of Hong Kong associate professor of architecture Wallace Chang Ping-hung said he was worried the project proposed by the Urban Renewal Authority will destroy the district's traditional image as a place for low-cost shopping.

Kwun Tong - a mainly industrial district - is known to be Hong Kong's second-lowest income district due to its vast number of factory workers.

"If the proposed mega mall goes ahead, we may not have the teahouses now selling a bowl of herbal tea for HK$3, but upmarket cafes selling a cup of coffee for HK$30," Chang said.

The URA has already begun a two- month public consultation exercise that ends tomorrow on three concept designs for the redevelopment of the 5.3-hectare area bounded by Hip Wo Street, Mut Wah Street, Hong Ning Road and Kwun Tong Road.

The project, which has been in the pipeline since 1998, is expected to cost HK$30 billion.

According to the plan, Yue Man Square will be expanded to about four times its existing area into a vibrant, modern hub for shopping and entertainment.

But Chang urged the developers to think twice before launching the project. "For many years, Kwun Tong has been a place catering to the needs of the grassroots society - inexpensive goods and entertainment. Shop operators will not be able to sustain their business by selling costly goods," he said.

"I fear that if the mega mall development materializes, about 80 to 90 percent of the retail stores will close down."

Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions member and Kwun Tong district community officer Kan Ming-tung agreed, saying any radical change for Kwun Tong would have a negative impact as the district is home mainly to low-income groups and the elderly.

"Yue Man Square, in the center of Kwun Tong, is a symbol of the masses," Kan said. "The URA's plan to build the mega mall project will kill the residents' lifestyle and affect their livelihood, as well as the spending patterns of the grassroots workers in the district."

According to a recent survey carried out by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, nearly 70 percent of 430 people who live and work in or near Kwun Tong said they spent less than HK$100 each time they went out shopping or dining. The union also spoke to the operators of about 300 shops and businesses and found almost half paid less than HK$10,000 in rent a month.

"Yue Man Square, with its cluster of low-cost shops and restaurants, fits in perfectly well with the consumption pattern of the grassroots society," said Nelson Chan Wah-yu, a Kwun Tong District Council member.


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## hkskyline

*Hopewell splashes out HK$600m on Hitec makeover *
11 October 2006
South China Morning Post

Hopewell Holdings, a property and toll road firm, said the redevelopment of an exhibition centre in Kowloon Bay into a shopping and entertainment complex will cost HK$600 million and half of the project has been leased. 

Hopewell is renovating the Hongkong International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Hitec) in the industrial area of Kowloon Bay and turning it into a 900,000 square foot shopping and entertainment complex. 

Deputy managing director Thomas Jefferson Wu yesterday said that the investment included HK$200 million of land premium to the government, a payment required for changing land use. 

The project, which is scheduled to open in the middle of next year, is part of Hopewell's plan to increase rental income. 

Property leasing accounted for 12.36 per cent or HK$188 million of the group's HK$1.52 billion earnings before interest and tax in the year to June. Hopewell's net profit was HK$2.25 billion, 18 per cent higher year on year. 

Rent at Hitec ranges between HK$20 and HK$50 per square foot, according to Hopewell associate director William Wong Wing-lam. 

Half of the space has been leased by three tenants - a car exhibition operator taking 250,000 sqft, a home store operator taking 200,000 sqft and a bowling venue operator. 

Hitec's 720,000 sqft office development above the exhibition centre will not be affected by the makeover. The office space is more than 90 per cent occupied, a spokeswoman said. 

Hitec's reopening will coincide with next year's opening of Megabox, a Kerry Properties shopping centre development in Kowloon Bay offering 1.1 million sqft of retail space. 

Mr Wu said he was not concerned that Megabox would compete with Hitec because the districts around Kowloon Bay, including Kai Tak and Kwun Tong, would undergo redevelopment and generate demand for shopping and entertainment spaces. 

Hopewell is also developing two office towers on Queen's Road East, Wan Chai. The first, a 770,000 sqft commercial tower costing HK$150 million, will be completed in the third quarter next year. 

The other, a HK$280 million 96,500 sqft residential and commercial tower, is due for completion in the forth quarter of 2008. 

At Happy Valley, Hopewell plans to redevelop a 113,900 sqft site on 12 Broadwood Road into luxury flats for leasing. The HK$500 million project is due for completion in 2009.


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## hkskyline

*Green facelift planned for run-down areas *
20 October 2006
South China Morning Post

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY features are an integral part of the city's redevelopment programme. Over the years, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has worked closely with developers to upgrade the territory's run-down districts. The authority has announced some 30 projects that will integrate green concepts. 

Big projects with a heavily green aspect are scheduled for Tai Kok Tsui, Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po, with about 2,580 households being affected by the renewal programme. Total compensation for families is estimated at HK$5 billion. 

"Environmental protection is one of the provisions in our joint venture agreements with private developers," said Stephen Lam Wai-nang, district development director for the URA. 

"But we don't have a standard policy on how it should be done because the sizes of the projects vary. We have a whole basket of stipulations for consideration for each project. It's up to the developers to appoint landscape consultants to go into the design details, such as what types of plants best suit certain places." 

In Tai Kok Tsui a "green oasis" concept is being deployed for Fuk Tsun Street and Pine Street. Footpaths will be repaved and potted plants introduced at building sites. "It is a small project, but it will include some of our standard design features like street furniture, a sky garden for visual impact and free air flow. Tai Kok Tsui is a very run-down district, with lots of workshops and garages. There are ample opportunities for greening," Mr Lam said. 

The authority's most ambitious environmental commitment will be the Kwun Tong town centre, which will feature a high proportion of greenery and open space. 

The design and layout of the new buildings will allow for free air movement, which will bring in the breeze and help eliminate air pollutants. Residential buildings with podiums will be set back from main roads to reduce the impact of traffic noise and vehicle emissions. 

The authority believes that more open space and fewer buildings will enhance the district's air quality. 

All the design concepts for the new town centre factor in measures to check sound pollution. For example, hotel and office buildings between the existing Yue Man Square and Kwun Tong Road will serve as a sound barrier for the centre, checking noise from Kwun Tung Road traffic and the MTR.


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## hkskyline

*New life for old districts 
Job opportunities abound in the services industry*
20 October 2006
South China Morning Post

CONSTRUCTION of new commercial and residential buildings has slowed since reaching a climax in the 1990s, when Hong Kong's property market experienced an unprecedented boom. 

For this reason, redevelopment projects have become one of the major sources of job opportunities for professionals, technicians and workers, and have created abundant vacancies for people wanting to establish a long-term career in the property services industry. 

Two major redevelopment schemes in Cherry Street, Tai Kok Tsui, and Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, under leading property developer Nan Fung Development, are typical examples. 

The work will improve the living and working environments in these old districts, which are high on the agenda of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). 

The Cherry Street plan is a joint venture between Nan Fung and the URA. 

Nan Fung is building three luxury 40- to 49-storey residential blocks and a small shopping mall. It is also committed to introducing modern community facilities, including a new residential care home for the elderly, streetscape improvements and widened footpaths. 

Nan Fung managing director Donald Choi said the company needed to hire up to 300 people, including construction workers, to complete all the tasks by 2008. 

The site has been under development since last year and about 100 professionals such as project managers, engineers, architects, technicians, administrative and support staff have been employed. 

Additional employees including foremen, assistant foremen and building services management executives will be recruited during the project's middle and final stages. 

"The operation involves many contractors and subcontractors, so it is hard to estimate the actual number of staff required, but I believe during the peak period we might be deploying 200 to 300 people," Mr Choi said. 

Safety and environmental protection are important concerns in any construction work. Officers with special training in these areas are being appointed to prevent accidents and promote better living environments. "We are also concerned with saving natural resources," Mr Choi said. 

"To cut down on construction waste, our officers advise using steel formwork, which is recyclable, instead of wood, in our building process." 

As part of the joint venture provisions with the URA, Nan Fung is required to introduce green initiatives, and environmentally friendly design should be incorporated as far as possible. A notable feature of the Cherry Street plan is the building of a footbridge to connect to the Olympic station to provide a more convenient pedestrian environment. 

"Apart from building a large green podium, we have multilevel gardens and street improvement work to do. 

"Some footpaths will be repaved to give the area a facelift." 

Mr Choi said that many professionals were being attracted to work in Macau to build hotels and casinos, and that had created extra demand in the job market. But he saw no difficulties finding the right candidates to fill the vacancies. 

"We have received many applications for positions," Mr Choi said. 

He said the pay trend for executives in the business had steadily increased, and that pay rises in the next two years would probably follow the gross domestic product growth rate. 

Most external walls of the Cherry Street project's buildings are prefabricated in China and assembled in Hong Kong. 

This practice is widely adopted by many local property developers to cut down on work processes and ensure that the quality is up to standard. 

This pre-cast façade method involves moulding walls by mass production in mainland factories. 

"This deprives many Hong Kong workers of job opportunities in a particular skill," Mr Choi said. 

"Not surprisingly, labour unions are still complaining that many workers don't have enough work to do." 

Construction of the 440-unit serviced apartments in Yeung Uk Road in Tsuen Wan is almost complete. 

New Charm Management, the property management company under Nan Fung, will recruit up to 30 people next month or in December to fill senior ranks from resident managers and assistant resident managers to junior positions, such as service officers, security officers and room attendants. 

"The serviced apartment block will be operated in the form of a trendy hotel apartment block, so people with services and hospitality experience are preferred in order to uphold the service quality and standards, though we also have in-house training. 

"Remuneration will be in line with the market standard or above," Mr Choi said. 

The 38-floor apartment building will offer sophisticated metropolitan living. 

Features will include a variety of recreational facilities, such as a pool, poolside barbecue, jacuzzi and gymnasium. The site, originally an old factory building, is owned by Nan Fung. 

The developer pulled it down to build serviced apartments to meet the URA's redevelopment plan along the waterfront area, where many dilapidated factories are being demolished to turn Tsuen Wan into a commercial and residential hub. 

New developments include Nina Tower, the URA's Vision City and the forthcoming KCRC Tsuen Wan West station.


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## hkskyline

*Plea to keep street traders in Kwun Tong *
11 October 2006
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority was urged yesterday not to sweep away small shop owners and street traders in favour of glittering malls in the Kwun Tong redevelopment. 

Federation of Trade Unions legislator Chan Yuen-han said the authority should not only focus on economic development but also shoulder the responsibilities of social equity and environmental development in remodelling the crumbling former factory district. 

"A good urban development plan could promote a community's sustainable development. I hope the authority can hear the voice of the grass-roots people and give them a chance to keep their rice bowls, instead of just stimulating upmarket commercial activities," Ms Chan said. 

She submitted a proposal for the district's redevelopment yesterday - the last day of the authority's two-month public consultation over three concepts for the renewal of 5.3 hectares in the heart of Kwun Tong. 

All three designs for the area, bounded by the MTR station, Hong Ning Road, and Hip Wo Street, feature high-rise office towers and hotels, residential blocks and a large underground transport terminal. 

Ms Chan proposed the narrow streets of the old town be retained and Yue Man Square developed as a multi-functional area.


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## Skyscrapercitizen

^^

good! It's bad to demolish a lively neighbourhood on which many people base their urban lifestyle. It is better to demolish the worst buildings and upgrade the area part by part in a long term proces. That way you keep the area alive and you can make it stronger, better with a more unique identity.

Imagine how NYC would be if all old parts were demolished in the 70's and 80's replaced by huge malls and towers. Then there would not have been places like Soho, East Village, Chelsea or Meatpacking District.

So make areas like this strong by rdevellop it step by step, keeping the old atmosphrere and bringing in modern good buildings. This can grow the city more diverse, and diversitiy is the best thing cities can have...


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## hkskyline

*Wedding Card Street gives up the battle *
'I'm exhausted and helpless,' says last property owner after agreeing to sell to the renewal authority 
31 October 2006
South China Morning Post










The battle to prevent the demolition of Wedding Card Street has ended with the decision by the last diehard resident to sell her family property to the Urban Renewal Authority. 

"I'm exhausted and helpless. Being the person to put a full stop to the fight has been a difficult decision to make. The battle to save the street has been dragging on for three years," said Kam Fok Lai-ching. "My brother and I inherited this business from our late father. I cannot be selfish. I have to consider the feelings of my family and face the fact that there will be uncertainty in this family business if I continue the fight." 

She said the campaign to save Wan Chai's Lee Tung Street - or Wedding Card Street, as it is more commonly known because of the number of shops printing and selling wedding cards - had highlighted the problems of redevelopment and its impact on the social network and character of old areas of the city. 

She hoped the authorities had learned a lesson, especially with respect to those affected by the plan. 

The Lands Department gazetted the resumption order for land in Lee Tung Street on August 5 last year, allowing it to take over properties from owners who refused to sell to the Urban Renewal Authority. When the government issued the initial order, the authority owned 80 per cent of property rights, but at the time of the resumption order it had 92 per cent in its hands. 

Mrs Kam - who owned a 1,000-sq-ft shop on Amoy Street selling construction and renovation equipment - was ordered to appear in court last month to explain why she was occupying government land illegally. 

The softly-spoken landlady became a symbol of the campaign to preserve the street shortly after authorities announced redevelopment plans in 2003. 

She did not disclose how much she had received for her property, stressing that her problems had still not been resolved. 

"My father has been doing business in Wan Chai for more than 30 years and this shop at Amoy Street has been operating for 16 years. I need a shop in Wan Chai that allows for parking, loading and unloading so we can continue this family business. But I haven't found one yet." 

The redevelopment plan affects 54 buildings, 930 people and 647 property rights. Residents and shop owners formed a concern group called H15, after the project's name in the authority's file. H15 filed an alternative plan to the Town Planning Board early last year to demonstrate it was possible to preserve the old buildings, allowing residents to continue to live there without harming the street's redevelopment value. However, the board rejected the plan. 

An appeal hearing for the plan has been scheduled for tomorrow, Friday and November 14. 

A spokesman for the authority said it expected the project to proceed smoothly.


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## hkskyline

*Legendary bathhouse forced to pull the plug *
Haunt of the rich, powerful and corrupt closes its door after 57 years, a victim of redevelopment 
3 October 2006
South China Morning Post

A Shanghainese bathhouse that for more than 50 years was a home from home for tycoons, corrupt police and anyone needing a good rub-down has closed its doors - a victim of urban renewal. 

Located at the corner of Prince Edward Road West and Reclamation Street, the Shanghai Tung Kee Yuk Tak Chee Bathhouse - the first facility of its type in the city and probably the last prominent one - welcomed its last customers yesterday. The building in which it is housed is scheduled for redevelopment, and after 57 years of operation, its owners have no plans to open elsewhere. 

Most visitors coming through the doors yesterday could only guess at the bathhouse's rich history - the area it occupies has been in decline for years and its décor now shows the kind of wear that imminent demolition engenders. 

According to its owner, 76-year-old Fan Kwong, the bathhouse has played host to well-known figures including late tycoon Lim Por-yen, notoriously corrupt police sergeant Lui Lok and renowned film director Li Han-chiang. 

Since word of the bathhouse's demise spread, Mr Fan has been inundated with old and new customers seeking to capture a final glimpse of the historic bathhouse. 

Mr Fan took over the business from his father, who founded it in 1949 after fleeing Shanghai when the Communist Party took power. The family still runs a bathhouse in Shanghai that recently marked its 102nd anniversary. 

"Shanghainese liked enjoying life," Mr Fan said. "Our bathhouse quickly gained a lot of business and a good reputation as many Shanghainese came to Hong Kong in the '50s and '60s." 

Lim was one of the family's VIP guests and a frequent customer for more than 30 years, visiting about once a month, even in the latter part of his life, Mr Fan said. 

"Mr Lim ran a textile business and had some Shanghainese friends who brought him to the bathhouse. He was very friendly. He had a painful foot, so he often came for pedicures." 

Mr Fan also remembered serving corrupt policeman Lui, one of the "four great sergeants" who used to run the city, and late film director Li. 

"Sergeant Lui often came after work for relaxing. Many gang members came to meet him. They often paid the bill for him," Mr Fan said. 

"Li usually came late at night. Sometimes, after bathing and massage, he slept for several hours until the early morning and left to begin shooting again." 

The bathhouse has witnessed a lot of changes in the city, its business going up and down along with the Hong Kong economy. 

"The '70s and '80s were our golden period. But the business slid after the financial crisis in 1997, and we hardly survived through the Sars outbreak. 

"Unluckily, after surviving so many difficulties, we still have to close it down now," said the bathhouse owner, who plans to retire to Canada.


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## hkskyline

*A group of artists is capturing Hong Kong street life before it's demolished in the name of urban renewal*
31 October 2006
South China Morning Post

ARTIST STELLA SO Man-yee's love affair with the city's tenement buildings, or tong lau, began with an award-winning flight of fancy. Very Fantastic, So's animated short about a little girl who dreams up an imaginary world in her tenement home, not only won the top prize at the Independent Short Film and Video Awards in 2002, it opened her eyes to hidden treasures in the old neighbourhoods. 

So says that research for her animated work - she chose a tong lau for the setting to create a feeling of space - required her to spend a lot of time exploring ageing districts such as Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po. 

"I realised many of the buildings are very beautiful and full of colour. And I love the spaciousness of tong lau," she says. 

Since then, the 29-year-old design graduate has been photographing and drawing life in the old tenements; and the results are being compiled in a book that she hopes to publish early next year. 

"I want to show the beauty of Hong Kong in my illustrations. They aren't British-style buildings, but very local. These old places give me loads of inspiration for my work, unlike new high-rises." 

But it isn't just the nostalgic charm that is stirring creative juices. A number of artists including So are also fired by the destruction of communities in the name of urban renewal. So has heard many disheartening stories from residents during her research. "The more I know, the sadder I feel," she says. "These urban renewal projects are not 'people-centred' at all. Residents are forced to live further and further away, and the buildings are replaced by luxury high-rises." 

She also cites the example of the so-called Blue House, a Grade I historic building that has stood for more than 80 years in Stone Nullah Lane and once housed the only English school in Wan Chai before the second world war. 

Some families have lived in the four-storey block for four generations. Among the occupants is an osteopath's clinic that grew out of a martial arts school set up in the 1950s by disciples of the kung fu master Wong Fei-hung. 

Yet, these examples of living history are being forced to move out as the government takes over the building as part of its "revitalisation" efforts, So says. 

In March, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) declared that the pre-war tong lau would be redeveloped as a tourism site, incorporating a Chinese tea house, herbal medicine shops and various other retail outlets, and residents would have to be "evacuated". 

"I feel very angry and helpless," says So. Although the main objectives of urban renewal are to improve residents' quality of life while preserving local characteristics and social networks, "the government isn't concerned about the people", she says. "There's nothing I can do to change the situation. But I hope my illustrations can influence people." 

Such inner-city woes have driven photographer Alexis Ip Ka-wai to similar efforts. Two of his works - The Old Memories, a ceramic sculpture inspired by tenement blocks, and The Blue House, a photograph of the building - were selected for display in last year's Hong Kong Art Biennial. Ip, an art teacher at a secondary school, is also highly critical of the commercial makeover on Stone Nullah Lane. 

"Although the Blue House will be preserved for cultural tourism, without the people inside it's just a shell without soul," he says. 

The 40-year-old first began taking photographs of vanishing Hong Kong two years ago with Lee Tung Street, where its wedding cards and other speciality businesses have been forced to make way for high-end residential blocks. 

Since then, he has photographed neighbourhoods in Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Central and Sheung Wan threatened by the government's renewal projects. "Some things have to go, as our society is advancing," Ip says. "However, if a building can be revitalised by maintenance, why do you have to pull it down?" 

To help young people appreciate their heritage, he took 26 students on a tour to photograph Central and Sheung Wan during this summer's Youth Arts Festival. "The old areas are an eye-opener to the students. They didn't know there were such old buildings in Central, a commercial area. It was a really fresh experience for them," he says. 

More recently, Ip has shifted his focus to Sham Shui Po, where he's developing a project about its small stores. 

"The visuals are very rich. Things in new districts are so ordered and tidy, they lack a sense of humanity," he says. 

So has turned her attention to the Star Ferry pier and clock tower, which feature in her more recent illustrations. 

"I hope the clock tower and other heritage buildings can be preserved," she says. "But what we can do to change the government's mind is limited, unless tens of thousands of people go to the street." 

Such reasoning may have driven some artists to take a more active role in community issues, while others such as Ip and So continue to see themselves primarily as witnesses to change. 

From merely observing Lee Tung Street's residents fight to save their community, video artist Lee Wai-yi has been moved to give them a hand. This week, for instance, she's helping to organise a gathering for former residents in the now emptied Lee Tung Street on Thursday, as well as an art and video exhibition on their struggles in Chater Garden on Friday. 

"As artists, we are concerned about cultural issues," says Lee, who began documenting the impact of Wan Chai's urban renewal drive on Lee Tung Street residents two years ago. She has been attending hearings of the H15 Concern Group's appeal to the Town Planning Board against renewal plans to document key phases in their battle. "Many of the {hellip} projects are destroying the local culture, community spirit and values, turning everyone to [an] isolated world concerned only about money." 

A member of the art collective VideoPower, Lee says her group has been filming in areas such as Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai, where they rallied other artists to declare their opposition to the Blue House's transformation. 

"How can you chase residents from their home and invite outsiders to take their place and engage in so-called cultural activities that are not related to the building at all? It's not acceptable," she says. "[The government] doesn't consider the people who have been living in the area for years." 

The community network and public space is disappearing gradually, Lee says. 

"You can see that in some newly developed districts {hellip} there's little life in the streets," she says. "Every district is the same, with no character. This [urban renewal] reduces interaction and communication between people; it isolates families and individuals. 

"There may be fewer squabbles within the community, but only because people don't talk to each other. I'd rather have a testy relationship than have no contact with other people." 

Despite the odds against changing the approach to development, Lee says she's been heartened by residents' resolve. Rather than holding out for more cash, many residents just want to remain in the districts where they have lived all their lives. 

"If you just read the reports and proposals published by the URA, you would think there were no problems and the renewal projects are a godsend," she says. "But there are other voices in the community that should be heard."


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## Skyscrapercitizen

Thanks for that background insight again hkskyline! It makes what I said in post # 235 stronger/more true.

I love the tower block devellopments in HK, but they should keep more old neighbourhoods with their businesses, keeping the areas diverse and attractive in the long term. Diverse in business types, people and buildings.


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## hkskyline

Tim de Bruijn said:


> Thanks for that background insight again hkskyline! It makes what I said in post # 235 stronger/more true.
> 
> I love the tower block devellopments in HK, but they should keep more old neighbourhoods with their businesses, keeping the areas diverse and attractive in the long term. Diverse in business types, people and buildings.


Preserving the local heritage is a major theme that Hong Kong planners are now hearing from the public. The desire to raze and build sleek and glassy structures is not as strong as before. A decade ago, developers would have no problem expropriating and bulldozing at will. Today, redeveloping the older areas in the local context is becoming a major talking point.


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## hkskyline

*消息指支持重建及復修洗衣街業權人各半 *
2006-11-01 
ATV

市建局委託港大研究洗衣街重建項目的結果已提交市建局。消息指支持重建和復修的業權人各佔一半。市建局消息人士表示，調查結果令他們陷於兩難，要待下月諮詢區議會才有定案。

有波鞋街之稱的旺角洗衣街的重建項目，被認為是市建局歷來最棘手的項目。樓上的居民等待重建多年，但地舖的商戶就堅持復修，保留波鞋街，讓他們繼續做生意。

應該重建抑或復修，意見紛紜，市建局委託港大調查住戶和商戶的意向。結果顯示，贊成重建和復修的業權人各佔一半，無主流意見。市建局消息人士承認，研究結果令他們陷於兩難。

至於勘察結果就顯示，那些四、五十年樓齡的樓宇，結構安全，沒有即時危險，可以透過復修改善質素。

在那裡住了二十多年的梁婆婆擔心，市建局最終以復修取代重建，讓他們多年來白等一場：「你也看到復修沒有用，看著它變得破爛，我真的看見這間屋就暈了。」

消息人士表示，要到下月諮詢油尖旺區議會後才有最終定案，形容區議會的意見非常關鍵，但區議會表示未有決議：「過去市建局這麼多項目，從未試過在這一階段再徵詢區議會意見．．．你要區議會給意見，但當我們掌握的資料不全面時，恐怕有任何錯誤，責任會落在區議會身上。」

有市建局董事預期，如果市建局決定不重建，可能會引起訴訟：「政府承諾過、土地發展公司公布過、市建局也公開說過．．．是重建，沒過說是復修。」

洗衣街重建項目是前土地發展公司留下的項目之一，最遲明年三月開展，但由於居民和商戶未達成共識，項目一直拖延至今。


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## hkskyline

*Wedding Card Street comes alive with party 
Activists boost spirits for appeal against redevelopment *
3 November 2006
South China Morning Post

Banquets, mahjong, kite flying and an exhibition filled Wedding Card Street in Wan Chai last night. 

Nine activist groups that opposed the Urban Renewal Authority's redevelopment scheme organised the activities to show solidarity with the street's former residents and merchants as they argue their case at the Town Planning Appeal Board. 

The appeal hearing, which began on Wednesday and continues today and on November 14, is the former landlords' last chance to preserve part of the street from demolition. They want the board to reconsider an alternative redevelopment plan submitted by about 20 landlords last year. 

"We want to seize the opportunity to highlight the absurdity of the current form of urban renewal," said Urban Renewal Monitor member Chu Hoi-dick. 

"We hope the appeal board will approve the residents' proposal and create a form of renewal that also takes care of those who want to stay instead of receiving monetary compensation." 

Mr Chu said although the authority owned all property rights to Lee Tung Street - nicknamed Wedding Card Street - that fact would not affect the residents' appeal or his group's support of them. 

The authority planned to resume the street for redevelopment in 2003, but faced strong resistance from affected residents and merchants. 

The three-year battle all but ended last week when the last two remaining landlords sold their properties to the authority. 

In February last year, about 20 affected landlords submitted their alternative redevelopment plan to the board. 

The plan calls for the preservation of some 1950s and 1960s buildings in the middle section of the street, which would become a pedestrian mall. Under the plan, five 29-storey buildings would be built to provide almost 1,000 flats, with shops on the podium level. 

Advocates of the plan said it would balance preservation and development. They also said it would allow those who did not want to move out of the street to stay. 

If the former landlords win their appeal, the authority would be forced to consider their plan when redeveloping. 

An exhibition of the three-year battle will be moved to Charter Garden in Central this afternoon.


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## hkskyline

*Tai Kok Tsui occupants stand firm *
They are taking the Urban Renewal Authority to court in their fight for compensation at market rates 
13 November 2006
South China Morning Post

Property owners and tenants in Tai Kok Tsui affected by an Urban Renewal Authority redevelopment project are refusing to move out until they receive what they consider to be reasonable compensation. 

Despite a September 14 deadline for their eviction under the scheme, 13 tenants and property owners still live and run businesses in Beech, Pine, Ivy and Anchor Streets. 

The authority started to take over the land from 298 households and 167 property owners in the area, a mixture of residential blocks, dock facilities and clusters of workshops, but five owners and six tenants vowed to stay. 

"For the remaining occupants, the URA, on behalf of the government, has initiated legal action by issuing writ of summons to recover possession of the premises to facilitate redevelopment," a spokesman for the authority said. 

The sides will confront each other in the District Court on November 20. 

"We will not leave until we get reasonable compensation," said Tse Ngai-shing, who runs an ironworks in Beech Street. "We are not against redevelopment. We just want to fight for fair compensation, a compensation plan that will allow us to resettle and continue doing our own business. 

"We know our chance of winning the court case is slim, but we hope our case will arouse public attention to the issue." 

The URA offered HK$3.19 million compensation for his 700 sq ft property, but a private evaluation rates his shop at HK$5.85 million. 

"I do not care about the money. I simply want to continue my business, to have a shop nearby," Mr Tse said, adding that old neighbours were his main clients. "If I move out of this area, I will lose many of my loyal customers and the risk to my business will increase enormously." 

The owners and tenants were seeking help from lawmakers who promised to raise the matter in the Legislative Council and start discussions on the issue as they hope the government will review its policy. 

"Redevelopment causes the same problems in every district," Mr Tse said. "We will not be able to benefit from any policy change or review. It will take ages for legal matters to be completed. We just hope that our cases can be lessons for the government and others." 

Frontier legislator Leung Yiu-chung, who is helping the remaining occupants, urged the sides to sit down and talk. 

"They have been writing to each other only. The two parties simply have not had the chance to understand each others' problems as well as the practical situation." 

Mr Leung said it was normal for such occupants to struggle to find other shops to run their businesses at a reasonable price. 

"Because people affected by redevelopment projects suddenly all come out to find a place in the same district, prices will of course go up. Some people even push the prices higher for speculation." 

Meanwhile, the URA said a mechanism was available under the Lands Resumption Ordinance by which people could claim compensation. 

"Negotiation on the statutory compensation is ongoing and will continue even after the clearance action. We will endeavour to continue our negotiation for a peaceful settlement," the URA spokesman said. 

It will be the second time that the authority and people affected by its redevelopment projects have faced each other in court. 

In March 2004, two tenants in Sham Shui Po were ordered to move by the court under the Lands Resumption Ordinance as they refused to move out of their shops in Fuk Wing Street.


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## hkskyline

*觀塘重建 市民盼增休憩設施 *
11月 30日 星期四 05:05AM 

【明報專訊】市區重建局訪問了逾1600名曾參觀觀塘市中心重建規劃展覽的市民，發現九成受訪者要求重建以增加空間及休憩用地為主題，並增添圖書館和社區會堂等社區設施。市建局稱，將3個由建築廣 告

顧問提交的方案優點「3合1」，成為第4個最後方案，明年3月底前提交城規會審議。

3個重建方案的地積比率約8倍，調查顯示，受訪者對有關密度的可接受程度為72.8%，當中對「都市新典範」的整體設計接受程度最高，有83.4%。市建局已選出該設計的建築顧問，負責歸納公眾意見，修訂最後設計。

市建局發言人相信，大多數人接受3個設計方案，但沒有一個方案十全十美，稍後將詳細考慮優化、休憩用地和行人通道等設計，及保持交通總匯的空氣質素等問題。


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## hkskyline

*紅十字會金鐘申建總部被拒 *
11月 25日 星期六 05:05AM 

【明報專訊】香港紅十字會申請在金鐘龍匯道（中信大廈以東）重建29層高的新總部，城規會昨審核該申請，仍決定拒絕，新總部樓高由現時的3層大增至29層，但七成會出租以增加紅十字會收入，這方面亦未獲政策局支持。


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## hkskyline

*Findings of HKU survey on Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project : URA's response*
11/29/2006
URA Press Release	

In response to media inquiries about the release today (Wednesday) of a public consultation report by a research team of the University of Hong Kong on Urban Renewal Authority’s intended redevelopment of the Kwun Tong Town Centre, a spokesperson of the Authority makes the following statement:

"The two-month consultation exercise was a success. Throughout this period, we received numerous positive and constructive comments from different people and organizations of the entire Kwun Tong community. This was in line with our 'full community participation' approach.

The research team of the University of Hong Kong considers the views collected quite comprehensive in nature. Residents are generally aware of the urgency of the project, many in support of comprehensive redevelopment of the town centre. The findings indicate, inter alia, that the three architectural models have all gained majority support in terms of the direction of urban design. None of the proposals is deemed perfect, however. Indeed, all could be improved on, as revealed from the survey findings. For example, usage of public open space, pedestrian connectivity with neighbouring areas, and air quality at the new public transport interchange are issues warranting careful consideration at the detailed planning stage in order for us to meet the community’s aspirations."

The URA spokesperson emphasized that publication of the consultation report in no way signifies the conclusion of the Authority’s community engagement efforts. Indeed, the Authority will continue in earnest to maintain dialogues with residents, the Kwun Tong District Council and professional institutes on various planning issues leading to implementation of the project.

"We fully understand that the affected residents and the community at large would like us to proceed with the project as soon as possible. In this connection, we have already appointed an architectural consultant to come up with a fourth and final proposal. In so doing, he will have regard to the merits of the three designs on display earlier and the public comments we have received."

"We will work very hard to bring the project to fruition. With the enthusiastic support of the community, our target is to make a statutory submission to the Town Planning Board before the end of March next year."


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## hkskyline

*LCQ17: Suggestion of replacing parts of Island Eastern Corridor with a tunnel*
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 29) :

Question:

It has been reported that a member of the Eastern District Council suggested that the Government should explore the feasibility of demolishing the section of Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) between Watson Road and Tin Chiu Street in North Point and replacing it with a tunnel, so as to ameliorate the problems of noise nuisance and obstruction of harbour view caused by this section of IEC, which is very close to residential developments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it will consider conducting a feasibility study on the above suggestion; if it will, of the timetable and scope of the study; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) whether it has assessed the impact of demolishing the above IEC section on the already very heavy traffic there; and whether it has considered adopting measures to divert the traffic when the relevant works are in progress; and

(c) whether it has assessed the costs of and time required for the relevant projects to demolish the above IEC section and construct in its place a tunnel connecting Central-Wan Chai Bypass and the section of IEC along Taikoo Shing?


Reply :

Madam President,

The Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) forms an integral part of the strategic trunk road along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island with the daily traffic flow exceeding 150,000 vehicles. It plays a highly effective role in east-west traffic circulation on Hong Kong Island. The Administration does not have any plan to demolish the section of IEC between Watson Road and Tin Chiu Street in North Point and reconstruct it in the form of a tunnel.

Compared to viaducts, the design of connecting roads of tunnels is generally more complicated. If the section of IEC between Watson Road and Tin Chiu Street is reconstructed as a tunnel, a new connection point will be required to link it up with the existing road network. With the significant differences in height amongst a tunnel, an at-grade road and a viaduct, a multilevel crisscrossing interchange will be required to connect the IEC with local roads. Such a massive interchange will cause problems including noise nuisance and obstruction of views, etc. Moreover, the existing road safety regulations prohibit changing of lanes inside tunnels. Reconstructing the above section of IEC as a tunnel will affect the function of this strategic trunk road in linking up different areas along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island.

In fact, when the planning for Central-Wan Chai Bypass was under discussion, the Consultant had examined in detail the connection point to the IEC at the eastern end of the Bypass. The Court of Final Appeal has laid down the overriding public need test under the Protection of Harbour Ordinance, which requires that the extent of the proposed reclamation should not go beyond the minimum of that which is required by the overriding need. In order to keep reclamation to the minimum and eliminate any possible impact on the existing traffic along the IEC, the Consultant recommended using a strip of existing land between Watson Road and Oil Street at the waterfront for constructing the eastern tunnel portal of the Bypass and its connection to the IEC. The Sub-committee on Wan Chai Development Phase II Review under the Harbour-front Enhancement Committee discussed in detail the above issues and accepted the Consultant's conclusion at its meetings on March 9 and April 20, 2006. The Consultant also pointed out that the strip of land at the waterfront could not be utilised if the tunnel exit was shifted eastward, including the suggestion to have it shifted to a location east to the ex-North Point Estate site. The extent of reclamation would then increase substantially and fail to satisfy the overriding public need test.

The IEC was fully commissioned in 1989, eight years after the construction work started in 1981 at a capital cost of HK$1.7 billion (in MOD prices) and annual recurrent expenditure of about HK$20 million. Compared to viaducts, in general, the construction period for road tunnels is longer and both the capital and recurrent costs are higher. In view of the design service life for the structure of the IEC is 120 years, reconstructing a section of IEC as a tunnel will create a large quantity of unnecessary construction and demolition materials. It is a waste of social resources and goes against the principle of environmental protection. Moreover, it will be extremely difficult to divert the heavy traffic during the construction period and road users will suffer serious inconvenience.

In view of the above considerations, the Administration does not have any plan at this stage to demolish the section of IEC between Watson Road and Tin Chiu Street in North Point and reconstruct it in the form of a tunnel.


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## hkskyline

*Court order for renewal zone tenant Housing Society criticised for gardener's forced relocation *
4 December 2006
South China Morning Post

The Housing Society has begun summoning to court people within the Un Chau Street renewal zone in Sham Shui Po. 

But the first, Poon Sup, a 68-year-old self-employed gardener, said he knew nothing about his eviction under the urban renewal project until he was informed at a residents' meeting two months ago. 

Mr Poon received a writ of summons to the District Court on November 9 to explain within 24 days why he had yet to vacate an abandoned stairwell inside the renewal zone, which he has used as a storeroom for his gardening tools since 1983. He lives across the street from the zone, in Castle Peak Road. 

Mr Poon said the society had not contacted him since a meeting in October last year when he rejected its compensation offer of HK$46,800. He said it had explained the government was taking back the land but not about a deadline to move out of his storeroom. 

"I knew something was happening but I thought the government would get in touch to settle my compensation. Now suddenly I am being taken to court," Mr Poon said. 

A Housing Society spokeswoman said the society had lost contact with Mr Poon when he changed his mobile phone number early this year. She said they had continued to send letters to his home address explaining the situation but he had failed to respond. 

Mr Poon, who received only a year of education on the mainland before he moved to Hong Kong in 1978, is unable to read and write. 

It was only when he saw a sign for a meeting of the Sham Shui Po Renewal Concern Group in late September that he was told he faced legal action. Fellow residents then helped him draft a letter to the Housing Society asking for more time to find a new storeroom. 

After sending his letter, Mr Poon said the society had phoned him once at his home, when his wife told them he was at work and gave them his new mobile number. But he said no one had tried to call him since. 

Mr Poon, who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, said he needed a ground-floor space as it would be difficult to move his tools up and down a flight of stairs. "My branch cutters are 10 feet long and my pesticide sprayer is bulky and heavy. I am an old man; I wouldn't be able to manage," he said. 

A nearby shopping centre said it would sell him 100 square feet of storage space for HK$680,000, a request he has passed on to the Housing Society. However, he said rather than money he would prefer the society grant him a small ground-floor space on a housing estate nearby. 

Maggie Chau Mei-yee, of the Sham Shui Po Renewal Concern Group, criticised the society for reneging on its promise to assist residents needing to find suitable accommodation. She said a social worker had been assigned to Mr Poon only last month, even though he had been unable to read letters and signs about the redevelopment. 

The society spokeswoman said it had not sent a social worker earlier because Mr Poon had not asked for one and they did not want to impose. The society had not known Mr Poon was illiterate. 

She said it had received Mr Poon's request for HK$680,000 and that it was being assessed by independent surveyors. But the society had issued a writ for Mr Poon because the issues of vacating property and compensation were handled separately. 

However, in the face of difficulties they would be willing to grant him an extension, she said.


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## hkskyline

*Kwun Tong chooses 'City of Tomorrow' *
30 November 2006
South China Morning Post

A design dubbed "City of Tomorrow", centred on a 70-storey office and hotel tower, has been selected as the model for redevelopment in Kwun Tong town centre. 

The design, by architectural firm Wong & Ouyang, also features widened roads surrounding the 5.3-hectare site and separation of residential blocks to ensure they do not form a wall to block air and sunlight. 

The Urban Renewal Authority said yesterday it was the preferred plan of three put up for public consultation and the design contract had been awarded to the firm. 

The three shortlisted models for revamping the rundown former industrial area were on display from August to October and the University of Hong Kong was commissioned to survey public opinion. 

City of Tomorrow won every category, including visual, design of the landmark building and overall planning. 

The plan was criticised for the height of the 280-metre office and hotel tower, but it also provided the biggest open public space. 

"There was no consensus on the building height," Dr Law said. "Many said they accepted a trade-off of one very tall building for more open space and greening, while some said it should be lower." 

The researchers found the other designs worried the public because of a possible "wall effect". But they liked the dome-shaped community centre of the Civic Hub plan submitted by architectural firm MLA and a waterfall design included in WDA Group's Metamorphosis. 

Wong & Ouyang will have to design a new model on the basis of its winning design and views the public expressed during the consultation. It will submit the new model to the Town Planning Board at the end of March. 

The firm also has to conduct a traffic-impact assessment, air ventilation test and environmental impact assessment for the design. 

The public will have two months to comment on the plan after the board's scrutiny. Approval will then be required from the Chief Executive in Council and the authority will then begin to buy property rights.


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## hkskyline

*九龍灣EMAX 舖租20至50元; 低租對撼MegaBox 已出租5成 *
17 November 2006
香港經濟日報 

九龍灣商場搶客戰進入白熱化階段，正當嘉里（0683）MegaBox招租之際，合和集團（0054）旗下的九龍灣大型購物中心EMAX，雖然明年中才開幕，但示範單位昨日率先開放以吸引租客，舖位呎租由20元至50元不等，較同區MegaBox平。 

設保齡球場 首期下月開幕 

合和集團助理董事王永霖表示，集團投資6億元改建的大型購物中心EMAX（即九龍展覽中心地庫至6樓），預料回本期為3至4年。而改建後商場部分，目前出租率為5成，舖位呎租由20元至50元不等。他估計待商舖全數租出後，每年的租金收入可以倍增。 

據悉，目前的EMAX租務理想，有大型保齡球場租用地下近5萬呎樓面，首期將於下月開幕，保齡球城2期將於07年尾至08年頭啟用。最大客戶為家居用品商，一次過承租5、6樓2層共20萬呎樓面，據悉將會作為一站式的家居博覽館，租期為5至10年。 

由於嘉里建設旗下的九龍灣MegaBox商場，預期明年5、6月開幕，現正積極吸納大型租戶。已落實的租戶包括大眾書局，將租用其中約2萬呎樓面作為旗艦店，商場意向呎租屆乎80元至100元。 

倡建天橋 商廈互連谷人流 

國際展貿中心總經理王世德指與嘉里旗下MegaBox有合作亦有競爭，雙方會合力帶旺九龍灣區的發展，增加區內人流，更建議政府起行人天橋將區內商廈互相連接。 

王永霖表示，是次開放場的示範單位，面積約7,000平方呎，花費超過1,000萬元。 

王世德則預計，未來每年寫字樓呎價及租金會有15至20%升幅，現時的呎租為10至12元。發展商會投入3,000萬至4,000萬元作宣傳推廣費用。


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## hkskyline

07 December 2006 
*Invitation for Expression of Interest for Queen's Road East Project *
URA Press Release

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will invite real estate developers to submit an expression of interest for the joint development of the Queen's Road East redevelopment project at Nos. 235 – 245 Queen's Road East in Wanchai tomorrow (Friday).

The project covers a site area of about 4,070 square feet and upon completion, is expected to deliver a minimum gross floor area of about 21,250 square feet for residential and commercial use. 

Parties interested in the project are requested to indicate their professional competence and financial capability to undertake the development in accordance with the requirements and criteria set by the Authority.

Submissions should be made to the URA Headquarters at 10/F Low Block, Grand Millennium Plaza, 181 Queen's Road Central, by 5 pm on 15 December, 2006. 

A tender review panel under the URA Board will shortlist qualified parties and invite them to submit a formal tender for the joint development. It is expected that the tender exercise will follow shortly.


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## hkskyline

*漢國決定重建上環鹽業商廈，拒買家出價２﹒４億元洽購*
(經濟通) 
12月 05日 星期二 08:20AM 

漢國置業（０１６０）旗下上環鹽業商業大廈，正有買家出價近２﹒４億元積極洽購。

就上述消息向漢國置業求證，漢國地產策劃董事總經理馬德瑋指出，一直都有買家出價洽購漢國旗下物業，而上環鹽業商業大廈已決定重建，並已通知大廈內租戶重建事宜。

他指出，位於德輔道中２３６至２４２號鹽業商業大廈，地盤面積３０００餘平方呎；重建商廈，地積比率達１５倍，可建樓面達５萬平方呎。《香港經濟日報》


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon City Redevelopment*


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## hkskyline

*波鞋街重建明年初收購 *
10/12/2006 
東方日報

【 本 報 訊 】 市 區 重 建 局 將 拍 板 重 建 俗 稱 「 波 鞋 街 」 的 旺 角 洗 衣 街 項 目 ， 最 遲 明 年 三 月 底 展 開 收 購 ， 由 於 地 產 市 道 熾 熱 ， 收 購 「 波 鞋 街 」 一 帶 店 舖 費 用 昂 貴 ， 預 計 項 目 要 虧 損 三 億 至 九 億 元 。 有 商 戶 指 重 建 會 摧 毀 「 波 鞋 街 」 特 色 ， 但 有 苦 候 十 多 年 重 建 的 洗 衣 街 居 民 ， 則 欣 喜 可 搬 離 殘 破 不 堪 的 居 所 。 

油 尖 旺 區 議 會 本 周 四 召 開 會 議 ， 討 論 洗 衣 街 項 目 ， 三 名 民 協 區 議 員 將 會 提 出 動 議 支 持 重 建 洗 衣 街 ， 據 了 解 ， 議 員 們 均 會 支 持 該 動 議 。 

七 十 五 歲 的 蕭 杏 與 丈 夫 及 兒 孫 居 於 洗 衣 街 一 幢 逾 四 十 年 樓 齡 舊 樓 ， 她 笑 言 ﹕ 「 如 果 重 建 當 然 開 心 ， 間 屋 落 雨 漏 水 ， 每 日 要 行 八 層 樓 梯 好 辛 苦 ！ 」 但 有 人 歡 喜 有 人 愁 ， 地 舖 業 主 劉 小 姐 則 稱 ： 「 重 建 會 打 爛 商 戶 同 伙 記 飯 碗 ， 波 鞋 舖 在 同 區 根 本 無 地 方 可 搬 。 」


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
December 8, 2006 Friday
* Blue House families in final fight to stay*

Residents of the historic Blue House in Wan Chai are fighting a last-ditch battle for the right to stay in their homes.

Together with social workers, they mounted a protest yesterday in front of the building on Stone Nullah Lane against the government's redevelopment plan for the area, proposed earlier this year. 

"People are the real spirit of this old area," said Laurence Lam Kwok-wai, a senior officer of social welfare group St James' Settlement. "The district will be turned into a soulless place if the government denies their right to stay."

About 30 families live in the Blue House. The government has offered to relocate them to public estates.

"As far as we know, at least one third of the families don't want to move out," Mr Lam said.

The 80-year-old Blue House is one of the last surviving balconied tenements and is listed as a grade-one historical building by the Antiquities Advisory Board.

The government is proposing that the four-storey structure, and the adjacent Yellow House, be refurbished and the nearby Orange House demolished. The Blue House would house a museum of tea and Chinese medicine.

The proposal by the Urban Renewal Authority and the Housing Society will be discussed today by the Town Planning Board.

So Leung, 77, has lived with his wife in the Blue House for three years to be close to his daughter.

"We are too old to be able to adapt to a new place," he said. "The reason that I moved into this flat is because it is near my daughter's home. What will I do if they arrange to have me live in a public house far away?"

A hospital - the first in Wan Chai to provide Chinese medicine to residents - occupied the site of the Blue House in the 19th century. The neighbourhood has a history of involvement in the tea trade.


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## hkskyline

*Building height may be restricted in North Point Estate redevelopment *
11 December 2006
DTZ Asia Property Market Update

The Planning Department revealed that it is in the process of setting building height restrictions for the North Point Estate harbourfront site following its earlier decision to impose a 160 m height limit to the Central Market site and a 120 m limit to the Oil Street site. The department is considering the adoption of a stepped-like design, with buildings being progressively higher from the harbour in order to protect views from other inland properties. With a site area of 624,300 sq ft and allocated for residential development, the plot ratio of the site may be further reduced from 5.0, which, combined with the height limit, may lower the ultimate value of this prestigious site, which is currently valued at over HK$20 billion. 

This report is intended as a general guide only. While utmost care has been taken in its preparation and we believe the contents are accurate as at print time, the report does not represent any investment advice. DTZ Debenham Tie Leung Limited or persons involved in the preparation of this report do not give any warranty as to the content or accept any contractual, tortious or other forms of liability for any consequences, loss or damage which may arise resulting from any person acting on or using the statements, information or opinions contained in this report.


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## hkskyline

Shek Kip Mei Estate


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## hkskyline

*項目重建 成雍景海景殺手 *
蔡慶佳 
12 December 2006
香港經濟日報 

位處西半山西摩道4A至P的美麗臺，由於項目位處雍景臺對面，業界坦言，美麗臺重建勢成雍景臺1座的海景殺手，事實上物業招標消息已令雍景臺單位呎價受壓，估計雍景臺有關單位呎價會回落約10%。1座部分單位影響較大 
美麗臺日後若落實由發展商購入並重建成高樓，對於雍景臺1座C、D室景觀影響較大，事實上自物業早前積極籌組聯合標售，不少雍景臺1座業主近月已加快出售單位，過去2個月間已有4伙1座C、D單位接連售出，高層呎價介乎9,300至9,852元。 

事實上，目前太古地產位於西摩道及衛城道的地盤亦將發展成1座樓高60層高樓，有關地盤將會阻擋雍景臺部分單位景觀，加上現時美麗臺亦有機會獲收購重建，令近年來雍景臺呎價顯著受壓。


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## hkskyline

*觀塘鱷魚恤重建 *
12 December 2006

【明報專訊】麗新發展 （0488） 與鱷魚恤 （0122） 旗下的觀塘鱷魚恤商業綜合大樓項目，總樓面約24萬呎，近日已決定將總樓面約一半作寫字樓發展，餘下約12萬呎則作商場及地下商舖發展，較原先只將三分之一樓面作商場為多，反映發展商對區內的商場前景看俏。此外，該集團已與新地 （0016） 同區的apm商場達成共識，興建連接apm商場的天橋，令兩商場的人流互通，達致雙贏局面。 

麗新發展執行董事兼行政總裁劉樹仁向本報透露，近日已就該商業項目的重建計劃進行商討，該項目總樓面約 24 萬方呎，由於對商場的前景樂觀，故此將總樓面的一半作寫字樓發展﹔餘下樓面則作商場及地下商舖。 

他稱，其中地下商舖將會租予飲食業，寫字樓則作長線收租用途。他又稱，由於該項目將於 2009 年才落成，預計 2010 年才啟用，暫時難以評估屆時的租金收入及租金回報。 

與新地達共識建天橋連apm 

劉樹仁稱，集團亦已與新地達成共識，於兩個商場間興建接駁天橋﹔集團商場可吸引來自開源道的人流，而apm亦可將地鐵及本身商場內的人流通往集團商場，達到雙贏效果。由於目前只有apm有天橋直接通往觀塘地鐵站，故此透過該條日後落成的接駁天橋，變相將兩個商場變成逾70萬方呎的巨無霸商場。 

該項目預計2010年起為集團提供租金收入，現已初部完成拆樓工程，重建項目總投資額約9.5億元。他又指，集團正積極就中環麗嘉酒店重建為寫字樓進行研究，並看好中區甲級商廈市場。


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## hkskyline

*舊區重建未來大趨勢 與基豪園旺市推 *
2006 年 12 月 9 日
星島日報 

中小型發展商加大有限公司今年主力推售土瓜灣興基豪園，將為樓盤進行新一輪宣傳攻勢，同時指出，從舊區收購物業重新發展，將會是未來的選擇趨勢之一，考慮將旗下打磚砰街用地發展成為新式酒店項目。 

近月各大發展商齊推新盤，為樓市帶來暢旺氣氛，中小型發展商亦絕不「執輸」，包括今年以土瓜灣興基豪園為首要項目的加大有限公司，亦將為樓盤進行新一輪宣傳攻勢。加大有限公司發言人嚴王明珠說﹕「興基豪園屬公司本年主要推售項目，現時另持有部分新界區土地儲備，至於位於葵涌區打磚坪街54至56號的工業用地，已向政府申請改變用途，計畫興建酒店，現時尚未就項目申請補地價及具體的發展規劃。」 

發展商現時持有不少「收租」物業，包括商廈、住宅及商鋪等類型，嚴王明珠續說，預料明年甲級商廈基於供應量不多，呎價約有1成升幅。至於用作「收租」的多間跑馬地住宅單位，現時租金較去年同期調升10至15%，一般一個700至800方呎的單位，租金達1.5萬至1.8萬元。另一方面，集團不排除未來會朝向舊區發展，收購舊式物業作重建。 

入場費逾230萬 

今年入伙的興基豪園，住宅部分採2梯2伙形式，地下及1樓另設有商鋪。住宅單位清一色799方呎，提供區內少有的3房間隔，且附設露台及工作平台。嚴王明珠指出﹕「土瓜灣區發展前景不俗，同區新盤銷情亦見理想，為吸引買家，物業呎價較早前輕微調低5%，低層每方呎價2,899元起推售，入場費逾230萬元，現時餘貨約40伙，整體平均呎價則約4,000元。剛開放的全新示範單位，設於28樓A室。」從最新推出的6伙價單顯示，定價最低為5樓A室，每方呎價2,899元﹔至於20樓B室，每方呎價則3,707元。 

此外，興基豪園買家現時仍可選用早前推出的2種按揭計畫，包括首2年P-3.15%，其後全期P-2.7%﹔或首3年HIBOR+.5%，其後買家可另轉計畫。此外，發展商仍與銀行商討有關物業的最新按揭計畫。


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## hkskyline

*Renewal policy slammed *
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, March 19, 2007

Unionist legislator Chan Yuen-han has attacked the government's urban renewal policy of relocating local business hubs as a failure, saying people's livelihoods have been destroyed.

Speaking at City Forum, which discussed the controversial urban renewal project for Mong Kok's Fa Yuen Street, better known as "Sneaker Street," Chan said Sunday well-patronized streets are an important factor in establishing local business hubs. 

She cited Central's Wing On Street, better known as "Cloth Street," where many shopkeepers had lost their business after they were relocated from a side street to Western Market. 

Chan also referred to Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai, popularly known as "Wedding Card Street," where Hong Kong's publishing business started about 30 years ago. The street is now deserted, with the tenants of some 300 flats and shops having been forced to leave under a massive urban redevelopment program.

"If an economy is established, once it's destroyed, it's not possible to rebuild it. How can the Urban Renewal Authority destroy the existing economic system one after another?" Chan asked. 

She said Fa Yuen Street, which forms a "culture that allows people to walk around," should not be destroyed as it is vital for the district's prosperity. 

Chan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, accused the Urban Renewal Authority of starting a confrontation with residents and shopowners since residents have been demanding compensation and relocation to new buildings, while shopowners want to stay put to continue with their businesses. 

She urged the authority to resolve the question of compensation with the residents, and then discuss redevelopment plans with the shopowners. 

The URA first revealed its redevelopment plan for Fa Yuen Street in 1998, but the move has sparked much controversy and disagreement. Recently, the authority found that only half of the public support the decision to proceed with the plan. 

Lau Wai-man, a spokeswoman for K28 concern group, which represents the interests of the affected shopkeepers on Fa Yuen Street, said it was rare for small local businesses operating on streets to succeed after they have been moved to shopping malls.

She said the shopowners had built up their business with great pain and efforts over the decades.

Lawmaker Patrick Lau Sau-shing of the architectural, surveying and planning functional constituency criticized the URA for using what he called an "old concept" in urban renewal. 

He said the authority should renovate the buildings at local business hubs instead of demolishing them. "Urban renewal does not necessarily mean buildings being pulled down completely. Flats can be demolished and residents moved out, but shops on the ground can be kept," Lau said. 

However, a Mr Yau, who operates a shop on Fa Yuen Street, said he believed it would be impossible to recover the district's original appearance even after renovation. 

Isaac Ng Ka-chui, a non-executive director with the URA, said it was the first time that only half the public have been found to support an urban renewal project, while the other half hoped that renovation could be carried out for "Sneaker Street." 

Ng said the URA is trying to seek the best solution to the issue, and may consider offering shops in malls as compensation to shopkeepers whose premises have been demolished.


----------



## hkskyline

*Outcry over Soho office tower plan *
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Residents and shopowners in the trendy Soho entertainment zone in Central and Western are up in arms over a developer's plan to erect a multi-story commercial building there, saying it would rob the area of its cozy appeal. 

Sino Land has applied to the Town Planning Board to convert two buildings at 20-26 Staunton Street into a single 24-story office tower, with five levels of restaurant space. It has pledged to "preserve the unique cultural and historical character" of the area.

The developer's promise, however, has failed to please residents, with John Batten, a member of the Central and Western Concern Group, accusing the company of being deceptive about the project.

He said the unique character of Soho - which stands for South of Hollywood Road - would be adversely affected by the development, and that Sino's pledge to "maintain the area's cultural and historical features and to integrate more coherently with the scale and architectural character of the surrounding buildings [is] duplicitous and intentionally misleading."

The proposed office tower, Batten argued, would not fit in at all with the predominantly three- to eight-story buildings that characterize the neighborhood. 

He demanded that the Town Planning Board maintain its current restrictions on commercial buildings in the area to the first three floors.

Another member of the Central and Western Concern Group, Katty Law Ngar-ning, warned that traffic conditions on the narrow Staunton Street, which is already congested, would reach critical levels once the proposed office tower was in use.

"There's a strong consensus in the neighborhood against the development. Whether they're visitors or residents of the area, they all want to keep the ambiance intact," she said.

A traffic report undertaken by Wilbur Smith Associates and submitted to the Urban Renewal Authority found that further intensification of development in the area bounded by Graham, Gage and Peel streets would worsen traffic congestion there and on the already busy Hollywood Road and Aberdeen Street.

Steep narrow streets and few vehicular transport options that currently characterize Soho have made the construction of an entire office block there problematic as there is little or no room for delivery vehicles. 

Law said Soho residents are furious over the the Town Planning Board's failure to consult the public thoroughly about the project and that most of the neighborhood is strongly opposed to the plan.

She said there was a lack of public notices on Sino's development plan and that residents had been kept in the dark about a "24-story office tower." 

Law urged affected citizens to express their views to the board.

Central and Western District councillor Chung Lai-king said there was no place for an office tower in Soho.

"If it were to be built in Wan Chai or Tsim Sha Tsui, it would not be a problem. But Soho is unique because it's a collection of restaurants, bars and boutiques in old buildings."


----------



## hkskyline

*$30b Kwun Tong **** center revamp begins*
Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, March 31, 2007










The ***** Re***al Authority has kicked off its biggest-ever project - the long-awaited HK$30 billion redevelopment of Kwun Tong town center. 
The URA started a three-day so- called "freezing survey" Friday of the estimated 4,500 residents of the area who will be offered compensation and rehoused.

Compensating owners and rehousing affected residents is expected to cost the URA at least HK$13 billion, representing nearly 44 percent of the total redevelopment cost.

The remaining cost of the proposed residential-commercial project includes construction costs and other fees.

Regeneration of Kwun Tong town center on the 5.3-hectare site bounded by Hong Ning Road, Mut Wah ******, Hip Wo ****** and Yue Man Square was first announced in 1998, when the URA was still called the Land Development Corp. 

Completed in the early 1960s, the existing 24 blocks of buildings have a total of 1,860 residential units and 300 shops.

URA district development director Joseph Lee King-chi said in a media briefing Friday that an application for the redevelopment project will be made to the Town Planning Board in about three weeks' time.

He said the URA has carried out four rounds of public consultation in the past two years, gathering a large number of public views and suggestions.

"We are incorporating a lot of the suggestions into the final plan and design, which will be ready for submission soon," he added. He said the project would pose a formidable challenge to the URA in all as 
pects of ***** re***al.

"Our greatest concern is to ensure that the residents' and shop operators' rights to compensation and rehousing are fairly looked after and, at the same time, that every effort is made to help them overcome any family or personal problems that may occur." 

"We also have to ensure that, as a town center providing daily necessities of life, such as transport and medical services, to the 600,000 people of Kwun Tong, the place will go on functioning throughout the acquisition and redevelopment period," Lee added.

The URA will host briefing sessions for residents and shop operators to explain to them what will happen in the weeks and months ahead with regard to the statutory process of town planning approval, before acquisition can begin. 

Surveyors said the URA will also start inviting private developers to take part in the project if it gains planning approval and completes land purchasing, rehousing and compensation. 

The Christian Family Service Centre, meanwhile, has taken up the task of establishing an ***** re***al social services team to provide help and support for affected residents.

CFSC has a four-member team working full-time for the residents, CFSC director Kwok Lit-tung said at the URA press conference.


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## hkskyline

*Call to link heritage, commercial attractions*
Hong Kong Standard
Carol Chung 
Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Linking heritage with commercial attractions in SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong will integrate creativity into the cityscape, Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si- yan said. 

But conservationists were not excited by the idea.

"Creative industries play [a role] not only in the arts and cultural sphere, but also in helping to shape the image of our cities, provide job opportunities, and contribute to economic growth," Hui Monday told an urban-planning conference. 

"The interface between creative industries and city development in particular is most relevant to the town planner."

Hui suggested linking the historical buildings of the Central Police Station compound - comprising the Central Police Station and the former Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison - with nearby attractions, including Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo, Hollywood Road and the recently opened Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum.

Hui said the Central Police Station compound not only comprised impressive examples of classical colonial architecture, but also witnessed the history of Hong Kong and the development of the city's judicial system.

Hui said the location in the heart of Central could provide an effective link with other local attractions, to greatly enrich the cultural, retail and dining attractions in the area and enhance visitor's experience.

However, conservationist group See Network director Patsy Cheng Man- wah did not find much creativity in the plan.

"Central Police Station, SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong have always been in the same area, it's not new," Cheng said, adding that the area did not need more hardware, but software.

"We don't need another sign, or changing the color and bricks of pavements. Putting more things there will just destroy the area," Cheng said.

Cheng suggested putting more government resources into researching about the culture and history of the area, and educating the public about it, such as organizing free cultural tours and seminars. 

City University assistant professor of urban renewal Yip Ngai-ming said the area would be developed on its own because of its high commercial interest. 

Yip suggested realizing the function of buildings is more important than just leaving them empty, such as turning the Victoria Prison into a museum.

Apart from linking the SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong area, Hui said other future examples of connecting creative industries with Hong Kong's cityscape and community included developing the West Kowloon cultural district, which covers a vast area overlooking Victoria Harbour. 

"Besides acting as a catalyst for the growth of new cultural and creative industries, this huge development will also breathe new life into the older, surrounding areas," Hui said.


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## hkskyline

*Estate to retain green link to past *
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, April 06, 2007

Shek Kip Mei Estate - Hong Kong's oldest public-housing complex - can expect to see its greenery almost intact after redevelopment, with plans afoot to preserve most of the estate's aging trees, some of which have been there for four decades.

The Housing Department said phases two and five of the estate's reconstruction will deal with the fate of 56 trees, and it has been decided to leave 33 of them in their original positions.

Five of the trees - mostly from the banyan family - will be transplanted elsewhere, while 18 will have to be felled due to their deteriorating condition.

"Environmental preservation is the department's priority in the redevelopment project," said Deputy Director of Housing (Development and Construction) Ada Fung Yin-suen.

The entire operation, involving watering and maintaining the trees, will cost more than HK$1 million.

The department has also commissioned the Chinese University of Hong Kong to carry out a micro-climatic study to look for an environmentally friendly master plan.

Redevelopment plans call for blocks in phases two and five to have a more linear-shaped design, aligned parallel to prevailing wind directions.

The buildings in the two phases will also be separated by corridors of up to 65 meters wide, retaining up to six hours of natural light and a well-ventilated environment for the community.

The design will be able to preserve 33 existing trees in their original locations and five others at a nearby site.

"Most of the trees have been here for 30 to 40 years. They have become part of the cityscape," said the department's senior landscape architect, Evans Iu Po-lung.

Besides the Chinese banyan tree, the other common species are the Candlenut tree, Indian almond tree and the Red Kapok tree. The 18 trees to be removed range from several years to 20 years old.

"Some of them are not very healthy anyway, while others, like the paperbark trees, are not suitable for transplant as the species has a low survival rate and would not likely live after being transplanted," Iu said.

The Housing Department has embarked on a green campaign in recent years as it strives to improve living conditions for estate residents.

Since 2004, it has been conducting micro-climate environmental studies for all its projects, aimed at coming up with designs with environmental preservation in mind.

"A micro-climate environmental design is good for both the environment and the people," Fung said.

The Shek Kip Mei redevelopment program was rolled out by the government in 2002 to improve the spartan living conditions in the estate.

The 53-year-old estate, comprising 15 seven-story blocks, was built between 1954 and 1955 as a permanent resettlement site for more than 50,000 people made homeless in a fire that destroyed the Shek Kip Mei squatter area on Christmas Day, 1953.

The blocks were the earliest government subsidized low-income rental flats, featuring spartan facilities with shared toilets, showers and kitchens.


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## hkskyline

*Call to halt auction of prime sites*
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, April 16, 2007










The government is under mounting pressure to change its building guidelines to reduce the health threat posed to residents by the "wall-like effects" of skyscrapers to be built in densely populated areas.

Environmental group Green Sense has called for the withdrawal of prime West Kowloon sites from the land application list for public auction to eliminate what it calls the "grave danger" to the health of residents, particularly the elderly, if high-rises are built there.

"We want the government to lower the plot ratio to five or even less and set limits on the alignment of buildings immediately. Air ventilation tests should also be done before the master layout plan is drafted," Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong said Sunday.

Last month a number of legislators lashed out at the construction of two skyscrapers on northern Hong Kong Island facing Tsim Sha Tsui, warning they will create a "wall-like effect" and block air flow and sunlight in Central. The tight disposition of high-rises above the Kowloon-Canton Railway stations at Tai Wai and at Tai Kok Tsui also stirred controversy because of the potential "wall-like effect" in the districts.

Green Sense said it investigated all 46 lots now on the Buildings Department's land application list and found at least 12 sites in Yau Ma Tei, Hung Hom, Wong Tai Sin and Tung Chung that are likely to be packed with high- rises along the coastline that may create a "wall-like effect."

It said such an effect will result in poor air ventilation and cause temperatures to rise in the inner parts of the city, threatening residents' health.

"The result is a shock. The government should review the urban design guidelines of these lots, such as tightening the height limits," Tam said.

"Air ventilation guidelines should also be applied to private infrastructure projects."

At present, only major government projects are bound by guidelines on air ventilation.

According to the green group, the "risky lots" include a residential site in Yau Ma Tei, at the junction of Hoi Wang, Yan Cheung and Yau Cheung roads, with an area of 86,758 square feet and a plot ratio of 7.5.

Analysts said the site could fetch between HK$3.6 billion and HK$5.2 billion at an auction May 8 - the first in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

However, Green Sense said the site might be turned into a complex of 40-story buildings, with a maximum height of 130 meters.

Its total gross floor area could "inflated" by 20 percent at a plot ratio of nine.

"The mere numeral in the plot ratio is indeed meaningless," said architect Vincent Ng Wing-shum.

"Those so-called `green facilities' like podiums, gardens, clubhouses and mail-box areas are excluded from the current plot ratio, so the large-scale infrastructure projects become `inflated' into even larger ones."

Green Sense and residents in Yau Ma Tei saw the prime site at Hoi Wan Road as "the sole large ventilating window left in West Kowloon."

Benny Yeung Tsz-hei, a resident of Yau Ma Tei, said: "If you stand in the streets in Yau Ma Tei, such as Public Square Street, you can feel the breeze coming in from the Hoi Wan Road lot.

"The wind helps ease the pollution in nearby Nathan Road. But if the 40-story buildings are built, air ventilation in Yau Ma Tei will be poorer and threaten our health."

Lisa Ki Yuet-yuen, another Yau Ma Tei resident of more than 30 years, said the area's temperature had risen because of the surrounding new high-rises in Tsim Sha Tsui and above the MTR's Kowloon station.

"I have to turn on my air conditioners every day in summer. These high-rises not only block my sea view, but also the fresh air that comes along," she said.

They urged the government not to publish the gazette notice for the Hoi Wan Road lot on April 20 and reconsider the urban design guidelines for the site.


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## hkskyline

*Redevelopment of town centre kicks off with survey *
31 March 2007
South China Morning Post

A three-day detailed survey of 4,500 people residing in Kwun Tong's town centre began yesterday, marking the commencement of a redevelopment project first announced nearly 10 years ago. 

Urban Renewal Authority district development director Joseph Lee King-chi said the biggest redevelopment project the authority had ever handled posed a formidable challenge for the agency. 

Information gathered through the survey will form the basis of a compensation offer. 

People moving into the redevelopment zone after the survey will not be compensated. 

But residents will still have to wait at least 18 months to receive compensation, which will only be made after the Town Planning Board and the Executive Council approve the redevelopment plan. 

Mr Lee did not give an estimate of when demolition would begin. The 5.3-hectare project will involve 24 buildings, 1,640 property rights, 1,860 families and 300 shops. It includes Yuet Wah Street bus terminal and the area bordered by Hip Wo Street, Mut Wah Street, Hong Ning Road and Kwun Tong Road. 

It was announced in early 1998 by the Land Development Corporation. 

The project was passed to the authority when it was set up three years later, following the dissolution of the corporation. 

The project has attracted a number of property buyers aiming to gain compensation and the authority estimates the total cost of redevelopment to be HK$30 billion, with compensation alone costing HK$13 billion. It will take more than a decade to complete. 

Democratic Party legislator Fred Li Wah-ming, a member of the authority's management board, disclosed that the renewal agency would concede to resident demands to be offered compensation simultaneously, despite the fact that the redevelopment scheme would take place in phases. 

"Up to this stage, the financial analysis shows we will lose money in the project. Fortunately, the authority has been making a profit in all previous projects. We should have money to handle this one," he said. 

He also was optimistic about the authority's cash flow despite having to offer compensation to all residents simultaneously. "First, we will only be making the offer next year. When we make offers, there will be a negotiation process with each family - the length of negotiation varies because people will react differently. It usually takes 18 months to two years." 

The first demolition is expected to take place in 2010. 

He said the authority had made an unprecedented decision on the transitional arrangements, allowing residents time to find a new home after reaching the compensation agreement. They could also rent their units from the new landlord. 

But cage-dweller Hui Siu-ping, 65, says he doesn't have any great expectations about the development plan. 

"I have been living here since 1989. Over the years, I have heard at least 10 times that there will be redevelopment here, but none of them came true. I don't have many expectations and I have no opinion," Mr Hui said. Mr Hui is one of 10 tenants living in a 500 sq ft bed space apartment in a seven-storey building in Yue Man Square. He retired four years ago and now relies on social welfare. He pays HK$700 a month for the three-deck bed, sleeping on the middle deck and keeping his belongings on the other two decks. 

The Democratic Party's Mr Li remained tight-lipped on which part of the project would be demolished first and redeveloped. 

A design dubbed "City of Tomorrow", a 70-storey office and hotel tower, was selected as the redevelopment model in November after a two-month public consultation. 

Architectural firm Wong & Ouyang refined the model on the basis of views gathered during a consultation. The major criticism of the design was its high redevelopment density. 

The authority refused to disclose whether it had lowered the density when it submitted the plan to the Town Planning Board for approval three weeks later.


----------



## hkth

Gov't Press Release:
Draft Urban Renewal Authority Yu Lok Lane/Centre Street Development Scheme Plan approved


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## hkth

Gov't Press Release:
Draft Kwun Tong (South) Outline Zoning Plan approved

Draft Fanling/Sheung Shui Outline Zoning Plan Approved


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## hkth

Press Release from the Urban Renewal Authority:
Kwun Tong Town Centre project : People's Choice


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## hkskyline

*Kwun Tong Redevelopment Plans*


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## hkskyline

Wong Tai Sin Urban Redevelopment Site


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## hkskyline

Hung Hom Peninsula Redevelopment


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## Johan

Must say that i love the proposal for the new Kwun tong town-centre! it looks great with all that green! And if you go to the website, you can also see that it is supposed to have a nice scraper in the middle of it, just perfect!


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## hkskyline

Kwun Tong's massive redevelopment scheme now has its own thread. Check it out here : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=468277


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## hkskyline

*EMax斥8000萬推廣*
04月 20日 星期五 05:10AM




























【明報專訊】合和實業（0054）將旗下九龍灣國際展貿中心變身為以娛樂、購物及消閒為主的商場「EMax」，將斥資8000萬元推廣及宣傳，現時出租率達80％，呎租介乎20至50多元。

已租80％ 呎租20至50元

EMax擁有90萬方呎的零售樓面，另外國際展貿中心亦提供72萬方呎寫字樓樓面。該中心董事及總經理王世德表示，EMax的投資額為6億元，另將斥資8000萬元推廣及宣傳，預期首階段開業於今年7月中旬，11月將全面開業，而其中大型的家居博覽館率先在5月24日開業。他指出，國際展貿中心實行變身後，預計整體租金較之前會有倍數增長。

合和屋宇高級物業經理陳永權表示，EMax出租率已達80％，預期今年第3季可達85％，現時呎租由20多元至50多元不等。

合和實業執行董事王永霖表示，寫字樓的部分現時出租率達96％，平均呎租15元，現時仍進行翻新工程主要由7至13樓，其中在5月份將主要翻新大堂、走廊、洗手間等地方。

*Additional Information*

EMax is made up of eight floors: B3, B1, G/F to 6/F of Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre (HITEC).

An entertainment and shopping paradise that provides a brand-new shopping experience, and endless surprise and excitement.

EMax adopts a ‘horizon-to-horizon’ floor design, with each floor area ranging from 120,000 sq.ft. to 230,000 sq.ft, which facilitates visitors to enjoy various kinds of entertainment and shopping facilities on a single floor without traveling up and down escalators.

Web : http://www.emaxhk.com/


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## Aboveday

Hong Kong Convention And Exhibition Center ,Artium Extension(Renderings)


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## hkth

RTHK News:
Protesters barge into TPB meeting to discuss Lee Tung street

--Oh, man!!! hno:


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## hkskyline

*市區重建局或開先例「舖換舖」，傳提供波鞋街業主原址選擇方案 *
《香港經濟日報》
05月 21日

市區重建局擬開先例，向旺角「波鞋街」地舖業主提供「舖換舖」及重返原址經營的搬遷選擇方案。

不過，一直反對市建局清拆的地舖商戶，則力抗全面重建，堅持「拆上留下」，並已委託建築師研究方案爭取保留波鞋街。

有市建局中人指出，除非商戶提供突破性技術可行方案，否則難以接納拆上不拆下；市建局已為波鞋街訂下「生死線」，若下月沒有方案，便宣布全面收購清場，以免項目一再拖延，惟有關說法不獲市建局證實，市建局發言人表示目標是盡快進行項目，亦有市建局董事會成員表示，他們希望等候業主完成「拆上留下」方案研究，才作最後決定。


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## hkth

hkth said:


> RTHK News:
> Protesters barge into TPB meeting to discuss Lee Tung street
> 
> --Oh, man!!! hno:


RTHK news today:
Wanchai redevelopment plan approved


----------



## hkskyline

*Nod for URA Wan Chai project *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The Town Planning Board has given the green light for a residential development in an old part of southern Wan Chai proposed by the Urban Renewal Authority and estimated to cost HK$10 billion.

The approval, with the gross floor area reduced, will allow the URA to begin work and invite private developers to participate in the long-awaited project through public tender, probably later this year.

"We are preparing to proceed with demolition work, site formation and joint-venture invitation," a spokesman from the URA said Tuesday without outlining a timeline.

Since existing buildings on the 95,800-square-foot site at the junction of Lee Tung Street and McGregor Street have been vacant for five months, the authority is eager to speed up redevelopment to make way for the proposed residential-commercial complex.

Market watchers expect the large- scale project will be put to public tender in the second half. Surveyors estimate total investment of about HK$10 billion, including land costs, construction expenditure, interest and other fees.

According to the approved plan, the gross floor area of the project has been lowered by nearly 6 percent to 835,100 sq ft from 885,300 sq ft.

The number of flats to be built from the proposed 20-story to 40-story four residential blocks has been reduced to 1,313 from 1,415. It will also consist of a 100,000 sq ft shopping arcade and more than 200 parking spaces.

Three existing historical Chinese- styled tenement houses, or tong lau, will be preserved as part of the project.

The project is expected to draw intense interest from private developers in the face of limited prime residential projects in urban areas.

In February, developer Nan Fung Group won a tender for another URA project at 235-245 Queen's Road East in Wan Chai, which offers a maximum gross floor area of 35,200 sq ft of residential and commercial space.

In March, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) secured a URA tender to redevelop a residential site in Tai Kok Tsui worth HK$1 billion.

Separately, the URA has submitted a revised plan for a 4.3 million sq ft residential-office-retail complex in Kwun Tong to the Town Planning Board.

Covering a site area of 5.3 hectares, regeneration of the Kwun Tong town center will cost more than HK$30 billion, the URA's biggest-ever project.


----------



## hkskyline

*Lawmakers condemn Urban Renewal Authority over woes of development *
27 June 2007
South China Morning Post

Legislators across the political spectrum launched an offensive against the Urban Renewal Authority yesterday. They were particularly angry with the authority's decision to keep the financial information of individual redevelopment projects a secret, despite repeated requests, on the grounds of commercial sensitivity. 

Legislators on the planning, lands and works panel also criticised the authority for acting too slowly on redevelopment, forcing people in run-down districts to live in dire conditions. They said it created conflicts between those who lived in the areas and people who had businesses there. They also accused the authority of not being committed to conserving heritage. 

They cited the appalling condition of the 800-year-old Nga Tsin Wai village in Wong Tai Sin; the long-awaited Kwun Tong redevelopment; the row between residents and merchants caused by redeveloping part of Sai Yee, Nelson and Fa Yuen streets in Mong Kok - known as "Sneaker Street" for its profusion of sports shoe shops; and the pending demolition of the Bauhaus-style Wan Chai Market. 

Deputy secretary for housing, planning and lands Olivia Nip Sai-lan said: "The authority is a player in the property market. How much it earns [in individual projects] has commercial sensitivity." 

Albert Ho Chun-yan , chairman of the Democratic Party, said: "The authority [should not] think of making a profit when it is doing its job. Rehousing, compensation and heritage conservation are social duties." 

Abraham Razack, of The Alliance, said he had given the Legislative Council financial information on individual projects in the 1990s. He used to head the dissolved Land Development Corporation, the authority's predecessor. 

Veteran architect Patrick Lau Sau-shing, also an Alliance member, asked why, if it were committed to heritage conservation, the authority did not take the initiative and talk with developer Chinese Estates Holdings about finding ways to preserve Wan Chai Market. 

The authority's executive director, Iris Tam Siu-ying, told the panel: "The contract had been signed and we have to respect the contractual spirit."


----------



## hkskyline

*A slice of Hong Kong's market magic at risk *
15 June 2007
International Herald Tribune

Fair enough, it is hard to match the Rue de Buci in central Paris when it comes to open-air markets. Union Square in New York is a contender, and there is always Covent Garden in London, albeit in a reincarnation that is not at Covent Garden anymore. But if you think of the sheer magic of the marketplace - of the hustle, bustle and satisfaction at the heart of a deal for, say, dried mushrooms, mandarin oranges or a nice, handsome fish head - you simply cannot leave Graham Street in central Hong Kong out of the equation. 

This is a scene where past meets present, East meets West and those in search of fresh pak choi, choi sum, lung soo choi and every other kind of choi (which is to say, vegetables) will find such variety and plenitude as to wonder where it all comes from. The answer is simple: practically everywhere. 

As to the chatter up and down Graham Street and the narrow lanes around it, you have to classify the mix of Cantonese, Mandarin, English and assorted European tongues under the heading "no known language." For the monolingual Westerner, "yiu," or "I want," comes in handy, even if you cannot master the proper tone; add "ng goi," the Cantonese for "please" and "thanks" all at once, and you are ready to do business. 

"It's a unique feature of life in this neighborhood," said Katie Law, who grew up near Graham Street, lives near it now and takes her two children on her forays to teach them the names of things. "It's an attraction, I suppose, but basically it's a functioning market, a way to make a living, a way to stock the kitchen." 

It will not be the way it is for long, however. The Graham Street neighborhood is now slated for redevelopment, and many in the community think the authenticity and the life of the place - that ineffable spark of humanity that arises when shoppers and street hawkers transact - will be lost. 

Pessimists think the market is a goner altogether. Four tall towers and stacks of retail shops - the usual Hong Kong treatment - are to replace a neighborhood of funky (not to say crumbly) low- rise buildings with which street vendors enjoy a certain symbiosis (not to say illegally tapped electricity and water). 

"We don't think the government is going about this the right way," said Law, who volunteers with one of several advocacy groups active on the issue. "We're still hoping to find a way to save this place." 

That appears doubtful no matter how you slice the melon. The government has not issued a new hawker's license since the early 1980s, thinning the ranks considerably. 

Equally, the neighborhood around Graham Street is roughly the equivalent of Greenwich Village in New York, and gentrification over the past decade or so has further shrunk the open market. 

Accordingly, the Urban Renewal Authority, the government agency charged with these kinds of projects, asserts that it must either reinvent Graham Street and preserve (some of) the market or watch upscale restaurateurs and designer clothing shops chase hawkers off the sidewalk altogether. 

"It's vibrant. I love it. I shop there every day," said Michael Ma, the authority's director of planning and design. "This project is about arresting what is already quite a lot of erosion. Leave it as it is and the organic growth of the city will kill the market entirely." 

The renewal authority's project was formally approved by the government planning board several weeks ago. 

Graham Street itself is the very essence of the kind of urban commercial culture that Ma says the authority wants to preserve. It began as a Chinese market in the late 1850s and was known among the colonials as the Upper Bazaar because it was a steep climb skyward from the harbor front. 

Old photographs suggest it was a crowded, cacophonous thicket of getters, spenders and vendors. But by the 1980s Hong Kong had committed itself to a certain idea of being modern: open markets were grungy, local and yesterday; glass and concrete were clean, Western and tomorrow. 

The phenomenon is scarcely unique to Hong Kong. Singapore started razing one of the classic Chinatowns in Southeast Asia back in the 1980s and stopped only when the protests became too shrill to ignore. 

Several months ago a member of the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's Parliament, introduced a motion calling for the government to protect "districts and bazaars with local characteristics." Heritage advocates say this marked a significant turn in tear-it-down, build- a-new Hong Kong. 

"People are thinking more about the soft edge of the city - the smells and sights," said Paul Zimmerman, an expatriate Dutchman long active in Designing Hong Kong, an urban planning advocacy group. "Young Chinese, especially, want to hold on to things." 

Among the vendors along Graham Street, the stance is mixed. And to gauge this you go to see Yau Luk Chiu-ying, a fruit-seller for more than 30 years who also represents the hawkers when the renewal authority folk drop by for a chat. 

"Very long time no see," Yau says as you approach her stall, a profusion of grapes (American), avocados (Australian), dragon fruit (Vietnamese), lychee (Chinese), persimmons (New Zealand) and a dozen other things. 

"Mango, right?" she asks. 

"Not today, Mrs. Yau. Just wondering what you think of this plan to put up office towers and apartment blocks." 

She looks toward her awning, a saggy bit of plastic tarp that has seen many days of sun and rain. 

"A lot of us want to stay. We're making a living," she replies. "But some, mostly the older ones, want the government compensation." 

The renewal authority, indeed, has budgeted 3.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, not quite $500 million, for this project, and 1.8 billion dollars of that will go to compensating shop owners, hawkers and tenants in the apartments above the street. 

When the project is completed - no date for this has been announced - the hawkers will be invited back to occupy spiffy stalls the authority has designed in consultation with them. They will have proper water and electricity lines, storage space and all else that vendors now obtain in improvisational fashion. 

Way too spiffy, aficionados say. And true enough, a model in the renewal authority's office suggests a certain Disneyesque effect in the market as it now seems fated to be - a little in the way of West 42nd Street after New York made it good, clean fun. 

"This isn't another Singapore deal," Ma, the government planner, protests when the thought is put to him. "I want to save as much of the existing street character as I can." 

If there is a beating heart in the Graham Street district, it is the Wing Woo provisions shop, an 80-year-old establishment housed in the neighborhood's oldest building, an 1870s edifice decidedly on the feeble side. 

Wing Woo is a house of a hundred odors - dried fruit rind, dried fish, assorted spices and seasonings, hundred-year-old eggs, half a dozen varieties of beans and as many of rice. 

To his credit, Ma plans to preserve the facade and reconstruct the timber innards of the place, far more than Hong Kong would have bothered to do in the past. 

Kwan Moon-chiu, the proprietor, turns out to be a philosophic sort. Having inherited the shop from his uncle 60 years ago, he is now admirably stoic as he faces an uncertain future. 

"I have my attachment," Kwan said the other day. "I raised a family on this shop. On the other hand, if the government says it needs to redevelop Graham Street, there's not much I can do."


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## hkskyline

*Redevelopment : Cherry Street Project*

*Rendering*










*Construction*


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## gladisimo

^^ where is this?


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## EricIsHim

gladisimo said:


> ^^ where is this?


Tai Kok Tsui just east of Olympic MTR station between Hoi King St and Tai Kok Tsui Rd
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Hong+Kong,+China&ie=UTF8&ll=22.318711,114.161569&spn=0.003593,0.007167&t=h&z=18&om=1


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## gladisimo

Ahh, I never go around there. In fact, I've never gone to O Hoi Shing... but I will go now!

By the way, anyone know what the small site next to the bridge on Canton Road (where it splits at the China Ferry Terminal) is?

http://wikimapia.org/#y=22299604&x=114168651&z=18&l=0&m=h&v=1


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## EricIsHim

gladisimo said:


> Ahh, I never go around there. In fact, I've never gone to O Hoi Shing... but I will go now!
> 
> By the way, anyone know what the small site next to the bridge on Canton Road (where it splits at the China Ferry Terminal) is?
> 
> http://wikimapia.org/#y=22299604&x=114168651&z=18&l=0&m=h&v=1


Not quite sure where do you mean exactly. Do you think you can explain the location more precisely?


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## hkskyline

*Two killed in collapse of 60m crane *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, July 11, 2007




































_RTHK_

A 60-meter crane collapsed on a Causeway Bay demolition site Tuesday killing two workers and injuring five others, three of whom were trapped in the wreckage. 

Tam Sing, 51, and his cousin Tam Cheung-tai, in his 50s, were confirmed dead after firemen pulled them from the wreckage.

After the crane collapsed, its vertical arm rested across the top of the ninth floor of what was formerly a 20-plus story building.

The fatal accident happened at the *Hennessey Centre* on Hennessey Road about 9.45am. The basement of the building *formerly housed the Mitsukoshi department store*.

Eyewitnesses said they saw the crane buckle in the middle and then heard a loud bang.

A shopkeeper behind the center, who declined to give her name, said she was frightened by the incident. "It was like the September 11 attacks, dust was everywhere. I heard someone shout: `Run, run,"' she said.

Another shopkeeper, Lau Hon-pan, said the sound was more a rumble than a loud bang.

Central senior divisional fire officer Kung Ping-lam said the station received a report of an industrial accident at 9.45am and his men were at the scene within five minutes.

"When we got to the site an eyewitness told me one of the crane towers had snapped while lowering a load," Kung said. "We found two injured workers on the ground floor, along with a portion of the collapsed crane. When we got to the ninth floor [the roof] we found five other workers trapped in the wreckage. Two of them, the crane operators, were later certified dead."

Kung said it took five hours and 110 firemen to extract the dead and injured.

"Several things slowed down the rescue," Kung said. "As the building was under demolition, the lifts were not working and rescue equipment had to be carried up to the ninth floor. There was also a lot of debris. The steel frame weighed around 24 tonnes and we had to secure it first." 

Kung said the cause of the accident was not known.

One of the five injured workers was admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital and another to Queen Mary. Both were listed as being in serious condition.

The scene was chaotic, with both Lee Garden Road and Kai Chiu Road cordoned off.

Only families of the victims were allowed inside the area.

Many onlookers did not realize what had happened, some thinking it was part of a film set.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the Labour Department would begin an investigation today. It would also inspect all of Hong Kong's several hundred high rise construction sites with similar cranes to make sure they are safe.

Cheung said work safety was very important and that it was the contractor's responsibility to ensure the safety of laborers. 

Construction Industry Employees' General Union chairman Choi Chun- wah said the crane is a large machine which should be operated only by licensed workers. He said there were many factors to be considered such as operation procedures, movement of the crane arm and the age of the machinery.

There was also the possibility of human error.

Choi said there had been many crane-related accidents in the past and most of these were serious since cranes were heavy machines.

Head of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims Chan Kam-hong said the accident was totally unacceptable. He said the Labour Department and contractors should conduct a thorough investigation.

A spokesman for the Construction Site Workers General Union said the accident could have been the result of mistakes in working procedures.

He said current legislation did not require construction companies to take risk assessments before construction and suggested the government revise its legislation.

He also suggested construction companies require all workers to vacate areas when cranes are being lowered.

Greg Wong Chak-yan, former president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, said the crane may have become unbalanced while the arm was being lowered.

Lo Kwok-keung, an engineer at the Polytechnic University's department of mechanical engineering, said the possibility of faulty screws should not be overlooked. He also said it could be the result of human error.


----------



## gladisimo

EricIsHim said:


> Not quite sure where do you mean exactly. Do you think you can explain the location more precisely?


Click the link, it shows it... it's hard to explain, there's a crane there... and it's a very very small site. It might not even be a building.


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> *Two killed in collapse of 60m crane *
> Hong Kong Standard
> Wednesday, July 11, 2007


We're unlucky to have this happened; but we're also lucky the crane fell into the building, not the other way towards the street. Otherwise, the outcome is really unthinkable, probably taking down two to three other buildings.

gladisimo, sorry, i just can't see the crane maybe someone else can help you.


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## hkskyline

興利中心清拆重建前的外貌。 資料圖片


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## hkskyline

#1 


#2


#3 


#4 


Detail and More Photos here:
http://hkdigit.blogspot.com/2007/07/crane-collapse-in-causeway-bay.html


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## hkskyline

19 July 2007 
*URA commences Peel Street/Graham Street project*
URA Press Release

Renderings : http://www.ura.org.hk/html/c1002073e230e.html

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Thursday) announced the commencement of the Peel Street/Graham Street redevelopment project, estimated at a total development cost of $3.8 billion, by conducting an occupancy survey.

Measuring a total site area of about 57,240 square feet, the project is bounded by Peel Street, Graham Street, Gage Street, Wellington Street, Cochrane Street, Gutzlaff Street, Staveley Street and Kin Sau Lane in the Central and Western district. Some 360 property interests in 37 old buildings are expected to be affected. Four of the blocks were built pre-war, while the remainder were built mostly in the mid-50¡¦s and early 60's. 

Speaking at today's media briefing to announce details of the occupancy survey, District Development Director of the URA, Mr Joseph Lee, said: "It is estimated that some 470 households involving approximately 1,120 people are residing within the site area. We are deploying some 90 staff members to ascertain the exact number of those affected and the occupancy status of the properties involved, aiming to complete the survey within three days."

Depending on the work progress, the URA intends to issue purchase offers to the owners for acquiring the 360 affected property interests in about three months. Upon completion of the property acquisition exercise, the URA will make compensation or rehousing arrangements for the tenants concerned. The estimated cost of cash compensation and rehousing is about $1.8 billion. 

The Peel Street/Graham Street project is one of the projects announced but not yet commenced by the former Land Development Corporation in 1998. Over the past years, the affected residents have repeatedly petitioned the Legislative Council, the Government, Central & Western District Council and the URA urging for early implementation of the project to improve their living environment.

Also speaking at the briefing, Mr Michael Ma, Director, Planning & Design said: "In moving this project forward, the URA will not only bring tangible benefits to those directly affected, but will also provide a multi-purpose community hall with a floor space of 13,500 square feet and some 17,000 square feet of quality open space for the enjoyment of the community."

Central & Western District is a place full of interesting historical and cultural elements. Over the past two years, the URA has spared no efforts in engaging the community in a bottom-up approach on the design and other aspects of the project. The URA, after giving due consideration to all views expressed, has incorporated a lot of the suggestions in the final plan and design which has recently been approved by the Town Planning Board.

Mr Ma said: "One of the unique design elements is to create Graham Street as Hong Kong¡¦s first 'Old Shop Street' where Hong Kong's renowned old specialty shops would be attracted to do businesses there. The entrance of the 'Old Shop Street' will be located at the present Wing Woo Grocery whose façade will be preserved, subject to structural feasibility study. At the other end are the three prewar shop houses at 26A-26C Graham Street which likewise will be preserved and put to adaptive re-use. The rest are three-storey structures to be built for the specialty old shops; the design of these structures will be based on that of traditional shop houses in Hong Kong."

"The URA is keenly aware that we will be faced with a daunting task. Hence, a heritage advisory panel under the Central and Western District Advisory Committee, comprising district council members, local community figures, conservation experts, as well as hawker and resident representatives, has been set up to advise on our various conservation proposals. The panel and experts have started work and have initially obtained a very positive response from operators or descendents of the once vibrant specialty old shops."

"The project is also unique in that it is one of the earliest open markets in Hong Kong. Hawkers still operate in the area. Although strictly speaking they fall outside the project boundaries, we fully encourage these hawkers to continue with their activities upon completion of the project. Indeed we have been in close touch for months with government departments concerned and hawker representatives; we hope to put in place the best possible mutually-acceptable arrangements, be they interim or permanent," Mr Ma added.

He said: "We will take into consideration the views and needs of hawkers in our design for the future stalls so as to give added emphasis to the original district feature."

Mr Joseph Lee added: "Upon completion of the survey, we will arrange a series of briefings for the affected residents and shop operators to explain to them the acquisition and compensation and rehousing arrangements. Meanwhile, we have appointed the urban renewal social service team of the St James' Settlement to provide professional and practical services alongside our frontline staff for the affected residents, in particular the elderly, physically handicapped, new arrivals and single-parent families. The telephone number of the social service team is 2857 1606.

The URA will also set up a district office at 27A Gage Street to address public enquiries on the project. Members of the public are also welcomed to call the URA hotline at 2588 2333 for general enquiries about the project.


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## hkskyline

*URA begins resuming Central plots 
Authority moves on redevelopment despite opposition of residents, heritage groups *
20 July 2007
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority pushed ahead yesterday with its plan to knock down the city's oldest wet market despite strong opposition from heritage and residents' concern groups. 

The authority took the first step in the resumption process for a half-hectare site in Central - which includes the 140-year-old market - by launching a population survey of about 1,120 residents in the area. 

It did so in the face of continued opposition by critics who said the development would wipe out a rich and dynamic part of the district's history and that residents and traders did not want to move out. 

In the HK$3.8 billion plan for the area bounded by Cochrane, Gage and Wellington streets, two residential blocks of 30 and 32 storeys over a four-storey podium are planned, as well as a 33-storey office tower and a 26-storey hotel on top of two more four-storey podiums. 

Central and Western Concern Group spokeswoman Katty Law Ngar-ning said the development would destroy the market, which runs through Peel, Graham and Gage streets, and bring its rich and dynamic history to an end. 

"The market is a vibrant place. It attracts a lot of tourists and is a favourite shopping place for the neighbourhood," said Ms Law, whose group conducted its own survey of people in the area. 

"When we did the survey and chatted with the vendors and shop owners, many of them said they did not want to go. 

"We have to express our view of preserving the market or keeping the effect on it to the minimum when the area is redeveloped." 

The group will hold a signature campaign tomorrow and a website will be launched soon to give information about the project. 

District development director Joseph Lee King-chi said the authority hoped to complete acquisition of affected properties within two years, with a budget of about HK$1.9 billion, which he said catered for possible fluctuations of the property market. 

"But honestly, we can't predict what the market will be like during the period," he said. The compensation rate would be close to the prices of nearby private buildings, he said. 

The authority's director of planning and design, Michael Ma Chiu-chi, said the project would preserve the external walls of the nearly 100-year-old Wing Woo Ho grocery store and three pre-war buildings in Graham Street. 

A heritage advisory panel would work out ways to run a row of old-style shops the authority plans to build in Graham Street and the planned open market, he said. 

The old-shop street would house century-old brand names and shops selling traditional products and handicrafts, he said, but he gave no details of what brand names would be invited or when the finalised plans would be submitted. 

Ms Law complained that the heritage panel lacked transparency and excluded the public from its meetings. 

"The panel comprises district councillors, historians as well as representatives of the affected vendors and residents. 

"But they turned down our request to sit in on the meeting, saying that we have to express our opinion through the members instead," she said. 

Roger Ho Yiu-sang, a heritage writer who recently wrote a book on the wet markets of Hong Kong, said the Central project focused more on making profits from the high-rise buildings rather than preserving the wet market tradition and heritage. 

"The wet market in Central has a rich sense of interpersonal connections and community feeling," he said. 

"Once it is knocked down and with its operation moved into commercial buildings, the whole feeling will be gone."


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## hkskyline

*Coalition to fight `old-style shops' plan *
23 July 2007
Hong Kong Standard

Graham Street in the central Mid- Levels does not need artificial ``old- style shops'' that would take years of construction work as there is already a 140-year-old open market, which is to be redeveloped under a HK$3.8 billion facelift, according to a concern group. 

The Central and Western Concern Group _ a coalition of more than 10 community organizations _ said yesterday it will launch a signature campaign as part of efforts to prevent the government from turning a vibrant market into a ``decorated stage'' that would take at least five years to build. 

Under the massive facelift announced by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, a 57,240-square-foot area in the district housing Hong Kong's oldest wet market will make way for an avenue of shophouses, multistory residential blocks, a hotel and an office complex. 

The area, bounded by Peel Street, Graham Street, Gage Street, Gutzlaff Street and Staveley Street, now has 37 old buildings with about 470 households and almost 80 shops. 

The coalition said it has carried out a survey in the district and found there has not been adequate consultation with the residents and shopowners on the redevelopment plan. It said only half of the shop operators said the URA had sought their views. 

Sixty-four percent of the operators said they believed the market should be preserved, while more than one-third said the district's historical values should be left intact and that they have developed a close relationship with the neighborhood. 

Nineteen percent of the respondents vowed not to leave, and 17 percent said they will stay until the last moment. 

John Batten, a coalition co-convener who lives in the area, said the campaign is meant to be political to some extent. 

``We'll send questionnaires to all the nominees or candidates in the forthcoming district council elections to get their views on the heritage issue. We'll then publicize the results to let the voters decide at the ballot box,'' he said. 

Katty Law Ngar-ning, another convener of the group, said more than half of the shop operators are against the renewal plan. ``Although the Town Planning Board has approved the URA plan, it's still not too late to opt for a better one and have a re-plan,'' she said. 

The group urged the government to have review its policy on open markets. 

Tanya Chan Shuk-chong of the Civic Party said: ``We don't need an artificial old-shop street. Tourists can't be bothered visiting it in Central if we already have something like the Ngong Ping 360 market. I hope the government will understand what's real and what's not.'' 

Yau Luk Chiu-wing, a fruit store owner who has been doing business in the open market for 35 years, said she was worried about the uncertainty. 

``The URA has explained the renewal project to me briefly. Yet, no one has told me where my new shop will be,'' Yau said.


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## hkskyline

*Island Lodge set for launch Swire to market North Point residential project in September * 
25 July 2007
South China Morning Post 

Island Lodge, a North Point residential development due for completion in early 2009, will be marketed in September, according to co-developers Swire Properties and China Motor Bus. 

*The 45-storey, 184-unit project offers apartments that range in size from 800 square feet to 1,200 sq ft*. About 40 per cent are two-bedroom units, while most have three- or four-bedroom layouts. 

There is also an undisclosed number of larger units of between 1,500 sq ft and 2,200 sq ft on the top floors of the development. 

Swire Properties would not disclose target prices, but senior sales manager Mabelle Ma said the latest prices in two developments - The Orchards in Quarry Bay and Les Saisons in Sai Wan Ho - could provide an indicator. 

According to data from Centaline Property Agency, units in The Orchards sold for prices ranging from HK$6,793 to HK$8,300 per square foot. 

La Place de Victoria is the most recent development in North Point. 

Danny Ho, district sales director of Centaline Property Agency, said prices of typical units without a sea view at the project ranged from HK$5,460 to HK$6,500 per square foot. 

Units with sea views reached HK$15,000 per square foot when the project was launched in 2005. 

Island Lodge is the latest residential project developed by Swire Properties after the developer launched The Orchards in 2003. 

*It is located on the site of the former staff quarters of China Motor Bus at the junction of Java Road and Kam Hong Street and is a three-minute walk from the North Point MTR station. *

In a departure from the current development trend, the project adopts a floor-to-ceiling window in the living room instead of a balcony. 

*The building height was set at 160 metres and since the Town Planning Board has imposed a 100-metre building height restriction on the former North Point Estate site in front of Island Lodge, only upper level units in the development will have harbour views after the completion of the North Point Estate redevelopment project. *

The development will be the only new project in North Point released this year. 

A residential project at Wo Fung Street in Sai Ying Pun, developed by Pacific Century Premium Developments, will be another medium-range development released on Hong Kong Island this year. 

Transactions in North Point had been active in the last few weeks, said Andy Chuang, director of Ricacorp Properties. He said Provident Centre and City Garden remained the most popular housing estates in the district.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Redevelopment : Cherry Street Project*
> 
> *Rendering*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Construction*


7/29


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## hkskyline

*Fresh start for decaying city *
The Urban Renewal Authority is heading the fight against urban corrosion with an army of consultants
13 July 2007
South China Morning Post

Urban renewal has become a hot topic in recent years as the government looks to breathe new life into the city's older districts, where many neglected buildings have turned grey and are in disrepair. 

Leading the fight against urban dilapidation is the quasi-government Urban Renewal Authority (URA), which inherited 25 unfinished projects from the Land Development Corporation in 2001. 

With the establishment of the URA's rehabilitation programmes in 2003, 16,000 units and 178 buildings have been rehabilitated, three times as many are being redeveloped, and 200 projects are in the pipeline. 

These include projects such as the preservation of 22 traditional Cantonese-style buildings in Wan Chai with a focus on structure, exterior and functionality, and the recent rehabilitation of residential blocks and urban streets in Tai Kok Tsui. 

The authority will spend more than HK$30billion on the implementation of new urban renewal plans from 2006 to 2011, including the dramatic Kwun Tong Town Centre which will cost HK$25billion and affect nearly 600,000 residents. 

Hong Kong has more than 11,000 buildings in old districts such as Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok that do not have owners' corporations that would normally look after their upkeep. The URA provides material subsidies and educates the public in methods to maintain safety in older buildings like these. Financial help and advice are offered, as well as interest-free loans. 

Iris Tam Siu-ying, the authority's executive director of planning and development, said: "We are here to tackle the very dilapidated urban areas. We want to arrest and slow down urban decay." 

Such projects include the hugely successful Western Market in Sheung Wan. Local businessmen at first opposed development, but the preservation has revitalised the square. Business got better and soon more people were attracted to that corner of Sheung Wan. 

The authority organises events there, and recently announced plans to build a Cultural Terrace on a slope opposite the Man Mo Temple. 

In a nutshell, the URA preserves, redevelops, rehabilitates and revitalises urban sprawl in Hong Kong. 

"We work with consultants such as conservation architects, design experts in restoring buildings, traffic engineers, and environmental engineers - the list is long," Ms Tam said. 

"Together, we aim to give a particular area a sense of place, create a sense of pride in the area and attract more business. 

"It's our mission. But sometimes we have great difficulty pushing forward schemes because the very people who will benefit [from the renewal] oppose the changes we wish to make. It is almost impossible not to bring change. 

Ms Tam said the authority could not ignore what people said. 

"The community are stakeholders. In the past, Hong Kong people didn't mind pulling down buildings. Now it is possible that they have seen too much demolition. In certain projects, the core buildings can be preserved, such as the development of Graham Street in Central where an old-style building is structurally sound and will be worked into the design of the district." 

Gammon Construction director of human resources, Leung Pik-wah sees redevelopment and urban renewal as a team effort. 

"For urban renewal, many aspects of engineering and design are needed. There can be positions for people in building services and maintenance for older districts, and, of course, the painting and refurbishment that is needed inside and out," Ms Leung said. 

"It all really depends on the scale and the nature of the project, which can include engineers from civil, building, foundation and engineering and manufacturing branches. If there is urban planning involved, roadworks will need to be done. There is a need for designers and engineers in these fields," she said. 

Gammon Construction is no stranger to redevelopment, revitalisation and preservation. It completed refurbishments and extensions for both The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel in 1994 and the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong last year. 

At the height of the Mandarin Oriental contract, there were 2,100 workers on-site, including 70 Gammon specialists. 

"Redevelopment is not just about the practical architectural concept and building. People who specialise in environmental protection are also needed. Many of the people looking to build, rebuild or revitalise are heavily into the environmental impact of the project," Ms Leung said.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 7/29


8/4


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## hkskyline

*Redevelopment : Cherry Street Project* 

11/3


----------



## Jarenz

^^ what is this.... condo or office tower???


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## EricIsHim

Jarenz said:


> ^^ what is this.... condo or office tower???


residential towers with retails/office at street level.


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## hkskyline

*URA slammed for seeking to profit in Sham Shui Po plan *
10 November 2007
Hong Kong Standard

The Urban Renewal Authority on Friday was accused of competing with people for profit. 

The accusation came from the company Golden Light Services over the authority's redevelopment draft plan for Hai Tan and Kweilin streets in Sham Shui Po. 

The company strongly opposed the inclusion of 189 to 203 Hai Tan Street into the plan, comprising eight blocks of buildings. 

Golden Light Services claimed that more than half of the 37 affected interests are on board and have agreed to redevelop on their own. 

Company director Liu Wah-hing said the government should allow private redevelopment if it came with residents' support, as was proposed by the Graham Street Community Builders last month. 

The company also claimed to have started to implement its redevelopment plan in the 1990s and therefore their investment interests would be affected if the buildings were included in the authority's plan. 

Under the plan, the redevelopment will affect 37 buildings and 680 households. 

The three sites would produce 880 residential units, with 11,148 square meters of retail space and 1,486 sqm of open space. 

The Planning Department said piecemeal redevelopment is ``undesirable'' and suggested no amendment be made based on Liu's representation. The department said the company did not give supporting evidence to show it is representing the majority of the owners. 

It also said if the eight buildings were excluded, the two planned buildings would have to be linked by platforms and frustrate the project's intended planning. 

Liu said their plan is a joint venture and that it is negotiating with owners. He declined to reveal more details. 

Liu warned that this would be the beginning of a long resistance. 

``I may take the authority to court,'' he added. 

``Why not allow people to do their own redevelopment? A free economy should be like that. The authority has accumulated a lot of opposition already, if they continue this line of thinking, I wouldn't rule out turning it into a political issue.'' 

Other concern groups also questioned the inclusion of a section of Pei Ho Street into the redevelopment. 

The 820 sqm section will remain as public open space, connecting Tung Chau Street and the jade market, according to the plan. 

Planner Kenneth To Lap-kee from the H15 concern group said the section's plot ratio may be transferred to the two nearby residential towers at Hai Tan Street, with a height of 150 meters. 

An authority representative warned that the project will be in the red, and if Pei Ho Street were excluded, a 10 percent less floor area would lead to a HK$270 million loss. 

He said the towers' height will be based on technical assessments, which will be studied further at the Master Layout planning stage. 

The board will release their decisions within one month after Friday's meeting.


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## hkskyline

*Redevelopment : Cherry Street Project* 

11/10


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## hkskyline

*Call to reexamine role of `inflexible' URA *
19 November 2007
Hong Kong Standard

The Urban Renewal Authority should improve its flexibility and review its role to better complement the government's heritage conservation policy, according to an outspoken member of the Antiquities Advisory Board. 

Patrick Lau Sau-shing also suggested that land exchange and transfer of plot ratio could provide a sound incentive to promote heritage conservation among private landlords and developers. 

Speaking on Radio Television Hong Kong's Letter to Hong Kong program yesterday, Lau, who is also a legislator representing the architecture, surveying and planning functional constituency, described the present situation as ``very ironic,'' as the authority's redevelopment projects were often restricted by the zoning boundaries set by the government. ``As a result, their working attitude is almost no different from that of a private developer. Therefore, I wish that the authority would review its role and revise its inflexible work strategy.'' 

Lau urged the authority to adopt a cross-district mentality for achieving ``people-based urban renewal objectives'' to improve the quality of life of residents. 

He also said more powers and participatory opportunities should be given to district councils to conserve heritage buildings. The lawmaker said he was pleased with the policy address in which Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen acknowledged heritage conservation as a key component of quality city life. But he said the document failed to specify arrangements for protecting privately owned historic buildings, noting that a long-term policy is needed. 

``I sincerely believe that any sound heritage conservation policy must be supported by the incentives of land exchange and transfer of plot ratio to promote heritage conservation in the private sector,'' he said. 

He also suggested that legislation be reviewed to revive historic buildings.


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## hkskyline

*Sour note for URA chief in swan song *
28 November 2007
Hong Kong Standard

There were more brickbats than bouquets during outgoing Urban Renewal Authority chief Billy Lam Chung-lun's swan song before lawmakers yesterday to discuss the authority's land acquisition policy. 

Lam, who retires as the authority's managing director next month, came under fire as legislators accused him of denying small property owners their say in redevelopment projects. 

At a meeting of the Legislative Council's development panel, members directed their anger at Lam and questioned the authority's power to reject the voices of small property owners. 

"Why would the authority only work with big developers which own majority property rights?" the Liberal Party's Miriam Lau Kin-yee asked. 

She was referring to the redevelopment project at the 600-year-old Nga Tsin Wai village in Wong Tai Sin, announced in October, in which 70 percent of the property was acquired by Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong (Holdings). 

Redevelopment proposals by affected property owners in other projects have often met with a less than enthusiastic response from the URA. 

The controversial redevelopment of Mong Kok's Sai Yee Street, or "Sneakers Street," into a shopping mall sparked an outcry from shopowners there. Their alternative plan to keep their businesses along the street was turned down by the authority last month. 

"Why is it that big developers can take part in redevelopment and small property owners can't? How on earth can this be fair?" said panel deputy chairman and architect Lau Sau-shing. 

A visibly upset Albert Chan Wai-yip of the League of Social Democrats sarcastically congratulated Lam on his departure, accusing him of "bureaucratizing the authority and suffocating redevelopment" in Hong Kong during his six years in office. 

"The `Sneakers Street' redevelopment was one of 25 projects announced in 1998 by the then Lands Development Corporation," Chan said. "These projects were announced two decades ago. Now many development projects, such as that at [Light Rail Transit] Yuen Long Station, are directed by the chief executive. Shouldn't good proposals be examined again?" 

Lam, however, was commended by the Democratic Party's James To Kun-sun, who praised him for his efforts in pushing for building repairs and speedy redevelopment. 

Lam said he was aware of the divergence of views between property owners living in dilapidated conditions and who prefer a cash buyout in redevelopment projects, and shopowners who prefer to stay. 

He said the URA will consider joint redevelopment with affected owners only on an ad hoc basis as long as it benefits all parties concerned. 

"We're all in the same ship here although we hold different positions. You're sitting at the bow of the ship going forward, while I'm pedaling at the stern. Society will reach its own conclusion," he said. 

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who also attended the panel meeting, pledged to review the urban renewal policy next year.


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## hkskyline

*URA forces issue on project *
24 November 2007
Hong Kong Standard

The government yesterday announced the land resumption of 150 private interests in Lai Chi Kok Road, Kweilin Street and Yee Kuk Street for the Urban Renewal Authority's redevelopment project in Sham Shui Po. 

The 3,345 square meter project involves 17 buildings in which 80 percent of the interests have been acquired by the authority. 

The rest of the owners have either been resisting compensation packages or could not be reached. The project will produce 400 residential flats, 4,645 square meters of commercial space on lower floors and 372 square meters of public open space. 

Under the Land Resumption Ordinance, the affected interests will revert to the government in three months' time. Rehousing will be in units provided by the Housing Authority or the Housing Society.


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## hkskyline

*Redevelopment : Cherry Street Project *

12/9 - not much progress it seems


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## hkskyline

*Urban renewal chief chased by 'Wedding Card Street' protesters *
25 December 2007
South China Morning Post










A meeting between the Urban Renewal Authority chairman and hunger strikers in Wan Chai's "Wedding Card Street" ended in chaos yesterday as demonstrators chased him and blocked his departure. 

The meeting was arranged after a dozen protesters opposing plans to redevelop the area presented a petition to the authority's headquarters. 

After exchanging views with a hunger striker, Barry Cheung Chun-yuen was surrounded by yelling protesters and had to be escorted to his car by police. 

Some protesters climbed onto his car and others stood in front of it. He was able to leave only after police ordered the protesters to calm down and issued a verbal warning. 

Mr Cheung remained adamant the development of the Lee Tung Street area - known as Wedding Card Street because of the shops it once housed - had to proceed. 

H15 Concern Group, which launched a protest on Sunday, said Mr Cheung would pay a high price and hinted at a judicial review. 

The action began after group member May Yip Mee-yung found that demolition of tenement buildings had begun last week, three weeks before a meeting of the Town Planning Board was due to consider a proposal from the group. 

The proposal calls for retention of 30 tenement buildings, reducing the height of four proposed high-rises by five storeys and scrapping an underground car park. 

Citing the high restoration cost, the authority decided to demolish most of the buildings and build new ones. It also promised an area for a social enterprise with the theme "Wedding City". Responding to shop owners' worries that rents in Wedding City would be too high, an authority spokesman said it was considering a short rent-exemption period if they moved back. 

Wan Chai District Council chairwoman Ada Wong Ying-kay said it would be regrettable if the street was not saved, as the Blue House and Wan Chai Market were to be.


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## hkskyline

*70pc of households accept compensation *
29 December 2007
South China Morning Post

More than half of the shops and households affected by the Graham Street and Peel Street redevelopments had accepted the compensation option offered by the Urban Renewal Authority, its managing director, Billy Lam Chung-lun, said yesterday. 

Mr Lam, who steps down as URA chief on Monday, said he had never felt disappointed or unhappy about the public protests staged against the authority's redevelopment projects. 

"While preserving our history, we have to protect the interest of the silent majority," he said. Efforts had been made to retain characteristics of redeveloped districts, he said, adding preserving the old market along Graham Street was an example. 

According to the authority's latest figures, 33 per cent of the 78 shops and 70 per cent of 470 households affected by the Graham and Peel street projects had already accepted compensation.


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## mbuildings

grate urban development


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## hkskyline

*Group seeks redevelopment of Kowloon City Plaza site *
5 January 2008
South China Morning Post

A consortium led by Morgan Stanley has submitted an application to redevelop Kowloon City Plaza in Kowloon City into three residential buildings. 

The Town Planning Board said the developer had applied last month to have the site rezoned as a comprehensive development or residential area instead of a commercial development with a public car park. 

It said the developer planned to build three 23-storey residential buildings with four basement levels, providing 396 units. 

It said the 63,733 square foot site has the potential to provide 414,268 sqft of residential area and a 159,334 sqft commercial area. The board will discuss the application within the next two months. 

Last September, the developer won Building Department approval to build a 15-storey retail building extension on top of the 10-storey Kowloon City Plaza shopping centre. The building extension will have a total gross floor area of 160,382 sqft. 

Singuz Lo, director of Pamfleet Property Asset Management, one of the shopping complex's shareholders, said he was not aware of the latest application. He said the development of the commercial extension was still in the planning stages. 

In 2004, Morgan Stanley, Pamfleet Property Asset Management and Pioneer Global Group bought Paliburg Plaza in Causeway Bay and Kowloon City Plaza for HK$2 billion. It was the first time a foreign investor had acquired a shopping centre in Hong Kong. 

The developer invested HK$100 million in renovating and repositioning Kowloon City Plaza in 2006. 

The owner said the upgrade allowed it to charge retail rents of between HK$30 per square foot and HK$150 per square foot - double the levels before the renovation. 

Kowloon City Plaza at 128 Carpenter Road, next to Kowloon Walled City Park, is a 10-storey shopping complex. 

DTZ retail department director Lawrence Heung Ping-chung said he believed the sharp rise in residential prices in the fourth quarter of last year prompted the decision to redevelop the shopping complex into residential buildings. 

Kowloon City Plaza has seen greater competition from new shopping centres being set up in Kowloon East in the past 10 years, including apm in Kwun Tong and Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong. Most of the new complexes were near the MTR, he said. 

However, Kowloon City Plaza's distance from the MTR would make the project a harder sell. "There is no large scale residential project in the area. It is difficult for the shopping complex to develop into a retail landmark from a regional shopping centre," Mr Heung said. 

He said he believed the renovation plan had had a positive impact on the shopping centre, but warned: "Kowloon City Plaza provides a retail area of 630,000 sqft, which is oversized for a regional shopping mall."


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## hkskyline

*North Point initiative should be first of many *
4 January 2008
South China Morning Post

The land surrounding the North Point ferry terminals where the former North Point estate once stood is potentially worth tens of billions of dollars to the government's coffers. That assumes no height restrictions, limited open space and a plot ratio comparable with the local norm. 

In his October policy address, however, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen promised a planning review to lower the density of development, saying that the inevitable loss in public revenue from land sales was worth it if it created a better living environment. 

This was a response to increasing public concern over the adverse effects of high-density development that blocked air flow by creating a "wall effect" that blocked breezes, raised urban temperatures and aggravated pollution, and reduced the amount of sunshine. 

The redevelopment of the old North Point estate - one of the most valuable residential sites in Hong Kong - presents the government with the first big test of a more environmentally sensitive approach. 

Planning Department proposals to be considered by the Town Planning Board represent a radical response. The department has not stopped at a 100-metre height restriction proposed last year right across North Point, but slashed it to 80 metres. Plot ratios proposed for two developments flanking a transport terminal - a hotel and a commercial-residential centre - are 4.12 and 3.05 respectively, compared with an average of 6 to 8 in nearby residential developments. The ratios govern the amount of floor space developers can build on a site; a lower figure means less floor space. As well as the height restriction, development of the commercial-residential complex will be stepped downwards towards the waterfront. 

The height restriction alone, however, is not enough to prevent the construction of wall-like buildings, or the encroachment of large podiums. To allow space for wind circulation and visual access to the waterfront, the plan limits maximum site coverage to 65 per cent and provides 10-metre-wide open spaces either side of the terminal and a 10 to 20-metre-wide promenade along the shoreline. This will also address a shortfall of public open space in North Point under the planning standards and guidelines. 

The proposal has been well received in some quarters, including environmental activists, as an attempt to strike a sensible balance between two imperatives - continued development and making Hong Kong a more attractive place to live and work. It deserves to be. By one estimate, the site's development parameters will cost the public coffers about HK$19 billion. That is certainly a big sum. Right now, Hong Kong can well afford that, with the accumulation of enough fiscal reserves to cover government spending for more than 18 months. It is arguable that there will be no better time to find the right balance between development and conservation and the quality of life by tackling an issue that has been much talked about. 

Hopefully, the government's bold planning initiative will be the first of many in the search for the right balance. In fact, it would be wrong just to focus on the monetary losses of reduced development density. What the community loses in land revenue will be compensated for by environmental gains through less pollution, reduced health risks and higher quality of life. 

Even if the monetary value of such gains does not eclipse that of the forgone revenue, there is no point sitting on a mountain of cash if the city we call home becomes increasingly uninhabitable due to overdevelopment.


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## hkskyline

*Compensation for heritage village *
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, January 04, 2008

The Urban Renewal Authority yesterday issued an acquisition order to owners affected by the redevelopment plan for the 600-year old Nga Tsin Wai Village in Wong Tai Sin.

The HK$1.24 billion-project was announced last October with plans to transform the dilapidated village into a conservation park.

The authority's special compensation package is based on the resumption of the urban area village policy. Based on the value of the land, the 31 affected owners will be given notional ex-gratia compensation. Indigenous owners will also be given a removal allowance.

To sweeten the offer, the authority will add 10 percent of the compensation as a bonus if owners accept the offer within 60 days.

Owner-occupiers of domestic properties who wish to move back will be given priority to purchase units after the completion of the redevelopment.

Shop owners and tenants will also be compensated, based on the market value, plus an ex-gratia allowance.

While many villagers have said they wished to leave behind their deteriorating houses with leaky roofs, some were concerned the compensation they would receive may not lead to a better life.

Villager Ng Hou-chuen questioned whether the notional ex-gratia compensation was fair, considering the high- rises that will be built on the land. He said the villagers will meet soon to discuss the acquisition.

The sole Chinese doctor in the village, 62-year-old Lam Tak-sun, feared he may lose both his clinic and his home of 20 years.

"The rent outside the village is so expensive, the compensation may not be enough to rent another place," Lam said.

Nga Tsin Wai, the last surviving walled village in the urban area, was founded by the Ng, Chan and Lee clans in 1352.

The redevelopment project has been dragging on for 20 years.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) has owned about 70 percent of the 57 village houses since the 1980s.

The historically rich village will become a conservation park, with two 120-meter residential towers, one on each side of a 40-meter wide park.

The Tin Hau Temple, the arched gatehouse and the "Hing Yau Yu" stone tablet, the village's three relics, will be kept along with seven stone houses and a paved lane.

Lawmaker Chan Yuen-han said while she was glad to see villagers given the opportunity to get out of their shackled living environment, she was disappointed the government lacked vision in preserving the heritage village in its entirety.

"The development will damage any relics buried underground," Chan said. "This village has witnessed the city's history for several hundred years, and it would be sad to see it go."

Earlier, green groups raised concerns that the building height may result in a wall-effect, blocking ventilation in the district.


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## hkskyline

*新建公屋八成在巿區 蘇屋鸷清拆原址重建 *
01月 08日 星期二 05:10AM










【明報專訊】房屋委員會面對覓地興建公屋困難，決定於即將清拆的深水蘇屋鸷原址重建公屋，加上觀塘安達臣道和啟德公屋計劃，暫時已覓得最少27公頃土地，在2012年後提供約2.9萬個單位。運輸及房屋局長鄭汝樺表示，未來10年將有八成新建公屋分佈在市區和擴展市區，迎合輪候人士需求。

11萬戶輪候 3年上樓不變

現時公屋輪候冊上共有11萬個家庭，房委會每年須興建約1.5萬個公屋單位及回收1.5萬個舊屋鸷單位，才可滿足3年上樓承諾。未來5年，房委會已拍板興建7.6萬個公屋，足以應付輪候冊需求，但2012至2017年的公屋計劃仍充滿變數。

運輸及房屋局向立法會提交的文件指出，暫時有6個公屋計劃遭區議會 反對，涉及1.4萬個公屋單位。鄭汝樺說，與區議會溝通具挑戰性，例如在屯門 龍門居旁及良景鸷旁的用地，區議員稱恐致環境擠迫及缺乏交通配套，要求用作興建康樂及社區設施，局方會繼續磋商。

此外，房屋署已選址觀塘安達臣道地盤和啟德興建公屋，其中安達臣道佔地逾10公頃，將提供約1.61萬個單位，在2015至2016年分階段落成；啟德佔9.2公頃，可提供約1.3萬個單位。鄭汝樺表示，規劃署亦探討在古洞等新界北新發展區提供公屋，政府政策是未來八成新建公屋坐落市區和擴展市區，例如港島東的愛秩序灣和前柴灣鸷亦會重建公屋。副房屋署長馮宜萱補充，深水蘇屋鸷清拆後決定原址重建公屋，不會交出拍賣，詳細方案今年內將交區議會討論。


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## ZZ-II

can you translate hkskyline? i only can see square boxes


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## hkskyline

*More open space at North Point estate, but opera centre ruled out *
4 January 2008
South China Morning Post

The redeveloped North Point Estate will have more open space on the harbourfront, creating a new stop for tourists, according to revised proposals for the site unveiled yesterday. 

However, requests by local residents for a football pitch and Cantonese opera centre have gone unheeded. 

According to a new proposal submitted to the Town Planning Board yesterday by the Planning Department, 41 per cent of the site area - or 15,000 square metres - will be designated as public open space. The move helps remedy what the department says is an acute shortfall of open space in North Point. 

The open space will include a piazza next to the ferry pier, a 20-metre-wide promenade, and green areas serving local residents. 

They will be designed and built by the developer, while management and maintenance will be left to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. 

The developer is required to provide green areas of trees and shrubs covering at least 30 per cent of the mixed commercial and residential development site. 

Residential buildings would be set back from the Island Eastern Corridor and all open space would be open to the public 24 hours a day. 

To make the place more accessible, the department said the central piazza would be located close to the ferry pier to provide a focal point for leisure activities. 

Two 10-metre-wide landscaped walkways along Shu Kuk Street and Kam Hong Street are planned, to bring people from the inland area to the waterfront and the ferry pier. 

A subway is also proposed to connect the existing North Point MTR station on Java Road. Parking spaces would be provided for coaches carrying visitors for harbour cruises departing from the pier. 

Civic Party vice-chairman Albert Lai Kwong-tak welcomed the proposal yesterday, saying the government was making progress. 

"We hope the government will impose the same restrictions on waterfront sites on both sides of the harbour," he said. 

However, Eastern district councillor Frankie Lo Wing-kwan said he was disappointed that the revised plan had failed to address the problem of a shortage of recreational space in the district. 

Mr Lo, who was re-elected in November's poll, said a group of fellow members from constituencies in North Point had formed a concern group and would fight for a venue for Chinese opera on the North Point Estate site. 

Hong Kong's only permanent Chinese opera venue, the Sunbeam Theatre in North Point, is likely to close in August next year, when its current tenancy expires. 

The Home Affairs Bureau said it was considering converting the Yau Ma Tei Theatre into a venue for Cantonese opera.


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## hkskyline

ZZ-II said:


> can you translate hkskyline? i only can see square boxes


This article is a high-level overview of public housing developments, which includes the redevelopment of So Uk Estate. Highlights include :

- So Uk Estate redevelopment, along with several other redevelopment plans in Kowloon, will add another 29k new public housing residential units by 2012
- in the next decade 80% of new public housing units will be in the urban areas
- currently 110k families are on the waiting list for public housing, with expected completion of new units at 15k/year + receipt of 15k existing units/year 
- expected wait time 3 years
- in the next 5 years will construct 76k units


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## hkskyline

*Bid to save tenement buildings rejected *
10 January 2008
South China Morning Post

The Planning Department rejected a proposal to keep the tenement buildings in "Wedding Card Street" yesterday because it failed to include a detailed structural assessment of the buildings. 

Because the Urban Renewal Authority is the sole owner of the Wan Chai redevelopment site's private land, the chances that the proposal submitted by the H15 Concern Group will be implemented are doubtful. 

The H15 Concern Group - which comprises Lee Tung Street's former business operators and residents - is seeking to retain the 35 tenement buildings and scrap a proposed underground car park. The authority's plan would knock down all but three buildings, which would remain as an acknowledgement of their pre-war architecture. 

In a paper submitted to the Town Planning Board, the Planning Department said the group's proposal had failed to submit an assessment to demonstrate the structural adequacy of the tenement buildings. 

"In the previous report findings of the URA scheme, structural inadequacies and poor conditions have been identified in the existing buildings along Lee Tung Street," the Planning Department's reply said. 

The department also said an assessment on the potential impact of traffic should be conducted to support the request to scrap the proposed underground car park. 

"No information on road improvement works is provided [in the application]," the reply said. "Further assessments on the pedestrian flow generated by the proposed development and its impact on adjacent roads, the traffic improvement measures and road improvement works required should be provided." 

Town planner Kenneth To Lap-kei, who devised the plan for H15 Concern Group, said conducting the assessments required by different government departments was too costly. 

"Each of the assessments can cost several hundred thousand dollars. We don't have that money," he said. 

The Town Planning Board will discuss the matter tomorrow.


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## hkskyline

Press Release
5th August 2008
*Luxury hotels redefined as Harbour Grand Hong Kong*

Opens in spring 2009

Hong Kong's luxury hotel category is to be redefined with the opening of Harbour Grand Hong Kong, Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts' new five-star hotel, in spring 2009.

This newly built splendid hotel represents Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts' first finest luxury category, an entirely innovative concept in the arena of luxury hospitality. The Harbour Grand category offers exceptional accommodation, impeccable service and unsurpassed hospitality for business and leisure travellers with the most discerning tastes.

Harbour Grand Hong Kong is ideally located in the heart of Hong Kong Island and enjoys unobstructed views of the world's renowned beautiful Victoria Harbour, Kowloon peninsular skyline and Central district of Hong Kong. Offering first-class services, this magnificent property is set to reshape the landscape of deluxe hospitality in the region.

Announcing the opening of Harbour Grand in spring next year, Group Managing Director of Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts Mr Raymond Chow said Harbour Grand Hong Kong would further strengthen the hotel group's hotel portfolio.

"The opening of Harbour Grand Hong Kong in spring next year is opportune as Hong Kong sees a quantum growth of visitors in recent years, both business and individual travellers," Mr Chow said.

The newly developed prestigious 41-storey hotel boasts a total of 828 elegantly designed guest rooms and suites, 12,685-square-foot of meeting and banquet facilities, and five restaurants and bars featuring culinary excellence of world-famed cuisines, all meticulously fashioned to provide refined accommodation, facilities and amenities for the most elite of business and leisure travellers.

Designed with the balance of sophistication and modern simplicity, the guest rooms are the combination of latest technology and distinctive comfort, with all featuring LCD TVs, wired and wireless broadband Internet access, DVD players and bathrooms with rainforest showerheads and oversized bathtubs.

Perfectly situated in the midst of fashionable shopping centres and commercial offices in Causeway Bay, Wanchai and Central, Harbour Grand Hong Kong is also within walking distance to the convenient underground transportation system. Hotel shuttle services are regularly scheduled to take guests to major local destinations, making it an ease to go around the town.

"Harbour Grand Hong Kong will be a stunning addition to the city's skyline. Its modern sensibility and stylish flair craft an exceptional experience. It redefines luxury hospitality. 

"It is exceptional, for the exceptionals," Mr Chow said.

Harbour Grand Hong Kong is the latest addition to Hutchison Whampoa's hotel group, which manages seven properties in Hong Kong, namely, Harbour Plaza Hong Kong, Harbour Plaza Metropolis, Harbour Plaza North Point, The Kowloon Hotel, Harbour Plaza Resort City, Rambler Oasis Hotel, Rambler Garden Hotel, as well as Harbour Plaza Chongqing in Mainland China and the Our Lucaya resort in the Bahamas.

Guests staying on the Executive Floors also have access to the exclusive Harbour Club Lounge, where they can enjoy daily complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktail and personalised butler services. Designed to allure the most demanding travellers, private outdoor heated Jacuzzi is available in some of the 231 suites. To cater for the long staying guests, 85 of the suites are fitted with modern pantries.

Occupying over 6,200 square feet of meeting and banquet space, the pillarless Grand Ballroom is proud to possess a ceiling height of over 19 feet, exuding the grandeur of its class. Eight function rooms from 450 to 1,050 square feet offer the flexibility for a variety of events. All are fully equipped with the latest audio-visual technology and wired / wireless Internet connectivity.

A variety of authentic cuisines ranging from international and continental to Japanese and Chinese will be provided in the hotel's five restaurants and bars. The Sky Lounge located on the top floor will offer guests a breathtaking sanctuary with sweeping views across Hong Kong.

Other revitalising facilities offered by the hotel include an outdoor heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi, a state-of-the-art fitness centre with the latest equipment, and spa and massage facilities featuring traditional and innovative treatments that rejuvenate the body and soul of guests on the road.

Mr Benedict Chow, currently General Manager of Harbour Plaza North Point, is appointed General Manager of Harbour Grand Hong Kong.
<##< P>

Contact: Mr Benedict Chow, General Manager

Harbour Grand Hong Kong (Pre-opening Office)

Tel: (852) 2123-1888

Fax: (852) 2123-1810

Email: [email protected]

Sales & Marketing Contact: Ms Elaine Chow, Director of Sales & Marketing

Tel: (852) 2123-1888

Fax: (852) 2123-1810

Email: [email protected]

For enquiry :

Tel : (852) 2123-1888

Fax : (852) 2123-1810

Email : [email protected]


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## EricIsHim

^^ Where is this exactly?


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> ^^ Where is this exactly?


North Point - Oil Street bordering the Island Eastern Corridor


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## hkskyline

*Dynasty an attraction on the waterfront *
24 October 2008
South China Morning Post

Sino Group has aggressively expanded its property portfolio in Tsuen Wan, with The Dynasty being the latest project put up for public sale.

The Dynasty, jointly developed with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), involves 256 flats in two towers due for completion next year. The project has attracted an encouraging response since its launch early this month and, as of October 19, about 90 units had been sold.

Another large residential development, Vision City, also a joint venture between Sino and URA in Tsuen Wan, provides 1,466 units in five towers. The majority of flats have been sold and only about 40 remain available.

Sino also built the Citywalk mall, a popular shopping and entertainment destination for families and young shoppers, in the district.

Salenda Lau, general manager of sales and marketing at Sino Group, said there was tremendous potential for growth and development in Tsuen Wan as transport and infrastructure improved.

"We see a new Tsuen Wan taking shape. The Kowloon Southern Link is expected to come into service next year, which will make it just a 13-minute journey from Tsuen Wan to Kowloon West MTR station. To Tsim Sha Tsui, it will take only 15 minutes," she said.

Ms Lau said The Dynasty was strategically located in the heart of an integrated city development that included apartments, hotels, grade-A commercial buildings and retail shopping centres.

This kind of project would present similar advantages to those of the comprehensive property development in Kowloon station and would attract quality buyers, tenants and shoppers, she said.

The Dynasty is another waterfront residential development by Sino following its successful One SilverSea project in West Kowloon. The project has a residents' clubhouse spanning more than 80,000 sq ft.

Ms Lau said the standard units of The Dynasty had been sold at an average price of about HK$6,200 per sq ft. The special units of Dynasty Garden, Dynasty Villa and Dynasty Dream were available at higher prices.

The Dynasty units feature a generous floor-to-floor height of 3.5 metres, much better than the normal 2.8 metres for ordinary flats on the market, she said.

"We have found very strong support from end-users. In the past week, we had units sold every day. Many of the buyers are upgraders wishing to move into bigger flats. They are cash-rich and often prefer to complete the purchase by immediate payment," she said.

"In addition to people already living in Tsuen Wan, about 40 per cent of buyers came from other areas such as West Kowloon, Causeway Bay and North Point. That is very encouraging. Home buyers are very selective now and they really care about the quality of property."

Ms Lau said there was a tendency for buyers to choose four-bedroom units, which were difficult to find in the district, due to the strong upgrading demand.

She expects to see a stable residential market, believing the prevailing low interest rates and a limited supply of new flats will continue to support demand.

Standard units at The Dynasty measure 972 to 1,739 sq ft. Dynasty Garden units come with a garden space of 185 to 1,165 sq ft.

Dynasty Villa units are from 2,041 to 2,083 sq ft with a garden space of 950 to 1,064 sq ft while Dynasty Dream duplex units measure 2,953 to 2,963 sq ft with a roof garden of 2,251 to 2,282 sq ft.

Ms Lau said The Dynasty was also attractive to investors looking for longer-term gains.

The Dynasty units are expected to generate good rental returns, considering that the apartments of Vision City currently fetch a monthly rental of up to HK$25 per sq ft, she said.

Vision City, which features a residents' clubhouse of about 180,000 sq ft, has attracted tenants of different nationalities. Standard units measure 668 to 1,696 sq ft.

Ms Lau said the remaining units at Vision City were mainly two-bedroom to four-bedroom apartments on the high floors of 668 to 1,380 sq ft. These units command open views to the sea as well as surrounding landscape and cityscape.

She said the Citywalk retail complex featuring a mix of local and international retailers had added fun and excitement to the shopping experience and increased the overall appeal of Tsuen Wan to people looking for a life of quality.


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## gladisimo

Seems strange to put such a purportedly extravagant hotel in North Point...


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## hkskyline

gladisimo said:


> Seems strange to put such a purportedly extravagant hotel in North Point...


It's got harbour views.


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## hkskyline

Crocodile House Redevelopment


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## hkskyline

*梁啟智﹕市區重建的異想天開*
10月25日 星期六 05:05

【明報專訊】市區重建局提出復修旺角上海街和太子道西的兩列戰前唐樓，大搞「大眾食街」和「文藝花墟」，圖以「保育」之名博取市民的掌聲。然而許多一直監察市建局工作的朋友都不大領情，認為此計劃只是「假保育」。筆者理解這種指控，卻同時希望指出要做到「真保育」，在現有的體制下困難重重。

表面上看，相對於市建局過往的推土式重建，計劃有兩個可取之處。首先，發展將以復修而非拆卸重建主導，原有的建築特色得以保留。再者，發展將不包括興建大商場和摩天豪宅，不會嚴重增加該區人口密度。從這兩點來看，此計劃較許多其他的市建局項目優勝。

提尋求「真保育」另類方案

然而從社區發展的角度出發，卻不見得有多大的改進。過往剷平喜帖街之舉受到非議，不單因為拆毁了灣仔區僅餘的完整唐樓群，更是破壞了區內印刷商戶賴以為生的行業聚集。

現時於上海街一帶也聚集了不少專營建材用品的店戶，是旺角區其中一個相當有趣的小商圈。市建局對他們將會因計劃而被強迫遷離，似乎未見有特別照顧，難怪朱凱迪將計劃批為「強制收購＋翻新＋搞噱頭商業發展」。

筆者理解「假保育」的批評，卻不確定在現有的客觀體制條件之下，市建局有可能做到一個百分百完美、滿足各方要求的「真保育」。在此我們不妨來個大膽假設，提出一個尋求「真保育」的另類方案，且看是否可能實現。

最簡單的做法，是讓所有原住客可以選擇在復修或重建後遷回原址，在相同大小的單位中繼續生活。這樣，利東街的印刷店、花園街的運動用品店，還有上海街的建材店，便統統都可以留下來。而在區內活了數十年的老街坊，也不用因重建而各散東西。

這個看起來最能保存社區脈絡的做法，卻會導致許多嚴重問題。首先，復修或重建後的單位的帳面價值將以倍數增加，業主將有極大的誘因將單位出售。如是者，社區脈絡同樣會蕩然無存，納稅人卻間接資助了原業主發財，製造嚴重的道德風險。這個出發點本來相當善良的做法，將會使重建區變成潛在金礦，引來更多的財團插旗落釘，擾亂區內原有的社會秩序，使原要保存的社區脈絡在市建局來臨前就被毁滅。

此方案的另一個問題，則是誰來付鈔。要做到「一呎換一呎」，市建局無可避免地要把重建後的摩天豪宅建得更高，以售樓收入來抵消復修或重建的成本。然而市民大眾已不想再見到山脊線被竹籤樓穿插，海岸線被屏風樓阻擋，此一進路只會換來環保組織的抗議。雖說市建局在個別的項目中有利可圖，然而在整體需要自負盈虧的基礎下，仍難以從根本上改變現行的重建模式。

要滿足所有人的要求，筆者只得來個異想天開，假設市建局可如社會福利署 一樣每年獲得撥款，使其重建計劃的社會承擔可以毋須因財務承擔而犧牲。這樣，設計一個可以既容許原住客選擇重建後有條件遷回原址，而又毋須興建摩天豪宅以填補重建成本的方案，才有可能出現。這個假設，說穿了就是把市區重建的成本轉到公眾的身上，期望納稅人把提升社會整體的居住質素看成與教育和醫療對等，同樣值得庫房每年投放公共資源。

市區重建策略的檢討尚有一年多才完成，筆者期望輿論可以在監察市建局個別項目的執行之餘，為背後的價值判斷和難題來個公眾大辯論。香港有一千多平方公里的空間，是個既定的事實。在不填海、不威脅郊區生態、不興建屏風樓、不挑戰丁權、不增加交通壓力，和不能與視樓價如命根的中產作對的前提下，如何能同時減低城市密度和增加居住空間，讓不分貧富也能安居樂業，既需要將心比心的人文關懷，也需要通盤分析的制度思考。


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## hkskyline

*Olympic Station Developments *
10/26

Rendering









Updates


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## hkskyline

*元朗明渠變清溪川觸礁*
22/10/2008










渠 務 署 將 元 朗 明 渠 變 身 成 世 界 聞 名 的 南 韓 清 溪 川 的 計 劃 觸 礁 。 該 署 委 託 顧 問 公 司 研究 報 告 指 出 ， 香 港 暴 雨 急 速 ， 元 朗 明 渠 的 洪 水 可 於 大 雨 後 十 數 分 鐘 內 暴 漲 ， 開 放 水道 對 市 民 構 成 危 險 ， 而 在 明 渠 內 進 行 大 規 模 綠 化 或 美 化 ， 亦 會 阻 礙 水 流 ， 影 響 排 洪能 力 ， 將 明 渠 改 成 清 溪 川 的 計 劃 不 可 行 。 有 區 議 員 對 研 究 結 果 深 表 失 望 ， 批 評 渠 務署 當 初 選 址 過 於 草 率 ， 令 改 善 計 劃 最 終 「 雷 聲 大 雨 點 小 」 。

貫 通 元 朗 市中 心 的 元 朗 明 渠 建 於 六 十 年 代 ， 原 屬 天 然 河 道 ， 由 於 臭 味 嚴 重 ， 渠 務 署 去 年 委 聘 顧問 ， 以 元 朗 明 渠 為 試 點 ， 研 究 參 考 南 韓 市 中 心 清 溪 川 ， 將 混 凝 土 河 道 綠 化 還 原 為 天然 河 道 ， 開 放 讓 公 眾 進 出 玩 水 。 該 計 劃 備 受 港 府 重 視 ， 發 展 局 局 長 林 鄭 月 娥 早 前 曾到 元 朗 明 渠 實 地 視 察 。

雨 後 暴 漲 危 險 污 染 難 根 治
不 過 ， 顧 問 公 司 初 步 研 究 發 現 ， 由 於 元 朗明 渠 洪 水 於 暴 雨 後 急 漲 ， 開 放 水 道 危 及 市 民 安 全 。 明 渠 改 建 為 綠 化 河 道 ， 更 會 令 排洪 能 力 下 降 ， 無 法 抵 禦 五 十 年 一 遇 的 大 暴 雨 ， 增 加 整 個 元 朗 市 水 浸 風 險 。

顧 問 又 指 ， 元 朗 明 渠 水 質 污 染 嚴 重 ， 原 因 涉 及 豬 場 非 法 排 放 污 水 等 。 顧 問 認 為 ， 即使 以 截 流 或 污 水 處 理 等 辦 法 ， 也 不 能 即 時 根 治 問 題 ， 相 信 需 要 一 段 頗 長 時 間 始 可 全面 改 善 水 質 ， 鄰 近 居 民 未 來 仍 要 受 臭 味 困 擾 。

顧 問 建 議 斥 資 三 億 八 千 多 萬 元 分 階 段 為 全 長 十 二 公 里 的 元 朗 明 渠 進 行 改 善 ， 率 先 進行 的 是 市 中 心 段 ， 顧 問 提 出 挖 深 及 改 造 現 有 混 凝 土 渠 底 ， 建 造 一 條 闊 五 至 十 米 的 彎曲 河 道 ， 河 底 鋪 設 碎 石 等 天 然 物 料 ， 改 善 水 生 態 ， 牆 身 添 置 壁 畫 等 。 顧 問 又 建 議 於河 道 注 入 元 朗 污 水 處 理 廠 的 再 生 水 源 ， 確 保 有 流 動 水 注 入 ， 工 程 費 一 億 四 千 萬 元 ，每 年 運 作 成 本 四 百 萬 元 。

人 流 較 少 的 下 游 、 東 西 渠 及 上 游 河 段 ， 亦 擬 進 行 美 化 工 程 ， 包 括 將 東 西 渠 下 游 改 為 暗 渠 及 綠 化 等 ， 涉 款 共 約 二 億 四 千 多 萬 元 。

渠 務 署 發 言 人 解 釋 ， 政 府 當 初 進 行 研 究 時 ， 已 表 明 有 關 改 善 計 劃 不 能 影 響 排 洪 及 安 全 ， 又 強 調 清 溪 川 方 案 只 屬 考 慮 方 案 之 一 。

元 朗 區 議 員 黃 偉 賢 不 滿 政 府 一 直 吹 噓 元 朗 明 渠 改 善 計 劃 ， 令 居 民 抱 很 大 期 望 ， 但 結 果 得 個 「 吉 」 ， 炮 轟 政 府 做 事 不 切 實 際 。


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## hkskyline

* HK Space Museum to unfold 34 mln HKD refurbishment project *

HONG KONG, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Space Museum Tuesday announced that a 34 million HK dollars (about 4.4 million US dollars) renovation project will be carried out at its Space Theater.

Curator of the Space Museum Chan Ki-hung said that the project scope is to install a new digital planetarium projector and replace the seats with an interactive system.

"With a resolution exceeding 48 million pixels, the new digital planetarium projector system boasts the highest resolution in the world," said Chan, adding that the system can project full dome animations or movies and allows future expansion such as upgrading to project 3D full dome images.

Besides, the new seats will be installed with a multilingual facility that allows narration in more than four languages for a show.

The newly designed display unit installed on the armrest of the seat will allow individual viewers to select language and use the interactive features, such as short message service among the audience and participation in real-time games, said Chan.

The theater will be closed from Nov. 17 to June 30, 2009, for renovation. It will be the first time that the theater is carrying out such a large-scale refurbishment since its opening in 1980.


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## hkskyline

*荔枝角九巴總部 申建酒店料過關*
9月5日 星期五 05:10

【明報專訊】新地（0016）聯營公司載通國際（0062），向城規會申請將荔枝角屋苑曼克頓山旁的九龍巴士廠寫字樓，改建為1幢22層提供225個房間的酒店，規劃署 提交文件稱不反對該申請，料今天會獲城規會批准。

運輸署要求增上落貨區

該申請原於6月6日審理，當時運輸署和警務處已提交文件，分別認為寶輪街交通現時已相當擠塞，對項目的車輛安排表示關注，前者表明反對該申請。申請人於6月4日及5日要求延期審理，以便有時間擬備進一步資料和回應，獲接納。

運輸署最新提交文件指出，不反對該申請，但要求申請於建議上落貨位置之外，多加設一個8米乘3.5米乘3.6米的上落貨區。

而規劃署指出酒店發展與商業發展類同，且酒店樓面與現時寫字樓相同（同屬地積比11.84倍），並不反對申請。


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## hkskyline

*蘇屋眤重建13幢高樓公屋 *
01/11/2008









【本報訊】金融海嘯衝擊全球，經濟不景下公屋需求勢上升。房屋署拍板將市區公屋樓王蘇屋眤地皮，分兩期重建為十三幢樓高二十一至四十一層高的公屋，預計可提供五千五百個租住單位，全部工程將於二○一八年完工。

蘇屋眤佔地七萬七千六百平方米，是房署市區罕見的大型屋眤之一，地皮估值逾三百億元。房署早前宣布重建該眤後，一直有意見認為應將該地皮改建私樓，以地盡其用。

不過，隨尠金融海嘯衝擊全球，將公屋地皮轉作私樓的壓力大減，因應公屋需求未來將增加，房署拍板將蘇屋眤地皮重建公屋，提供五千五百個單位，地積比率約五倍，可容納一萬五千七百人。

明年清拆 2018年竣工
蘇屋眤會於明年中展開清拆工程，首期地基工程於二○一一年開始，二○一五年完工，第二期地基工程則會於二○一四年開工，二○一八年竣工。

消息人士指，蘇屋眤依山而建，當中有很多山坡及樹木，未來樓宇會分布於不同地勢的平台上，重建計劃會盡量保留現有樹木及增加樹木，並有多部升降機及行人天橋連接眤內的設施，方便居民，並會考慮保留一些有社區特色的建築物，當中包括繪有該眤景貌的壁畫、刻上「蘇屋眤」字樣的牌坊等。


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## hkskyline

*建設商會反對慈雲山設高限，稱將打擊發展商於區內重建*
經濟通
10月31日 星期五 08:25

政府就慈雲山、鑽石山及新蒲崗區地皮全面加入高限，區內大量舊樓項目首當其衝受影響，恐令其收購價值下降，代表本港絕大部分發展商的地產建設商會提出反對，批評該區全面設定高限將打擊發展商於區內進行重建。

地產建設商會提出意見，指並不反對就發展用地設定高限的原則，因可提供更清晰發展指引，但設定高限除考慮對景觀及空氣流通造成影響外，亦應顧及其他因素，例如有關發展對香港經濟的影響、地皮業主的權益，以及發展商進行重建活動等。商會建議，可以提供發展彈性，建議放寬該區的住宅用地高度限制。

城規會早前宣布修訂「慈雲山、鑽石山及新蒲崗」分區計劃大綱圖，就區內地皮全部加入高度限制，範圍在東九龍的黃大仙 區，包括啓德樓場舊址、蒲崗村道一帶等地，並分設主要高度級別，由８０米（主水平基準以上，下同）至２４０米。受設定高限影響的用地，主要為區內的舊樓項目，包括現獲買家出價收購的蒲崗里舊樓等。《香港經濟日報》


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## hkskyline

*海洋公園 申建3間酒店*
11月1日 星期六 05:05

【明報專訊】海洋公園申建3間酒店，包括位於正門廣場的3至4星級「海洋酒店」、位於大樹灣的4星級「漁人碼頭酒店」，以及位於大樹灣高峰樂園的5星級「高峰水療度假酒店」，正式向城規會提交申請，該會收集意見至11月21日。

3間酒店預料2011年或2012年起陸續落成，最多提供1300個房間，項目已獲財政司 長擔任主席的跨部門督導小組及南區區議會支持。海洋公園表示，會嚴選建材、外牆顏色，興建時會致力減少光污染、多建樹木等，以減少對居民的影響。


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## hkskyline

Harbour Grand  by *fatshe* :


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## hkskyline

*優之良品上環批建酒店 *
(明報)10月24日 星期五 05:05

- Sheung Wan to see 32 storey hotel at 30 Bonham Strand West

【明報專訊】建酒店不是發展商的專利，根據政府最新批出圖則，除了永安旅遊獲批於大角嘴道興建一幢酒店，零食集團優之良品也獲批准於上環文咸西街30號（現為廣利大廈），興建1幢32層酒店，不知若酒店啟用後，會否好多零食款客呢。


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## hkskyline

The Dynasty (Tsuen Wan) by *fatshe* :


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## EricIsHim

Aji Ichiban operates hotel? I thought it only sell snacks.


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> Aji Ichiban operates hotel? I thought it only sell snacks.


They probably own the land and wants to partner up with a developer to redevelop it? For example, China Motor Bus has done something similar as well.


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> They probably own the land and wants to partner up with a developer to redevelop it? For example, China Motor Bus has done something similar as well.


True. CMB granted the development right at its former North Point depot to Sino Group, it's definitely in a much bigger in scale. 

Looking at the map, the lot at 30 Bonham Strand West is tiny. It is going to be another 32-story pencil tower. Maybe there is gonna be an Aji Ichiban at the lobby. :lol:


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## hkskyline

*舊三越作起點 地道通維園*
星島
10月8日 星期三 06:30

除了興建地下通道連接跑馬地外，本報亦獲悉，港府同時有意以地下通道，貫通銅鑼灣站連接至維多利亞公園，再配合港鐵兩年前公布擬發展的銅鑼灣「地下城」計畫，預計五年以後，港鐵將會擁有極龐大、面積達上萬平方米的銅鑼灣地下城版圖。

「地下城」面積達萬方米

銅鑼灣港鐵地下通道版圖，有望推一步擴大。政府消息人士透露，為改善維園的行人通道接駁設施，港府亦正研究由舊三越位置，增設一條長約三百米的地下通道連接維園。兩條通往跑馬地及維園的新構思地下通道，預料都可與前地鐵於○六年公布的「銅鑼灣站地下行人通道計畫」接通。

根據前地鐵的銅鑼灣「地下城」計畫，地鐵擬將銅鑼灣站東大堂擴大一倍半至約一萬平方米，橫跨軒尼詩道、怡和街及紀利佐治街的地底，興建一層全天候的地下購物街，全面打通崇光 百貨至舊三越百貨之間的地底空間。同時又會增加五個新車站出口，但就取消現時紀利佐治街出口。

地鐵曾預計整個「地下城」工程約需施工六年，最快至二○一三年竣工，屆時地面一半人流將可分流至地底，有助改善當區人車爭路的問題，並可減少路邊空氣污染。倘計畫得以落實，整個地下城下通道伸延範圍將更擴範，可東至維園、南至大球場、西至馬場、北至駱克道。


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## hkskyline

Westminster Terrace by * 鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

海 關 總 部 大 樓 * 鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

豪 門 二 期 by * 鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

Yoho Town III by * 鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

銅 鑼 灣 皇 冠 假 日 酒 店 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

海 桃 灣 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

半 山 一 號 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :










油 塘 草 原 街 住 宅 項 目


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## hkskyline

油 街 酒 店 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :










太 子 匯


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## hkskyline

麗 豪 酒 店 加 建 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

海 濱 南 岸 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

觀 龍 樓 重 建 項 目 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

油 塘 草 原 街 項 日 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*地建會：不強制推行 現樓重建項目採實用面積新定義*
(明報)10月22日 星期三 05:05

【明報專訊】配合政府統一實用面積定義（只包括廳、房、廁、廚、露台、工作平台，其餘一律不能納入），代表所有大發展商的地產建設商會向會員發出遵照上述定義的新價單範本，規定發展商跟隨；地建會指出，該範本只規管要經同意方案批准的樓花盤，現樓發售的項目甚或一些不用批准的樓花項目（如舊樓重建，不用改地契），並不會強制發展商跟隨。消費者委員會 呼籲，置業人士要小心留意。

地產建設商會執委會副主席梁志堅表示，政府可就同意方案，規管方案下的樓花盤，但現樓新盤，發展商可能因應不同考慮，決定是否跟隨（統一的定義）。

他稱「最重要是清晰，以及一定要跟商會的相關指引，……現樓新盤（實用面積）最多加番窗台及冷氣機房（若有）」。地建會新指引，建議發展商就非同意方案項目，盡可能採用新價單範本。

另外，律師會亦正考慮因應政府統一了的定義，修改非同意方案的買賣合約，供從業員使用，若改動後，所有樓花盤無論出售前是否要政府批准，都要遵守統一定義。

規定樓花盤樓書列保養期

恒地（0012）營業部總經理謝偉銓也表示，就算同一發展商，樓花盤與現樓樓盤採用不同的定義，只要賣樓前說清楚，便沒有問題。他表示，相信市場會長時間出現兩種不同的定義，過渡期會相當長。

另地建會新指引規定發展商，就同意方案樓花盤的樓書必須列明保養期（Defect Liability Warranty Period），該會以往以內部文件建議發展商列出，現時是供社會各方知悉。

現時一般樓花盤的保養期是6個月（根據地政總署 買賣合約），另外則是發展商根據不同個案的理據作考慮。

（明報記者周偉強報道）


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## hkskyline

大 圍 鐵 路 站 上 蓋 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*深水絈重建擬撥地闢中途宿舍
社署幫市建局「倒米」*
02/11/2008









【本報訊】市區重建局耗資二十五億元在深水絈進行的「海壇街/桂林街及北河街發展計劃」遇重大挑戰。市建局在該項目內預留二千二百平方米建築面積作社區設施用途，但社會福利署卻擬將有關地方闢作專供精神病康復者使用的中途宿舍及輔助宿舍，由於有關設施較為敏感，可能削弱該發展計劃的吸引力，市建局擬透過區議會向社署施壓，希望社署改變計劃。

促平衡物業發展潛力
「海壇街、桂林街及北河街發展計劃」是市建局成立以來第三大重建項目，僅次於觀塘市中心及利東街。該項目會興建三至四幢中小型住宅大廈，提供約八百八十個住宅單位。由於項目的規劃大綱要求預留二千二百平方米的建築樓面作社區設施用途，市建局早前就擬議用途諮詢社會福利署，社署回覆指出預算將有關樓面闢作特殊幼兒中心、供精神病康復者提供過渡時期住宿照顧的中途宿舍及輔助宿舍，合共面積一千六百四十一平方米。

市建項目一向有預留面積作社區設施，過去大多作為社區會堂用途，從未闢作中途宿舍。據了解，市建局在收到社署回覆後，亦對有關安排感到十分為難。不過，由於有關設施的用途最終決定權在政府，市建局擬於後日將計劃提交深水絈區議會討論，希望爭取議員的關注，令社署改變初衷。

市建局發言人表示，該局會先聽取區議會意見，再將意見納入總綱發展藍圖交城規會考慮，該局希望有關的社區設施可平衡社會需要及物業的發展潛力。

市建局董事會成員陳鑑林指出，在項目內增設有關的宿舍設施具爭議性，他認為有關方面必須先取得區內的居民接受，始可落實。深水絈區議會副主席譚國僑表示，在項目內闢建中途宿舍，或會令住宅項目的部分買家卻步。他認為社署關注精神病康復者的需要無可厚非，但亦需要考慮有關地點是否適合。


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## hkskyline

海 桃 灣 by 鄧麗欣之戀 from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Sales strategy pays off for developer *
31 October 2008
South China Morning Post

Hang Lung Properties, one of the most aggressive developers undertaking residential projects in West Kowloon, has been adopting a high-price strategy to sell properties.

The strategy is to sell at higher prices often in small batches instead of volume sales over a short period. This was clear in the sales campaigns of The HarbourSide and The Long Beach. While the projects were completed four years ago, only about one-third of the units have been sold.

The HarbourSide, above Kowloon Station, provides 1,122 flats ranging from about 1,000 to 3,000 sqft each in three residential towers.

Two-bedroom and three-bedroom units measure from 1,070 to 1,450 sqft, while duplex and four-bedroom units range from 2,200 to 3,000sqft. About 360 flats had been released in phases and sold, a Hang Lung spokesman said.

The Long Beach, at 8 Hoi Fai Road on the waterfront area of Olympic Station, comprises 1,829 units in eight residential towers. Two-bedroom and three-bedroom units range from 700 to 1,100 sqft. Duplex and five-bedroom units measure from 1,500 to 2,000 sqft.

The first phase of The Long Beach units went on sale in the fourth quarter of last year and more than 600 flats in Towers 3, 5 and 6 were sold at an average price of about HK$7,100 per sqft.

A spokesman for the group said it was not in a hurry to sell all the flats immediately.

"The government has been investing a lot of resources in infrastructure developments in West Kowloon, a large reclamation area supported by well-thought out strategic planning. We believe the area is destined to become the transport, entertainment and cultural hub of Hong Kong," he said.

For The HarbourSide and The Long Beach, the group planned to market the remaining 2,000 units in phases, possibly in the coming two to three years, the spokesman said.

Hang Lung's patience has helped generate substantial profits for the two projects. When the first batch of units at The HarbourSide went on sale in 2004, the average selling price was about HK$9,000 per sqft. The price for standard units reached about HK$17,000 per sqft in the second half of last year. Several high-floor units this year fetched about HK$35,000 per sqft, with one unit selling at HK$38,000 per sqft.

Hang Lung entered into a joint venture deal with MTR Corp for The HarbourSide development in 1999. The developer acquired The Long Beach development site for HK$2.58 billion in a public auction in December 2000.It has built another residential project AquaMarine in West Kowloon. Located at 8 Sham Shing Road, a few minutes' walk from Nam Cheong MTR Station. The project provides 1,616 units in five residential towers. Most of the flats have been sold.


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## hkskyline

*六大基建 挖開半個九龍 *
3 November 2008
明報 

明年先後上馬 環團憂滋擾觸發索償潮

【明報專訊】政府宣布加快十大基建進度以重振經濟，但施工期間，可能導致人車密集的九龍市區，在未來5年施工期內面對翻天覆地的地盤滋擾和交通擠塞。按現時進度，明年起至2016年，將有六大基建同時在九龍半島施工，大型「明挖回填」地盤處處﹕西起西九龍至油麻地、何文田，東至土瓜灣等各大住宅區和交通要道。

環團和立法會議員憂慮觸發大規模商戶索償潮，促請政府提交綜合基建環評，分析「累積滋擾」規模。

特首曾蔭權去年在施政報告宣布大力推動十大基建，多年來「只聞樓梯響」的鐵路和土地發展計劃終告上馬。十大基建中，分別有西九龍文娛藝術區、啟德發展、沙中線和港深廣高速鐵路位處九龍，加上未列入「十大」的中九龍幹線和連接油麻地至黃埔的港鐵觀塘延線，共有6項基建在幾年間同時施工。而原於2004年規劃、2011年完工的沙中線，於去年獲立法會撥款後，最新施工期定於2010年至2015年。

衛理道或封閉 影響過海交通

在東九龍，港鐵計劃將旺角東至紅磡一段地面路軌，以明挖回填方式，改建成隧道行車，因此何文田衛理道將面臨封路或大改道，屬紅隧過海命脈的公主道亦受影響。土瓜灣至馬頭角一段鑽挖隧道工程，亦須在地面建造車站而間歇封路。

同一時間，觀塘延線、中九龍幹線和港深廣高鐵亦要開工，位於西九龍的油麻地加士居道和甘肅街將改道或封路挖掘，連翔道一帶會出現大型挖掘地盤，以建造高鐵隧道和西九龍總站。西九文化區和啟德兩大空置地皮，亦會同步展開文化區和郵輪碼頭建造工程。

港鐵料影響30屋苑 愛民邨重災

按港鐵提交的初步環評資料，約30個住宅屋苑被列為敏感地點，將在施工和營運期間受到滋擾，何文田和土瓜灣一帶住宅勢成重災區，愛民邨和土瓜灣道兩旁住宅更會被沙中線和中九龍幹線地盤「夾擊」。

港鐵發言人承認，旗下的3項鐵路工程將同步施工，重疊期約3年，港鐵會研究以「蓋挖式」的明挖回填方法，減少明挖地盤面積。運輸及房屋局發言人表示，各大基建的明挖回填地盤並非集中在一處，並會分段實施，工程需通過交通及環境評估研究，並諮詢區議會後才能展開。環評條例下，每項工程均須考慮鄰近工程項目的綜合影響。

立法會九龍西議員涂謹申表示，據他了解，運輸署稍後將向區議會提交基建綜合交通評估，交代地區交通能否承受基建同步施工。他又促請港鐵提交綜合基建環評，分析累積滋擾規模。他憂慮，幾處地方同時出現大型基建地盤，將引發商戶大規劃索償，呼籲政府放寬申索門檻，「不要為香港大局犧牲少數人」。立法會交通事務委員會副主席鄭家富指出，運輸署應研究一站式協調各地盤的封路時間，及為住宅加裝噪音屏障，紓緩工程影響。


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## hkskyline

*700 comment on beach plan *
28 November 2008
South China Morning Post

More than 700 people have submitted their opinion on a government plan to tear down a public beachfront building at Repulse Bay to make way for a hotel, with most opposed to the idea, says a development watchdog that handled the submissions.

Designing Hong Kong, a non-governmental organisation which has campaigned with residents against the plan for the Seaview Building, said it had forwarded the website submissions on to the Town Planning Board.

The group would present a counter-proposal next month, said founding member Paul Zimmerman.

The three-storey Seaview Building, a fixture at the popular seaside community on the south shore of Hong Kong Island for 60 years, has been largely empty since its main restaurant closed three years ago.

The Planning Department suggested rezoning the area, and an adjacent public car park, for hotel or commercial use, with a gross floor area of 4,300 square metres. It proposes relaxing a height restriction to allow a development 13 metres high.

But some residents fear the plan would worsen congestion and limit access to the beach, despite a planned public lane through the site.

Designing Hong Kong proposes to beautify the front of the Seaview Building, with a pedestrian piazza and maintain existing trees. And the site should not join other commercial buildings nearby to privatise the beach, Mr Zimmerman added.

A Town Planning Board spokeswoman said it was processing the submissions and would hold a hearing to listen to representations.

The Civic Party, which also opposes the redevelopment said the government's plan would result in a "wall effect", blocking air flow and sight lines to the beach. It said the car park served as one of the main ways for people to get from the bus stops to the beach.

The beachfront building is structurally sound and can be altered for new uses, it added. District councillor Fergus Fung Se-goun, who has also made a submission, agreed that the Seaview Building should remain for restaurants or other uses for public use, and handing the site to private development would not be desirable.


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## hkskyline

Sham Shui Po Developments - 11/16


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## hkskyline

*尖東高限放寬利商廈重建，由６０米加至８０米，舊廈重建可多８層*
(經濟通)12月1日 星期一 08:57

政府早前就尖沙咀區全面加入高度限制，惹來發展商群起反對，規劃署亦罕有地同意部分意見，把尖東的商業用地，由建議高度限制為６０米（主水平基準以上．下同），放寬至８０米，較區內現有物業高約８層，有利該商業區重建。

尖沙咀東部一帶的酒店及商廈業主，在設定高度限制前，一般只可以６０米重建，即樓高約２０層，因此尖沙咀地產發展商聯會亦提出反對，該會代表一眾於尖東擁有物業項目的發展商，包括信置（０００８３）、新地（０００１６）、嘉里（００６８３）、嘉華及冠華鏡廠等。

尖沙咀地產發展商聯會認為，該區現時不少建築物受到早年機場航道的限制，雖然有關限制隨著機場遷出而取消，但現卻加入高限，有如回復限制時的情況。聯會擔心在加入高限後，建築物便會向橫發展，會出現「火柴盒效應」，對空氣流通跟本沒有幫助。《香港經濟日報》


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## hkskyline

*SHKP sales inspire rival developers 
Strong demand for new projects boosts sentiment but analysts say it is no turnaround*
3 December 2008
South China Morning Post

Strong demand at two residential projects launched by Sun Hung Kai Properties at the weekend could encourage rival developers to bring postponed launches forward, analysts said.

Developers including Henderson Land Development, Chinachem Group, Nan Fung Development, New World Development and Cheung Kong (Holdings) have a combined 2,000 units available for sale and could take advantage of the positive sentiment to generate revenue, the analysts said.

However, the better than expected results that saw 200 units sold at luxury project Peak One in Sha Tin and 400 units taken up at mass housing project La Grove in Yuen Long, generating HK$3.6 billion, did not mean a turning point in the property cycle had been reached.

Peter Churchouse, a director at hedge fund manager LIM Advisors, called the weekend buying spree a "false start."

Mr Churchouse said that there were similar examples in 2000 and in 2003 when sales and prices picked up for about six weeks amid the downturns before resuming their downward trend.

"I don't think it presents any evidence that the market has now recovered," he said.

"The general situation is that we will see a continuing downside trend in property prices over the coming six months."

To qualify as a market turnaround there should be evidence of a sustained pick-up in transaction volumes and prices in the primary and secondary markets, Mr Churchouse said.

Buoyed by the strong response to its weekend launch, SHKP planned to lift prices for the remaining units at Peak One by 10 per cent, said Victor Lui Ting, an executive director of Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency.

Eric Wong Chun-yu, a co-head of Asia property research at UBS, said: "Buying demand focused on the two projects as they received a blessing from banks and the new units were being offered at reasonable levels."

SHKP lined up banks and the mortgage insurance scheme to offer buyers of La Grove mortgage loans of up to 95 per cent of the bank valuation.

Buyers of Peak One properties could get a bridging loan for its existing units to finance their purchases and also allowed up to 500 days to complete the transaction.

Banks have shown a reluctance to finance investors in the secondary market more than 60 per cent of their property purchase value against the background of the global financial crisis.

Mr Wong said units at Peak One and La Grove were priced at a 10 to 20 per cent premium to secondary market sales, from premiums of as much as 50 per cent above transaction prices in the same area earlier this year.

Although the resulting sales performance was exciting the question remained whether it could be sustained, he said.

Eric Yuen Chi-fung, the head of research at Dao Heng Securities, said the sale of 600 units was low compared with an average 800 transactions each month in the primary residential market over the past two years.

"A weekend of sales is hardly sufficient to see any significant impact on the physical property market," Mr Yuen said.

The total number of transactions last month, according to the Land Registry, plunged 37.5 per cent to 3,786 from October and was the lowest monthly figure since January 1991.

Month-on-month sales by value were down 44 per cent at HK$10.6 billion.

Tony Tse Wai-chuen, the general manager for sales at Henderson Land Development, said the company planned to release two residential projects, in Lai Chi Kok and in Jordan, this month.

"We have seen there is demand if projects are put on sale at reasonable prices," Mr Tse said.

Henderson's two projects are the 31-storey Cite'33 development in Lai Chi Kok and the 62-unit City 18 development in Jordan. Both have occupation permits and were ready for sale, Mr Tse said.

Hong Kong Property chief executive Fredy Wu Yat-fat said Chinachem would release its Le Billionaire project in Kowloon City this week.

However, Mr Wu said the market would become quiet as most of the potential buyers had been lured to the two projects during the past weekend.

"Owners have shown they plan to stand firm in their asking prices and it will take time for potential buyers to accept a smaller discount than a month ago," he said.


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## hkskyline

*豪門首推18伙 入場費390萬 *
3 December 2008
星島日報 










銀行加按息無礙新盤推售，華懋旗下九龍城豪門一期為買家提供兩款付款方法，並最快於今日公布價單，於下周五正式公開發售，首批十八伙，單位入場價、連同各項優惠，定價三百九十餘萬元，呎價約五千四百元，其中VIP可於派發價單後優先認購，首十八名買家獲百分之二樓價折扣。

暫定下周五公開發售

華懋售樓部經理吳崇武表示，本周四及周五起將開放豪門供參觀，下周將開放予公眾，並暫定於下周五正式公開發售；預料最快可於今日公布價單，首批十八伙位於三十至三十二樓單位，其中七百一十四方呎單位，入場費由三百九十餘萬元起，而VIP更可於派發價單後優先認購，首十八名認購買家額外獲百分之二樓價折扣。

付款方法方面，發展商為買家提供八成按揭，息率為P減二點一五厘，以確保買家成功上會；另外，新買家於入伙前付樓價三成作首期後，即可收樓，最遲十二個月後完成交易，期間免供免息，若買家提早完成交易，每提早一個月完成交易，可享樓價百分之零點二作回贈，最高回贈為樓價的百分之一點八。

高層呎價5400元

豪門昨日繼續開放予地產代理參觀，就現場所見，不少代理排隊進場，傍晚時分更有代理行以旅行車接載大批代理到場，其中更帶同準買家參觀，場面熱鬧；市場人士透露，該盤將於今日派發首張價單，並有機會即晚預留。

就滙豐等銀行近日調高按息，吳氏認為，此舉對樓市有一定影響，惟新盤甚多付款優惠，故影響較輕，而二手市場所受影響則較大；豪門一期今年的售樓目標為六十伙，意向呎價約六千五百至七千元，已較最初的意向價下調兩成；而餘下單位將連同四個頂層複式戶於農曆新年後再推售，頂層複式戶名為「豪門大宅」，面積約一千六百九十一至一千八百八十五方呎，意向呎價約一萬五千元。

頂層複式每呎意向1.5萬

吳氏又指，豪門二期工程接近完工，可於下月拆棚，二期樓高六十層，約提供二百七十多伙，主攻逾千方呎的大單位，並設有複式戶，預料最快於明年六、七月推售。系內129淺水灣已落實為服務式住宅，工程明年六月完成，估計可於七月入伙；寫字樓方面，由於大部分租約於兩年前簽定，當時租金仍屬低水，故金融風暴的影響未算太大，其中荃灣如心廣場現時每月呎租約十七至十八元，出租率七成。


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## hkskyline

*豪門即晚銷逾20伙
平均呎價6133　買家3800萬洽全層*
04/12/2008

近期新盤銷情暢旺，華懋集團趁勢推售旗下九龍城豪門1期，並於昨晚進行優先認購，首推的18伙，平均呎價6,133元，於開售後首一小時幾近售清，之後再加推18伙應市，市場估計整晚售出逾20伙，有一名買家正以3,800萬元洽購全層6伙。發展商預計，年內只限售該項目60伙，售罄可套現4億元，而明年發售的單位料有5至10%上調空間。

首批18伙 一小時沽清
華懋集團售樓部經理吳崇武表示，豪門1期昨午四時半左右向代理派發首批價單，推出的單位平均呎價約6,100元，並於下午五時正式進行揀樓，首批單位於首一小時幾近售清，買家均為華懋會會員，故享樓價折扣優惠，發展商於晚上近八時，再以原價加推30至32樓共18伙，每層售價相差約4萬元，而昨日銷售的單位會維持原價，之後發售單位會否調升樓價要視乎銷情而定。

他又稱，截至晚上八時，豪門1期售出約16伙，當中以面積逾1,000方呎的A、C室及700餘方呎的E、F室最受歡迎，另有買家本欲洽購30樓全層，但因該層已售出部分單位，故轉而洽購更高樓層的全層6伙，估計涉資3,800萬元。

據了解，豪門首批推售的26、27及29樓共18伙，呎價5,398至6,537元，定價由411.4萬元起，至於加推的30至32樓共18伙，平均呎價 6,225元。由於華懋會會員入市可獲折扣，故昨日部分售出單位做價折實後低於410萬元，如26樓E室成交價403.2萬元，呎價5,647元；面積 766方呎的27樓E室亦以407.2萬元售出，呎價5,316元。

對於近期新盤均以貼近市價開售，吳崇武認為，此舉只是開售初期為吸引買家，之後一手售價定必高於二手，至於近期二手成交減少，相信與銀行估價有關，而並非受一手盤衝擊。

地監局未接新盤投訴
另地產代理監管局執行總監黃維豐昨午巡視豪門售樓處，了解售樓處秩序及派發價單情況，發展商承諾會與該局緊密合作，若發現有違規事件會通報，他亦希望加強發展商、代理及地監局三方面溝通。

問及近期發售的其他新盤有否接獲投訴，黃維豐指很高興近期銷售的兩個新盤未有接獲任何投訴。他又稱，不論旺市或靜市，地監局均不會忘記自己的角色。

豪門買家心聲
位置方便

黃先生居於將軍澳區，看過該盤示範單位後，認為地點鄰近工作地方，遂斥資約403.2萬元購入高層E面積714方呎單位。

看好樓市

鄭先生以421.4萬元購入豪門高層E面積714方呎兩房海景戶。他對後市充滿信心，遂決定先購入單位，暫未打算作自住或投資用途。


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## hkskyline

Tai Kok Tsui Redevelopments - 11/30


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## hkskyline

*Beach luster lost in sands of time *
4 December 2008
Hong Kong Standard

Paul Tse Wai-chun is nostalgic for Repulse Bay's glory days and wants to know why the redevelopment of a shopping arcade that may help promote tourism is taking so long to materialize.

At yesterday's Legislative Council meeting, the travel constituency representative asked Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan if the government has looked into what effect the vacant Repulse Bay Shopping Arcade has had on tourism.

Lau said ongoing legal proceedings on a compliance issue relating to a government lease for the property prevents it from disclosing details.

But Tse was not satisfied.

``The government could adopt other measures [to further the development of tourism initiatives] without going into details,'' Tse said.

``I've been getting criticism from inbound tourism operators that Repulse Bay is not well equipped [to serve tourists],'' he added, lamenting the fact that nothing is being done to enhance the development of the beach as a more tourist-friendly spot.

``When I was a student we used to go down to the beach to just lay down and grab a beer,'' Tse reminisced.

``You can't do that anymore. That's no longer possible. You can't even sit down and have a cup of coffee.''

Tse compared Repulse Bay to international tropical hot spots.

``Famous beaches of the world always have a nice environment, but not Repulse Bay.''

Lau said the rezoning of Seaview Building at the northwest end of the beach for a hotel and other commercial facilities is having an effect.

To this, Tse replied: ``The government should maintain that part of the beach instead of assigning [its development] to someone else.''

Repulse Bay residents have made a submission to the Town Planning Board opposing a rezoning plan, which they fear may see part of the popular beach privatized.


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## hkskyline

*Climate dampens sentiment 
With many projects on hold and companies halting recruitment, job prospects in the sector remain uncertain*
5 December 2008
South China Morning Post

Overshadowed by the global financial turmoil, the outlook for employment in construction and property next year is mixed. Analysts and recruitment experts said prospects would depend on the progress of major infrastructure projects announced by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Kam-yuen in his policy address in October last year.

Competition in the local job market is likely to intensify as professionals, who previously worked on building projects in Macau, are expected to return to Hong Kong. Macau's gaming-driven economy has been hit by the global credit crunch, and the central government's visa restriction has progressively reduced mainland visitor arrivals. But the impact of this was expected to be limited, said Peter Wong, president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

Nevertheless "if the progress of large-scale infrastructure projects is slow and more construction professionals return from Macau, the supply of human resources will far outstrip demand", said Chris Urban, manager for property and construction at Michael Page International, a recruitment agency.

Also "the level of confidence is low", said Chris Armstrong, a senior consultant at Judd Farris Construction and Property Recruitment - Asia. "Developers and contractors are offering less work."

Mr Urban said many large projects had been put on hold or delayed by developers erring on the side of caution. "All projects are affected. Hotels and resorts in Macau are the most likely to suffer due to the decline in tourism and cutbacks on business travel. Lack of public confidence has also had an impact on residential projects."

Few residential projects would be initiated in Hong Kong in the coming year as the property market was headed down, said Ben Butt, director of Goldcrest Asia, a recruitment agency specialising in construction. In view of the negative sentiment in the market, some construction firms have stopped hiring altogether, while others have delayed recruitment.

"Even the best-known developers have implemented headcount freezes," Mr Urban said. "However, exceptions are always made for top-tier candidates."

Onsite construction management staff would feel the pinch of the slowdown in projects because of a large supply of these candidates in the market, Mr Urban said.

The unemployment rate in the construction industry in Macau is 7per cent, according to Mr Wong. "We've seen the return of some Hong Kong professionals who worked for construction contractors and small architectural firms in Macau," he said. "They were mainly engaged in small-scale projects. The impact of their returning to the local job market has been limited so far."

Mr Armstrong said returning Hong Kong professionals, who had been offered premium packages to work on projects in Macau, might have to accept less attractive salaries.

On a positive note, the economic slowdown has led to a reduction in the cost of construction materials. "This may have influenced the government's decision to go ahead with the infrastructure projects in the near future," Mr Urban said. The local construction sector had regained some confidence because of the commencement of several large-scale infrastructure projects, including the MTR extension lines and the redevelopment of the old Kai Tak airport site, Mr Wong said.

"However any significant increase in demand for human resources will not emerge until the middle of 2009 when the first phase of the construction work of these projects starts." The MTR extension lines are in the design phase. "When construction begins next year, the demand is likely to grow for quantity surveyors and project managers who specialise in civil engineering projects, as well as structural engineers with railway experience," Mr Butt said. "Supply of these professionals should be sufficient as many have returned from Taiwan after the completion of the high-speed railway project."

Mr Urban said the demand from Hong Kong developers was for architects with both design and project management experience. "The remuneration package for professionals in the top-end segment will remain stable. But those in the middle to senior management bracket, who want to earn more, must be prepared for frequent travel or even relocation."

Mr Armstrong said some Hong Kong companies looked for architects, project managers, commercial managers, quantity surveyors and designers.

"Firms in Hong Kong prefer experienced locals rather than expatriates who have not worked here before." He said professionals who had always worked in Hong Kong with a good employment record could expect stable or even a modest increase in their remuneration packages.

Mr Butt said there were about 2,500 Hong Kong professionals working in the construction industry in Dubai. The booming construction sector in the Middle East has shown no sign of a slowdown, and many Hong Kong firms with operations there are recruiting.


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## hkskyline

*經機會今公布 創以萬計職位; 大谷工務工程 提高佔市場份額 *
8 December 2008
香港經濟日報 

面對金融海嘯，特首曾蔭權將在今日的經濟機遇委員會上，公布港府將傾全力，創造以萬計的就業職位，包括大力推動工務工程，也由於私人工程未來料會大縮水，故政府期望把公、私營的比例，由現在的二比八，提高至約四比六，以填補私營機構因經濟放緩減少投資。

訪港旅客寬限建議 將跟進

另外，據悉，港府今日也會公開各委員的策略建議，例如放寬台灣和深圳人來港，促進旅遊業等，表明如何跟進；但對於委員一些大膽的建議，例如港府成立基金，入市買二手樓穩定樓市，港府則可能表明落實有困難。

曾蔭權早前已向近數十名部門首長表明，港府未來首要任務是創造就業，所有部門首長如果遇到涉及就業的政策和問題，都必須親自處理。據悉，各部門已把未來能開創的職位數目，交予特首，以便今日作出公布，帶頭紓解持續惡化的失業情況。

港府要全力催谷就業，主力軍是發展局和運輸及房屋局，因為上述兩個政策局能推動大量的工務工程。

消息指出，10年前亞洲金融風暴未來臨時，香港經濟向好，在樓宇及建造開支上，私人投資和公共工程，維持約三對七之比例。但近年公、私營工程量比例，開始出現顯著變化，雖然發展商因地產市道下滑減少買地，地盤施工量下降，然而，相對政府多項大型工程未能動工，公共工程量銳減情況更嚴重，去年涉及公帑的工程，只佔建造業市場2.2%，今年第二季更減少至1.9%。

隨著經濟轉壞，私營工程量未來可能顯著減少，消息指，港府期望把公共工程量由現時佔市場2成，提升至約4成，以抵銷部分私人投資減少的惡果。而政府來年有多項大型基建工程項目上馬，包括中環灣仔繞道、中環第三期填海保護工程等，都為專業和技術工人，提供逾千個就業機會。

推高工務工程如火如荼，勞工及福利局局長張建宗日前透露，今個立法年度內，已準備向立法會提出1,000億元工程撥款，以創造4萬個相關就業職位。

3000公務員空缺 盡快填補

政府部門也會配合，紛紛展開招聘工作，盡快填補近3,000個公務員空缺，而港府也會開創數千個臨時職位。

紀律部隊方面，入境處、懲教署已展開入境事務主任及懲教主任的招聘，警方亦繼續招請警員及督察，相信有關空缺超過400個；預期明年紀律部隊職位多達2,000個。截至昨日為止，正在招聘中的公務員合約職位，只有14個；政府各部門近期開設了約28個臨時或兼職的非公務員合約職位，當中包括醫生、政府律師等。


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## hkskyline

*Renovating old buildings a better option 
Owners around SoHo opposed to URA redevelopment plan to pull down dwellings *
3 December 2008
South China Morning Post

The low-rise Chinese tenements with open shop fronts as restaurants, galleries and grocery stores around SoHo (a name derived from its location south of Hollywood Road) in Central gives the area a laid-back vibe, but the redevelopment plan by the Urban Renewal Authority is putting these vanishing heritages under threat of demolition.

Some people who had bought units in old Chinese buildings, however, are refusing to sell their flats despite the considerable compensation, believing it is more than a financial matter and want to prove that redevelopment need not mean demolition and "old things can be beautiful".

Helen Lindman, a Swedish interior designer who moved to Hong Kong with her husband 3½ years ago, bought a flat in an old walk-up building in Gough Street for her first investment in the city.

After renovating it with a fusion of Scandinavian and Asian styles, she rented it out and continued to acquire units in walk-up buildings around SoHo, building up her portfolio to six units and a six-storey building on Tung Street in Sheung Wan.

"I would like to make Hong Kong more beautiful. I just want to show people that it's possible to keep the old buildings, make them beautiful and have good standards inside," said Mrs Lindman.

"I think if you can offer people something which has charm, which has an old colonial feel to it, which is Hong Kong, there will always be a tenant."

Instead of tearing down the 50-year-old building in Tung Street, like most other developers would, she is renovating it into a building with three duplex units each sized 1,500 square feet, eyeing the limited supply of large units in character buildings in the area.

Dare Koslow, a New Yorker who moved to Hong Kong 14 years ago, is also attracted to the lovely and friendly neighbourhood and living environment in Sheung Wan.

"I see the potential in old buildings. In most other big cities like London, New York and Paris, they respect and love their buildings and they have been doing it for a long time.

"You can see how the cities embrace and nurture the old buildings, [they] are so unique that you just can't recreate with modern high-rises," he said.

Mr Koslow said Hong Kong was in transition when he arrived 14 years ago. There were old buildings being torn down and replaced by high-rises and many of them were just being neglected.

"I thought maybe there is a chance to help Hong Kong to retain and respect the city as much as other cities do," he said.

"Once it is gone, you never gonna recreate it"

Since 2003, he has spent about HK$40 million in acquisitions and renovating the units, and accumulated his portfolio to 18 units, all in old walk-up buildings in Sheung Wan and SoHo.

Mr Koslow finds the return so far satisfactory and sees it not only as an ordinary investment but also investing in the cultural heritage of Hong Kong.

He said the URA's redevelopment plan, which lacks vision and does not consider the impact on neighbourhoods, was killing Hong Kong because it destroys the sense of community. "They put up high-rises just for one thing - to make a fast buck. But what you are mortgaging today is the future of Hong Kong."

He believes these redevelopments will end up destroying the city's character and nobody will want to come to Hong Kong.

His home - a unit in a 50-year-old building at 60 Staunton Street - is under the URA's Staunton Street redevelopment project. The building will be demolished under the URA plan.

A few other units on Gage Street would be torn down under the redevelopment plan for the Graham Street wet market.

But despite his objections to the redevelopment, the URA and other government departments refused any discussion or just ignored him.

Mr Koslow said the URA just treated it as a financial matter, so raised its compensation offer to lure him to sell the flat.

"It's my home, this is a neighbourhood I like to live in," he said. "It's not negotiable, I don't want to sell it to [them]."

Mrs Lindman agreed that it was the atmosphere and environment of the whole district, not just Staunton Street, which made the area beautiful.

She believes many old buildings in Sheung Wan are left vacant because of financing problems as banks are not interested in home loans for old buildings.

"I think it is completely wrong," she said. "[An old building] is not going to fall down or break into pieces, instead if you renovate it and make it beautiful, I think it will even go up in value.

"Everything is driven by money here, if the banks decided that they believe in this kind of investment, then probably more houses would be saved and actually renovated."

However, in the light of the uncertain market outlook, she will halt her acquisition plan.

But Mr Koslow said he was hesitant to buy around SoHo right now because he was afraid of what the URA would do to the district.

Meanwhile, he is looking for investment or conservation opportunities in old village buildings on Lantau Island or the New Territories.


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## hkskyline

*Henderson Land Chairman: HK Property Market To Be Flat In 1H *
8 December 2008

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. (0012.HK) Chairman Lee Shau-kee said Monday he expects Hong Kong's property market to be flat in the first half of next year.

"The property market will remain sluggish in the first half of next year, with limited ups and downs," Lee told reporters after the company's annual general meeting.

"If the global economic outlook improves in the second half, the property market hopefully will recover slightly then."

Lee said the financial crisis has had little adverse effect on Henderson Land, as the blue-chip developer didn't buy any land when property prices were at their peak.

Colin Lam, vice chairman of the company, said Henderson Land would take advantage of the property market's correction to boost its land reserve through agricultural land conversion.

"The property market, overall, has trended lower in 2008. Premiums to be paid to the government for any conversion of agricultural sites should be lower now than those in the past year or so," Lam said.

Sites in Hong Kong that Henderson Land plans to convert from agricultural use for development include Wu Kai Sha in Shatin, and old shipyard sites at Yau Tong Bay in eastern Kowloon, Lam said.

Separately, Lam said Henderson Investment Ltd. (0097.HK), Henderson Land's 67.9%-owned infrastructure unit, is still awaiting to conclude the sale of its stakes in two toll roads in China to its mainland partner.

The stakes, 60% of Hangzhou Henderson Qianjiang Third Bridge Co. and 49% of Maanshan Huan Tong Highway Development Ltd., are its only assets.

Lam declined to comment on whether Henderson Land might consider taking Henderson Investment private when the deal is complete, or whether Henderson Investment has other acquisitions planned.


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## hkskyline

*明年私宅供應可達2.7萬伙 *
5 December 2008
文匯報

——利嘉閣料實推1.3萬伙 較今年增3成

受累樓市走勢逆轉，加上發展商審慎推盤，令實際一手推盤量持續萎縮，08年一手物業銷售成績顯著滑落。利嘉閣地產預期，雖然09年樓市前景仍然不甚明朗，礙於發展商需要在淡靜市況中適度加推項目爭取售樓收益，預期在明年2.68萬伙私宅可供發售的情況下，估計實際推盤量料會適度回升，預料09年一手私宅成交量將較08年回升約30%至約1.3萬宗水平，成交總值增加約15%至880億元，整體表現可審慎樂觀。

【本報訊】利嘉閣地產西半山及薄扶林助理營業董事楊建文表示，受累金融海嘯湧至令樓市走勢逆轉，發展商推盤步伐以至整體一手私宅銷情顯著滑落。事實上，今年截至12月2日為止，一手實際推盤量僅有8,371伙，預期全年數值將達8,479伙，數量對比07年全年的9,505伙減少11%，形成連跌 5年的趨勢外，數字亦料將創下自千禧年以來的按年新低；此外，單位數量逾千的大型項目更只得將軍澳首都（2,096伙）及沙田御龍山（1,375伙），難以長期聚集市場焦點在一手市場，亦在先決條件上限制08年一手私宅銷路。

新界區供應1.6萬伙佔6成

除了全新項目登場速度緩慢外，發展商亦未積極銷售積存餘貨，存貨量未見進一步滑落，並在4,200至4,800伙之間的低位徘徊。故此，在兩大貨源協調缺乏彈性下，一手私宅交投因此受到影響，08年截至12月2日為止，全港僅錄9,108宗一手私宅買賣登記，涉及金額700.64億元，預計全年數字最終可達9,970宗及765億元，兩項數值將較07年分別減少49%及38%外，登記量亦創下自96年有史以來（即13年）的按年新低。

綜合利嘉閣地產研究部最新資料所得，09年全港將有76個全新一手私宅項目、合共26,766伙可供發售。按地區劃分，新界區供應量依然稱冠，涉及項目多達35個，單位總數共16,463伙，佔來年全港供應的61.5%，新供應則偏重元朗區，該區來年共有8個項目合共4,621伙可供登場，稱冠各區；馬鞍山﹙3,312伙﹚及將軍澳﹙2,704伙﹚亦屬來年重點發展區，此外，住宅重鎮屯門及沙田區，亦有多達2,157伙及1,683伙全新單位供應。

港鐵沿線提供9239伙

此外，多個矚目大型項目亦會列隊登場，包括馬鞍山銀湖．天峰（2,169伙）、屯門港鐵屯門站上蓋項目（2,125伙）、元朗YOHO Town 2期（1,938伙）、將軍澳日出康城2期（AB地盤）（1,688伙）、沙田港鐵大圍維修車站首期（1,360伙）、馬鞍山77區（1,143伙）、元朗柏慧豪廷（1,068伙）及將軍澳56區（1,016伙）。

九龍區供應量則有8,021伙，新盤供應集中大角咀（2,357伙）、新蒲崗（1,179伙）及尖沙咀（1,170伙），當中提供逾千單位大型住宅項目共有2個，分別新鴻基獨資興建的譽．港灣（1,179伙）以及恆隆浪澄灣尚未開售部分（即1、2、7、8及9座，合共1,104伙）。

至於港島區來年僅得2,282伙全新單位供應，呈持續下滑趨勢，由於該區來年沒有逾千伙的大型項目登場，故此，新鴻基旗下香港仔鴨洲海旁道（786伙）、嘉里及市建局位於西營盤第一街 / 第二街（496伙）、以及置地大坑道13至15號（275伙），將會成為該區的焦點項目。值得留意的是，除了大型項目眾多外，半官方機構港鐵亦有7個鐵路沿線上蓋項目、合計9,239伙可供發售，當中最大型的三個項目如馬鞍山銀湖．天峰、屯門港鐵屯門站上蓋項目及將軍澳日出康城2期（AB地盤），已可為一手市場提供多達5,982伙全新供應；至於公營機構市建局亦有6個項目可以登場，單位數量亦多達1,814伙。


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## hkskyline

*克制價奏效 豪門低一成開盤 *
6 December 2008
香港經濟日報

金融海嘯席捲全球，香港一、二手物業市場呈膠著狀態維持逾月後，率先由新地打破悶局，上周先後以貼近二手價推出兩個新盤，吸引一批蟄伏已久的買家入市，成為淡市奇葩。多年未推全新盤的華懋，即時借勢推出九龍城現樓豪門，首批18伙平均呎價$6,133，低市價一成。發展商以市價開盤易獲承接，估計年底前推售的新盤亦會沿用此策略。

新地趁樓市稍為喘定，加上人行大幅減息及金管局連番催谷銀行放鬆按揭後，於上周末同時以市價推出元朗原築及沙田壹號雲頂，兩盤開售不足一周共售出約640伙，銷情理想，反映只要新盤訂價貼市，便可吸引買家入市。

發展商選擇在年底前以克制價開盤，而不順延至明年或較後時間推出，多少反映出想趁市場尚有購買力之際，先吸納一批客源，鎖定利潤。

首批呎價$6,133 2房去貨較快

不少發展商已即時重整推盤大計，其中華懋集團反應最快，推出早於8月已取得滿意紙，已屆現樓的九龍城豪門。經代理及貴賓預覽兩日後，於周三（3 日）傍晚派發首批18個單位價單，開售不足1小時已幾近售罄，並於同晚8時再加推3層18伙。首批單位呎價$6,133，加推單位由於樓層較高，呎價遞增至$6,225，輕微調升1.5%，以測試市場承接力，估計開售當晚售逾20伙，以2房為主。

華懋售樓部總經理吳祟武指，豪門首批單位呎價$6,133，與年初意向呎價$8,000低逾23%，以貼市價開售旨在增加吸引力，年內目標限賣60伙，餘貨將保留至明年春節後重售，屆時將提價5至10%。

市場人士指，首批及加推價單之中，望區內樓景的2房呎價均低於呎價$6,000，此批單位率先被市場吸納，證明買家取「平」捨貴。至於千呎海景單位，呎價逾$6,000，去貨明顯稍慢。華懋吳崇武指，有買家欲以$3,800萬洽購逾30樓以上「一圈」（即6伙）單位，一層面積共5,935呎，呎價約$6,400。

華懋將為買家提最多八成按揭，息率為最優惠利率（5厘）減1.25厘，實質利率3.75厘。由於物業入伙期為09年4月，買家於明年4月底交樓前先付三成首期，則可獲延長成交期至2010年4月，每提早一個月完成交易，則可享樓價0.2%現金回贈，最高可達樓價1.8%。

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訂價解碼器︰千呎單位 平同區逾$110萬

豪門首批18個單位分布26、27及29樓（住宅8樓起），面積714至1,163呎，售價$411.4萬至$760.2萬，平均呎價$6,133，較比鄰入伙不足1年的單幢盤太子匯二手呎價$6,800，低出一成。

EPRC（經濟地產庫）資料顯示，太子匯10月下旬錄得20樓A室一手成交，1,144呎望舊機場海景3房（連套房）單位，成交價$884.3 萬，呎價$7,730。豪門32樓A室，1,163呎3房（連套房）及士多房，同樣望舊啟德機場海景，售價$771.7萬，呎價$6,635。兩者樓價差$112.6萬，豪門單位層數較高，但呎價反而平14%。

望九龍灣較東頭村貴6.7%

豪門首批及加推單位均位於26至32樓中高層，呎價介乎$6,000餘，估計25樓以下中低層單位，呎價$5,000餘亦有交易。由於市場購買力仍屬疲弱，華懋開售策略亦十分謹慎，除開售較年初意向呎價$8,000低逾23%外，更先以中層單位測試市場反應，即使加推30至32樓高層單位，基於樓層較高，不論大細單位亦劃一只提價1.5%，並無特別加價。

發展商加推無特別加價，只就不同景觀單位調整價格。E、F室同屬2房，但景觀不同，售價亦有一定差異。試以26樓E室為例，714呎2房望彩虹、九龍灣一帶遠景，售價$411.4萬，呎價$5,762。26樓F室766呎2房望獅子山景及東頭村景，售價$413.5萬，呎價$5,398，E室呎價高出6.7%。

至於A、C室同樣享舊啟德機場沿岸海景及區內開揚景，但A室屬1,163呎3房（連套房）及士多房間隔，比鄰C室為1,078呎3房（連套房）單位，呎價亦有一定差別。26樓1,163呎A室，售價$752.7萬，呎價$6,472，同層1,078呎C室，售價$688.9萬，呎價$6,391，連士多房的A室呎價貴1.3%。

資料庫︰1期地皮 呎價僅$1,299

華懋於02年9月及04年6月斥資共$13億購入九龍城沙浦道兩幅地皮，分別發展為豪門1、2期。1、2期每呎樓面價分別為$1,299及$2,961。

豪門1期與新地原築及壹號雲頂相同的是，地價成本相對便宜，即使發展商以市價開盤仍有一定利潤。

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間隔及景觀篇

劃一長廳 3房逾六成

豪門以兩梯6伙V形設計，每戶皆可享有不同景致。每層之中，E及F室屬2房，面積介乎714至766呎。C、D室面積介乎1,051至 1,078呎屬3房（連套房）間隔，至於A、D室面積則屬1,163呎，採3房（連套房）及士多房設計，兩類3房戶比例高達66.7%，主攻換樓客。

單位以長廳大房設計，大部分單位更廳房單向，採光及賞景角度一致。除E室外，其餘單位廳堂更一律設有37呎露台及工作平台。分層單位介乎9至27樓、29至47樓。

3類特色戶：

8樓（住宅首層）：間隔與分層一樣，但設有58至161呎平台。

48樓：每層4伙設計，面積1,163至1,370呎，分3房2廳（連套房）及士多房及3房2廳（連套房）及工人套房兩類，其中C、D室更連288至290呎平台。

49至50樓：提供4個1,691至1,885平方呎「豪門大宅」複式，分別以4房2廳（連套房）及工人套房設計，各連一個382至472呎天台。發展商意向呎價$1.5萬起。

A、C室 享舊機場海景

豪門雖然比鄰富豪東方酒店及矮層舊樓，但有九龍寨城公園、賈炳達道公園作緩衝區阻隔，加上基座夠高，逾15樓以上單位已無建築物阻擋景觀。A、 C室景觀以舊啟德機場海景及區內遠景為主，B室側望舊啟德機場海景及區內遠景，D室則享區內遠樓景及九龍寨城公園景。至於E及F室分別望彩虹至九龍灣一帶遠樓景，當中獅子山全貌亦盡入眼簾。

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交通及購物篇：鄰近沙中線啟德站

九龍城交通四通八達，既有隧道巴士、小巴等來往區內外各處，隨著政府落實興建港鐵沙中線，未來將大大縮短交通時間。沙中線全程17公里，將設9個車站，首尾站為大圍及金鐘站，而豪門最接近啟德站。據了解，2015年先完成大圍至紅磡段，2019年將完成過海段。

豪門本物不設商場，但住戶步行約5至8分鐘可達九龍城廣場購物，而九龍城亦設有不少成衣店及各式食肆，加上設有市政大廈及濕貨市場，可解日常生活所需。

至於校網方面，大廈位於小學43區，中學納入黃大仙。

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會所篇：每呎管理費$2

以單幢式設計的豪門，5樓設有花園雅座及戶外燒烤場外，主要設施集中在7樓，包括設有戶外泳池、健身室、宴會廳、迷你電影院等。另大廈設有53個車位，車位比例4︰1。

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市況篇：部分業主收窄議價幅度

美聯物業區域經理杜漢祥表示，個別睇好後市的業主，將議價幅度由早前10%收窄減至3%。亦有買家趁業主反價前入市。其中，傲雲峰7座高G室，682呎2房單位，由一名街坊客以$292萬購入，平均呎價$4,282。

同樣位於東九龍以單幢式設計的港鐵彩虹站上蓋的清水灣道8號，每月交投約2至3宗。中原呂燕萍稱，大廈設有800至900呎3房單位，合換樓客選擇。大廈尚餘1個1,200呎單位，發展商意向呎價$1萬。最新二手成交錄於10月中旬，一個高層D室，670呎2房，成交價$373萬，呎價$5,567。項目約有50個放盤，每呎叫價$5,500至逾$6,500。

至於慈雲山單幢新盤匯豪山尚餘80伙，平均呎價$6,600，特色單位尚餘8伙，意向呎價達$1萬。

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未來供應篇：豪門2期 譽５港灣明年推出

除發售中的豪門外，九龍城及土瓜灣未來新供應包括同系豪門2期，項目將於12月底至1月初拆棚，最快明年中推售。該盤共提供逾270個單位，全部為千呎以上大單位，並設有複式戶。

至於今年5月推出的半山壹號第1期，尚餘十多個一手單位，發展商已為第2期入紙申請預售樓花同意書，準備明年推售。新一期設有7座獨立屋及多座高座大廈，涉及單位439個。

此外，距離豪門約10分鐘步程，由新地發展的譽•港灣亦部署為明年頭炮。項目由5幢大廈組成提供約1,100伙，料2010年落成，分層單位600餘至2,000餘呎，提供2至4房外，另備複式、相連等特色戶。

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年底可推新盤 單幢樓為主

繼原築、壹號雲頂及豪門之後，個別推盤條件較成熟的新盤，亦可望趁年底前推出，當中涉及5盤約814伙，共通點是均為市區單幢盤，涉及伙數較少。其中佐敦德成軒計劃下周推售，先推10個特色戶，意向呎價$8,500至$1萬。另外，大角咀海桃灣及馬鞍山銀湖•天峰及天水圍柏慧豪廷已取得預售樓花同意書，技術上發展商可按市況隨時推盤。

展望明年，利嘉閣地產指，09年將有76個全新一手私宅項目可供發售，涉及26,766伙。按地區劃分，新界區達35個新盤，單位總數共 16,463伙，佔來年全港供應的61.5%。至於九龍供應達8,021伙，香港亦有2,282伙。眾多項目之中，港鐵有份參與項目共7個，涉及 9,239伙，當中包括馬鞍山銀湖•天峰、將軍澳日出康城2期等。但樓市走勢尚未明朗，料發展商會按市況而將新盤分批出售，故明年實際推盤數字應遠遠低於 2.6萬伙。

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豪門 info

地址：九龍城沙浦道46號

座數︰1座

層數︰45層

每層伙數︰4至6伙

單位總數︰212伙

面積︰分層714至1,163平方呎；連平台特色單位714至1,370平方呎（連平台58至290平方呎）；複式單位1,691至1,885平方呎（連382至472呎天台）

實用率︰76至 79.4%

間隔︰分層2房2廳、3房2廳（連套房）、3房2廳（連套房）及士多房；8、48樓連平台特色單位2房2廳、3房2廳（連套房）、3房2廳（連套房）及士多房、 3房2廳（連套房）及工人套房；49至50樓複式單位4房2廳（連套房）及工人套房

設施： 戶外泳池、戶外燒烤場、宴會廳、影視中心、健身室等

車位︰53個（4︰1）

每呎管理費：$2

管理公司：合安管理

入伙期︰2009年4月

校網： 小學43號，中學黃大仙區

示範單位地點：現場47樓

發展商︰華懋


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## hkskyline

*URA plans under way *
3 December 2008
South China Morning Post

Under the H18 plan, the Urban Renewal Authority will carry out redevelopment around Staunton Street, Shing Wong Street, Bridges Street and Wing Lee Street near SoHo.

More than 20 buildings will be torn down, including nine pre-war tenements on Wing Lee Street, and replaced by two six-storey blocks and one 28-floor building offering 130 flats.

The scale had been reduced from a previous two residential high-rises and a 28-storey building with 216 flats in total. Also, gross floor area will be reduced to about 125,000 square feet from about 225,000 sqft.

The URA is taking a "conservation-led redevelopment approach" rather than treating it as a redevelopment project with preservation elements, adding that the historical background and cultural significance of the area have been considered.

The URA will soon commission consultants to fine-tune the optimisation plan for consideration by the Town Planning Board after consulting the local District Council.

Meanwhile, another redevelopment project on Peel Street and Graham Street is under way. Ten minutes from H19, it consists of 37 blocks on a site area of about 57,000 sqft. Two residential high-rises, a hotel and a commercial premise are planned.

The H18 project should be ready by 2015 and the Graham Street development around 2015 to 2017.


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## hkskyline

Kwun Lung Lau


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *尖東高限放寬利商廈重建，由６０米加至８０米，舊廈重建可多８層*
> (經濟通)12月1日 星期一 08:57
> 
> 政府早前就尖沙咀區全面加入高度限制，惹來發展商群起反對，規劃署亦罕有地同意部分意見，把尖東的商業用地，由建議高度限制為６０米（主水平基準以上．下同），放寬至８０米，較區內現有物業高約８層，有利該商業區重建。
> 
> 尖沙咀東部一帶的酒店及商廈業主，在設定高度限制前，一般只可以６０米重建，即樓高約２０層，因此尖沙咀地產發展商聯會亦提出反對，該會代表一眾於尖東擁有物業項目的發展商，包括信置（０００８３）、新地（０００１６）、嘉里（００６８３）、嘉華及冠華鏡廠等。
> 
> 尖沙咀地產發展商聯會認為，該區現時不少建築物受到早年機場航道的限制，雖然有關限制隨著機場遷出而取消，但現卻加入高限，有如回復限制時的情況。聯會擔心在加入高限後，建築物便會向橫發展，會出現「火柴盒效應」，對空氣流通跟本沒有幫助。《香港經濟日報》


*尖東重建 信置嘉華受惠*
6 December 2008
星島日報 

港股昨日並未跟隨美股走低，全日造好靠穩，徘徊於13600至13900點水平，收市報13846，升336點，成交約373.4億元；國指漲201點，收市報7428。

政府放寬尖東區高度限制，並推動發展商重建尖東海旁一帶項目，規劃署建議，把尖東科學館道、梳士巴利道和漆咸道南一帶的「商業」用地高限，由60米放寬33%至80米水平，信和置業（083）在區內持有多個海旁項目，包括尖沙嘴中心、帝國中心和南洋中心等均可重建，在修訂方案下可望增加收益；至於另一家地產公司嘉華國際（173）由於資產股價折讓大，兼財政穩健，同可留意。

信置是尖東大業主，而截至6月底止全年業績，撇除投資物業重估盈餘扣減遞延稅項為43.48億元，期內基本營運純利由39.44億元減少至為33.73億元，跌幅為14.47%，主要由於年度完工項目之應佔樓面面積較前一年同期為少。

新續租金大增

期內物業分部營業額下跌21.9%至51.45億元，其中物業銷售方面跌32.4%至36.29億元。期內租賃活動表現良好，連同所佔聯營公司之總租金收益達19.15億元，上升19.1%，總租金收益上升源於新續租約的租金大幅增加，以及各類租賃物業出租率維持高企。

預期信置於下一個財政年度，總共完成9個項目，應佔總樓面面積約510萬平方呎，當中香港項目之應佔總樓面面積約450萬平方呎，其餘為中國廈門及福州項目。截至6月底止，集團擁有土地儲備應佔總樓面面積約4480萬平方呎，各類型物業比例分別為，住宅佔69%，商業佔20%，工業佔5%，停車場佔3%，以及酒店佔3%。

翻新旗艦商場

信置現時財政狀況穩健，加上尖東物業有重建價值；過去一年，集團成功銷售數個大型項目，包括萬景峰、一號銀海等，帶來充裕流動資金。信置近年亦積極翻新其旗艦商場如屯門市廣場及中港城，增建新商場荃新天地及併購奧海城1期及2期之餘下權益，令集團來自投資物業的經常性收益強勁。

雖然本港經濟前景轉弱，摩根士丹利料明年本地實際經濟增長只有-1.2%，但看好信置，將投資評級由「大市同步」升至「增持」，因股價出現超賣，而信置於過去亦於97金融風暴期間顯示出其執行能力。信置股價已從低位回升，5元有強大支持，尖東重建加上利息低企，可望回升上6元水平。


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## hkskyline

The Sparkle - 11/22


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## hkskyline

*Henderson Land sees sharp sales slump 
Developer says transactions to bring in less than HK$10b but tips rebound next year *
9 December 2008
South China Morning Post

Henderson Land Development says the company's property sales this financial year will see a sharp decline from last year's HK$24 billion, reflecting the U-turn in the sector in the past few months.

Chairman Lee Shau-kee said, however, that the worst of the property slump was over and he anticipated the property industry would see a recovery in the second half of next year.

Speaking after the company's annual general meeting yesterday, vice-chairman Colin Lam Ko-yin said the company might receive less than HK$10 billion from property sales for this financial year to June.

The company did not have many projects on offer this year as the market slowed, Mr Lam said.

Home prices have dropped 20 to 30 per cent in various districts since September, according to estate agents.

Some analysts have predicted capital values might fall a further 30 per cent.

"The fall could extend to 2010, subject to economic developments in the city," said Marcos Chan Kam-ping, the head of international property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle's research department.

However, Mr Lee was more optimistic.

"Following a sharp decline in home prices, we will see a consolidation in the first half of next year, with limited ups and downs" he said.

"If the global economic outlook improves in the second half, the [property] market hopefully will recover."

Mr Lee said the downturn in the property market had not put pressure on the company as it had not bought sites at high prices when the market boomed last year.

The slow market conditions, on the other hand, had provided the company a good opportunity to replenish its land bank at low prices, he said.

"The property market overall has moved downward this year," Mr Lam said.

"Premiums to be paid to the government for any conversion of agricultural sites should be lower now than those in the past year or so."

Sites in Hong Kong that Henderson plans to convert from farm land include the Wu Kai Sha site in Sha Tin, as well as old shipyard areas at Yau Tong Bay in eastern Kowloon.

Commenting on the stock market's performance, Mr Lee said it was difficult to predict when the Hang Seng Index would reach its bottom.

Despite a surge of 1,198.78 points in the index yesterday, Mr Lee said he would not recommend investors enter the market now.

Meanwhile, Henderson Investment - 67.9 per cent owned by Henderson Land - is still in talks about selling a stake of 60 per cent in Hangzhou Henderson Qianjiang Third Bridge and 70 per cent in Maanshan Huan Tong Highway Development to its joint-venture partners.

Mr Lam refused to comment on whether Henderson Land would privatise Henderson Investment when the two core projects were sold.


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## hkskyline

*市建局9142萬購波鞋街舖 *
9 December 2008

【明報專訊】市建局正收購旺角花園街（俗稱波鞋街），土地註冊處資料顯示，該局剛簽約收購旺角花園街80號地舖，收購價達9141.9萬元，以該舖面積3034方呎計算，呎價達3.01萬元。 

原業主6年半獲利2.1倍 

原業主02年5月以2925萬元購入該舖，現帳面獲利6216.9萬元，持有6年半，升值逾2.1倍，該舖現用作運動用品商店。市建局早前以3318萬元收購洗衣街67號地舖，及以8969萬元，購入花園街82號地舖連樓上全幢。 

市建局旺角「波鞋街」重建項目，涉及範圍包括洗衣街61至87號、奶路臣街17至19A號及78至100A號，受影響14幢樓宇，涉及175個業權及38間地舖。 

該局計劃動用31億元，將該地帶開拓為運動城區，預計2013年完成，該項目佔地2.93萬方呎，重建總樓面約25.92萬方呎。


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## SilentStrike

^^ nice lights


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## hkskyline

亮賢居 by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :










太古城酒店


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## hkskyline

*Residential construction at lowest level since 1997 
Flats being built drop to 8,000 as economic crisis takes toll *
24 January 2009
South China Morning Post

Construction and completion of private residential units in Hong Kong last year slumped to the lowest since records began in 1997, underscoring the severe impact the global economic decline is having on the property market.

The latest figures from the Transport and Housing Bureau show only 8,000 units were being built by the end of last year, 38 per cent fewer than the 12,900 units a year earlier. About 8,800 private project units were completed last year, down 16 per cent from 10,500 units in 2007.

However, the gloomy conditions may have a silver lining, with analysts saying the property market will benefit from the tight supply. In the meantime, prices are expected to continue to drop as the economy flounders.

Alnwick Chan Chi-hing, an executive director at Knight Frank, said people were hesitant about buying property, given that unemployment was rising and the economic outlook remained uncertain.

"But thanks to the tight supply, developers are under no pressure to put their units on sale," Mr Chan said. "A crash in property prices or a lot of flat owners falling into negative equity as we saw after the Asian financial crisis are unlikely to happen again."

He expects property prices will stabilise in the third quarter of the year, but said the market remained unpredictable in the short term.

Wong Leung-shing, an associate director for research at Centaline, said prices dropped 60 per cent in a year after the start of the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

However, property prices had dropped only 20 per cent after the current global financial crisis which started in full force in September last year. "This shows that the tight residential supply has helped stabilise property prices and offset the impact of the crisis," Mr Wong said.

About 22,000 units were under construction in 1997 and 35,300 in 1998. He expects property prices will decline a further 5 to 10 per cent if the unemployment rate continues to increase.

Simon Lo Wing-fai, a director at Colliers International's research and advisory division, expects property prices will drop 20 per cent this year even with the market benefiting from limited supply.

Centaline expects the building of private residential units will fall to 6,000 this year as the government sold only one site last year and MTR Corp has suspended the tender for housing projects this year.

By the end of last year, inventory of completed units reached 10,000 units, up 25 per cent from the 8,000 units at the end of the third quarter. But Mr Wong said inventory was still at the lowest level in eight years.

Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, an executive director at Savills Valuation and Professional Services, said tight supply was the result of developers becoming more conservative in land acquisitions after property prices jumped sharply in 2007. "They worried the property market would enter a down cycle."

Mr Chan expects tight supply in the residential market to continue this year.


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## hkskyline

The Dynasty by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*掹地盤春節利是迎客
牛年擬推1500伙 可套180位 *
24/01/2009

發展商乘新春長假爭推應節優惠吸客，掹地的荔枝角道百匯軒、佐敦德成軒、土瓜灣翔龍灣及北角御皇臺尚餘共約110伙，新春期間將繼續營業，今起至正月十五的買家可獲贈新春置業大利是優惠，其中兩房與三戶的利是價值分別4.88萬元與6.88萬元。另該集團部署今年開售10至11個全新盤，涉及約1,500 伙，總值約180億元。

掹地營業部高級副總經理林達民稱，今年樓市表現料將理想，去年一手市場僅消化約9,000伙，受樓價回落至合理水平及本地供樓負擔僅佔家庭收入約30%比例等刺激，估計不少購買力於今年釋放，料上半年樓價可升約15%，全年升幅料約20%，當中以中價物業最受惠。

美華僑掃百匯軒全層
他指出，配合新春來臨，旗下4個市區新盤將於長假期間繼續營業，並向買家贈送利是，其中已售逾40%單位的百匯軒，尚餘約60伙待售，該盤剛獲美國華僑以約2,000萬元購入21樓全層單位，共涉面積3,007方呎，而僅餘少於10伙的德成軒，亦剛售出頂層全層特色戶，面積1,779方呎，成交價 1,800萬元，呎價約1.012萬元，創同區單幢物業新高。

翔龍40特色戶待售
至於翔龍灣現餘約40個特色戶待售，平均呎價約10,000元；御皇臺則僅餘4伙待售，全屬1,700多方呎複式戶，平均呎價逾10,000元。

林氏稱，集團今年將開售約1,500伙，數量較去年多，上、下半年料各推一半，總值約180億元，當中包括大角咀亮賢居、沙田539地段項目及大埔比華利山別墅3期等，亮賢居料率先於農曆新年後開售，定價參考百匯軒。

華懋怡庭春節推20伙
另他透露，同系長沙灣星匯居已售逾80%單位，下月初將出信予業主通知收樓，初步料收樓反應理想，買家可獲提供一、二按合共樓價80%的貸款，大年初二將於現樓舉行準業主迎新會。而該盤尚餘約60伙待售，當中約半數為面積1,000餘至2,000多方呎特色戶，意向呎價近10,000元，其他標準戶的平均呎價約6,500元，預計將於三月重售。

中原指出，華懋的青龍頭傲庭峰「怡庭」春節期間推出20伙，平均意向呎價2,868元，發展商並安排在現樓現場派發10元粥券。


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## hkskyline

*City to become 'high-rise capital of the world' with new developments 
Leading architect says building skyscrapers is crucial and ICC Tower sets the tone for the future of Hong Kong*
23 January 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong is set to become the "high-rise capital of the world", according to Paul Katz, president of Kohn Pederson Fox, an international architectural firm.

Speaking at Wednesday's launch of The Cullinan - Your Jewel in the Crown, a book about the luxury Kowloon station project which developers have dubbed "the new landmark of Hong Kong", Mr Katz said each city needed tall buildings that related to the history and organic growth of that city.

Kohn Pederson Fox is managing principal of the 118-storey International Commerce Centre (ICC), situated next to the twin Cullinan towers on the Kowloon station waterfront.

Hailing from New York, Mr Katz lauded the United States city as the "capital of the world", but emphasised that the ICC had set the tone for the future.

"The insertion of tall buildings in a city is crucial. This is part of the standard of living in the 21st century," he said at the W Hong Kong hotel.

He also stressed the importance of small gardens and greenery integrated into the streetscape of Hong Kong, adding that the ICC served as a "model for the future, especially in China".

Mixed-use developments, such as the ICC Tower which incorporates the ICC office floors, The Ritz-Carlton hotel, W Hong Kong, Elements shopping mall, luxury residences at The Cullinan, and The HarbourView Place serviced apartments, have recently become essential to the affluent demographic, in that they create a platform where people can congregate and socialise. "These tall buildings bring people together, bring cultures together," he said. "This is what we architects do."

Speaking at the book launch at W Hong Kong, Andrea Zavadszky, editor of the special reports section of the South China Morning Post, which produced the book, stressed the worldwide trend towards mixed-use developments in cities such as New York, Toronto and Dubai, where buildings were "changing modern urban lifestyles and promoting environmental awareness".

She emphasised that there were many people in Hong Kong who shared an international outlook and a lifestyle that was influenced by both eastern and western cultures.

While the concept of luxury may mean different things to different people, Ms Zavadszky said, as "citizens of the world", they would know where to find refinement, quality and excellent workmanship, and that they were those who knew what it took to live "a truly fulfilling life".

"We wanted to speak to people [through the book] who have both the means and status to perfect what we have called the 'art of living'," Ms Zavadszky said.

The Cullinan - Your Jewel in the Crown covers trends in collecting modern and traditional Chinese art, jewellery, watches and wine, and investing in second or holiday homes and other kinds of real estate.

Victor Lui, executive director of Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency, said he had received numerous queries about the Kowloon project which had been developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties. "Many people have asked me 'what is the edge of developments at the Kowloon station?'

"Ultimately, it is the world's third-tallest tower, and it is one of the most remarkable integrated developments in town," he said.

The location can't hurt either, with its magnificent views of Victoria Harbour and convenient transport links.

"The 21st-century skyscraper offers panoramic views plus everything you need in terms of shopping, transport and entertainment, all within easy reach," Ms Zavadszky said.

"We are looking for new frontiers of experience," Mr Lui added. "Urban living is a state of art and lifestyle that is affluent, cultured, connected and balanced."


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## hkskyline

太古城酒店項目 by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*HK$64m scheme to help owners refurbish old homes URA plan aims to help people revamp their buildings*
29 January 2009
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority is to spend HK$64 million on helping owners of old buildings to refurbish their buildings and make them more environmentally friendly.

The move follows a recent government announcement that it would create more construction work to combat rising unemployment as the economy contracts in response to the global financial crisis.

"Starting in April, more buildings will become eligible for our maintenance loans and free repair materials," authority director of works and contracts Stephen Lam Wai-nam said last week.

Two authority schemes, one providing interest-free loans and the other free materials, have aided 518 residential buildings which are more than 20 years old since the schemes' introduction in 2003.

The loan scheme, with an upper limit of HK$100,000 per building, is open not just to resident owners, but also to non-profit organisations.

"Trade unions and religious bodies often take up a large proportion of old buildings," Mr Lam said. "Without their participation, owners' corporations often cannot afford the costs."

But he said the free materials scheme would be extended to include about 150 commercial buildings with at least 75 per cent resident occupiers. "In Central and Western district, many old commercial properties are actually flats instead of offices, but residents were unable to seek aid because of the zoning."

While paint, drains and re-roofing materials have been on offer, the authority will also include energy-saving bulbs, waste recycling facilities, potted plants and fire safety doors.

Solar energy units and roof gardens might be added to the list, Mr Lam said.

Previously, owners received materials by way of subsidy to the value of up to 20 per cent of the total renovation costs, or HK$150,000, whichever was lower. The authority would raise that limit to 30 per cent for small-sized buildings.

In Tai Kok Tsui, where most residential building owners have received refurbishment help, the authority would repave streets, replace old street lamps and drains, and put in plants to enhance streetscapes.

However, Yau Tsim Mong district councillor Henry Chan Man-yu said Tai Kok Tsui was hard to transform because half of the area north of Tai Kok Tsui Road was occupied by old factories which were vacant or had been converted into offices and flats.

"It is difficult to revitalise unless the urban renewal policy covers not just residential, but industrial zones," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Converging lines Architect Rocco Yim says officials must work more closely with his profession to inspire creativity in public design *
30 January 2009
South China Morning Post

What makes beautiful architecture? To begin with, this is the wrong question to ask, according to leading Hong Kong architect Rocco Yim Sen-kee. Calling a building beautiful immediately marks you as uninitiated. As he says, "Of course, architecture is about aesthetics, but it's aesthetics built on many things. Is there good use of light, material and space? What does the building do to your state of mind? And can it unlock your imagination about a culture or a particular feeling?"

The softly spoken architect is not pontificating: he is recalling the ideals of architecture learned at college three decades ago. Over the years, this intellectual foundation, coupled with Yim's talent, has given rise to some of Hong Kong's most prominent creations, including the Peninsula Hotel extension, the Park Lane Shopping Boulevard, Citibank Plaza and IFC2 (a collaboration with celebrated Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli). This year at least three of his projects will be completed in Hong Kong and on the mainland.

Yim is known for his ability to weave modernism into densely populated urban spaces. Now in his 50s, he won an international competition late last year to build the 500 million yuan (HK$568 million) new Yunnan Provincial Museum, adding another accolade to his long list of achievements.

It is "entirely contemporary" in its construction, he says of the glass-clad building, the form of which alludes to Yunnan's natural landscape, in particular the famous Shilin "rock forest" outside Kunming.

Having built a solid portfolio of commercial buildings, Yim is preoccupied these days with public and cultural architecture, evidenced by the clutch of buildings he and his 110-strong company are working on. These include a teaching hotel at the Polytechnic University, which features glass atria designed to be integrated with the surroundings. There is also the much publicised "Door" in Tamar, an arched complex that will become the Hong Kong government's new headquarters in 2011. Across the border in Guangdong, he is building a multipurpose cultural centre in Shenzhen and the Museum of Guangdong. The latter is in the shape of a Chinese treasure box and is his favourite project to date.

Yim is not dodging commercialism - the redevelopment of the former Hyatt Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui which he is close to completing is purely commercial, he says - but now, well into the "third stage" of his career, he is trying to focus on non-commercial projects.

"When I first started in architecture it was a period of taking up small projects and joining design competitions. As the company grew, big commercial projects started rolling in," he says. "I think it all began with the Bamboo Pavilion [for the Hong Kong/Berlin Festival in 2000]."

His new bond with public and cultural architecture has marked Yim's position in Hong Kong's architectural world, which provides most architects with few options beyond private property projects. Yet the change is also a return to the ideals that Yim embraced in his formative years.

"In the perfect situation, you don't worry about commercial constraints, artistic value is attached with great importance and the building serves not only a small group of people but the general public," he says. "Every architect wants to achieve that. That's a value we learned at college."

His career focus may have evolved, but Yim's passionate belief in the strong ties between architecture and city life has changed little. "I always believe no building survives alone; it coexists with the city. Its worth is judged by how it interacts and forms a relationship with the surroundings."

This fundamental idea helped propel Yim to fame in his late 20s. In 1983, a few years after Yim had read architecture at the University of Hong Kong, the mainland was in talks with Britain about the future of colonial Hong Kong. The city's economy was in the doldrums and Yim had few jobs in hand. Being young and energetic, he looked abroad and entered the Opera Bastille design competition in Paris. He came up with a scheme that featured a street leading from the Bastille Plaza, allowing it to "interact with the opera and enable all kinds of human activities to flourish".

Competing against 744 contestants from 50 countries, the inexperienced Yim did not expect to be named one of three first-prize winners. The judges commended his design for being a "strongly marked architectural gesture" and for its "lyrical vocation".

In the end, the work of Canadian co-winner Carlos Ott was adopted, but Yim's interaction-oriented approach lives on; the new Hong Kong government headquarters serves as a recent example.

"A lot of people think it's going to be an iconic piece of architecture," he says of the Tamar project. "But it's not - it's going to be an iconic place. We want it to refine the quality of Hong Kong's public space. The green lawns, green roof and the open space on the ground level will serve to connect with the surroundings."

As with many of his peers, Yim ventured across the border in the late 1990s. The mainland's constant thirst for new ideas has seen his projects multiply in recent years. "Compared with Hong Kong, the mainland is more receptive to new ideas," he says. "The entrepreneurs are younger, in their 30s or 40s. They're more flexible, less conservative. They hire an architect for his creativity."

However, these projects are not without difficulties.

For Yim, the biggest problem is the lack of sophistication of some mainland cities, which makes it difficult for his creations to do what he wants them to: interact. A case in point is the HK$400 million Guangdong Museum project, a lacquered box-like structure in Guangzhou with features such as alcoves and layered spaces.

"The site where the museum is located is bleak and empty. The whole area simply hasn't taken shape. We know [British-Iraqi architect] Zaha Hadid is building an opera house there and there's a river nearby, but that's it. There's no other reference point to guide or inspire us. We have to rely on the museum to shape the area."

Hong Kong has a different set of issues, Yim says: the crux of the problem being a lack of creativity. "There's not enough initiative to encourage creativity. We have almost no public design competitions for new buildings, whereas on the mainland even a small community would try to get the best design through public competitions," he says.

"This stagnancy is an inevitable part of development. Every city will gradually become more conservative after years of growth. Hong Kong is right at this stage. Just as we thought we still had an edge, we were taken aback by the Water Cube [National Aquatics Centre] and the Bird's Nest [National Stadium in Beijing]. All we have is the Hong Kong Stadium."

To move things forward, the government should start with the basics, says Yim. "Run design competitions. It should take the lead in being the patron of local design - everything from logos, business cards of officials and public trash bins," he says. "It's a really big issue: Hong Kong needs to map out a new city blueprint for the 21st century."

So is there still reason to be optimistic about Hong Kong's architectural future?

"In the short term, I'm pessimistic," he says. "Our political system is not going to allow dramatic changes. And if I may put it boldly, our legislators don't know enough about architecture.

"But in the long run, I am optimistic. The concentration [of facilities and infrastructure] in Hong Kong gives us a very good foundation to make improvements. We have yet to wake up, but we will one day."


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## hkskyline

*University plans to get students walking *
28 January 2009
South China Morning Post

Scenes of shuttle buses carrying students around the sprawling Chinese University campus in Sha Tin will be consigned to history under an ambitious plan to build a network of express lifts and covered walkways to encourage a culture of walking among students.

The plan to shrink the fleet is among measures proposed by Edward Cullinan, architect of the university's campus master plan, who has come to Hong Kong to collect opinions from students, staff and alumni about his design. Edward Cullinan Architects and Aedas were chosen from four teams in February last year to design the plan for the 134-hectare Ma Liu Shui campus.

The plan, which will guide campus development until 2021, involves a series of moves to transform the remote campus into a sustainable and pedestrian-friendly university.

The proposal to build more than 10 covered walkways and express lifts to connect the four existing and five soon-to-be-built colleges would drastically shorten the time taken to get around the campus.

Professor Cullinan said a walk from University station to Shaw College would take about 20 minutes. "The number of shuttle buses will be diminished {hellip} to probably next to nothing," he said.

Other measures to achieve a carbon-neutral campus include construction of "lock-up cycle racks", energy-efficient buildings using more sturdy insulation materials, natural lighting and roof gardens.

Professor Cullinan said a culture of cycling should be nurtured on campus, adding: "Walking not too fast from one place to another is lovely {hellip} the brain works very well when the body is in light activity."

Other proposed changes include rezoning the campus into various hubs of learning, and construction of more facilities to accommodate an extra 10,000 students over the next 15 years, up from the current 18,000.

The faculty of business administration will be moved from the central campus to near Chung Chi College. The buildings that now house the faculty will be set aside for arts and humanities disciplines.

The 5.3-hectare Area 39, which adjoins the Hong Kong Science Park near Tolo Harbour, will be used to expand research facilities.

Pro-vice-chancellor Ching Pak-chung, who co-chaired the campus development steering committee with architecture professor Essy Baniassad, said they planned to strengthen research capabilities.

Professor Ching said it was impossible to gauge the cost of the master plan at this stage.


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## hkskyline

Tai Koo hotel project first posted in the HK forum :



Car L said:


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> Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
> Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## hkskyline

*重建北角邨 從城市設計出發 *
31 January 2009
星島日報

北角邨在一九五五年建成，是早期的廉租屋邨。屋邨樓高十層，地面是商鋪，樓宇之間有種滿樹木的花園。單位有獨立廁所，還有環保露台，更屬當年罕見。建築群由甘洺（Eric Cumine）建築師設計，是香港公營房屋的設計典範。

北角邨臨近維港海濱，附近是北角渡輪碼頭和巴士站。從前的海濱近在咫尺，市民容易到達。買賣海鮮、閒坐乘涼、釣魚玩樂，各適其適。這些公共空間，沒有刻意的設計，沒有過分的管理。活潑的海濱，就是如此。

時移勢易，隨着城市發展，交通愈來愈發達，北角區由城市邊緣變成市中心地帶。全海景廉租屋？太浪費了。終於難逃被清拆的厄運，二○○二年自城中消失，只留下幾株孤獨的老樹，甘洺亦於同年在英國逝世。

土地一直丟空，至今用作停車場。從前活潑的海濱，因為人流稀疏，都變得冷清了。臨海土地沒有及早變賣重建，亦未嘗不是好事。不然，在過去以錢為本的城市規劃，把土地當作搖錢樹的土地政策下，密不透風的屏風豪宅拔地而起實在難免。

停車場必須建在地庫

橫跨三個街區的地段，分作兩個地盤。書局街以西作酒店，東面則作商住發展。地積比率分別為四點五四倍和二點九四倍，高度限制為不超過水平基準以上八十米。總共佔地一萬零五百平方米的公共交通總站和旅遊車停泊處都要計入建築面積，不能獲得豁免。

規劃大綱亦限制了平台的覆蓋率在百分之六十五，地面不再被平台百分百覆蓋，確保地面有公共空間讓空氣流通。至於過去經常佔用平台面積而令平台過大的停車場，則必須建在地庫。

海旁不建高樓，不以高密度發展，建築用地自海濱後退二十米作海濱長廊供市民享用，合乎《海港規劃指引》。

土地作混合式發展，令用途更多元化，也可增加海濱區的活力。

除了高度、密度和土地用途外，與舊區街道脈絡的連接也是重要的考慮。為確保內陸與海濱的連繫和視覺上的通透感，與海岸綫垂直的街道（包括書局街、琴行街、糖水道和電照街）可直通海濱不受遮擋，且可作為通風走廊，確保城市通風。海景，更不再是臨海住宅的專利。

保存街鋪的逛街體驗

臨街的商鋪也是舊區特色，一街之隔的馬寶道更是著名售賣廉價貨品的市集，市民逛街購物成為習慣。故此筆者認為，在舊區發展，商場可建，但街鋪不能少。此舉既可保存舊區活潑豐富的街道特色，也可讓逛街的體驗一直伸延至海濱。

過去的規劃，往往只粗疏的訂出發展密度，鮮有細緻地作城市設計的考慮，令密度過高阻礙通風等問題叢生。發展商高價買地，在商言商，必然會在政府容許的框架內賺到盡。平衡市民利益，也不是發展商的責任。

因此進步的做法，就是在賣地前先作詳細的城市設計研究，因地制宜訂定發展參數和設計要求，成為賣地條款，以確保日後發展讓發展商賺錢之餘，亦讓公眾得益，成就更富吸引力的社區。

吳永順


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## hkskyline

*灣仔活道重建項目 強制億元拍賣*
1月29日 星期四 05:10

【明報專訊】麗新發展（0488）與美國國際集團（AIG）合作併購近3年的灣仔活道16至34號重建項目（職業訓練局大樓對面），地產界消息指出，地盤內未能收購的業權剛獲法院頒令強制拍賣。整個項目底價1 億元。由於項目已獲建築圖則及毋須補地價，所以拍賣後即可動工興建。

拍賣完成可立即重建

地盤內原先尚餘未被發展商收購的一伙，由利嘉閣 地產高級經理邱景賢及另一親友代表持有。邱接受查詢時表示，單位原由已故祖母持有，祖母於60年代以數萬元購入，家族一直持有至今。

邱表示，已完成遺產繼承，家族一致同意可出售單位。他表示，單位實用面積約1200方呎，發展商方面07年起多次派員向家人接洽，最後出價為700餘萬元，而家人的共識要求約為900萬元。邱表示，以1億元拍賣底價計算，家族持有單位將分得980萬元。

麗新與AIG Global Real Estate Investment（Asia）成立合營公司，於06年下半年向中介人購入活道20號至34號，雙方各佔一半權益，總代價為5.95億元。及後，麗新繼續併購旁邊的舊樓，07年底以劃一價610萬元，洽購16及18號10個住宅，即呎價約5000元，是該批舊樓市值的1至2倍，其中9伙出售，只餘下其中一伙。根據既定做法，拍賣底價要估算未能收購單位所連繫的地段市值。

高51層 景觀可及九龍

項目已獲批建1幢51層高住宅連商舖，可建住宅13.78萬方呎、商舖5048方呎。地產界人士表示，該地皮可建達51層高，較前方灣仔舊樓高出不少，高層景觀可及九龍。


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## SilentStrike

im curious what the top of the building will look likem cus it seems as if it will have few windows.


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## hkskyline

*'Worst is yet to come' for property *
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, February 02, 2009

The worst has yet to come for the property market as asset prices face a downside in at least the next 12 months, a veteran property analyst warns.

"I think the world is facing the worst recession that it has seen in 60 years and this recession is not going to be over quickly," Peter Churchouse, a director of LIM Advisors and chairman of Portwood Capital, told The Standard.

The former Morgan Stanley advisory director said office rents and prices, particularly in prime Central, are going to come down by 50 to 60 percent from their peak at the middle of last year to the end of this year as the office market is "in a huge bubble." The supply of office space is limited but banks and accounting firms are having a difficult time for business, he said. "I wouldn't be buying right now for office. No way."

Churchouse expects residential prices to fall by 15 to 20 percent, with the luxury market particularly hit. He predicts revenue from land auctions will remain thin this year. "In the first few months of the year ... [developers] will be reluctant to put their hands up for properties through the land auction," he said, adding the sector would gain more interest in the second half if the global economy gets a little better.

Last year only a small site in Pak Sha Wan, Sai Kung, was triggered for land auction in Hong Kong, by HK$16.5 million, at an accommodation value of HK$13,350 per square foot. Churchouse believes the government is not tightening its land policy, but that developers are not bidding for land sites as they have been more keen to invest in the mainland.

Meanwhile, he expects lenders to keep mortgage rates at a low level and that banks are unlikely to go to prime plus, a premium to the best lending rate, in the next six to 12 months at least, as people are reluctant to borrow.

Churchouse said he is adopting a "stop-gap measure" for stock investment as "there's no chance of a new major bull market in the short term."

He added: "In the short term, I am not fully invested. My portfolio is only like 40 percent invested or less than that." He prefers high dividend-producing real estate investment trusts, corporate debt and gold.


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## hkskyline

*Land revenue misses target by 63pc, says Lam *
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The Hong Kong government's land revenue, one of its main income sources, for the first nine months of this fiscal year will be almost 65 percent less than expected, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

For the nine months ended December last year, the total land revenue, including income from land sales and land premiums, only amounted to HK$15.8 billion, 63.3 percent less than the government's projected HK$43.1 billion in 2008-09.

The government recorded a land revenue of about HK$60 billion in the previous year.

Lam said she is not surprised by the decline as developers have moved back during the financial crisis.

"The income, not more than 40 percent estimated in the budget, has reflected the market situation and the property market," she told television station TVB in an interview broadcast yesterday. "So it's not about people not being able to buy land as they wished, it's because they do not have the desire."

Only one small site in Pak Sha Wan, Sai Kung, was triggered through the application list system last year, fetching HK$16.5 million, at an accommodation value of HK$13,350 per square foot.

Lam said the government will not cut prices for better sales as land revenue is its main source of income, echoing what Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen said in his policy address in October that the government will not indiscriminately supply residential or commercial land.

A source said that revenue for the next year will remain unsatisfactory.

The government expects to continue to put sites on the application list in the next fiscal year.

Last year the government put 10 sites on the list for hotel business, however, none of them has been triggered.

Lam said the plan for tourism needs to be reviewed.

"We are considering if the trial plan needs to be continued for one more year," she said.

"If the market can develop hotels for tourism without the supply from us, then we should not regulate."

The government is drafting the application list for land auction for the coming fiscal year.

Stewart Leung Chi-kin, vice chairman of the executive committee of the Real Estate Developers' Association of Hong Kong, expects developers to remain cautious over land purchases.

Local developers are keen to purchase land sites in the mainland instead of buying land in the SAR as they target long-term development in the country, veteran property analyst Peter Churchouse said previously.


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## hkskyline

*Mega projects could hurt coffers, claims lawmaker *
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, February 06, 2009

The government has been warned that its decision to go ahead with a mechanism allowing contract price adjustment during the economic downturn may prove costly, with 10 major infrastructure projects in the pipeline.

This is because payments to contractors may be adjusted upward or downward as raw materials and labor costs fluctuate.

Lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said yesterday that with tender bids lower during an economic downturn, some unscrupulous contractors may underbid and then try to apply for contingency increases.

Since the duration of these mega projects means they may last well into an economic recovery in a few years, they will put more stress on the public purse as more money is spent to subsidize rising costs, Wong said.

However, Permanent Secretary for Development Mak Chai-kwong said the vigorous verification checks and documentation required for contingency raises would keep contractors honest.

He said the government has extended its risk- sharing system to all public works project contracts to "help the small- and medium-sized contractors cope better with financial difficulties resulting from unpredictable inflation of construction costs."

A Development Bureau spokeswoman said 66 percent of public works contracts with a duration of 21 months or less awarded from 2003 to 2007 were given to small- and medium-sized contractors.

A Hong Kong Construction Association spokesman said it is a good and timely move given the enormous upswing and fall of oil prices last year.

Architecture surveying and planning lawmaker Patrick Lau Sau-shing said the system is much more equitable, as it allows for partnerships between the government and contractors to better shoulder price changes. He said the arrangement also means contractors will not have to take on as much risk.

"This way the government gets what it pays for and it is better for the public," he said.

Between January 2007 and March 2008, the cost of steel reinforcements rose 114 percent, followed by a 70 percent spike in light structural steelwork and a 40 percent rise in the cost of sand.

Diesel rose 28 percent and bitumen prices rose 40 percent, according to the Development Bureau.


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## hkskyline

*掹地兩盤批預售 上半年推 *
06/02/2009

經濟前景未明並無減弱發展商推盤意欲，掹地剛獲批預售文件的上水清曉路8號及西半山干德道39號，將於上半年內相繼開售。發展商強調，干德道39號與沙田富健街項目以超級豪宅定位，每方呎建築費均創集團新高，日後開盤勢創區內新高呎價，另美資基金TPG早前以約8.4億元購入旗下土瓜灣翔龍灣及長沙灣星匯居共119伙，剛已上會完成交易。

掹地營業部高級副總經理林達民稱，清曉路8號料會較先登場，該盤提供362伙。干德道39號與富健街項目每方呎建築費均創集團新高。

五盤申預售涉1956伙
而地政總署上月共批出4份住宅預售樓花同意書，除掹地兩盤外，亦包括新地的元朗逸林首府及市建局等的西營盤第一及第二街項目。新地代理執行董事周國賢稱，逸林首府已售10座洋房，套現逾1億元。中原陳忠浩稱，元朗YOHO Town2座頂層D室特色戶，面積1,041方呎，成交價480萬元，呎價4,611元，創屋苑半年新高。

地政總署資料顯示，上月5個新盤入紙申請預售，共涉1,956伙，創金融海嘯後新高，當中以信置的奧運站海泓道及海庭道交界項目提供852伙最多。其次為新地提供718伙的東九龍峻弦。


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## hkskyline

亮賢居 by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## aljuarez

hkskyline said:


> The Dynasty by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


What part of Hong Kong is this?


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## hkskyline

aljuarez said:


> What part of Hong Kong is this?


Dynasty is near Tsuen Wan West station (NW part of Kowloon).


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## ♣628.finst

Deleted.


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## Skybean

hkskyline said:


> 亮賢居 by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


Looks like a render! I wish HK developers could use some smooth curtain wall once in a while. But this one looks better than most.


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## hkskyline

*Hotel scheme may be extended despite a lack of interest *
3 February 2009
South China Morning Post

The government is considering extending a pilot scheme, which places hotel sites on the land-sales list, for one more year despite no interest being shown from developers in bidding for such sites over the past year.

"But if the market again says it doesn't need any such hotel sites, eventually we cannot restrict the land use of the sites," said Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in a TVB interview yesterday.

The scheme, launched in March as a government response to the tourism industry's call for more hotel supply, offered 10 sites from the land-sales list at lower "trigger prices" than general commercial sites. The sites would be for hotel development only and no changes of use would be allowed after purchase.

The government had said the land-sale system had not encouraged hotel development in the past because commercial sites were usually turned into office blocks, which generated bigger profits.

Mrs Lam said yesterday developers made no attempt to trigger an auction for any of these sites - in North Point, Wan Chai, Central, Hung Hom, Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Sai Kung and Tin Shui Wai.

Some sites in the New Territories were too remote, said surveyor Pang Siu-kei. He said if developers wanted to build hotels, they would rather use their own land reserve and pay a premium for changing the use.

Fellow surveyor Charles Chan Chiu-kwok agreed, saying the current economic climate did not favour hotel development, which was a long-term investment.


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## hkskyline

*亮賢半年成交期爭客*
11/02/2009

多個住宅新盤都計劃短期內出籠。掹地的大角咀亮賢居安排本月下半月推售，首批單位呎價料會較同系荔枝角道百匯軒為低，另發展商已聯絡多家銀行提供按揭，一、二按承做按揭成數合共可高達樓價90%，並提供額外六至七個月的長成交期。

掹地營業部高級副總經理林達民表示，亮賢居的軟銷推廣已進入中期階段，下周將陸續與代理舉行誓師大會。有消息稱，該盤本周四起安排代理參觀現樓及尖沙咀美麗華商場的示範單位。林氏透露，亮賢居首批單位開價會較同系百匯軒整體平均呎價約7,200元「略平」。

另外，亮賢居單位均採用全套Miele廚櫃及家電，總值約6,000萬元，成本較一般品牌高約三倍。

林氏續稱，亮賢居目標買家以換樓客源為主，故已安排銀行提供低息按揭、長成交期及低首期等靈活置業計劃。他稱，亮賢居首日在廣州進行路演共吸引近1,000人次查詢，短期內將安排來港參觀。

濱南傳重推呎價四千
另代理透露，新地等的紅磡海濱南岸最快一至兩周內重售，市傳售價將較前調整，部分單位呎價有機會約4,000多元起。此外，高力國際顏慧萍稱，掹地的觀塘223商廈項目，早前租出一全層約3萬方呎，呎租約15元。


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## hkskyline

*市建局：有待灣仔改道方案審理 利東街項目最快上半年推 *
5 February 2009
星島日報

市建局去年推出灣仔利東街項目邀請發展商提交意向書，惟至今仍未可以推出。據了解，市建局現正待行政會議，就灣仔改道的審理後才推出項目，暫時仍未有推出時間表，但估計有機會在上半年推出。

事實上，港島區地皮供應一向供不應求，加上近年灣仔區新盤均取得理想銷情，投資潛力大，令發展商致力爭奪港島區的大型地皮。去年九月，市建局就旗下灣仔利東街及麥加力歌街重建截收意向，當時發展商投標反應熱烈，長實、新地、恒基、新世界、信和、南豐、會德豐、嘉華、華置、九龍建業等共十五個發展商均投交意向。整個項目估計投資額逾六十億元。

投資額估計逾60億

惟及後金融海嘯，政府表示不會賤賣土地，此後至今港鐵及市建局未有再推出發展項目，而市建局早前招收了發展意向書的灣仔利東街項目，據了解，市建局方面現正有待行政會議完成灣仔廈門街改道的有關事項後才會推出項目，暫時仍未有推出的時間表，但估計有機會在上半年推出。至於年內其他發展項目的推出時間表，有關方面指，暫未落實本年推出的項目。其實，市建局早前因應公眾諮詢的意見，決定調整灣仔利東街項目的道路安排建議，當中利東街項目的泊車位會由原來建議的三百個，大幅減至一百九十八個，以及在廈門街停車場出口處加設警告訊號。而原先建議在廈門街設立的士站將會遷往地庫停車場，新方案亦將讓廈門街接通皇后大道東。

按諮詢調整道路安排

有業界人士指，由於本港主要商業重心地帶，正由中環向周邊延伸，預料日後毗連灣仔區亦會較現時得到較大發展潛力，連帶利東街的地皮價值亦會相應提高。現時灣仔區舊樓林立，在區內只有寥寥可數的新盤供應，若灣仔改道有關事宜落實後，將為區內帶來新面貌，發展潛力無限。業界估計，待灣仔重建項目住宅落成後，高層可遠眺維港海景，增加項目升值潛力，料將成為發展商爭相競投的目標。


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## hkskyline

The Westminster Terrace by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Stalemate in Hong Kong: Few buyers, few sellers 
Drops in price aren't extreme in market seasoned by past crises*
13 February 2009
International Herald Tribune

HONG KONG -- Hong Kongers, who turned pessimistic about property early in 2008, now seem to be at something of a stalemate: Buyers are unwilling to commit unless they see a real steal, and sellers are unwilling to cut prices all that much.

There is reason for their reluctance. People here don't talk about the subprime crisis or the credit crunch. Across the territory, the current economic woes are dubbed the ''financial tsunami,'' sweeping into Asia from the United States and Western Europe.

The term is redolent of the real tsunami that swept Asia at the end of 2004. But it also carries a reminder that Hong Kong has seen its share of crashes: the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, and the near-meltdown during SARS in 2003.

''The market is very quiet since the Lehman Brothers collapse,'' said Anita Fan, senior associate director in the investment department at the brokerage DTZ. ''It is quiet, but I don't see the price has really dropped a lot.''

Residential prices fell 19 percent in the six months through November, according to the most recent data from the Hong Kong University Real Estate Index Series, a drop that is mostly the result of a 10 percent correction in November. Yet there were heady price gains at the start of 2008, so the net result was a one-year decline of just 6.9 percent.

And there still were stories of eye-popping deals. A 3,300-square-foot house at Severn 8, a development on Victoria Peak that has set and reset records for property in Hong Kong, sold in October for 76 million Hong Kong dollars, or $9.8 million - 23,000 dollars, or $2,965, per square foot. A similar house sold at 55,830 dollars per square foot in June.

Severn 8, like most new developments, has attracted speculators. But prices are generally holding up, as shown by a flagship transaction in January. An 11,345-square-foot villa at 85 Repulse Bay Road sold for 445 million dollars, or around 39,000 dollars per square foot.

''There has been the odd distressed sale, but not as many as we expected,'' said Victoria Allan, managing director of the brokerage Habitat Property. ''All the trades we're doing are 30 percent to 40 percent off the peak price. If we can't get down to that, the market will continue to stop.''

Many owners are trying to ride the tsunami out. Thanks to the Hong Kong dollar's peg to its U.S. counterpart, mortgage rates are very low.

''In Hong Kong the market is quite volatile, so you maybe need to wait for two or three years, or at most five or six years, and you can get your money back,'' Fan said.

Hong Kong's banks clamped down on mortgage lending and slashed valuations late in 2008. But they have new mortgage sales quotas for 2009, agents say, and are being realistic about valuations.

The number of residential transactions in December was down 65 percent compared with that month in 2007. So property agents are feeling the real pain, unable to muster much interest in real estate, normally a topic of daily fascination and much speculation in this city of seven million.

They won't find many optimists. In Asia, only 3 percent of respondents to a DTZ survey said they were positive on real estate for the year ahead, while 70 percent were negative and 27 percent expected no change.

''Hardly anybody is optimistic about the outlook for 2009,'' said Alva To, the company's head of consultancy for North Asia. ''Asia-Pacific people have got a good memory. We have been through three cycles.''

Recent lending and leverage in Asia were not as feverish as in Europe and the United States. But people there are much more optimistic. Over all, the same study reported, 20 percent of West Europeans were positive about real estate in 2009, while only 40 percent were negative and another 40 percent expected no change. In North America, only 9 percent were optimistic and 39 percent expected further losses, but 52 percent expected no change.

''The reality is, things are much worse in the U.K. and the U.S. than they are here,'' said Mark Price, DTZ's head of business space for North Asia. ''But this survey is based on sentiment and emotion. Perhaps people are more realistic here. In the U.K., anybody under 40 hasn't seen'' a real market downturn.

''They are probably not aware of how bad it can get,'' he added.

There are signs of stirring in Hong Kong's slumbering market. Kerry Properties has sold all 24 apartments it released in the Belgravia, a 29-story building that the Hong Kong-based developer opened in 1989 but refurbished last year.

The apartments are large by Hong Kong standards - 2,390 square feet for a three-bedroom flat and 2,790 square feet for a four-bedroom. The building overlooks Repulse Bay's beach, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, which now rivals Victoria Peak for the most expensive property in Hong Kong.

Kerry has added Sub-Zero refrigerators, Miele wine coolers and ovens, and Poggenpohl kitchen cabinets. According to Colliers, the apartments sold at an average price of 13,803 dollars per square foot. That was the highest price for a primary-market sale at the turn of the year, but at the low end of the range of 13,000 dollars to 15,000 dollars that they were expected to command when the project was announced.

Belgravia's closest price rival among primary sales is The Sail at Victoria. The developer, Hongkong Land, has a good reputation but mainly in offices - it is landlord to large parts of the Central downtown district.

The Sail, due for completion at the end of 2009, sits in Kennedy Town at the western edge of Hong Kong Island's crowded north shore, with unobstructed views of Victoria Harbor - although the 33-story building is just down the road from a public mortuary.

The developer declined to comment on its sales strategy, but of the 20 apartments offered before the Jan. 26 Chinese New Year, 15 sold and, according to Colliers, the price was an average of 9,703 dollars per square foot. That's a little less than the going rate for 10- or 20-year-old apartments in the nearby low-rise neighborhood of Pok Fu Lam.


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## hkskyline

*聖 保 祿 醫 院 第 一 期 重 建* by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Residents' renewal choice urged *
16 February 2009
South China Morning Post

Residents affected by redevelopment should be given a choice to stay, government advisers reviewing the city's urban renewal strategy have said after visiting redevelopment projects in Japan.

A proposal allowing residents to stay in the new development, and to take part in redevelopment projects, would be among those released for public consultation this month, they said. Following a series of focus group surveys seeking views of professionals and concern groups last year, public views will be sought on more specific proposals this month, including the new role of the Urban Renewal Authority, and various models for redevelopment.

"We hope to reach for a solution that will make us all happy. It would be unhealthy if the authority and developers continued to maximise their profits without caring for the community," said Vincent Ng Wing-shun, a member of the Steering Committee on the Urban Renewal Strategy Review, implying that the rule that the authority must maintain its financial sustainability might need changing.

Mr Ng visited two redevelopment projects - Roppongi Hills and Omotesando Hills in Tokyo - with 25 government delegates, including Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, last week.

Residents affected by the two projects were allowed to give views to redevelopment companies. They could ask for a flat or a shop in the development that was about the same value as their demolished properties. At Omotesando Hills, 74 out of 88 owners who used to live in flats there opted to remain in the new development - an eight-storey retail and residential block with three storeys underground.

Mr Ng said the developer had not maximised its profits by building complexes of buildings that block air movement, but had kept the design "in harmony" with the community.

Another committee member, Ada Wong Ying-kay, who joined the Japanese tour, said owners of the Roppongi Hills project formed a company with the developer. The 400 households affected also had close communications with architect Tadao Ando in the planning process. Owners' rights were converted, under a formula approved by the government, to apartments on the same site. "This 'flat-for-flat' scheme is an option the Hong Kong authorities could consider," Ms Wong said.

A spokesman for the authority said the consultation would provide an opportunity for the community to discuss the renewal issues.


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## hkskyline

*It's flat-out war *
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, February 19, 2009

A price war has been declared by Hong Kong property developers as they chase sales during the economic downturn.

"All developers are competing - cutting prices and making noises," said Louis Chan Wing-kit, managing director of Centaline Property Agency's residential department.

The price war grew hotter after the news on Tuesday that unemployment jumped to 4.6 percent for the November to January period from 4.1 percent, with all sectors hit by lost jobs.

"Developers are being forced to face reality and must sell properties at prices the market can bear," said Richard Lee Chi-shing, chief executive of Hong Kong Property Services. 

New World Development (0017), which has already slashed prices of flats by up to 20 percent at its Harbour Place project - a joint venture with Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) in Hung Hom - yesterday announced it would cut prices at Wylie Court in Ho Man Tin by an even greater percentage.

After pricing flats there between HK$15,000 and HK$20,000 per square foot last year, New World now wants between HK$11,000 and HK$12,000 psf - cuts of up to 40 percent - on most units. And it is poised to list flats on lower floors at HK$9,000 psf. So some would sell for HK$18 million.

New World Real Estate Agency executive director Barbara Ho Ng Yin- yue said the company intends to be more practical and realistic in setting prices.

"Prices of units in the primary market have gone down by about 20 percent because of the market situation. We believe they are stabilized now."

Indeed, experts say prices were set too high last year, and developers are having to respond as realities bite. 

Sun Hung Kai Properties also got into the cutting act yesterday when announcing prices for 20 flats at its luxury project The Cullinan at Kowloon Station. They will sell from HK$15,360 to HK$35,000 psf. Unit prices range between HK$21.2 million and HK$90.6 million.

With demand for new homes falling, developers have also been slashing the tags on units in projects where other flats were sold at considerably higher prices a while ago. 

Some are flats on which troubled buyers defaulted on payments.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001), for example, cut prices of five flats at CASA 880 in Quarry Bay by 20 percent after the first buyers defaulted.

Deals have been struck on three of those flats, including a 1,066 square foot unit going for HK$7,150 psf yesterday. That was about 20 percent lower than the selling price last year, according to a district real estate agent.

Other notable price-cutting efforts include Asia Standard International (0129) selling 12 flats at Jadewater in Aberdeen at the weekend after reducing prices by 40 percent to around HK$5,000 psf.

Executive director Phileas Kwan Po-lam said the company will today announce deals for other flats that remain unsold at the Aberdeen project.

Henderson Land Development (0012) sales general manager Thomas Lam Tat-man said he is not worried that a worsening unemployment situation will affect its sales - though he agreed that prices must be set at what prospective buyers can manage.

On that, its Shining Heights project in Tai Kok Tsui is set to be launched by the end of this week. Some may go for as little as HK$4 million.

But the price war is not going to be restricted to new homes. 

Centaline's Chan said the action in the primary market will put pressure on the secondary market as potential buyers see opportunities for cheaper deals.


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## hkskyline

*亮賢驚喜價低於400萬
衛理苑送車位 傳隨時開售 *
19/02/2009









恒地最快本周六優先認購的大角咀亮賢居，昨事先張揚首推至少20伙，入場費由之前400多萬元，突下調至少於400萬元「驚喜價」，多家銀行更為該盤提供首三至四年定息2厘至2.125厘等優惠樓按，買家最低只需月供8,000餘元便可上車。另新世界的何文田衛理苑A座獲買家以4,000餘萬元大手洽購全層兩伙。

恒地營業部總經理林達民稱，亮賢居最快明日派發價單及於周六發售，首推集中約20樓中層，項目因應市況調整售價，個別單位入場費低於400萬元。該盤已錄3,000至4,000個本地買家查詢，廣州路演下周初完結，暫錄逾1萬人次參觀，下月初安排內地客來港睇樓。

亮賢成交期一年
他指出，亮賢居獲多家銀行提供一、二按共樓價90%按揭，其中渣打提供首三年一按定息2厘計劃，東亞及永隆提供首四年定息2.125厘按揭，永隆提供全期最優惠利率（P相等5.25厘）減2.25厘樓按，而恒生提供一、二按首三個月免息免供計劃，發展商為部分優惠作補貼，買家按不同計劃加付樓價1.5至 2%。該盤引入最長一年成交期，買家需多付3%樓價。另荔枝角道百匯軒最快下周取消裝修套餐及十八個月管理費優惠，佔樓價1.3%，之後或加價約4%。

另新世界地產代理執行董事何伍燕榆稱，每方呎翻新費逾2,000元的衛理苑A座，昨起開放耗資約600萬至700萬元裝修的示範單位，隨時開售，整體意向呎價1.1萬至1.2萬元，入場費約1,800萬元，銀行對該盤應可估足價，市傳該盤隨時落實成交。

衛理苑料可套9億
她稱，該盤已有3至4伙獲洽購，有2至3名買家有意斥4,000餘萬元連購全層兩伙。該盤每戶送1個價值至少100萬元車位，項目售罄可套8億至9億元。該盤即供折扣料約2%。她指金融海嘯後豪宅樓價跌20%，目前新盤開價須實際。


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## hkskyline

*The Dynasty* by* bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*ESF wants public funds for $600m school remakes *
19 February 2009
Hong Kong Standard

The English Schools Foundation is to ask the government to support a HK$600 million plan it has to redevelop Kowloon Junior School and give King George V School a facelift.

Foundation chairwoman Felice Lieh Mak said yesterday the ESF has plans to demolish and rebuild two Kowloon Junior School buildings at a a cost of between HK$420 million and HK$440 million.

The two buildings, which are three kilometers apart in Yau Yat Chuen, can house 900 primary school students.

Mak explained that the condition of the buildings lags behind many local schools such as St Paul's Co-ed Primary School.

Foundation chief executive Heather Du Quesnay said the campus currently uses containers as the library for students. School places can be slightly increased after the redevelopment.

Due to the historical value of the King George V School building, Mak said a further HK$220 million is earmarked for its renovation and not demolition. The school in Ho Man Tin can provide 1,500 secondary places.

Foundation chief financial officer Robert Bennett said the estimate was done before the financial crisis, and that costs have come down. The foundation plans to submit the proposal to the government in the middle of the year, and hopes to get funding _ the level of which is not known yet _ by the end of the year. Work would start in the summer of 2010, with completion in 2012.

The foundation will consult parents and teaching staff .

During the work, Du Quesnay said Kowloon Junior School students will be relocated to other temporary sites, three of which have been identified.

``The subsidy for the ESF only represents a small percentage of the government budget,'' Mak said, adding the administration has subsidized the construction of local schools and should do the same for them, and that the ESF is not demanding full funding as it will pay as well.

But Democratic Party legislator Cheung Man- kwong did not support the funding.

Both Cheung and Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong's Starry Lee Wai-king described the projects as costly.

``If the administration is to pay, then the schools' design should meet government standards. The government should have a say,'' Cheung said.

Meanwhile, Alex Chiu Chi-suen, father of three boys who all attend ESF primary schools, said the cost of the project should be on par with that of local schools.


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## hkskyline

*Henderson set to release new units as confidence returns *
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Henderson Land Development (0012) is expected tonight to sell the first 20 units at its residential project Shining Heights at an average of HK$5,103 per square foot.

The property developer released the price list of the first batch, comprising 20 flats, at the Tai Kok Tsui project at 6.30pm last night, at prices close to property prices of units in the secondary market in the district. The 20 units, sized between 710 sq ft and 1,178 sq ft a unit, are priced from HK$4,448 psf to HK$5,740 psf. 

"Prices are reasonable under the current market situation and I believe it's easier to close deals," said Richard Lee Chi-shing, chief executive of real estate agent Hong Kong Property Services. 

"Many units have been sold at luxury project The Cullinan in a few days, showing buyers' confidence has recovered." 

Units at Metro Harbour View, a Tai Kok Tsui project by Henderson, are selling at more than HK$4,000 psf, according to Lee. There were 175 deals in the 35 largest housing estates last week, up 8.7 percent from the 161 sales the previous week, according to Midland Realty.


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## hkskyline

*Wealth to rise from home ruins *
24 February 2009
Hong Kong Standard

Displaced residents flush with compensation money from five Urban Renewal Authority redevelopment projects will trigger HK$13 billion worth of business activity by spending in the secondary property market and on renovation works.

URA chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen said those affected will buy new homes elsewhere, purchase furniture and fittings to go with them, and carry out refurbishment after receiving compensation from the authority.

The redevelopment projects will also lure new investors to buy nearby shops and flats.

Cheung estimates the Kwun Tong town center project alone will generate more than HK$2 billion in property and related business transactions.

He said redevelopment has helped boost the market.

The total amount earmarked for the main redevelopment projects _ Kwun Tong town center, Sai Yee Street in Mong Kok, Pak Tai Street in To Kwa Wan, Hai Tan Street in Sham Shui Po and Chi Kiang Street in To Kwa Wan, is estimated to be HK$18 billion.

``After residents receive the compensation, they will spend it and that will help stimulate the market,'' he said.

Cheung said he believes the financial tsunami will help speed up land resumption as property owners will be more willing to sell to the authority.

For Kwun Tong town center, the URA estimates it will cost HK$13 billion to acquire some 1,600 properties.

Cheung said he is happy with the progress of acquisition because around 30 percent of property owners in the Kwun Tong project have agreed to sell their flats and shops since the authority made its offer in December.

But the authority, according to a member of an urban renewal think- tank, has no plans for the time being to change its redevelopment model to one used in Japan, which gives residents the option of returning to their neighborhoods.

``Japan took around 20 years to put the model into practice. However, some of our urban districts have been so dilapidated that I don't think residents would like to wait so long for redevelopment,'' he said.

In an interview with The Standard, Urban Renewal Strategy Review steering committee member Ada Wong Ying-kay said the current practice of offering compensation to residents and then squeezing them out of their neighborhood hampers progress.


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## hkskyline

*Late push to fine-tune design of new Legco *
16 February 2009
South China Morning Post

Lawmakers are to make a last push to change design principles of the new Legislative Council building this week, amid strong opposition to plans for the Tamar site provided by the contractor.

While being aware of the difficulty because of time constraints in asking for a major overhaul, some politicians say they will fight for as many changes as possible.

Ahead of a Legco Commission meeting on Thursday, the Legco Secretariat has launched a consultation exercise to gauge lawmakers' views on the building as the designer applies the finishing touches.

But after several meetings with the contractor, Gammon-Hip Hing Joint Venture, which is also building the neighbouring new government headquarters, lawmakers are not convinced about the design.

Democrat Cheung Man-kwong, a member of the Legco Commission, said his colleagues believed that many features, including the concrete columns supporting the main chamber, undermined the solemnity of the legislature.

"How can a few chicken-legs prop up the entire legislature? The building really lacks style," Mr Cheung said. "I know that it might be too late for any major changes, but if we don't protest then people will criticise us for decades because the building is there to last."

Another commission member, Ip Kwok-him, a vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, also said the exterior was not suitable.

Other objections expressed by lawmakers so far include the view that the main debating chamber, with seats facing the Legco president's podium in a semi-circle looks too similar to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Commission member Patrick Lau Sau-shing, who represents architects in Legco, said his colleagues believed the materials to be used to furnish the interior should be more durable, with greater use of wood and marble.

On suggestions the public should give their views, another commission member, Philip Wong Yu-hong, said: "It will be a waste of time. I rather trust the experts who design it."


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## hkskyline

*More building owners qualify for subsidies *
26 February 2009
South China Morning Post

More owners of old residential buildings will be eligible to apply for maintenance funds from a HK$1 billion project that is to be launched on top of existing subsidy schemes.

A two-year Operation Building Bright campaign will be implemented to assist in the rehabilitation of 1,000 buildings in poor condition. Elderly owner-occupiers of flats can get a full subsidy for maintenance costs capped at HK$40,000, while other successful applicants can get 80 per cent of the cost, with a ceiling of HK$16,000.

The government will earmark HK$700 million for the plan, and the Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority will each provide HK$150 million.

Under the two bodies' existing loan and subsidy schemes, only buildings with owners' corporations can apply for building-maintenance funds. The new plan will relax this requirement.

The initiative would bring about 10,000 new jobs in the coming two years, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said.

He added that a similar grant scheme targeting elderly homeowners had benefited about 2,000 people since it was introduced in last year's budget.

Housing Society chairman Yeung Ka-sing said it planned to employ both professional and technical staff to carry out the campaign, which he said would enhance safety in Hong Kong.

The Development Bureau will announce the application criteria and other plan details today.


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## hkskyline

*Primary deals increase on offers *
18 February 2009
South China Morning Post

Buyers returned to the market last week after developers lowered their selling prices and offered a range of attractive mortgage schemes.

This resulted in 18 deals in the primary market during the weekend compared with eight units sold in the previous weekend.

The jump in transactions excludes the incomplete offers made on units in the Cullinan at the weekend and was mainly attributed to the sale of 12 flats at Jadewater in Aberdeen. Developer Asia Standard International Group cut the asking price in Jadewater by about 30 per cent to around HK$6,000 per square foot from more than HK$9,400 per square foot when the project was launched last June.

Other developers including New World Development and Chinachem Group offered 20 to 30 per cent discounts for some of their projects.

Separately, activity in the secondary market improved as buyers feel that the overall market is showing some signs of warming up amid new promotional and sales campaigns.

Over the week, 253 units changed hands in the secondary market, up 11 per cent from 228 flats a week earlier, data from Ricacorp Properties shows. The average transaction price slid 0.2 per cent from a week earlier.

Willy Liu Wai-keung, a managing director at Ricacorp, said lower asking prices helped lure cash-rich end-users into the market and also boosted sentiment, which helped pave the way for the launch of new projects.

At the end of last month, there were 5,291 remaining units in the primary market, up 2.1 per cent from 5,184 units in December, data from Midland Realty shows.

Mr Liu estimated there were about 14,000 new flats in the sales pipeline of which large-sized projects offering more than 1,000 units each included Central Park Towers 2 in Tin Shui Wai, phase two of YoHo Town in Yuen Long, the Latitude in San Po Kong, Lake Silver in Wu Kai Sha, and the redevelopment projects above the Tai Wai railway maintenance centre.


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## hkskyline

*New office to spur revamp of old blocks *
27 February 2009
South China Morning Post

The government says the Development Opportunities Office foreshadowed in this year's budget will cut red tape and make it easier for private projects to revitalise vacant industrial blocks and waterfront areas.

The new office, under the Development Bureau, would be set up to provide pre-planning support for private projects that would benefit the public, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday.

Instead of requiring a developer to approach all departments involved in a project, the office would offer a platform where bureaus and departments could jointly assess the benefits brought by proposed projects and co-ordinate inquiries.

Projects would have to bring benefits to the public in terms of tourism, the environment or heritage conservation and developers should own the sites involved.

"Proposals purely asking for sites from the government will not be considered, even if they are good ideas," Mrs Lam said. But projects requiring only a swap of a small government site or requiring a change of land use would be acceptable.

She said developers would still have to go through usual government procedures like applying to the Town Planning Board and conducting an environmental impact assessment to get approval from the government.

Examples cited by Mrs Lam included the revitalisation of vacant industrial buildings and privately owned waterfront areas, and the redevelopment of non-profit organisations' headquarters.

Some 6.2 per cent of industrial blocks are vacant, according to a Rating and Valuation Department report. Empty industrial blocks are mostly found in Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan, making up an area of over a million square metres.

The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Architecture Centre, Agnes Ng Ka-yin, welcomed the initiative, saying projects involving the refurbishment and reuse of industrial units normally needed to go through at least three departments. "Turning the dilapidated industrial units into lofts, artist studios and ballet practice areas actually prevents industrial areas from running down, saves social resources and brings social improvements," she said.

But high land premiums and inflexible building rules had discouraged revitalisation.

Ms Ng urged the government to introduce more incentives, apart from speeding up the application process.

A bureau spokesman said the office would be formed later this year.

Under another budget initiative to create jobs, the Development Bureau will be given HK$1 billion to subsidise estate renovation for residents living in old buildings.

Buildings qualifying for the subsidy must be more than 30 years old and comprise no more than 400 residential units. The scheme, to open in May, targets 1,000 old buildings, half of which lack owners' corporations, mostly located in To Kwa Wan, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City.

"It is a one-off operation and will create 10,000 jobs," Mrs Lam said.


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## hkskyline

*$1b fund earmarked to spruce up homes*
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, February 27, 2009

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is urging owners of 1,000 dilapidated buildings to dip into the HK$1 billion "Operation Building Bright" fund to renovate their properties.

Apart from helping owners to repair buildings, including drainage, Lam estimates the project will create 10,000 jobs for construction and maintenance workers to ease the worsening unemployment situation.

Once a building is selected, all the owners will be subsidized without a means test and each will receive up to 80 percent of the cost of repair capped at HK$16,000, or HK$ 40,000 for owner-occupiers aged over 60.

Lam said the operation may be implemented very quickly as it is building-based and targets owners having difficulties in coordinating repair works, such as those without owners' corporations . 

Buildings in old districts such as Kowloon City , Sham Shui Po and To Kwa Wan are expected to benefit.

The government believes applications will be invited in May if the Legislative Council approves the fund.

Operation Building Bright is part of the job preservation policy announced by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in his budget report on Wednesday. 

Yeung Ka-sing, chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, also urged owners to apply to renovate their buildings.


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## hkskyline

*Kwong Wah signs up for face-lift op *
3 March 2009
Hong Kong Standard

Kwong Wah Hospital has taken the first step towards redevelopment after signing a memorandum of understanding with the government pledging preliminary support for the project.

The more than 50-year-old hospital in Yau Ma Tei will now form a working group and submit a feasibility study and building plans for approval in a year or two.

Construction would begin in 2011, with completion in 2016 or 2017. The number of beds after redevelopment would be maintained at the current 1,200 capacity.

At the MOU signing ceremony were Tung Wah Group of Hospitals chairman Patrick Ma Ching-hang, Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok, Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, and Director of Health Lam Ping-yan.

Ma said the redevelopment is necessary because most of the buildings are more than five decades old.

To minimize upsetting services to the public, work will be carried out in two phases. Phase one would see the south wing and hospital staff quarters demolished for a new building, including a traditional Chinese medicine hospital.

After completing phase one in 2014, phase two would begin in the north and east wings. Only the out-patient building and the TWG of Hospitals Museum will not be demolished. The 24-hour accident and emergency and out- patient services would not be affected.

``The hospital will ensure the re-development will not affect the service to the public. We will also consider the environmental effect to the surrounding area,'' deputy hospital chief executive Andrew Yip Wai-chun said.

Yip said the hospital needs to review its service to patients since Yau Tsim Mong has an ageing population, and is at the heart of Kowloon East, making it convenient for emergency services.


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## hkskyline

太古城酒店項目 by *fatshe* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Church seeks court review after plans get scaled down *
13 February 2009
South China Morning Post

The Union Church of Hong Kong is seeking a judicial review of a Town Planning Board decision blocking its plans for a 24-storey residential development at its Kennedy Road site.

The church filed its application in the High Court on Wednesday, asking the court to quash the decision the board made last October.

The church, at 22 Kennedy Road in the Mid-Levels, wants to convert its two-storey building into a 24-storey residential tower that would include a church and a kindergarten.

Its application revealed that the church had been planning the redevelopment of the site since 1994 and that its plan had been approved by the board in June 1997. In June 2007, the board extended the redevelopment rights to June 6 this year.

Last March, however, the board released a draft zoning plan for public inspection which imposed a height restriction of three storeys on the church site. The board decided not to amend the draft plan despite a request from the church that the height limit be removed.

The board said it considered a portion of the site a "government, institution and community (GIC)" zone that served as open space and for ventilation of the area in general.

The church is now seeking to challenge the board's decision, arguing that reasons cited for imposing the height restriction were irrelevant.

The judicial review application says the height restriction is too stringent when compared with much higher building-height limits for other non-GIC zones within the area.

It says the board failed to consider the development potential of the site and to give proper weight to the need for expanding the church's facilities to provide community services.

It was the church's intention that some of the flats in the proposed building be used by staff members and others would be rented to fund the church.

The Union Church, set up in 1844, has been providing religious and community services at the site since about 1890. The two-storey building on the site has a floor area of about 3,500 square metres.


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## hkskyline

Le Billionaire by *fatshe* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Property sector is deep in doldrums *
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, March 06, 2009

The uncertain economic outlook has hit the property sector hard, with the net increase of occupied flats plunging 65.3 percent last year to the lowest in 30 years.

"People postponed plans to buy or rent a flat," said Buggle Lau Ka-fai, chief analyst at Midland Realty, who pointed to the rising jobless rate as a major cause for weakening demand.

The net increase of occupied flats fell to 6,890 units last year from 19,850 in 2007, according to figures from the Rating and Valuation Department.

The vacancy rate in 2008 remained unchanged at 4.9 percent as new home completions dropped for a sixth straight year to 8,780 units.

"About 7,400 vacant units - 14 percent of the total vacant units - have not been issued with a certificate of compliance or consent to assign and cannot be occupied," said Tang Ping- kwong, the acting deputy commissioner of rating and valuation.

A total of 52,940 homes were not occupied at the end of last year, up 1 percent from2007.

Home prices dropped 5 percent year- on-year in the fourth quarter last year while rentals slid 1.3 percent, according to data of the department.

Property prices slumped mainly due to the financial tsunami instead of home supply, said Centaline Property Agency associate director Wong Leung-sing. "Indeed, the supply level of new flats is still way lower than a few years ago."

Completion of new homes this year will jump 68 percent to 14,740 units, the Rating and Valuation Department forecasts.

The average yearly completion for five years starting in 2003 was 19,360 units.

On the office front, prices dropped 7.6 percent in the fourth quarter while rentals rose 13.6 percent.

Tang said rental growth has not reflected the impact of the financial crisis as tenants signed leasing contracts before the downturn.

Wong expects office rentals to decline further this year.


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## hkskyline

*提升建築物能源效益 學會倡擴至商住樓 *
5 March 2009
文匯報

　【本報訊】(記者梁悅琴)整體經濟不景氣，物業和土地的價格持續下挫，影響投資信心，發展商對於土地發展的投資亦變得更加謹慎。香港測量師學會歡迎地政總署繼續探討可行方法，以精簡修訂地價的程序，以及根據市場不斷改變的情況，補新地價評估。學會認為做法可有助鼓勵發展商於經濟衰退的市場環境下投放資源，刺激發展土地。

香港測量師學會對於政府致力提升建築物能源效益表示支持，亦歡迎「環境及自然保育基金」撥款4.5億元，資助私人大廈業主進行「能源及二氧化碳排放綜合審計」計劃。學會認為，「基金」的撥款應多投放於建築物的改善工程，亦應優先考慮批核予分權物業，以鼓勵業主進行有關工程。如果工程具實質財政和環境效益，於單一業權的樓宇推行有關改善工程應該會遇到困難。

應惠及「樓宇翻新」資助樓

學會亦建議，有關計劃應包括商用及住宅樓宇。由於計劃詳細內容尚待政府公佈，學會預計內容將包括實質的甄選標準。此外，私人樓宇的業主應符合甄選資格。學會亦希望有關資助計劃可擴至已受「樓宇翻新大行動」資助的樓宇。

測量師學會建議成立的「發展機遇辦事處」將有助推動發展項目工程的進行，亦有助刺激本港房地產業的發展。然而，過去由於長時期的跨部門協商，以及需經過多個不同政府部門的審批，使工程延誤。「發展機遇辦事處」的設立實可改善有關協調的機制，但一個擁有審批權而獨立運作的部門對複雜的項目進行審批，才是成功的關鍵。

學會歡迎政府推行「長者維修自住物業津貼計劃」及「樓宇翻新大行動」，建議增加的資助金額亦有助鼓勵業主對日漸老化的樓宇進行維修及保養工程，間接開創建築業同工的工作新機會。


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## hkskyline

*提升建築物能源效益 學會倡擴至商住樓 *
5 March 2009
文匯報

　【本報訊】(記者梁悅琴)整體經濟不景氣，物業和土地的價格持續下挫，影響投資信心，發展商對於土地發展的投資亦變得更加謹慎。香港測量師學會歡迎地政總署繼續探討可行方法，以精簡修訂地價的程序，以及根據市場不斷改變的情況，補新地價評估。學會認為做法可有助鼓勵發展商於經濟衰退的市場環境下投放資源，刺激發展土地。

香港測量師學會對於政府致力提升建築物能源效益表示支持，亦歡迎「環境及自然保育基金」撥款4.5億元，資助私人大廈業主進行「能源及二氧化碳排放綜合審計」計劃。學會認為，「基金」的撥款應多投放於建築物的改善工程，亦應優先考慮批核予分權物業，以鼓勵業主進行有關工程。如果工程具實質財政和環境效益，於單一業權的樓宇推行有關改善工程應該會遇到困難。

應惠及「樓宇翻新」資助樓

學會亦建議，有關計劃應包括商用及住宅樓宇。由於計劃詳細內容尚待政府公佈，學會預計內容將包括實質的甄選標準。此外，私人樓宇的業主應符合甄選資格。學會亦希望有關資助計劃可擴至已受「樓宇翻新大行動」資助的樓宇。

測量師學會建議成立的「發展機遇辦事處」將有助推動發展項目工程的進行，亦有助刺激本港房地產業的發展。然而，過去由於長時期的跨部門協商，以及需經過多個不同政府部門的審批，使工程延誤。「發展機遇辦事處」的設立實可改善有關協調的機制，但一個擁有審批權而獨立運作的部門對複雜的項目進行審批，才是成功的關鍵。

學會歡迎政府推行「長者維修自住物業津貼計劃」及「樓宇翻新大行動」，建議增加的資助金額亦有助鼓勵業主對日漸老化的樓宇進行維修及保養工程，間接開創建築業同工的工作新機會。


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## hkskyline

Harbour Grand by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Slight upturn tipped for property *
Hong Kong Standard
Monday, March 16, 2009

The continued decline in property prices is expected to narrow to not more than 10 percent, after improved property sales and lower interest rates, according to a leading real estate agency.

Since the financial crisis hit in September, property prices have fallen about 20 percent from the peak last year. Prices in October alone fell 10 percent month on month, Midland Realty said.

Midland chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai expects the market to improve after satisfactory sale results from both the primary and secondary markets.

"Sentiment ... is improving, and banks are offering different residential mortgage packages to boost their business," Lau said. Over the weekend, 36 deals were recorded in the 10 largest housing estates, up 20 percent from the previous weekend, according to Centaline Property Agency.

"The sales of primary units have boosted market confidence, leading to a rise in secondary transactions at the weekend," said Louis Chan Wing-kit, managing director of Centaline's residential department.

Centaline expects the market to see 4,500 deals this month in the secondary market - an eight-month high - worth HK$12.5 billion.

The agency also said there will be about 450 deals in the primary market in March, up 110 percent from February. The total value will be HK$6.5 billion.

Nearly 90 homes at Harbour Place in Hung Hom sold over the weekend, market sources said. More than 700 units at the project, jointly developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and New World Development (0017), have been sold since the resale started about two weeks ago. The developers have lowered prices by up to about 40 percent, compared with asking prices last year. Nan Fung Development's new project, Florient Rise, in Tai Kok Tsui, is expected to launch later this week.


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## hkskyline

*URA could be given wider role *
17 March 2009
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority's role may be expanded to take in rejuvenation of waterfront areas and rundown industrial zones.

The authority is also being viewed as a possible alternative to setting up an independent body to manage the harbourfront.

These possibilities will form part of a public consultation on urban renewal. The consultation, part of the two-year review which started in July last year, will enter the second stage this month.

Sources close to the government steering committee reviewing the strategy said it had reached broad consensus last week that the authority's scope should be extended to a "district-based" approach.

Under the new approach, it would look at every aspect of a district that needed improvement, including the waterfront and rundown industrial areas. "For example, before deciding which buildings should be demolished in Sham Shui Po, assessments should be conducted to identify which areas in the district need regeneration," a source from the steering committee said. "These areas can be streets, waterfront and industrial zones."

A holistic approach would ensure a district's open space and historic buildings were properly preserved and that rundown areas were revitalised, the source said.

For example, the authority is involved in redeveloping Kwun Tong and Cheung Sha Wan but it only targets residential buildings, without addressing the industrial areas. The same has happened in Western district, where concerns about improving the waterfront have fallen outside the authority's scope.

In Singapore, the Urban Redevelopment Authority leases waterfront sites and sets up agencies to manage them. Members of Hong Kong's Harbourfront Enhancement Committee point to Marina Bay in Singapore as a good model to follow.

A senior government source said the administration did not oppose expanding the authority's role to include the harbourfront.

"Instead of setting up a statutory harbour authority, giving the Urban Renewal Authority an additional role could be a way out," the source said.

Review consultant Law Chi-kwong said the public would be asked to comment on at least eight issues raised in the first stage of the public consultation, which ended early this year.


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## hkskyline

*Building sector smells revival*
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The construction industry will start looking up by the end of this year, it has been predicted.
Hong Kong Construction Association president Conrad Wong Tin-cheung says he is confident that demand for construction workers will pick up .

While a number of projects, estimated at HK$10 billion, have failed to get off the ground in the past six months, Wong expects work to resume towards the end of the year though some projects may contain modifications to original plans.

"Annual investment in projects averages around HK$50 billion so there has been a 20 percent drop in projects in the past half year," Wong said.

"However, I believe projects will break ground, even if not in the same format. What was to be a hotel could well turn out to be a block of service apartments instead," he added.

Wong said there could even be a shortage of construction workers to meet growing demands by next year and his association has been trying to attract young workers.

"Traditionally, in sound economic times, fewer people consider working in the construction industry," Wong said. "However, when times are bad and people start considering other job options, this period actually works to our industry's advantage since starting salaries can be as high as HK$10,000 a month," he said.

Meanwhile, a 2009 version of the Best Practices Guide for Environmental Protection has been published and will be freely available to contractors for the first time.

HKCA deputy honorary treasurer Russell Jones said the 2009 edition is a follow-up to the first edition published in 2002 and has ben updated and broadened in scope to keep in tune with current legislation and the Development Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department's practice notes.

By following best practices, contractors can actually save money in the long run by avoiding lawsuits and using resources more efficiently, Jones said.

He noted the number of prosecutions by the Environment Protection Department for breaches of regulations in 2008 were only a quarter of what they were in 2000, dropping from 770 to 178 cases.


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## hkskyline

*Building rules 'make projects less profitable' *
17 March 2009
South China Morning Post

Tighter planning restrictions have made redevelopment projects less profitable, say urban renewal experts who have urged the government to regenerate the city instead of demolishing all older buildings.

Government advisers say an attractive renewal project is not necessarily profitable on its own and "intangible" profits, such as bringing in tourists and making areas more attractive, should also be considered.

"Much discussion has been focused on the roles of the Urban Renewal Authority. But we haven't really explored real issues we could face in the near future," said Law Chi-kwong of the University of Hong Kong's social work department.

Dr Law, who is advising the government on the review of the city's urban renewal strategy, said about 500 buildings reached the end of their useful life each year but only about 100 were demolished.

"With even fewer redevelopment projects happening because of the economic downturn, the city will have to deal with a rapid increase in the number of aged buildings," he said.

The problem was expected to be aggravated by developers' lack of incentive to replace older buildings with new ones, he said.

"Developers from the private sector will have little incentive for redevelopment since new planning regulations have made renewal projects less profitable," Dr Law said. "How should the city deal with the situation? Should we spend more on maintenance?"

New planning restrictions, such as capping buildings' height, reducing development density and increasing air corridors, reduce the possible gross floor areas that can be sold in new developments.

"Capping buildings' heights means fewer new flats with harbour views," said Wong Kam-sing of Hong Kong Institute of Architects. "It will definitely reduce the value."

But tearing down older buildings should not be the only way to renew urban areas, Professor Wong said. A concrete building usually had a life span of about 50 years, but this did not mean it became unsafe when it reached that age.

"We should consider lengthening their life span by refurbishing and upgrading," he said. "This is a more sustainable way. This is like what has been done in Japan and Australia."

A government urban renewal steering committee source said renewal projects brought extra benefits to the city, enhancing buildings' values and attracting tourists.

"So a project's profit could involve much more than the revenue from selling new flats," the source said.

The committee had not agreed on the authority's financing model, the source said, and whether it should be self-financing would be discussed during consultations this month.


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## hkskyline

*Those affected count most on urban renewal *
17 March 2009
South China Morning Post

Prosperity and sophistication inevitably mean greater expectations. Such is the case with Hong Kong's development. Our evolution to a first-world city has meant that what was permitted in the past is no longer acceptable. This has to be the underlying philosophy behind the reshaping of the Urban Renewal Authority.

The authority's work has focused on redeveloping and rehabilitating urban residential buildings. This has largely meant partnering with property developers with the aim of rejuvenating sites considered rundown. Financial considerations have been central to decisions. Landlords and tenants have had little or no say in the process; it was only in recent years that the URA started to make greater efforts to consult residents' views.

With the second stage of the two-year consultation process on the authority's future about to begin, it is time to broach the core issues. They are how far its work should extend and how it is funded. The suggestion as we report today that a district-wide development strategy should be adopted is a welcome one. It is right that the authority's focus should extend beyond residential blocks to all buildings, no matter whether they are of an industrial nature or even on the harbourfront. There are fine examples of how this can work to a city's advantage, from Singapore's Marina Bay to waterside sections of London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

Whether expanding the ambit of the URA will obviate the need for a separate harbour authority to manage the harbour and waterfront areas is debatable, however. In revitalising a district with a rundown harbourfront, it certainly makes sense for the authority to develop a strategy to also manage the affected foreshore. But not every part of our long waterfront is so dilapidated as to justify the URA's involvement. Victoria Harbour is our most valuable environmental asset. The case for a separate body to plan and manage the harbourfront remains strong.

The URA's role as facilitator rather than developer should be reviewed. Those living in urban areas of decay should be front and centre of any project. They should have a say, even to the point of being the ones to suggest how their district should be developed. Rejuvenation does not have to mean replacing the old with the new; renovation or rehabilitation can sometimes be as effective.

Over the years, conflicts have arisen because residents felt that redevelopment was foisted upon them. Despite its good intentions, the URA has often been accused of using public power to resume private properties and turn them over to profit-making developers. Perhaps the authority is better suited to become an agent, offering advice and help, on the request of owners, to revitalise their properties instead of going in as an unwanted do-gooder.

Urban renewal has to put the people directly affected by a project at the helm. Of all the views and desires, it is theirs that count most.


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## hkskyline

*海桃今開價 入場傳300萬有找
亮賢谷客呎價四千 *








19/03/2009

新盤氣氛熾熱，多個西九龍區新盤趁勢開售爭市場購買力。市場人士透露，地旗下大角咀亮賢居，為催谷銷情，今日將加推部分低層海景戶，個別海景戶呎價料約4,000餘元起。至於南豐正低調接受買家預留單位的奧運站海桃灣，首批開售單位價單將於今日公布，市傳料涉及約28伙，個別售價可能低於300萬元。 

市場人士表示，地趁海桃灣快將正式開售之際，今起加強催谷亮賢居銷情，首先會公布以驚喜價加推部分低層海景戶發售，呎價料約4,000餘元起。資料顯示，該盤早前亦曾加推6、7樓低層單位發售，其中園景戶的最低呎價僅4,288元起，售價333.6萬元起。 

嘉亨特色戶呎價萬六
代理指出，地近期一直主力促銷西灣河嘉亨灣約50餘個貨尾，至今已速售該盤逾40個貨尾，銷情理想，其中3座高層C室Top of The Town特色戶，剛以約2,680萬元售出，該單位面積1,614方呎，連逾700方呎天台，呎價約1.66萬元，屬項目近期高價成交。 

至於近日正低調接受買家預留1、3座部分單位的海桃灣，消息透露，南豐昨午與代理透露樓盤銷售安排時稱，本周六發售的首批單位價單將於今日公布，料涉及約28伙，其中至少2伙售價會有「驚喜」，估計有機會低於300萬元。據悉，該盤昨續接受買家預留單位。 

同時，代理又稱，市建局等的大角咀i-home正積極部署加入戰團開售，該盤今將開放示範單位予傳媒參觀，並低調安排部分代理高層參觀現樓，料最快日內展開預留，市傳低層單位售價有機會約200萬元起，個別售價可能更加「驚喜」。 

海自製相連戶賣1090萬
消息透露，信置的深水海剛引入首年全城最低按息樓按計劃後，昨即錄得自製相連戶成交。據悉，該盤40樓A、B室，面積分別為928方呎與978方呎，昨獲用家以1,090萬元購作自製相連戶之用。 

另外，利嘉閣馮樹勳表示，個別買家趁西九龍區新盤開售前，偷步選購同區二手物業，其中奧運站帝柏海灣3座低層F室，面積645方呎，獲用家以363萬元購入。中原程尚傑稱，柏景灣8座低層H室，面積618方呎，連租約以306萬元售出，買家為投資者。


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## hkskyline

翹翠峰 - 元朗 
By *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*New sites for application list decline to 6-year low 
Global turmoil blamed as property development activity slows*
21 March 2009
South China Morning Post

New land sites added to the government's application list have slumped to a six-year low, underscoring the bleak outlook for the property market.

Only four plots of land were added to the list - from which developers can trigger an auction - compared with 26 sites added a year earlier.

If all four sites were snapped up, land sales would earn the government up to HK$2.69 billion, a surveyor estimated.

The drop in new sites reflects the growing slowdown in development activity across Hong Kong as the global financial crisis deepens. The government invited developers to bid for 62 sites last year but only one small site in Sai Kung was sold compared with eight sites in the previous financial year.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday said that developers had adopted a wait-and-see attitude on the property market as the economic outlook remained uncertain.

The government had received only five applications for land sales in the current financial year, a situation Mrs Lam blamed on poor market sentiment rather than government development restrictions.

Developers will be invited to bid for 61 sites in the financial year from April 1. The list of sites will include nine hotel sites and 48 others rolled over from the current financial year to March 31.

Only one of the four new sites can be developed for residential purposes. It is located in Kau To, near the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and is worth between HK$1.41 billion and HK$2.26 billion, the most expensive of the newly added plots.

Alvin Lam, a director at Midland Surveyors, said the 61 sites were worth an estimated HK$51.37 billion, a decline of 19 per cent compared with the list released last year.

Under the application list system, a developer can trigger an auction by making a bid that is at least 80 per cent of a site's reserve price. Mrs Lam said the government had no plan to lower the requirement.

To encourage developers, Director of Lands Annie Tam Kam-lan said the government had increased the estimated profit margin of the developers and extended the time for development when they valued the sites.

Valuers said both changes could lower land values in the government's assessment.

However, Alnwick Chan Chi-hing, an executive director at Knight Frank, said the policies were ineffective.

"The land valuation by the government is higher than the market value. Developers will not be interested in triggering land sales," he said.

Mr Chan said three new commercial sites located in the New Territories were unlikely to attract bids.

Eric Yuen, an analyst at Dao Heng Securities, said developers were not willing to trigger land sales as prospects for the property market remained uncertain for the next two to three years.

"With the poor market sentiment, developers will not be interested in land sales unless the government lowers prices sharply," he said.

The Lands Department introduced the land application list system in 1999 after the regular land sales programme was suspended for nine months. Since 2004, sales of government land have been carried out solely through the application system, with regular land auctions suspended since 2003.

Mrs Lam said the land supply could be determined by market demand under the land application list system.


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## hkskyline

*HK$1.7 billion Sports Institute a giant step in the right direction *
22 March 2009
South China Morning Post

Work will get under way at last on redevelopment of the Hong Kong Sports Institute. A ground-breaking ceremony will take place this morning on the athletics track at the Fo Tan venue with Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing conducting the first rites.

His first dig with the shovel will usher in a new start for Hong Kong sport. Or let's hope so. The government has put its money and reputation on the line with this project, having already stated the newly refurbished and rebuilt Sports Institute will be the centrepiece behind the idea of turning Hong Kong into a "sports capital".

The total construction cost will amount to HK$1.7 billion. This excludes the HK$52.9 million already spent on preparatory work since 2007 - for site and slope investigation, surveys on structural and building services, as well as detailed designs which will transform the institute into a state-of-the-art facility.

The idea was born three years ago, soon after Hong Kong had been asked to provide the facilities to stage the equestrian events of the Beijing Olympics. The Hong Kong Jockey Club-funded deal included prime land from the SI being taken over to build stables at Sha Tin.

The athletes had to move out for this to happen. And in a quid pro quo from the government, sports will get an upgraded facility. In exchange for disrupting their lives and building the equestrian facility, athletes were told they would get a world-class venue where they could train.

In his 2006 policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said: "It is the government's strategy in sports development to promote sports in the community, to develop elite sports, and to make Hong Kong a major location for international sports events."

The idea is to one day make Hong Kong a sports capital in the region. It won't happen overnight. The new Sports Institute will be completed only in 2012 or 2013, although some of the athletes, and some of the 11 elite sports (three more could join the roster soon: athletics, karate and snooker) will move in as early as next year.

As far as making the city a hub for major international sports events, the government has fallen flat on its face. There is not one new initiative created by the government since 2006, although it has piggy-backed on existing showpieces like next weekend's Rugby Sevens, or the Squash Open and the Cricket Sixes.

But thankfully, it has backed up its boast of "developing elite sports", to the delight of sports officials.

Trisha Leahy, chief executive of the Hong Kong Sports Institute, views this as a key step for elite sports development and an indication of the government's long-term commitment to investment in sport.

"Internationally, government-funded high-performance sport systems have become increasingly prevalent as countries compete to develop athletes and perform successfully on the world stage of elite sport," Leahy said.

"This is not an elitist agenda, but rather reflects a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of sport development initiatives at every level across the community spectrum," she added.

So what will HK$1.7 billion bring for the athletes? For starters, they will get a new nine-storey multi-purpose building which will host an athletes' hostel with a capacity for at least 370 athletes, and residences for visiting teams and officials.

This facility, built on the existing outdoor velodrome in Fo Tan - a temporary velodrome will be situated at Whitehead - will also contain a sports information centre; a conference centre, lecture and coaching rooms and function rooms; athletes' canteen and restaurant; and administrative offices.

Then there will be a new multi-purpose sports hall which will include a 12-lane bowling centre, a wushu venue and four squash courts. There will be a new 52-metre indoor swimming pool connected to the existing 25-metre pool to form an integrated indoor swimming complex.

Rowing will get a new two-storey boathouse. The existing indoor sports complex will be upgraded to provide better facilities for table tennis, fencing, badminton, sports science laboratories, a sports medicine clinic and fitness training centre with an expanded recovery centre and coaches' offices.

Outside, the running/cycling trail will be improved, while a new covered 120-metre, four-lane warm-up track can get the track and field squad in the mood. Tennis will get four courts, two clay and two covered. Rain or shine, they can play on two of the commonest surfaces around. The rest of the area around the old courts will be converted into a new multi-purpose outdoor venue.

The disabled athletes have not been forgotten. There will be integrated facilities for sports like fencing, boccia, table tennis, rowing, tenpin bowling, swimming and track and field.

Built by the Jockey Club in 1982, and known then as the Jubilee Sports Centre, the HKSI hasn't had a major facelift or repair work in the past 27 years. At the time, it was one of the best facilities in Asia, but now it's tired and old. The redevelopment, forced on the athletes, is timely.

In these environmentally conscious days, the new building will be as green as they come. High on the priority list will be recycling with almost half of the 90,000 tonnes of construction waste being reused. The facility will also adopt various forms of energy efficient and greening features. But one of the most immediate impacts will be that on the labour market. It is estimated it will create about 1,080 jobs.

So when Tsang Tak-sing wields his shovel today, he will start a chain of events that will have huge repercussions.

"Having a vibrant and successful elite sports system is important for setting an example to the community," Leahy said. "It will provide role models to encourage young people to develop healthy and sporting lifestyles and therefore meet public health goals."

That would be the biggest legacy the Sports Institute could have. Spending HK$1.7 billion on a facility might be huge, but if it can cut down what the government spends on public health annually, it will be worth a thousand Olympic gold medals.


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## hkskyline

*新盤首季成交料破百億 *
23/03/2009









儘管去年爆發金融海嘯，但豪宅在供不應求下，本年首季仍熱銷。有研究指出，受九龍站豪宅新盤天璽開售銷情報捷帶動，本季截至三月十九日，一手私樓註冊量879宗，涉及總值達93.34億元，整季數字料突破100億元，創近三個季度新高。

美聯劉嘉輝表示，首季暫錄一手私樓註冊量共879宗，成交總值在天璽推售的帶動下，已達93.34億元，較去年第三、四季的82.35億元與81.46億元為高，最終料突破100億元，創近三個季度新高，而暫時平均每宗一手登記總值為1,060萬元。

貴價樓註冊激增 天璽最多
該行指出，本季暫錄註冊個案中，以天璽錄得註冊量最多，其次為深水絈海聨、大角咀柏豐28、九龍城豪門1期及佐敦德成軒等。另首季至今逾2,000萬元的新盤註冊量顯著急升，期內錄得166宗同類登記，較上季僅17宗急升876.5%，亦創三季新高。

另利嘉閣周滿傑指出，本月首十九天共錄4,640宗樓宇買賣登記，總值161.7億元，按月急升29%及37%。中原黃良昇預測本月整體物業登記錄7,200宗及總值245億元，將創六個月及八個月新高，首季數字料1.8萬宗及590億元，按季同升18%。


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## hkskyline

*New batch of happy flats joins seniors' Jolly Garden *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Hong Kong Housing Society is planning a third Senior Elderly Apartments Scheme project, offering 500 housing units with club-like facilities for middle-class senior citizens at Tanner Hill in North Point.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen officiated at the foundation-stone laying ceremony yesterday.

The project, estimated to cost HK$1.3 billion, is scheduled for completion by 2013.

The apartments will have sprinklers, emergency nurse alarms and specially-adapted doorbells. Other facilities include a medical center, gymnasium and an indoor swimming pool.

Vice-chairman Kenneth Chan Chi-yuk of the Elderly Service Association welcomed the project, saying it will help meet the increasing demand for accommodation for middle-class seniors.

He said the elderly residential apartments follow the concept of holiday resorts where they can enjoy room service just like in a hotel.

Chan pointed out that the association had underestimated the length of residency; it could increase from 10 to 15 years to around 20 years, extending waiting times for people seeking residence.

He noted that compared to other places in Asia, such as Taiwan, the development of residential homes for the elderly is still limited in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the society said the 576 units in Jolly Place, Tseung Kwan O and Cheerful Court, Ngau Chi Wan - also accommodating middle-class seniors - are now fully occupied and that there are about 200 people on the waiting list.


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## hkskyline

*Green standards laid down for major government buildings *
7 May 2009
South China Morning Post

The environmental performance of all newly built major government buildings must be certified under a recognised "green" certification scheme, according to an internal circular issued by the government last month.

Lawmakers also passed a motion yesterday urging the government to allocate more resources to promoting a green economy, including supporting sustainable transport, greener buildings and research into green products, to reduce carbon emissions and revive the economy.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in a written reply to lawmaker Tanya Chan yesterday that the Development and Environment bureaus had issued a circular last month requiring all newly built government buildings with a floor area of more than 10,000 square metres to be certified.

Two popular labelling schemes are widely used in Hong Kong, including an assessment service offered by local non-profit organisation HK-Beam Society and another which originates in the United States - the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) green building rating system.

Mrs Lam said buildings must meet at least the second highest certification standard of either scheme.

The HK-Beam scheme is under review partly because its assessment places little emphasis on the effect that "walling" (blocking of ventilation flows) has on the community. The review has been commissioned by the HK-Beam Society and the founding committee of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, which will be set up this autumn.

Mrs Lam said new assessment criteria emerging from the review would be taken into account in future government building projects, adding that the new Green Building Council would play an important role in promoting green buildings and environmental performance assessment. "We hope to set an example for private developers," she said.

Wong Kam-sing, founding member of the Green Building Council, welcomed the government's move. But he said he hoped government-related bodies and non-governmental bodies would also have their buildings assessed.

"If companies and organisations like the MTRC and the Urban Renewal Authority take part in the assessment, they will help create a market demand for green services," Mr Wong said.

In response to a motion debate yesterday, Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah said the term green economy covered a wide range of industries, including transport. He said Mitsubishi Motors would bring its newest electric car, the iMiev, to Hong Kong for road tests next week, and talks on carbon emission trading would begin this year.


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## hkskyline

*Youth group's Sai Kung outdoor camp plans to double capacity *
8 May 2009
South China Morning Post

A youth group is planning to double the size of its popular holiday and sporting complex in Sai Kung to meet a rising demand for outdoor sports training.

But the expansion plan, which would encroach upon country park areas, will need an environmental impact assessment before going ahead.

"It provides young people with a place to escape from the crowded city space and learn something, like sports, together," she said.

With a HK$133 million donation from the Jockey Club, the federation plans to add 16 dormitories, a cafe, a pier and a boathouse, venues for advanced rope courses and war games, a camp fire area, and enlarge the canteen. The residential capacity will increase from 236 to 460 bed places, and the floor area double to 15,000 square metres.

New activities will be introduced, including geology research trips, marine life research trips and heritage and cultural tours covering a Hakka village and St Joseph's Chapel at Yim Tin Tsai.

When work is finished in 2012, the expanded site is expected to cater for 150,000 users a year.

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the expansion would encroach upon Sai Kung West Country Park, and the Country and Marine Parks Board was consulted in 2006. The board would again consider the proposal, she said, when the federation submitted an environmental impact assessment. Ms Wong said a tree survey would be conducted and tree felling would be minimised.


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## hkskyline

*Pool complex to have limited impact on trees *
9 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Six trees would be cut down to make way for a new swimming pool complex in Victoria Park, but 90 new trees would be planted to replace them, the government said.

The HK$790 million redevelopment comprises an indoor heated swimming pool complex with a main pool and multipurpose pool with adjustable platforms, space for 2,500 spectators and facilities to hold competitions. The project is estimated to cost HK$1.07 billion, covering the relocation of a handball court and two roller-skating rinks.

Lawmaker Tanya Chan, of the Civic Party, asked how the development would affect the park's trees at a legislative council meeting yesterday.

Celina Kwok Wong Si-ling, chief project manager of the Architectural Services Department, said a total of 87 trees would be affected - 72 of which would be protected, nine transplanted to other areas in the park and six cut down because they were in poor condition.

"Those six trees are in bad condition and their chance of survival after transplant is not high," Mrs Kwok said, adding that the department would plant 90 new trees to compensate for their loss.

The six trees are neither heritage trees nor of a rare species, a spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kam Nai-wai also questioned the lack of a children's pool, saying it would discourage weekend family activities.

Paul Cheung Kwok-kee, the leisure department's assistant director, said it had decided to build an extra-large multipurpose pool - instead of a children's pool - because it could serve members of the public if the main pool was hosting a sports event.

The existing pool in Victoria Park can accommodate 1,700 spectators while the one in Kowloon Park, which will be used for the East Asian Games this year, holds 1,800 spectators.

The government will seek approval for the project from Legco's public works subcommittee by the end of this month.


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## hkskyline

*Revitalisation strikes sour note with bands *
5 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Struggling young band members are turning to old buildings in disused industrial estates as cheap places to set up studios, but are worried that urban renewal will displace them.

Darkness Pool, a band of five in their 20s, moved from a Mong Kok office tower to a Kwun Tong industrial building in search of cheaper rent.

They are keen to see the shabby area revitalised, but are afraid it may cause their rent to increase. They now pay HK$2,000 a month for a 180 sq ft room, which is big enough for them, their instruments, a sound mixer and a tiny sofa.

"Of course, we want more and nicer places for performance," said bass guitarist Matt Cheung. "But a better management and design could mean a higher rent. We might not be able to survive."

When they rented a studio in Mong Kok, they paid HK$100 an hour and had to stop at 11pm. At their current premises - where bands can be heard in 10 of the 20 rooms - they can stay as long as they like.

Companies organising gigs have also moved in and bands are regularly invited to a larger room in the building to perform.

Some 6.2 per cent of the city's industrial blocks are vacant, mostly in Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan. High land premiums and rigid building rules have made the process of changing land use difficult. Some owners modify the land use without a permit and rent their places to bands and artists, despite safety concerns.

Vincent Ng Wing-shun, of the steering committee on the renewal strategy review, said it should cover the revitalisation of industrial buildings. He said their accessibility could be improved and they could be marketed as an attraction.

Urban Renewal Authority chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen said making warehouses more productive was a win-win solution.


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## hkskyline

Harbour Grand by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Developers see home market bottoming out *
9 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Two developers have injected a note of optimism into the city's residential market, saying that it has reached a bottom and is set to turn around.

Kerry Properties said the sales and leasing markets have shown signs of stabilising in the past month, while Henderson Land Development said the housing market would continue to improve, helped by low interest rates and improved market liquidity.

"New flat supply in Hong Kong is scarce, with 12,000 units this year and 16,000 next year," said Chu Ip-pui, an executive director of Kerry Real Estate Agency, a subsidiary of Kerry Properties. "This is against an annual take-up of about 20,000 units in the past decade." .

Many potential buyers have hesitated since last year because of the financial crisis, but the pent-up demand is now being released, Mr Chu said after the company's annual meeting. He said buyers were being lured by low mortgage rates, and the market was bottoming out.

Henderson Land vice-chairman Colin Lam Ko-yin said that with interest rates in global markets falling and liquidity improving, the worldwide economy had passed through the most difficult period. He expected the residential market to improve.

In a recent research report, CLSA said home prices could see a 10 per cent rise this year, thanks to the limited supply.

The residential property market has been experiencing a gradual recovery since early January, with average transaction prices in the secondary market rising 11.1 per cent year to date, according to the Centa-City Leading Index.

This follows a sharp 23 per cent decline in prices in last year's fourth quarter in the aftermath of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the global stock markets.

"In view of the stronger than expected performance of the residential property market, we will expect major developers to speed up the launching of their new projects for sale in the coming months," said a CCB International Securities research report.

"With the overhang of the threat from swine flu and potential sellers adopting a more aggressive pricing, we would expect secondary market transaction prices to move sideways in the second quarter of 2009, but transaction volumes in both the primary and secondary markets are expected to decline," it said.

Kerry Properties said it aimed to sell a 548-unit residential project in Kwok Shui Road, Tsuen Wan, in June. It would launch a 488-unit project located between First Street and Second Street in Mid-Levels West in the fourth quarter.

Henderson Land aims to sell 900 units this year, including the pre-sale of its Sheung Shui property in the second or third quarter.


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## hkskyline

*Focus on finding space to make old areas more liveable 
Recreation areas a pressing issue in To Kwa Wan*
5 May 2009
South China Morning Post

In the second of a three-part series on the review of the urban renewal strategy, Olga Wong and Joyce Ng look at how old areas like To Kwa Wan and Kwun Tong can become more vibrant

For the elderly lingering outside the Cattle Depot Arts Village in To Kwa Wan, musical chairs is not so much a game as part of their daily routine. They watch and wait, hoping for one of the few public benches there to become free so they can sit down.

Urban renewal projects that have aimed to replace old buildings with high density high-rises have left the city with limited open space. However, the chance to change the current approach - formed in 2001 - may have arrived as the review of the renewal strategy will be opened to public discussion this month, government advisers said.

The government is already studying To Kwa Wan to see if industrial zones and old tenement buildings could become arts communities, a source close to the government said. But as in other old parts of the city, lack of open space remains a pressing issue, especially for the elderly.

The four seats outside the Cattle Depot Arts Village were the closest thing to open space residents had, 70-year-old resident Yeung Chi-kan said. He lives in "Thirteen Streets" - a dilapidated area in To Kwa Wan named for its 13 parallel streets.

The arts village, which opens at noon, is closed to its neighbours unless they are friends of artists or an exhibition is on. The nearest park, on Ma Tau Chung Road, is too far for most elderly people to walk, Mr Yeung said.

Disillusioned by the slow pace of the renewal process, Mr Yeung said the 83 buildings in Thirteen Streets were too shabby and small for the elderly. The ground floors are occupied by garages. Pavements are blocked by parked cars. Chemicals sprayed in the garages hang in the air.

The area does have a small waterfront with a few benches, but few people know they are there. "I've never gone near them, it's so messy here with the garages and the trucks going around," Mr Yeung said.

Dwarfed by new high-rises, To Kwa Wan is little more than a collection of rundown buildings and empty industrial structures. More than 2,300 residents are over 70 and close to a third of its population is already of retirement age.

Mr Yeung's neighbour, 78-year-old Wong Pak-yuen, said the high-rises had disrupted television and mobile phone receptions. Refurbishment of the old blocks is complicated due to a lack co-operation from the owners. Some residents are too old or too poor or do not have close contact with their neighbours.

Architect Ng Wing-shun, a member of the government steering committee reviewing the renewal strategy, said the current strategy - confined to a few buildings in a few streets for each project - was too small in scope to address the sort of problems endemic in To Kwa Wan.

"A larger site will allow more flexible designs. If we need a park, floor areas can be transferred to somewhere else in the same district," he said. "Then a project will still look financially sustainable."

Another steering committee member, Ho Hei-wah, said redevelopment projects had become less profitable because people favoured a less dense environment. "But we can't just refurbish old blocks. Social problems like urban poverty will still not disappear because a building gets a facelift," he said.

It was worth studying whether the Urban Renewal Authority could acquire the old blocks and rent them back to tenants after renovation, he said. "In that way, the overall living environment can be improved and will be maintained in the long run," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Architects say standards too easy *
12 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Architects and surveyors say the Urban Renewal Authority should not feel complacent about satisfying the present green building rating system, which is outdated and even approves of wall-like towers.

They say the present standards are easy to achieve and the authority should adopt new standards when they are updated at the end of the year.

The Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method (HK-Beam) scheme, now being reviewed, was drawn up in 1996 to enhance properties' value by giving them a green label. It gives credit to a new building if it fulfils criteria including savings in energy and water and use of recycled building materials.

But the scheme has rated some high-density bulky designs as "excellent". The microclimate factor, which considers how a new building blocks air circulation in the surroundings, accounts for just two of the 110 points.

Kenneth Chan Jor-kin, of the Institute of Surveyors, said it was not difficult to achieve platinum grade, the highest rating under the scheme. "Builders should now also pay attention to the impact on the neighbourhood, whether it will reduce air ventilation and overshadow the area," he said.

Institute of Architects vice-president Wong Kam-sing agreed, and added quasi-government organisations such as the authority should set a higher standard on energy savings as a role model. "The authority is in a good position to do so as redevelopment in the crowded city centre provides a chance to improve quality of life."

The authority's district development director, Stephen Lam Wai-nang, said it would require developers to make sure buildings in future projects achieved the highest standard under the HK-Beam scheme.

He said two past projects, Mount Davis 33 in Kennedy Town and Vision City in Tsuen Wan, had achieved platinum grade under the scheme.

The government said last week that all newly built government buildings with a floor area of more than 10,000 square metres would be certified under the green building rating system.


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## hkskyline

*Renewals must follow green code, URA says *
12 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Developers participating in renewal projects will be required to reduce carbon emissions by using environmentally friendly designs and measures that save energy, the Urban Renewal Authority said yesterday.

The authority was willing to bear the additional construction cost to set an example for developers to follow, the authority's chairman, Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, said. He said he expected developers would offer lower tender prices because of the authority's green policy.

The policy, comprising six principles, asks developers to save energy and water, use environmentally friendly building materials, increase green areas, add facilities for collecting recyclable waste, and reduce construction waste and environmental nuisance.

The principles will be translated into specific measures, depending on the site's constraints, and written as tender conditions to ensure they will be adopted by developers.

The authority estimates the measures will add only 2 per cent to 3 per cent to construction costs.

"We will pay for the extra cost at the initial stage as developers might adjust their tender price for the increase in construction cost," Mr Cheung said.

The authority has adopted green initiatives in the past, but by turning the initiatives into an official policy with stricter standards it hopes to become a pioneer in the adoption of new, green technologies.

The green policy will come into effect for the next renewal project - Lee Tung Street, also known as Wedding Card Street, in Wan Chai.

The developer winning the tender will be required to use e-glass as a structural fabric, reflecting half the solar radiation hitting the building and reducing the need for air conditioning. Street lamps in open spaces will be equipped with small wind turbines and solar panels to provide renewable energy. Grey water will be treated and used for toilet flushing, irrigation and cleansing.

"The measures will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 23 per cent, which is an equivalent to planting 170,000 trees," Mr Cheung said, adding the authority would do more in the upcoming Kwun Tong project.

Henderson Sunlight Assets Management chairman Tony Tse Wai-chuen, who was formerly in charge of Henderson Land Development's sales department, said green buildings were a market trend.

"A few per cent rise in construction costs is not significant, and it will be offset by savings in electricity tariffs," he said.

"The properties will also benefit from a greener environment."

A spokeswoman for the developer said it would respond to the authority's call for greener redevelopment if requirements were clearly set out in tender documents.


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## hkskyline

*Coupons fail to spark interest in URA poll *
6 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Urban Renewal Authority chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, who this year started its first study into the impact of redevelopment projects on residents, said an offer of supermarket coupons failed to encourage participation in the survey.

"The study tried to locate residents and identify the problems they were facing," Mr Cheung said.

But he said the pilot study, which included a survey of people who previously lived in old buildings in Sham Shui Po's Hai Tan, Kweilin and Pei Ho Streets, had encountered challenges.

Of the 784 households affected, only about 10 responded to the survey. Among those, some elderly residents complained that their living expenses had risen since they had moved out.

"A supermarket coupon was sent out to those who participated in the survey," Mr Cheung said. "Still, they showed little interest."

The authority is considering offering other incentives to residents.

"We will continue the study," he added. "The next one will be in Kwun Tong."

Ho Hei-wah, a member of the government's steering committee on urban renewal strategy, said tracking studies were important for improving the renewal process.

"The authority needs figures to prove whether it has done a good job or not," he said. "A tracking study will tell whether residents live a better life after going through the redevelopment process."

Wong Chun, a watch repairer affected by a Tai Kok Tsui redevelopment project, said business had fallen by 40 per cent since his shop was moved from a tenement building to a small shopping mall.

He said he hoped the authority would learn from his experience and improve the planning of future renewal projects.

"I used to give my wife HK$10,000 a month and still have savings for yum cha and betting on horses," he said. "Now I can only give her HK$6,000 and have no savings at all."

Mr Wong said he had lost his customers, who used to live in the tenement buildings but had now moved to other districts.

"In the old days, car owners would stop by and ask me to fix a watch for them because our shop was close to a road," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Swire plans to focus on building homes in HK*
15 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Swire Pacific said it would focus more on developing homes in Hong Kong over the next three years while building up a large investment portfolio on the mainland.

Group executive director Martin Cubbon said Swire planned to offer the residential project at Seymour Road for sale in two to three years.

"The residential market is where we want to expand in future. We will have more activity in the residential segment and have some potential [projects] going forward, but not everything is in place," he said.

"We have been expanding our portfolio [on the mainland], while we are still very interested in the Hong Kong market. The market has gone through quite a rocky period in the past five to six months, but we can see that it is picking up again."

Swire plans to increase its investment properties to 24 million square feet by 2013, of which 8 million sqft will be on the mainland and 16 million sqft in Hong Kong.

The company now owns 15 million sqft of office and retail properties in Hong Kong and 1 million sqft in Beijing.

Mr Cubbon said no formal decision had been made on the development plan for the Tai Sang Commercial Building in Wan Chai.

Swire's property unit acquired the building at an auction in December 2007 for HK$1.36 billion or HK$7,334 per square foot, extending the footprint of its Pacific Place in Admiralty.

Commenting on Swire's office rentals, Mr Cubbon said demand for office space remained strong.

"Rental is off its peak, which appeared in the middle of last year. The rate of decrease in rental is not as significant as what the market has been talking about," he said.

Chairman Christopher Pratt said the company had no immediate plan to seek a listing on the mainland stock market.


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## Chinese Translations

Look at that density! Beautiful!


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## hkskyline

*Opportunity knocks at prestigious hotel 
Up to 800 positions are available for people with a passion for the hospitality industry at new and luxurious Harbour Grand Hong Kong*
16 May 2009
South China Morning Post

The new Harbour Grand Hong Kong hotel will offer exceptional accommodation, impeccable service and unsurpassed hospitality for business and leisure travellers when it opens in June.

Located at Fortress Hill, the 41-storey hotel will be a stunning addition to the skyline of Hong Kong Island, with an ingenious architectural design in all of its 828 guest rooms, including 86 luxury suites. The rooms also have unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour.

To provide guests with high levels of comfort and service, the hotel plans to hire up to 800 new employees. Two recruitment days were organised in February, and resulted in several key positions being filled.

However, the recruitment process will continue to identify good applicants for the remaining vacancies.

"We have found many candidates with high potential in the recruitment events already held," said Benedict Chow, general manager of the Harbour Grand Hong Kong. "Some of them may not have work experience in the hospitality sector, but this is not so important since comprehensive training will be provided."

Mr Chow emphasised that the hotel was interested in finding people who could show that they were passionate about the industry, and who were willing to learn, were ambitious and also service orientated. Graduates in any discipline and non-graduates will be considered, but a good standard of English is essential, especially for people applying for guest contact positions.

As a five-star establishment, the hotel will emphasise the need for service excellence at all times and in all areas to create an ambience of luxury, comfort and quiet efficiency. For that reason, frontline staff would be known as "ambassadors" to highlight their role as representatives of the whole organisation.

"We believe that will help to upgrade our service standards," Mr Chow said. "It is important to let our colleagues understand that everything they do should be with guests in mind, and that we treasure all of their contributions."

New recruits will receive a period of intensive training. This will include an orientation programme, on-the-job training, and classes to become familiar with the in-house computer system. Where appropriate, the basic method used will be to "train the trainer" first, making it possible to pass on skills and practical knowledge quickly and effectively in different areas.

"We will identify suitable staff from each department to receive the training. After the course, they will design a programme which fits their departments' needs. Once they get approval from senior management, they can then train colleagues, while passing on the benefit of their experience and general advice at the same time."

Employees will have the chance to study specific job-related courses to improve their specialist skills and acquire new proficiencies. As an example, there will be regular language courses in English, Putonghua and Japanese, while the hotel will also encourage staff to learn other languages, such as Korean, French and Spanish, to enhance their overall versatility.

Looking further ahead, the Harbour Grand Hong Kong intends to promote from within wherever possible. There should also be additional opportunities for long-term career development among the nine hotels of the Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts group, and also with the respective parent companies, Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong.

"Employees will be able to work with the other hotels and, of course, colleagues can expect to be part of the job rotation programme that will let them gain experience in other departments," Mr Chow said. "There is great potential for exciting careers. That is why candidates have to prepare themselves and have the right approach, otherwise they risk missing out on this opportunity."

Close to Fortress Hill MTR station, the Harbour Grand Hong Kong is only 10 minutes from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and offers convenient transport connections to the AsiaWorld-Expo via the airport express. For business travellers and convention participants, the hotel also offers a full complement of facilities and services for meetings, events and conferences.

"The function facilities occupy more than 12,600 sqft, and the ballroom can accommodate up to 45 tables. This is certainly one of our big advantages," Mr Chow said.

In terms of leisure and dining, the hotel will feature a 27-metre swimming pool facing the harbour, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, and five outstanding restaurants offering diverse cuisine. Spectacular views will be offered from the top-floor restaurant and lounge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows.


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## hkskyline

*Home buyers slow action *
18 May 2009
Hong Kong Standard
English
Copyright 2009 The Standard Newspapers Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Real estate buyers have turned cautious oncontinuing worries about the economy and a rise in property prices.

Due to a lack of new projects, only about 40 deals were recorded in the primary residential market over the weekend - or 60 less than the previous weekend's sales, according to agents.

Most of those sales were at three locations. Twelve homes were sold at Jadewater in Aberdeen, about 10 at Emerald Green in Yuen Long and eight at Harbour Place in Hung Hom.

There were 59 deals in the 10 largest housing estates over the weekend, down 11 percent from 66 sales the previous weekend, according to Midland Realty.

Centaline Property Agency said 59 units were sold in the 10 largest housing estates over the weekend, slightly up 1.7 percent from the previous weekend.

``Prospective buyers are taking a wait-and-see approach because of the human swine flu scare and gloomy economic data,'' said Ricacorp Properties managing director Willy Liu Wai-keung.

Hong Kong's economy shrank 7.8 percent year on year in the first quarter.

There would be cause for optimism if prices and transactions remain stable in the second half, said Pan Asian Mortgage Advisory economist Alvin Ho.

But agents also said that flat-owners are looking to raise prices as they are expecting an economic recovery within this year. Some estates have seen prices returning to levels that prevailed before the financial crisis hit last September.

According to Centaline, the average selling price of City One in Sha Tin during May was up 6.5 percent on last September to HK$4,023 per square foot, while Tai Koo Shing rose 2.7 percent over September to HK$6,821 psf.

*New World Development (0017), meanwhile, is ready to move along from Emerald Green to launch its Hanoi Road project in Tsim Sha Tsui, a third block of Harbour Place and Belcher's Street in Sai Wan.

Henderson Land (0012) intends to launch Royal Green in Sheung Shui this week, with three-bedroom units priced above HK$3 million each on average.*


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## hkskyline

By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Water Cube wrapper on HK pool project *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hong Kong is to have its own take on the "Water Cube" - the unique National Aquatics Center built for the Beijing Olympics. But only in terms of the material used to build it, not its shape.

The substance used in the construction of Beijing's Olympic pool building, a plastic film called ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, will be used to reconstruct the Kennedy Town public swimming pool into a leisure center with jacuzzis for the elderly and children, according to the MTR Corp.

The streamlined swimming center is part of the local community enhancement program along the Island West line extension and is located at a car park near the Belcher Bay Park on Shing Sai Road.

The MTRC's senior design management architect, Abdul Rahim, said the film is an energy-saving, cost-effective construction material because it maximizes natural lighting and minimizes heat.

It is also highly transparent and low in reflectivity to reduce disturbance to the neighborhood.

Lighter than metal cladding, concrete and glass, it also saves construction time and materials.

There are two other projects that used the plastic - the English Schools Foundation Discovery College in Discovery Bay and Hong Kong International Airport's Terminal One.

Work on the outdoor swimming pool will start mid-year and it will be open to the public by April 2011. The indoor phase will be completed by 2015.

The project is under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and tenders are still being sought.

The new look for the Kennedy Town facility integrates environment-friendly lines with the makings of family enjoyment, according to project liaison manager Tang Pak-tung.


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## hkskyline

*Group seeks redevelopment of Kowloon City Plaza site *
5 January 2008
South China Morning Post

A consortium led by Morgan Stanley has submitted an application to redevelop Kowloon City Plaza in Kowloon City into three residential buildings.

The Town Planning Board said the developer had applied last month to have the site rezoned as a comprehensive development or residential area instead of a commercial development with a public car park.

It said the developer planned to build three 23-storey residential buildings with four basement levels, providing 396 units.

It said the 63,733 square foot site has the potential to provide 414,268 sqft of residential area and a 159,334 sqft commercial area. The board will discuss the application within the next two months.

Last September, the developer won Building Department approval to build a 15-storey retail building extension on top of the 10-storey Kowloon City Plaza shopping centre. The building extension will have a total gross floor area of 160,382 sqft.

Singuz Lo, director of Pamfleet Property Asset Management, one of the shopping complex's shareholders, said he was not aware of the latest application. He said the development of the commercial extension was still in the planning stages.

In 2004, Morgan Stanley, Pamfleet Property Asset Management and Pioneer Global Group bought Paliburg Plaza in Causeway Bay and Kowloon City Plaza for HK$2 billion. It was the first time a foreign investor had acquired a shopping centre in Hong Kong.

The developer invested HK$100 million in renovating and repositioning Kowloon City Plaza in 2006.

The owner said the upgrade allowed it to charge retail rents of between HK$30 per square foot and HK$150 per square foot - double the levels before the renovation.

Kowloon City Plaza at 128 Carpenter Road, next to Kowloon Walled City Park, is a 10-storey shopping complex.

DTZ retail department director Lawrence Heung Ping-chung said he believed the sharp rise in residential prices in the fourth quarter of last year prompted the decision to redevelop the shopping complex into residential buildings.

Kowloon City Plaza has seen greater competition from new shopping centres being set up in Kowloon East in the past 10 years, including apm in Kwun Tong and Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong. Most of the new complexes were near the MTR, he said.

However, Kowloon City Plaza's distance from the MTR would make the project a harder sell. "There is no large scale residential project in the area. It is difficult for the shopping complex to develop into a retail landmark from a regional shopping centre," Mr Heung said.

He said he believed the renovation plan had had a positive impact on the shopping centre, but warned: "Kowloon City Plaza provides a retail area of 630,000 sqft, which is oversized for a regional shopping mall."


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## hkskyline

*URA urged to adopt green approach*
22 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Urban Renewal Authority developments should be set further back from the road to increase air flow and reduce the "heat island" effect, an architectural group has proposed.

And at least 30 per cent of a redevelopment should be devoted to greenery to additionally bring down temperatures in urban areas, it said.

"Wider streets facilitate better ventilation, which will help mitigate the heat island effect," said Wong Kam-sing, chairman of the Professional Green Building Council, a grouping of architects and surveyors. The heat island effect refers to localised "hot spots" created by building density.

Setting buildings further back from the street should be a standard design policy for all authority projects in the future, Mr Wong said, and he would make that suggestion at the authority's seminar on green architecture today.

A study commissioned by the Buildings Department, which has not yet been released, has found that buildings on opposite sides of a road should be at least 15 metres apart to allow for better air ventilation and reduce roadside pollution.

"Both Tokyo and Hong Kong are facing intensive heat island effects, but Tokyo has already drawn up a master plan offering mitigation measures," Mr Wong said.

One suggestion is increasing vegetation around buildings. In Guangzhou, developers must devote 30 per cent of the ground level to greenery. In Japan, both the rooftop and ground level must have 30 per cent greening. In Singapore, schools are given funding for maintaining green areas.

"Hong Kong can be less stringent at the initial stage," he said, "greening on podiums and sky gardens can also be counted towards the 30 per cent green coverage".

The council, separate from the official Hong Kong Green Building Council, to be established later this year, advocates a four Cs principle for choosing a green home: compactness, carbon advantage, connectivity, and comfort and health. "A smaller flat with cross ventilation is better than a larger flat with little airflow," he said.


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## hkskyline

觀龍樓 by *SillYIN* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Impressed by Hong Kong? Not yet, says Gehry *
23 May 2009
South China Morning Post

There was nothing in Hong Kong's architecture that caught the eye of one of the world's leading architects, who insisted yesterday that he would be sensitive to local culture in designing his first residential project in the city, also his first in Asia.

That was what Frank Gehry, winner of 1989 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the architect behind many iconic buildings like the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, told a crowd of more than 100 yesterday.

Mr Gehry was in the city for the opening of Louis Vuitton: Passion for Creation, an exhibition presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation as part of Le French May Art Festival.

A model of Mr Gehry's design for the foundation's building in Paris was also exhibited alongside works by renowned artists, from Gilbert & George and Richard Prince to Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami.

Speaking at the Museum of Art, Mr Gehry shared his work experience and charmed the audience. Asked if he had a favourite piece of architecture, Mr Gehry immediately responded: "Not yet."

That drew a round of applause, but Mr Gehry quickly added that there must be hidden gems in the city that he had not seen. "Surely some of the historical buildings here are quite beautiful," he said.

Mr Gehry, who has been commissioned by Swire Properties to develop his first residential project in Asia at 53 Stubbs Road, revealed that he would respond to local cultural elements in the work.

Compared to the concert halls and museums that he has built, Mr Gehry said that residential buildings offered less opportunity and less reason to be iconic.

The Stubbs Road project is expected to be a 12-storey building to be completed in 2011 with the help of Hong Kong-born architect Edwin Chan. But Mr Gehry declined to disclose details, saying: "You will know when the building is done."

Mr Gehry also expressed an interest in designing museums for Hong Kong, but he did not elaborate.

He pointed out the importance of architecture and the arts, citing his own experience with the Walt Disney Concert Hall. "Financial return could be significant with successful architectural projects," he said.

Mr Gehry said that despite criticism, he paid attention to green issues. "We just don't talk about it. I wouldn't be allowed to build buildings if I don't do that," he said.

The exhibition ends on August 9.


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## hkskyline

屯 門 西 鐵 站 上 蓋 項 目
By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Project offers a return to an earlier era
Grosvenor The Westminster Terrace above Castle Peak Road will boast large balconies and a host of residents' facilities *
29 May 2009
South China Morning Post

Luxury home hunters will have another development in their sights later this year when property giant Grosvenor plans to place its latest Hong Kong project on the market.

Grosvenor, the 300-year-old institution owned by one of England's richest men, the Duke of Westminster, aims to replicate the success of its Grosvenor Place project in Repulse Bay. This time it will bear another grand English title.

Finishing touches are being put to The Westminster Terrace, above Castle Peak Road, with show flats at the 39-storey building due to open around the time of the market launch of the luxury duplexes in the autumn.

The tower, overlooking the Rambler and Ma Wan channels with views of the Tsing Ma and Ting Kau bridges, will feature 56 units of 3,000-plus sqft. There will also be two 4,000-plus sqft panoramic units and a 6,000-plus sqft penthouse, which will be placed on the market at a later date.

"The project is still under construction and we are yet to announce the prices of our units. Once completed, and based on the market situation of that time, we will decide the most suitable pricing," Nicholas Loup, Grosvenor's managing director for Asia, said.

"A lot of thought has gone into the finishing of the exterior, internal layouts and the best use of available materials [for The Westminster Terrace]. Units this size should be quite attractive now. It's a decent building [that will be marketed at] reasonable prices."

Two prominent designers - London architect Paul Davis and Tokyo's interior specialist Koichiro Ikebuchi - were commissioned for the project after their success with projects in Japan and elsewhere in Grosvenor's portfolio.

Another top name in interiors, leading British designer Tara Bernerd, of Target Living, will steer the penthouse project.

The Westminster Terrace will also have more than 60,000 sqft of landscape and facilities, including a clubhouse, tennis court, swimming pool and putting green. Top landscape specialist Urbis is working with Andy Sturgeon Landscape and Garden Design on the outdoors.

But a prime selling point, according to Grosvenor's Hong Kong team, is the substantial balcony sizes.

"It's a person-based and very practical approach to design with quite interesting departures which we hope will be a little different from the competition," Mr Loup said.

"One feature of the units is the large balconies - of about 250 to 270sqft of usable space - which is enough for barbecues and which we hope will appeal to families and set the units apart from others.

"The commissioning of two designers, plus a third for the penthouse, should give homebuyers a choice of designs, which will be seen with the opening of the show flats," he said.

"The idea is that property designs are made individually - we believe that will be a new look for Hong Kong. The aim is to give each duplex a practical and personal design touch."

Mr Loup was buoyant about sales prospects for The Westminster Terrace and said the philosophy of investing for decades - or in the case of Grosvenor, over centuries - meant established investors were resilient, despite local property market uncertainties and the bruising dealt to the profits of international developers, including Grosvenor, over the past year.

"We're cautiously optimistic about the outlook as there seems to be a growing consensus on the market that maybe we are past the worst now. There has been a flurry of transactions especially when sales rest on quality of product," Mr Loup said.

He added that there was substantial market feedback, ranging from property agents seeking to raise cash for purchases, to mainland Chinese and local people waiting for the right time to upgrade, particularly to high-end apartments.

Mr Loup was also able to shrug off the "industrial Kowloon versus fashionable Hong Kong" argument as he looked across from his seat in the Grosvenor Asia boardroom in Central to the International Commerce Centre (ICC) across the harbour.

A combination of business owners with strong links to the mainland, international banks taking up floors in the ICC for their regional headquarters and the fact that Hong Kong Island lacks space and is losing that all-important value-for-money factor indicate why many corporates are looking north for luxury accommodation.

The upwardly mobile and Hong Kong's army of business owners with factories across the border were among target market for The Westminster Terrace, Mr Loup said. And, compared with Hong Kong Island, that elevation above Castle Peak Road meant shorter journeys to the boundary crossing and airport, and easy access to the ICC and the island through the MTR or Western Harbour Crossing.

"If you pinpoint Tsuen Wan on the map, it's basically about the centre of Hong Kong and about 20 minutes from the airport, 20 minutes from China and within reach of Central and the ICC," Mr Loup said.

"If you look at the history of the [Tsuen Wan] area, it was formerly a resort for Hong Kong's wealthier families who wanted nice sea views. Now it's like a return to such an era."

The Westminster Terrace is in the lap of luxury as far as developments around Castle Peak Road are concerned. A host of elegant residential brand names including Dynasty Court, Hanley, Belvedere and Primrose Hill are nearby.

The Westminster Terrace is seen as occupying pride of place alongside other developments named after the firm in its Asia portfolio, including The Grosvenor Place that has views overlooking Yoyogi Park in the centre of Tokyo. After the Repulse Bay project, Grosvenor is strengthening its position in East Asia with projects in Shanghai.


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## hkskyline

Bigfoot Centre - by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*BUY OR SELL-HK property: bottomed out or overinflated? *

HONG KONG, June 1 (Reuters) - Hong Kong real estate has shown early signs of regaining its status as hot property, with a new development getting a warm reception. But, where some experts see recovery, others see just a speculative bubble.

Last week's launch by Lake Silver, a new joint venture residential project between Sino Land and MTR Corp , drew tens of thousands of prospective homebuyers despite a summer downpour -- a strong showing shortly after top lender HSBC slashed its savings rate to near-zero, boosting the attraction of the 4-5 percent average annual rental yield for property investments.

Hong Kong home sales between May 1-26 were close to 11,000 units, the highest since February 2008, and surprisingly strong for a traditionally slow month ahead of the school summer break.

The early signs of a potential rebound have lit a fire under major Hong Kong developer stocks. Since early March, shares of sector leaders Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Sun Hung Kai Properties have jumped more than 70 percent, while Sino Land has nearly tripled.

BUY

"The recent strength in the property sector was an adjustment to the earlier over-pessimism," said Wong Leung-sing, director of research for Centaline Property Agency Ltd.

Like others, Wong attributed the rebound in home sales to low interest rates and a volatile stock market which have driven investors to property in search of better returns. But he said the jury was still out on whether a recovery is really underway.

"If June figures track the strong numbers in May, it's quite safe to say a market recovery is on the way," he said.

Developers are playing it safe by pricing new projects well below their early 2008 peak, reflecting lower optimism on a rapid price recovery. Home prices are back at their pre-Lehman collapse level, after sliding 15 percent from their March 2008 peak.

TOO MUCH TOO FAST?

Others suggest it is still too early to call a recovery, and the recent run-up in property stocks could be too much too fast.

"I won't suggest investors chase after property stocks as the positive factors are pretty much reflected in the surge," said Patrick Yiu, a director with CASH Asset Management.

Sino Land, a proxy for the Hong Kong residential sector, now carries a net asset value (NAV) premium of close to 18 percent, according to Citigroup research, making it among the most expensive stock in the sector. Likewise, Sun Hung Kai carries a rich NAV premium close to 10 percent.

Cheung Kong, at a NAV discount of 16 percent, Hang Lung Properties and Kerry Properties , with their exposure to the Chinese property sector, are seen as safer bets.

Even after real estate price declines over the last year, Hong Kong properties still command significant premiums over major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, according to Citigroup.

"Comparatively, Chinese property is a better bet as it seems to have more room on the upside after a plunge in mainland property prices last year," said Yiu.

With economic fundamentals still weak, heady property stock valuations suggest the market may have run ahead of itself.

"There are people who worry they will miss their chance to buy property if they don't move now, but this is a short term factor that will drive demand," said Nicholas Yeo, Hong Kong and China equities manager at Aberdeen Asset Management.

"In the long term, there is uncertainty over the magnitude of an economic recovery, if we have one."


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## hkskyline

*HK's manic property prices risk depression *
1 June 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong's property market has always had a manic-depressive sort of character, with wild and unpredictable swings of mood from boom to bust and back again to boom.

Right now, however, sentiment towards property prices seems more schizophrenic than anything else, with analysts in two minds, not knowing which way to turn.

In recent weeks, the mood has clearly been more up than down. Flats in Sino Land's monstrous new Lake Silver complex overlooking Tolo Harbour have been selling like hot cakes, with 1,000 units snapped up in just the past few days.

Across the city, the volume of property transactions has returned to levels last seen around the peak of the market last spring, and overall, residential property prices are up by about 10 per cent over the year to date.

At the same time, Hong Kong is an economy in recession. Output shrank 4.3 per cent in the first three months of the year compared with the last quarter of last year. The number of unemployed has shot up to 197,000 from just 112,000 early last year, and incomes - traditionally the most important influence on local property prices - have come under severe pressure.

As a result, observers are divided about the likely direction of the market prices. Analysts at Citigroup, for example, are predicting that prices will rise 15 per cent from present levels, while their opposite numbers at Credit Suisse expect a 15 per cent fall. Casual observers are bound to wonder which forecast is correct.

In all probability, they both are.

The reason prices are up so strongly this year is simple. Hong Kong is afloat on a sea of liquidity. According to Morgan Stanley, more than HK$500 billion in surplus liquidity is slopping around the financial system. A good deal of that money has gone into the stock market, pushing shares up 70 per cent from last October's low.

And a lot has flowed into property. With mortgage rates as low as 2 per cent and faith in financial assets badly shaken by the Lehman Brothers minibond scandal, investors are going back to bricks and mortar, and pumping money into property. That's why Citigroup expects prices to increase a further 15 per cent.

Whether the rally is sustainable in the longer run, however, is doubtful. Credit Suisse's analysts believe much of the liquidity that has flowed into the Hong Kong property market is an indirect spillover from the massive increase in bank lending on the mainland over the past few months.

In the first quarter of this year, mainland banks extended a massive 4.6 trillion yuan (HK$5.22 trillion) in new loans.

And as the first chart below shows, a sharp increase in mainland lending is usually followed a few months later by a steep rise in Hong Kong property prices, largely because of a liquidity-induced wealth effect channelled through the stock market.

That's troubling, because recent signs indicate the mainland authorities are beginning to tighten up on lending out of fear for banks' asset quality. As they do, liquidity could start to drain out of the Hong Kong property market.

If that happens, fundamental economic factors will begin to reassert their influence over property prices, and the fundamentals hardly look supportive.

As the second chart below illustrates, in the past, Hong Kong property prices have shown a strong negative correlation with the unemployment rate. As job losses mount, property prices tend to fall.

That relationship appears to have broken down recently. But with the unemployment rate widely expected to climb towards 7 per cent over the second half of the year, property analysts warn the boom in residential prices is looking dangerously fragile.

Some are now predicting a pending bust, which is why Credit Suisse is forecasting a 15 per cent slump from current prices.

Even the bulls at Citigroup agree, warning that although the immediate outlook is for further gains, the longer-term prospect is bleak.

Perhaps the market isn't schizophrenic after all; just gearing up for a bout of depression.


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## hkskyline

*西港島線 接通港大新校園 *
2 June 2009
香港經濟日報

港鐵西港島線大學站將有兩個出入口接通香港大學，其中寶翠園出入口接通港大新建的百周年校園，市民可由車站直接前往對外開放的百周年花園，及3幢活化歷史建築；至於接駁港大黃克競樓的出入口，亦會24小時接通薄扶林道，方便師生出入。

工程費逾30億元的港大百周年校園計劃2012年落成，而造價達154億元的西港島線料於2014年通車。西港島線全長3公里及有3個車站，包括西營盤、大學及堅尼地城。

往百周年校園 僅2分鐘

港鐵項目統籌經理鄧伯洪表示，大學站共有5個出入口，其中兩個接通黃克競樓及百周年校園，全以升降機來回車站與地面，乘搭時間約20秒，並以行人天橋接通港大。

鄧又稱，黃克競樓出入口共有8部升降機，車站往校園內只須約3分鐘；而寶翠園出入口通往百周年校園有4部升降機，站內往地面約為2分鐘。

西港島線以融入社區概念興建，港大物業處高級助理處長譚景良表示，師生及市民可經車站來往大學與社區，最遠可由大學往較近海邊的卑路乍街。

譚透露，百周年校園將興建面積逾4萬平方呎的百周年花園，而新校園內3幢歷史建築，會與水務署商討把屬三級歷史建築的西區濾水廠，變身為水務博物館。

譚又指，其餘兩幢為二及三級歷史建築的舊員工宿舍，亦會活化及對外開放。港大發言人補充，正研究該兩幢建築的活化，如變為書店、康樂或展覽用途的場地。

另一方面，運輸及房屋局局長鄭汝樺昨於立法會鐵路事宜小組委員會，解釋西港島線造價由89億元升至154億元，以及政府注資由60億元增加至127億元的問題。

有議員形容，154億元是天價，質疑政府注資大增逾倍是偏袒港鐵，因港鐵投入資金反減2億元，要求當局提交財務報告。鄭表示，補助金加入退還機制，若工程費有剩餘，港鐵需在鐵路通車兩年後，連利息退還餘額，並指補助金額會於票價中反映。


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## hkskyline

*油麻地收舊樓 每戶逾110萬*
2009年06月03日(三)


















市區具重建價值舊樓，成財團購併目標。消息人士透露，油麻地德昌里16至22A號一列舊樓，已有逾90%業主同意出售單位，日內將分批與提出收購財團簽訂出售協議；據悉，住宅部分獲財團出價每方呎約3,300元收購，單位每戶收購價介乎逾110萬至約140萬元。
逾90%業主同意售樓

消息人士透露，德昌里16至22A號一列舊樓，樓高約8層，住宅單位共45伙，另地舖及天台戶各佔4伙，物業合共提供53個單位，現有樓面約2.5萬方呎。據悉，上址近期獲財團出價收購，已有逾90%業主同意出售單位，預計日內會分批落實簽署買賣合約，其中住宅部分收購呎價約3,300元，以上址單位面積 335至398方呎計算，收購價由逾110萬元起。

資料顯示，現時同區樓齡十餘年的單幢式物業，一個面積約400至500方呎單位，售價約150萬元，是次收購價貼近同區二手物業水平。

至於上址地舖及天台戶，據悉，收購財團仍與業主就收購價磋商中，而以整個項目地盤面積約5,580方呎，可發展商住地積比率九倍計算，估計可重建樓面逾5萬方呎。

另外，大鴻輝持有的逾92%業權的旺角亞皆老街110號A及B段，以及梭椏道10至14號前後座一列舊樓，亦已向土地審裁處提出強制拍賣申請。


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## hkskyline

Tai Koo hotel project by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*銀湖頂層戶賣1700萬*
2009年06月04日(四)




































新盤熱銷氣氛有增無減。信置開售僅約一周的烏溪沙站上蓋銀湖．天峰，累售1,700伙，佔項目約80%，平均呎價約5,500元。發展商透露，該盤一直預留的頂層連天台Lake Sky特色戶，現接受洽購，意向呎價料逾1萬元。入場費料逾1,700萬元，另該盤25個向內園景的低層連平台迎湖花園大宅，售價約500萬元起。
平台花園戶500萬起

信置營業及市場部總經理劉貴玉稱，銀湖．天峰剛加價2至5%，累售1,700伙，頂層複式連天台Lake Sky特色戶昨起接受洽購，該類單位面積1,685至2,582方呎，共有14伙，意向呎價逾1萬元。

她指出，該盤低層連平台花園戶Lake Garden的銷情亦續理想，至今已售出10伙，其中向內園的平台戶佔6伙，呎價約7,500至8,000元，由於該類向內園景單位均享泳池及平台花園景，故命名為迎湖花園大宅，售價料近500萬元起。
YOHO Town2期今命名

另發展商加速推盤。新地今公布下半年重頭項目之一的元朗YOHO Town2期名稱，該盤提供約1,890伙，並設大型購物商場。代理透露，年底前元朗區新盤市況勢熱鬧，恒地提供60伙的傲．茵料最快月內率先登場，長實的洪水橋項目料第四季開售。

代理稱，同屬新地等的紅磡海濱南岸第3座料下月開售，意向呎價至少7,000元，另北角形品今展開路演攻勢。

消息指出，新地剛以約1.08億元售出九龍站凱旋門摩天閣60樓以上A室，呎價約3.1萬元，市傳買家為中資人士。中原林龍南稱，一名居於北角半山的印尼華僑斥資約3,800萬元購入北角港濤軒4個高層1,039方呎D室收租，呎價9,143元，租金回報率料4厘。

香港置業指出，上月土地註冊處錄2,364宗一手登記，按月升近65%，創十八個月新高，登記總值104.8億元，為金融海嘯後首次破百億元。


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## hkskyline

*銅鑼灣中央樓獲26億收購*
2009年06月06日(六)


















田生集團與韋堅信測量師行為加快銅鑼灣中央樓出售事宜，宣布聯手收購該物業，收購價訂為約26億元，平均呎價逾1.1萬元，而昨舉行的業主大會內，據悉部分小業主已即場簽署臨時買賣合約。田生集團主席區永華透露，有4、5個發展商、基金及海外財團表示對項目有興趣。

區氏表示，昨日約有240名業主代表出席大會，希望本月底前能統一上址85%業權，屆時即向業主派發臨時訂金，冀望明年可取得逾90%業權。項目收購價26億元，以重建商廈樓面計，每方呎約11,377元，料項目總發展成本達33億元。
新法書院地申改建住宅

政府勾地表內九龍塘延文禮士道住宅地的出售計劃再受阻，城規會認為建築物高度訂為約13層，與鄰近高約8層的學校等不協調，決定押後審議，並發還規劃署再作景觀影響評估，研究能否再減高度，市場人士料地皮或會再減值，以及延後出售。

另外，薄扶林道Jessville大宅，獲准於毗鄰建兩幢18層及22層高住宅，大宅原址保留，另文福道新法書院剛申請改劃為住宅用途，重建1幢21層高住宅。


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## hkskyline

*長實兩盤買家逾半上會*
2009年06月06日(六)









近期多個新盤陸續入伙上會。長實指出，旗下料於月內開始交樓的將軍澳日出康城1期首都及何文田半山壹號1期，兩盤分別已有逾三分二及約一半買家上會。

另外，市場人士指出，泛海的香港仔南灣御園獲用家以逾2,000萬元購入頂層B室及C室，呎價約1.2萬元，創項目新高。
領都或貼市價推售

長實地產投資董事黃思聰接受查詢時表示，首都及半山壹號1期料快將開始交樓，首都至今已錄逾三分二買家上會，料最終將近全數買家上會，而半山壹號1期已錄約一半買家上會。

他續稱，日出康城2期領都設於尖沙咀港景滙的示範單位及售樓處已完工，只要批出預售文件，最快月內開放示範單位及開售，估計將以貼市價錢開盤。
南灣御園10伙租轉賣

其他新盤方面，泛海執行董事關堡林稱，集團決定推出南灣御園10至15樓共10個A室及E室轉租為售，料平均呎價約6,000元。

至於荃灣縉庭山，發展商表示，項目已獲批預售，昨起展開路演，最快下周開售，並先推第1座。首批以貼市價發售，先推連平台戶「縉庭花園」，該類單位已有買家透過代理出價7,000至8,000元洽購。之後推出頂層特色戶「縉庭大宅」，目前有買家出價每方呎逾1萬元洽購。緊接推出標準戶，料平均意向呎價 6,000元，兩房戶入場費逾300萬元。


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## hkskyline

*連續兩個月無新個案 創逾兩年低位 待批預售申請跌至6551伙 *
5 June 2009
星島日報

近月發展商減慢申請預售樓花同意書的步伐，地政總署公布，上月未錄新增預售樓花的私人住宅申請，累積錄得連續兩個月未錄得發展商提交新申請，令待批預售樓花同意書的住宅單位項目進一步下跌，至六千五百多伙，創○七年四月錄得四千九百多伙申請以來，二十六個月以來新低。

地政總署公布，上月批出一宗住宅預售樓花同意書，為興勝創建九龍塘One LaSalle。惟五月份並未錄得新住宅樓花申請，為連續兩個月零宗新申請。在待批項目逐一批出，但連月未有新增申請的情況下，現時待批預售樓花單位數目，已由四月份的六千五百六十五個，進一步銳減至六千五百五十一伙，創○七年四月錄得四千九百多伙申請以來，二十六個月以來新低。

One LaSalle擬月內推

興勝創建項目管理董事周嘉峰指出，One LaSalle可望在月內推售，現時示範單位正趕建中，可望在稍候時間開放予外界參觀，至於項目的標準單位，意向價逾五千萬元，而特色戶會以洽購情況推出。市場消息指，現時該盤已錄得約六宗預留。

領都及大圍項目待批

現時待批當中較為大型的待批項目，包括將軍澳領都及沙田大圍項目等，均是發展商在去年時已提出的申請。香港置業行政總裁李志成表示，自海嘯以後，發展商推盤速度較之前謹慎，他預測隨着市況向好，樓市交情況持續熱烈，發展商推盤速度加快，將令到待批單位由低位逐步回升。

美聯物業首席分析師劉嘉輝則認為，儘管待批及批出數字同創新低，但目前市場有多個早已批出樓花同意書，加上部分尚未推出市場的新盤項目可隨時推出市場發售，相信待批及批出數字創新低未會影響發展商推盤步伐。


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## hkskyline

YOHO Town II by *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Opinion : Should developers get extra floor space for adding green features? *
6 June 2009
South China Morning Post

Should developers get extra floor space for adding green features?

Property developers who cut back on their developments to introduce green elements into their designs should be rewarded with extra floor space.

But those who use it as a trick to encroach into public areas by growing trees on footpaths do not deserve this reward. Planting trees on footpaths is the government's responsibility, and should not be negotiated with builders.

Planting greenery on rooftops and podiums and creating sky gardens should be the social responsibility of all developers and must be integrated into all their designs.

Developers should not use this as a bargaining chip to get more floor space from the government. In fact, the government must make it mandatory for developers to provide greenery in all their projects.

Nalini Daswani, Tsim Sha Tsui


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## hkskyline

*Grand addition to the city's growing number of Harbour hotels *
3 June 2009
South China Morning Post

Think there are enough hotels in this city named Harbour? Apparently, the Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts group doesn't think so. In addition to the Harbour Plaza North Point, the Harbour Plaza Metropolis (Hung Hom), Harbour Plaza Resort City (Tin Shui Wai) and the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong (which actually isn't in Hong Kong but also in Hung Hom), the group just added another property to its roster, which had a soft opening on Monday. To distinguish itself from its siblings, the new Fortress Hill inn is called Harbour Grand Hong Kong. What also differentiates the new waterfront hotel, with its 828 rooms and five restaurants, is its five-star ambitions, compared to the slightly lower grades of its sister accommodations.

"It's now the flagship of our resorts," marketing manager Wings Mok boasted. "We started operation on Monday and everything is open except for one of the five restaurants, the Japanese Nagomi. But what I think people should check out is the venue on the 41st floor. Le 188 restaurant & lounge is so called because it has a 188-degree harbour view."

It seems this won't be the only Harbour Grand in town though. The Harbour Plaza Hong Kong will in time be spruced up and have its moniker changed to the Harbour Grand Kowloon in the near future.


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## hkskyline

*What you see is not what you get *
8 June 2009
The Standard

A green group has called on property giants to be more honest when pushing sales of their latest developments.

Green Sense said sales brochures are often misleading, depicting a cluster of towers standing among green hills and a sparkling shore, such as the Lake Silver development in the New Territories by MTR Corp and Sino Land.

``The brochures give a false impression of the surrounding area,'' Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong said.

``The fact is the green belt shown circling a development may be replaced with a ring of taller developments or may lay barren,'' he said.

Tam slammed Sino Land sales tactics at the Lake Silver development, above Wu Kai Sha MTR station, and the railway company's joint development of the LOHAS park in Tseung Kwan O with Cheung Kong, claiming they have failed to mention that today's sea views would be blocked by future phases.

He said it is common practice for developers to start selling flats furthest away from the shoreline, telling buyers they would have a sea view.

``Citizens when buying flats, should really scrutinize the information, while the government should put restrictions on sales brochures for developments and developers should have tighter control on their selling procedures,'' said Tam, adding a sea view may cost an extra HK$370,000.

Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit said sales brochures should be written in a concise and simple manner in both English and Chinese, along with information on amenities within a 200-meter radius.

Leong also reiterated calls for the government to legislate against misrepresentations and omissions in sales literature.

``People who are making one of the biggest investments in their life should not be misled about the saleable area and neighboring facilities and should get what they are paying for.''

He also said planning perimeters such as plot ratio, building height and site coverage need to be written into outline zoning plans and land grant conditions to eliminate gray areas which developers may exploit. ``Up to this date, developers have demonstrated self-regulation is ineffective.''


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## hkskyline

*China Overseas to pay $151 mln premium for HK site *

HONG KONG, June 8 (Reuters) - Top Chinese developer China Overseas Land said it has agreed to pay a HK$1.18 billion (US$151 million) land premium to the government for a low-density residential development in the New Territories.

Investment for the development would total HK$3 billion, including construction costs of HK$800 million, the developer said in a statement over the weekend.

The development, comprising 260 units, was scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2012, it added.

Shares of China Overseas Land rose 2.1 percent to HK$16.44 on Monday morning.

Recent strong flat sales in the territory have prompted developers to speed up promotion activity and raise sale prices moderately.

Analysts said the willingness of developers to pay a land premium was indicative of their outlook on the property market.

(US$1=HK$7.8)


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## hkskyline

Tai Koo hotel project by *鄧麗欣之戀 * from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*$1b boost sought for facelift scheme *
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, June 11, 2009

More than 1,500 old buildings have been earmarked for a facelift which will create 20,000 jobs, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after seeking an additional HK$1 billion from the Legislative Council for Operation Building Bright, Lam said the original intention had been to help renovate 1,000 old buildings, 500 of which belonged to owner corporations.

However, more than 1,100 owner corporations applied for financial assistance under the scheme.

"We are faced with an economic crisis and unemployment, especially in the construction sector, is very high. So we want to create more jobs for the construction sector," Lam said. The funding for the scheme will be expanded from HK$1 billion to HK$2 billion if given Legco approval, and the number of jobs created will increase from 10,000 to 20,000. 

About a quarter of applications were from the Yau Tsim Mong area. "I expect we will be able to meet each and every one of the 1,000-plus applications, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria," Lam said. 

The Buildings Department has approved 226 old buildings not covered by owner corporations and the 18 district councils have nominated 501 others. 

On June 19, there will be a lottery to decide which will be the first 500 buildings to be renovated. 

Work on the remaining buildings should begin in the autumn, after Legco approves extra funding, Lam said.


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## hkskyline

Le Billionaire by *鄧麗欣之戀  * from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

九龍塘天主教華德學校工程
By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Activists jeer as Housing Society, bailiffs evict protesting tenant *
14 July 2009
South China Morning Post

More than 30 activists staged a sit-in yesterday as bailiffs moved in to acquire the last flat in an urban renewal project in Sham Shui Po.

The flat was being rented by Wong Nai-chung, 51, who sold decorative Chinese signs called pai lau. He had asked for HK$6 million in compensation to vacate the 1,000 sq ft second-floor flat in Fuk Wing Street, a source close to the project said.

It is understood he had been offered less than HK$1 million, but had refused to take it.

"I don't want compensation, all I want is another flat so that I can run my business," Mr Wong said. He declined to say how much compensation he had been offered by the Housing Society.

Activists yesterday placed a two-metre pai lau over the main entrance to the building to stop the bailiffs and society staff from getting in. They eventually gained access through the back door amid jeers from the protesters.

Mr Wong, who was first notified of the impending renewal project in 2005, said he wanted to express his discontent peacefully, "Who wants a fight? I don't."

He said the society has failed to help him find another affordable flat in Sham Shui Po so he could carry on his business.

The monthly rent for the flat in Fuk Wing Street was about HK$4,000, while the alternatives suggested by the authority cost more than HK$10,000 a month, Mr Wong said.

This is the second time Mr Wong has been forced to move because of an urban renewal project in Sham Shui Po. The last time was in 2000.

The protesters said Mr Wong had filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal to prohibit the project on the grounds that the society had not conducted the required assessments on the project's impact on the surrounding community.

As the hearing would be held within the next two months, they said it was unreasonable for the society to take over the flat before the court had made a decision.

A spokeswoman for the society said that the District Court had already ruled that the authority had completed the required assessments, but she declined to discuss them.

The Court of Appeal had already given the Housing Society permission to take over Mr Wong's flat earlier this month, she added.

In a separate event, Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority, said 80 per cent of flats and shops in Yue Man Square, Kwun Tong, had been acquired.


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## hkskyline

Tseung Kwan O Station development 
By *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*鴨脷洲豪宅盤明春賣*
2009年07月16日


















發展商積極部署推售豪宅項目。富豪酒店夥拍新地等的鴨脷洲海旁道分層豪宅新盤，最快明年農曆新年後登場，發展商料呎價勢逾萬元。另富豪酒店耗資1,500萬元將赤柱富豪海灣兩幢洋房合併，合併後面積1.7萬方呎，意向價3億元。
富豪海灣合併屋叫3億

富豪國際執行董事范統稱，由於鴨脷洲海旁道分層豪宅項目的海岸線長，故戶戶擁有海景，料項目呎價最少1萬元。旗下富豪海灣尚餘20餘幢洋房待售，其中逾一半作收租，每年租金收入約3,600萬元，集團已向政府成功申請將D23號及D25號兩幢屋合併，以意向價3億元放售，洋房總面積17,705方呎。

他指集團在上環、大埔、灣仔及北角等地物色地盤，屬意每個地盤價錢為數億元。另中原稱，一中東買家以1,213.7萬元購西半山THE ICON26樓B室，呎價1.55萬元。

另外，高力國際住宅買賣部行政董事潘偉基稱，豪宅樓價上半年升23%，料自今年五月起的未來一年，豪宅樓價會再升5%或以上。而上半年傳統豪宅區5,000萬元或以上物業成交量及總值，較去年下半年增1.14倍及92%，呎價升23%。


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## EricIsHim

I have been looking for information about this Ap Lei Chau development for a while and not finding much about it. Finally there is something. hk, do you think you can dig out some more from somewhere?


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> I have been looking for information about this Ap Lei Chau development for a while and not finding much about it. Finally there is something. hk, do you think you can dig out some more from somewhere?


Is this it?

*新地鴨脷洲項目 最大單位 逾4000呎 *
29 May 2008

【明報專訊】新地（0016）、嘉里（0683）等合作的鴨脷洲海旁道住宅項目，發展商將打造「海景版禮頓山」，單位面積分布曝光，項目最大的兩個單位實用面積約3480方呎，若以建築面積計算，市場相信逾4000方呎。

項目將興建9幢29至32層高住宅（全於5層平台以上），單位數目786伙。

可提供786伙

資料顯示，根據城規會批准方案，該項目平均單位實用面積約達1172方呎。

項目單位面積將有11種大小，最細單位的實用面積約630餘方呎（佔149伙），提供最多伙數（佔304伙），則為實用面積約1140方呎，而最大的一款，相信為董事屋的級數，實用面積約3480方呎。項目剛獲屋宇署發出施工同意書。


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> Is this it?
> 
> *新地鴨脷洲項目 最大單位 逾4000呎 *
> 29 May 2008
> 
> 【明報專訊】新地（0016）、嘉里（0683）等合作的鴨脷洲海旁道住宅項目，發展商將打造「海景版禮頓山」，單位面積分布曝光，項目最大的兩個單位實用面積約3480方呎，若以建築面積計算，市場相信逾4000方呎。
> 
> 項目將興建9幢29至32層高住宅（全於5層平台以上），單位數目786伙。
> 
> 可提供786伙
> 
> 資料顯示，根據城規會批准方案，該項目平均單位實用面積約達1172方呎。
> 
> 項目單位面積將有11種大小，最細單位的實用面積約630餘方呎（佔149伙），提供最多伙數（佔304伙），則為實用面積約1140方呎，而最大的一款，相信為董事屋的級數，實用面積約3480方呎。項目剛獲屋宇署發出施工同意書。


That's it. I missed the article in May 2008. :nuts:
The complex is in the east side of the island below Lei Tung Estate facing Sam Wan. It's pretty hidden from the populated side and should be pretty quite. Not a bad place to live.


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## hkskyline

20090701 聖保祿醫院擴建
By *Starlight* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*嘉賢居路演下月登場 *
2009年07月17日(五)



























大批新盤陸續登場。恒地透露，油塘嘉賢居昨起進行為期約個多星期的巡迴路演，項目最快下月開售，意向呎價維持約8,500元，高層特色戶高約1.4萬元，而下周可能安排部分代理高層參觀現樓，設於荔枝角道百匯軒的示範單位料於下月開放。
恒地林達民表示，嘉賢居昨起分別於將軍澳新都城中心2期商場等多個地點進行路演。

恒地營業部總經理林達民表示，嘉賢居昨起分別於將軍澳新都城中心2期商場等多個地點進行路演，率先向市場買家推介物業賣點，料最快下月開售，示範單位及售樓處設於同系百匯軒，集團下周可能優先安排部分代理高層參觀項目現樓，最快十天後委託經紀進行推廣工作。

他透露，嘉賢居共提供185伙，兩房戶面積696至737方呎，三房戶924至1,042方呎，頂層複式連私人空中花園及天台特色戶的面積為2,526方呎，原裝相連空中花園特色戶面積為1,480至1,829方呎。

嘉賢居整體約70至80%單位可享海景，標準單位的意向呎價約8,500元，高層5個特色戶的意向呎價則約1.4萬元，不排除下月開售時會再度調升售價。

另一方面，中原李巍指出，西半山THE ICON發展商昨日加推最後2個海景單位，是次推出的31樓A室及B室，單位定價1,369.65萬元與1,553.6萬元，呎價19,850元與20,150元，較早前海景單位提價約15%。


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## hkskyline

*單幢新盤趁旺出擊*
2009年07月18日(六)


















近期多個單幢式住宅項目銷情報捷，刺激發展商推售此類項目的信心。永光地產及寶輝控股的西灣河君悅軒，最快於下周正式推出第二期高層戶發售，意向呎價介乎 6,500餘元至15,000餘元。至於裕泰興地產繼續以贈送一年管理費及釐印費等優惠促銷太子大南街富威閣，並計劃暑假後推出兩個九龍區單幢項目。另榮豐國際的西半山THE ICON獲買家連購兩伙，呎價逾1.4萬元。

THE ICON獲掃兩伙

仲量聯行表示，君悅軒最快下周正式公開推售，主力推售高層戶，屋苑標準戶面積588至950方呎，頂層複式面積最大1,481方呎，料呎價由6,500餘元至15,000餘元。而項目自早前傳出推售第二期後，已獲多名買家及投資者查詢與洽購。

市場代理指出，發展商已在君悅軒37樓裝修一個全新的現樓示範單位，而本月上旬起已陸續接獲多宗單位預留，其中一個30樓以上A室，預留呎價約8,500元。

至於港島區另一個單幢項目西半山THE ICON，昨錄一名買家耗資約2,119.2萬元連購兩伙。中原李巍指出，榮豐國際剛售出的項目26樓C、D室，面積781方呎與690方呎，成交價約 1,132.5萬元與986.7萬元，呎價1.45萬元與1.43萬元，買家計劃一伙保留作自住，另一伙則作收租。

裕泰興暑假後推兩盤

而裕泰興地產亦計劃推出多個單幢式新盤，該公司銷售部物業經理鄧培佳表示，旗下大南街富威閣迄今累售項目70%單位，並累積加價約5%，現待售的10餘伙集中於低層，呎價4,715元起，而集團會繼續向買家提供釐印、律師費及一年物業管理費等的置業優惠。至於暑假後，將推售土瓜灣馬坑涌道及深水埗北河街的單幢式住宅項目，每個項目提供數十伙。

恒地2980萬售淺月灣

其他新盤方面，消息指出，恒地近期以約2,980萬元售出大埔淺月灣1期單號屋，以面積4,729方呎計，呎價6,302元。

由於近月新盤銷情理想，帶動今年一手住宅登記量更勝去年。香港置業李志成表示，今年截至七月十六日共錄8,393宗一手住宅買賣登記，按年升23%，並較去年全年的8,863宗只相差僅5%，可見今年一手註冊非常暢旺，而近期市場續有大型新盤推售，料可帶動今年第三季一手登記量超越1萬宗水平。期內 8,000多宗一手登記中，七成屬500萬元以下的中小型單位，比例較去年同期升21個百分點。


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## hkskyline

成業街商廈項目 
By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

Le Billionnaire Floor Plans


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## hkskyline

*Developer asks court to overturn rejection of high-rise *
18 July 2009
South China Morning Post

A developer behind a Happy Valley project is asking a court to overturn the Building Authority's rejection of its development plan for being too high for the neighbourhood.

Fortune Key is fighting to overturn decisions made by the Building Authority and its appeal tribunal that are blocking its plan - submitted in September 2006 - to build a six-storey and a 47-storey block at a residential site in Sing Woo Road and Holly Road.

Fortune Key claims the authority's rejection on the basis of height is unlawful. On Thursday it filed an application for leave to apply for a judicial review in the High Court, contending that the site was covered by the outline zoning plan of April 2003, which imposes no restrictions on building heights or plot ratios. Plot ratio is the total floor area of buildings permitted to be built on a site.

The authority rejected the plan in October 2006 after seeking advice from a district planning officer.

Its reasons were that the development's visual impact would be undesirable because it was much taller than the surrounding buildings, and that its plot ratio of almost 10 was not acceptable.

Furthermore, it said the site fell within a density zone under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and guidelines limiting the plot ratio to 5 - or a building of six storeys plus a parking level.

Fortune Key appealed against the decision through the authority's appeal tribunal, which upheld the authority's decision on April 22.

In its application for a judicial review, the company claimed that the authority misapplied a provision of the Building Ordinance by relying on advice from a district planning officer.

It also faulted the appeal tribunal for failing to exercise its own judgment on the merits of the plan. The company now wants a court order requiring the tribunal to reconsider the decision in accordance with the law and to approve the development.

According to the application, the company has submitted five building plans, including the plan in question, since October 2005.

All were rejected except one that it submitted in December 2005 to build a single building of 31 storeys.


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## hkskyline

By *fatshe* :


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## hkskyline

By *fatshe* - Tai Koo hotel project :


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## risech

Nice Post.:banana:


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## hkskyline

*私宅貨尾兩年最多 *
2009年07月21日(二)









近月多個大型新盤開售，刺激住宅貨尾量上升。中原地產指出，上季待售的一手私宅貨尾單位按季增448個，令累積貨尾量增至9,301個，為○七年第二季後的近八季新高，當中以紅磡區增加417個貨尾單位最多。至於整體貨尾比重亦按季升1.8個百分點至12.3%，創○四年第四季後新高。

該公司研究部聯席董事黃良昇表示，貨尾量增加最多的紅磡區現約有533個貨尾單位，馬鞍山及黃大仙的貨尾量則增加374個及365個，至522個及572個。

長實貨尾單位增400個至528個，信置及新地貨尾量增282個及224個，至948個及949個。


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## hkskyline

*Leighton: Secures A$410M Sewerage Tunnel Proj In Hong Kong *
20 July 2009

MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Leighton Holdings Ltd. (LEI.AU), Australia's largest construction company, said Tuesday that one of its joint ventures has won a A$410 million Hong Kong sewage tunneling project.

Sydney-based Leighton along with Leonhard Nilsen & Sonner AS was awarded the contract by the Hong Kong Drainage Services Department for the construction of a sewage conveyance system from Aberdeen to Sai Ying Pun, on Hong Kong Island, it said in a statement.

The project is part of a government plan to restore the city's harbor and the work included the design and construction of 7.5 kilometers of deep sewage tunnels, Leighton said. Works will start next month with completion scheduled for October 2013.

Leighton will work with Macmahon Holdings Ltd. to draw on its experience with construction of deep mining shafts in Australia.

In a separate statement, Leighton said it has completed a $230 million five-year fixed medium term notes issuance to replace existing bank debt facilities and diversify its funding sources.

"We are keen to diversify and broaden our sources of funding," Chief Financial Officer Scott Charlton said.

"The program has a maximum limit of A$1 billion, which provides flexibility for us to retap the market if further opportunities arise in the future," he said.


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## hkskyline

牛頭角工業村
By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*灣 仔 合 和 GARDENEast 呎 租 45 元 *










(星島日報報道)服務式住宅近年在港大行其道，合和首個在灣仔的服務式住宅項目GARDENEast，就獲得市場不俗的反應，現時出租率達八成，平均呎租約四十五元，更有歐洲金融機構，大手連環租用達三十伙，涉資月租約七十萬元，為目前項目最大手的租客。

合和旗下灣仔GARDENEast，為該集團首個在港打造的服務式住宅項目，單位面積由三百九十五至六百七十二方呎不等，現時出租率已達八成，平均呎租約四十五元，租期至少一個月，最長可達十二個月。

GARDENEast由今年一月份開始招租，市場消息指，其中一家歐洲金融機構，於早前大手租用項目多達三十個單位，分布在各樓層，平均呎租四十五元，為目
前該廈最大手的租賃個案，估計涉及月租約七十萬元。另外，亦有企業連環租用約十伙。

合和物業代理租務經理黃麗湘表示，項目並非由舊有建築翻新而成，這與本港大部分服務式住宅不同，因此GARDENEast相比之下質素將更高。而目前租戶組合中，大部分均為海外僱員及專業人士，來自銀行、保險及金融服務業的佔租客比例約五成。當中以一房單位及行政套房最受歡迎，行政套房的出租率更超過九成。

據了解，項目樓高二十八層，以單幢式設計，合共提供二百一十六伙，分層單位面積由三百九十五至六百七十二伙不等。

發展商介紹，項目位處灣仔核心地段，毗鄰QRE Plaza、合和中心及胡忠大廈等。

其次，項目建築概念以城市綠洲為主，綠化休憩地方比例較高，除五樓平台及天台自成一角，地下翠綠池園亦佔地五千多方呎

2009-07-23


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## hkskyline

*Junction of East and West enters new era 
Chic serviced apartments, restaurants and bars bring renewed life to a diverse district famed for entertainment, exhibition centres and some of the best hotels in town*
30 July 2009
South China Morning Post

Some would argue that, after dark, the southern reaches of Wan Chai have not quite shed the salacious Suzie Wong days of the 1960s. But away from the nightclub quarter, the district is becoming a magnet for many executives and trendy fashionistas seeking a place in the city.

Wan Chai is a true meeting point of old and new, East and West.

The district is home to the Convention and Exhibition Centre, an architectural icon overlooking Victoria Harbour and site of the 1997 handover ceremony. The venue hosts world-class exhibitions, concerts and trade shows throughout the year, and it forms part of a larger commercial and retail area featuring five-star hotels and government and corporate headquarters.

Along the prime waterfront of Harbour Road is Hong Kong's first dog park - a welcome amenity for dog lovers in a city where man's best friend is not allowed in public parks.

Some of the district's notorious pastimes can still be found along Lockhart Road, where modern bars, clubs and restaurants sit side by side the ubiquitous dai pai dongs.

But it is not all pole dancing and tequila shots; the district is also home to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Arts Centre, making Wan Chai a cultural focal point for enjoying art exhibitions, theatre, dance and musical recitals from local and touring performers.

Further inland is a respite from the bustle in the tranquil side streets featuring atelier workshops, concept stores, gourmet delicatessens and a host of coffee shops, bars and restaurants.

At the heart of this new area is Star Street, the place credited for bringing some much-needed class to the district and the catalyst for northern Wan Chai's fashionable transformation. Its success has drawn creative talent to other parts of Wan Chai, creating a new cityscape with a vibe all of its own.

Eateries such as The Pawn, a British gastro-pub that occupies a row of historic Chinese shophouses dating back to 1888, have injected new life into the district while offering a glimpse of its exotic past.

Pacific Place in Admiralty, a 10-minute walk away, is the nearest shopping mall for residents, and all the big brand names can be found there in air-conditioned comfort.

Queen's Road East, which runs through Wan Chai, features furniture stores, many of which will recreate any design you desire, be it Qing dynasty or minimalist modern.

The supermarket Taste in the Hopewell Centre is a massive international one-stop superstore for groceries, cooked food, sushi and sashimi, and much more, and the lively wet market on Wan Chai Road offers a wide selection of local produce.

Wan Chai - being the midpoint between the busy commercial districts of Central and Causeway Bay - has a transport infrastructure system that is second to none.

It takes less than 10 minutes to get to Causeway Bay or Central (and the Airport Express) by MTR, taxi, bus or tram; and 10 minutes to get to Tsim Sha Tsui and, from there, on to other parts of Kowloon.

There is also the option of crossing the harbour by Star Ferry from the Wan Chai Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui or Hung Hom.

Wan Chai's convenience aside, it is the East-meets-West vibrancy that makes this fascinating district an exciting place to live in.


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## hkskyline

*Smaller urban hospitals are tonic for docs *
27 July 2009
The Standard

Small urban plots rather than large tracts of land in remote areas should be released by the government for the building of private hospitals.

That's the view of medical sector legislator Leung Ka-lau.

Speaking on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong yesterday, Leung said schools left vacant would prove ideal.

Instead, the government has suggested sites at Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po, and Tung Chung that are too remote and will not attract either investors or patients, he said.

Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital deputy medical superintendent Kwong Kwok-hay agreed with Leung, saying his hospital had tried to get the old site of Lingnan University on Stubbs Road, but gave up after getting bogged down in government bureaucracy.

``The site has been vacant for years. Its location is good for our expansion, as it is rather close to our hospital,'' Kwong said. ``When we asked for the land, we were shuffled from one department to the other, including the Lands Department, the Education Bureau, and the Food and Health Bureau. So we eventually decided to give up.

``We would be happy if Dr Leung, as a lawmaker, could help us and push the government to cut the red tape.''

Leung said common sense dictates private hospitals should be built on convenient sites.

Union Hospital manager and medical director Anthony Lee Kai-yiu agreed hospitals should be situated in areas with good transportation facilities, so those who are sick may easily reach them.

He said the proposed sites at Tai Po and Tung Chung fail to meet these requirements.

Leung also criticized the sizes of the proposed areas, saying they are too big, and will make investment more costly as well as risky. ``The four pieces of land being offered by the government range from 2.2 hectares to 4.8 hectares, areas large enough for three to six football fields. No wonder it says such areas cannot be found in the urban areas,'' he said. ``But in reality, land occupied by existing private hospitals range from 0.06 hectares to 0.7 hectares.

``Most of the hospitals occupy less than 0.4 hectares. It is quite obvious an area of around 0.5 hectares should be good enough, and there should be plenty of such choices in the urban areas.''

Lee, however, said some hospitals find their current sites too small, restricting their expansion plans. ``St Teresa's Hospital on Prince Edward Road is a typical example. The location is very convenient but the hospital can hardly find more space for expansion,'' Lee said.

Both Lee and Leung criticized the government for suggesting new hospitals limit their charges to an affordable level in order to bid for the new land.

``The government seems to have forgotten the new private hospitals are supposed to further develop the medical services industry, and consequently, their charges should be commercially based,'' Leung said.


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## hkskyline

*Community-oriented planning is essential *
5 August 2009
SCMP

Several recent conferences have drawn attention to growing dissatisfaction with urban planning and design in Hong Kong as well as the ongoing public engagement exercise on sustainable design.

The conferences have been well attended by professionals and government representatives, with many agreeing the city needs a new "vision" - an overarching, territory-wide strategic plan (or at the very minimum a new Metroplan) within which to formulate improved urban design and development strategies.

It is only when we have an understanding of where we are going that we can plan our route, and the delivery of an improved urban design for everyone will depend on having in place appropriate implementation structures and decision making processes.

It is the failure of the latter requirement that has dominated the debate on urgently needed reform.

Hong Kong is known for its urban density. Only 24 per cent or so of available land is developed, and even in the New Territories high-rise buildings have, until recently, been accepted as the norm.

This has, thankfully, enabled the rehousing of many who were living in very poor conditions, as well as conservation of Hong Kong's splendid countryside.

However, while in the past people seemed willing to accept the status quo - mainly, perhaps, because many were not planning to stay in Hong Kong permanently anyway - public attitudes are now changing.

Many now challenge the sustainability of the "vertical density" model - particularly when it leads to the destruction of long-standing districts.

The model has resulted too often in a loss of a sense of community and built heritage, particularly when, as has happened in some of our new towns, it is not accompanied by the provision of the social amenities and community support systems available in more established areas.

We have seen the development of private as well as corporate wealth, but the community is now also demanding the public benefits thoughtful urban development can bring.

For this to happen, we need a new attitude, a new mindset, not only in government but also in the community, among our professionals, in the Legislative Council and the district councils.

The focus must now fall on how everyone may benefit from Hong Kong's urban planning, not just those companies or individuals developing or occupying projects but also those in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

When discussing how to improve the overall quality of development going forward, there will be a need to look at new greenfield developments outside the main urban areas and the regeneration of older districts.

Both need improved urban design but involve different challenges and different approaches to delivery.

Without up-to-date and appropriate institutions, roles, responsibilities, regulations and standards, it is not possible to deliver even the best laid plans.

Hong Kong is only too accustomed to seeing beautiful designs on the drawing board result in very different finished projects.

So what is needed to achieve increased design standards in new areas? The list of reforms is easy - securing them is more difficult.

Topping the list must be a complete overhaul of our outdated Buildings Ordinance and a review of the Buildings (Planning) Regulations.

Then there must be a review of the current system of gross floor area allowances and bonuses (particularly in respect of car parking provisions, which have led to additional bulk and podiums with 100 per cent site coverage).

Car parks should be below grade in order to be treated as non-accountable for plot ratio purposes, and "green features" should be provided, because they improve living standards.

Also required is a review of the land revenue maximisation mandate, with recognition by government that communities, social amenities and public realm all have "value".

Indeed, there is a need to foster an understanding of the concept of intangible value/benefit throughout the administration so that it becomes an accepted part of project feasibility assessments.

Reform is also required of the town planning system.

The Town Planning Board should become a truly independent body, with its own secretariat and legal advisers, and the zoning system should be implemented in a way that looks at the city as a whole rather than on a site by site basis without adequate priority being given to the provision of parks and other public spaces.

Our approach to public engagement must become "bottom up" so as to generate community support for a strategic vision for Hong Kong and the projects that will help with its delivery.

Finally, the way we grant land in Hong Kong needs to be reconciled with this new approach to town planning and building regulations so that they are better aligned and permit greater flexibility to adjust to changing times.

The current regulatory framework does not assist in delivering public as well as private gain, but if these changes could be achieved, there would be nothing much wrong with our traditional investment and delivery system for new projects.

Our private developers are extremely good at delivering projects to the standards set out in the statutory and regulatory codes.

Improve the codes and they will still deliver just as efficiently and to the most competitive prices possible.

Maggie Brooke is chief executive of Professional Property Services Group

This is the first in a two-part discussion. Next week's article will address the city's older districts, which are in need of regeneration and refurbishment.


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## _00_deathscar

SilentStrike said:


> ^^ qualifications is kinda important too.
> 
> dont want an idiot that cant speak english to help me :S
> *Personality isnt that important. Everyone can pretend to be nice, and thats what most hotel ppl do.*


Wrong. The best service doesn't come as a result of 'pretending'.


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## hkskyline

御凱 - The Dynasty
By *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Things go topsy-turvy as HK property sector defies gravity *
12 August 2009
SCMP

We're living in an upside-down world at the moment with the economy in recession and the property market continuing to defy gravity.

Take these latest examples. At the weekend, Sun Hung Kai Properties put some of its units at the Cullinan, its luxury residential project at Kowloon Station, up for sale at almost HK$20,000 per square foot. Interest was so keen the developer called a halt after 30 units had been snapped up, for fear it was underselling the project.

Hot demand for property in the Kowloon Station area has also led the MTR Corp and Hang Lung Properties to break from the tradition of sharing profit on the sale of units, to dividing them up between themselves to cash in on the properties as they wish.

Finally, a Repulse Bay project of four Headland Road houses put up for sale by Henderson Land was said to have received an offer from some Hunan investors who are willing to pay HK$60,000 per square foot, according to one newspaper report.

We know there is a lot of money sloshing around on the mainland from the 4 trillion yuan (HK$4.54 trillion) stimulus package and massive first-half lending by the banks, but the figure does seem a bit far-fetched.

Thankfully, a UBS report brought things back down to earth with an estimate the houses are worth HK$14,000 per square foot.

Culture shock

Actually, buying property in Hong Kong can be a harrowing experience for our mainland cousins.

The first thing that shocked her was that transactions are conducted with the properties unseen. For example, the party was taken to a sales office in Tsim Sha Tsui, miles away from the New World Development flats they were being encouraged to buy in Tsuen Wan.

Another disconcerting observation was that, unlike on the mainland, property developers here use more than one agency to sell their flats - she obviously wasn't impressed with the hard-sell tactics that can resemble being trapped in a rugby scrum.

But the most unnerving aspect was being photographed by the Hong Kong media - the realtors saw the tour as a perfect publicity opportunity.

"In China, reporters taking photos in a property sales office are about as unwelcome as a robbery, but in Hong Kong, property developers are worried if reporters are not taking photos," she said.


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## hkskyline

*Asian property withstands the global storm *
8 August 2009
Financial Times

Rents and house prices this year are likely to rise in the east, writes Ellen Kelleher

Buying into office buildings and residential property across Asia now looks tempting, as analysts forecast a price growth of 20 per cent across the region before the end of next year.

Since January, there has been a rush of deals closing in Hong Kong, Sydney, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur - with commercial property sales in this part of the world eclipsing those conducted in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas for the first time on record.

In the first six months, $48.4bn in commercial property transactions were conducted across Asia compared with $40.5bn in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and just $16.4bn in the Americas, according to Real Data Analytics, a US market research group.

The figures suggest the sector is proving resilient in the wider downturn. As western economies combat the effects of the credit crisis, declines in exports across Asia are slowing, fiscal balances appearstronger than those of western countries, and banks have not been hit as badly by the wider lending crisis.

Interest in flats and offices is now set to gain further momentum, with the Asian property research team at UBS estimating a 20 per cent rise in Chinese house prices by December 2010, and a 30 per cent uplift in the price of Hong Kong homes and offices.

Hong Kong remains the easier market for property investors to access. Those looking to invest directly in mainland China must reside there for at least a year, while property in Singapore has been affected by higher supply levels and the city-state's economic ties to the US.

By contrast, Hong Kong rental prices are nearing bottom and could rise as the economy picks up and Chinese companies rush to open offices on the island after listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The improving liquidity of Chinese markets and Beijing's decision to set its GDP growth target at an aggressive rate of 8 per cent this year are also encouraging.

Simon Smith, head of Asian research for Savills, says: "Hong Kong is still the best proxy for investors looking for exposure to mainland property markets."

Apart from Australia and Hong Kong, it is fairly difficult for private investors to directly access Asian property markets. For those looking for indirect exposure, there are a handful of funds listed in Luxembourg, the UK and Ireland as well as investment companies such as China Real Estate Opportunities, Asian Growth Properties and Macau Properties Opportunities. But many of these trade at sharp discounts to their net asset value, and tend to be illiquid and with few holdings.

Two listed funds that have reported strong returns since January are Henderson Horizon's Asian property investment fund, which is up 26 per cent, and First State's Asian property fund, which has returned 17 per cent over the period. A small number of property companies are also listed on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) but only risk-takers tend to seek them out.

While private investors looking to diversify are growing more intrigued by the region, the direction of the Asian property market is still driven by institutional investors. There has been a wave of fundraising among large property groups and private equity firms hoping to achieve rates of return that are still attractive compared with western countries.

Recent forays into the market include those by Carlyle, the US private equity group that is raising money for its second Asian property fund, and Axa REIM, the European property fund manager looking to invest in mid to high-end residential property in Shanghai and Beijing. Their moves follow fund raisings last year by Merrill Lynch, LaSalle Investment Management, Invista Real Estate and Grosvenor, the property company owned by the Duke of Westminster.

But while the economic reports being released from Beijing are rosier than those issued by the west, China's property markets have not been immune from the downturn.

A recent report from CB Richard Ellis, the property group, claims that vacancy levels in Beijing offices were still high in the first three months of the year at 21 per cent, although they declined from the previous year. The state of the market has been similarly poor in Guangzhou and falling office rents in Hong Kong can be blamed on the surge in the number of companies looking to trim expenses by renegotiating leases and moving to cheaper locations.

A bright spot, however, is the hotel construction boom that has accompanied China's growth. This year, more hotels are expected to be opened in the country than anywhere else, apart from the US.


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## hkskyline

*Home prices hit 13-month high *
The Standard
Monday, August 17, 2009

The average selling price of homes in Hong Kong hit a 13-month high in July as the residential property market continued to recover with prices and transactions climbing.

The average price breached the HK$4,000 per-square-foot level last month, according to Midland Realty.

The real estate agency said prices rose for eight consecutive months to reach HK$4,135 psf in July, up 3.5 percent from the previous month.

That was also a 21.7 percent increase from HK$3,397 psf at the end of last year.

"Despite the significant price surge, I believe the low interest rate environment will continue to encourage people to buy and not rent," said Midland Realty chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai.

In the first 13 days of August, there were 769 sale registrations in the primary market, up 38 percent from the same period last month, Ricacorp Properties said.

The value of the transactions soared 65 percent to HK$4.75 billion.

Ricacorp, Midland and other real estate agents estimate transactions will reach more than 2,000 this month.

Strong sentiment also boosted the secondary residential market where deals reached a 19-week high over the weekend.

Sales in 10 of the largest housing estates increased 8 percent to 70 transactions from 65 over the previous weekend, according to Midland Realty.

"The strong performance of the primary market shows a strong inflow of capital, which supports the market and purchasing power is returning to the secondary market," said Midland Realty director Andy Ho Ming-pui.

Properties atop Kowloon Station were the focus of the primary residential market at the weekend as Hang Lung Properties (0101) continued to sell apartments at The Harbourside.

An agent estimated the developer sold about 80 flats, at an average of HK$15,000 psf.

The Harbourside is a joint development with MTR Corp (0066) but the two companies are now selling flats individually.


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## hkskyline

*Worried residents vow to call last orders on new bar *
The Standard
Monday, August 10, 2009

Bonham Road residents have turned up the heat in a campaign to stop the opening of a new bar in their area - amid fears that the neighborhood could become another SoHo or Lan Kwai Fong.

After successfully blocking a liquor license application by the Blue Goose in June - a decision now under appeal by the bar - the residents have no intention of giving up their fight.

The main body of opposition comes from residents of Kam Ning Mansion at 13-15 Bonham Road, near the site of the planned bar.

Stretching from Pok Fu Lam Road in the west to Caine Road in the east, Bonham Road mainly consists of older residential buildings and schools.

The Blue Goose - which is part of the Igor's Group - would be the first pub to open in the area.

But after witnessing what happened in SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong - which were transformed from primarily residential areas into crowded entertainment districts - residents want to nip any such moves for their area in the bud.

"Even without a pub we see many drunk people on the street. I cannot imagine how the residents, and especially children and the old people, would react should there be a pub in the area," said Harry Lam Bin-kwong, chairman of the Incorporated Owners of Kam Ning Mansion.

Lam also said residents were concerned about the noise pollution a bar would bring to the area, especially at night.

Another Kam Ning resident, Pen Chan, is dead against the bar.

"I am always scared when I see drunkards next to the building. The road is so narrow and we must pass them to get into our homes," she said.

Residents have collected more than 2,000 signatures from locals, and banners have been put up outside Kam Ning Mansion in protest.

In June, Central and Western District Council sent out 1,000 questionnaires to residents to gauge opinion on the opening of the bar.

The majority of the 300 returned opposed it.

Another survey by the Incorporated Owners of Kam Ning Mansion found 85 percent of residents against the move.

In mid-June, the Liquor Licensing Board refused an application for a license. No date has been fixed to hear the bar's appeal.

Representatives of the Blue Goose could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

SoHo, which is one of Hong Kong's hottest food and entertainment districts, used to be a residential area.

Its transformation into an entertainment hub has been controversial, and heated debate has raged between residents and the owners of restaurants and bars since the opening of the Mid-Levels escalator in 1993.

But residents' efforts failed to stop what was once simply called "South of Hollywood [Road]" becoming the bustling "SoHo" it is today.


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## SilentStrike

:O


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## hkskyline

*Sale of 100 flats at HarbourSide tops weekend's transactions *
19 August 2009
South China Morning Post

The residential property market continues to heat up as more buyers are rushing to jump on board amid the stronger confidence in a recovering economy and the expectation that the growth in home prices may accelerate.

About 160 transactions were recorded in the primary market over the weekend, with the HarbourSide, a joint venture of MTR Corp and Hang Lung Properties above Kowloon station, topping the sales chart with 100 flats purchased. The average selling price was HK$15,000 per square foot.

Hang Lung executive director Terry Ng Sze-yuen said about 360 flats in HarbourSide had been sold since the project was relaunched for sale on August 10, allowing the developers to reap HK$6 billion in revenue from the sales.

Over 700 flats out of a total of 1,122 units in the completed project had lain empty for almost four years after its last launch in 2004 and 2005.

David Chan Tai-wai, a director at Ricacorp Properties, said the robust sales response in the luxury sector prompted developers to speed up the launch of their projects for sale, which in turn stimulated transaction volumes and strengthened buyers' confidence.

Henderson Land Development's Spectacle will soon kick off sales. Occupancy for the 185-unit project in Yau Tong is expected for next year.

New World Development will also launch its joint-venture project with the Urban Renewal Authority - the Masterpiece - this week. The development in Tsimshatsui offers 345 flats and will be completed by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, data compiled by the property agency from deals completed at 50 large housing estates shows secondary transactions jumped 14.56 per cent to a 13-week high of 472 last week from a revised 412 recorded a week earlier, with the average transaction price edging up 0.5 per cent from a week earlier.

According to the Centa-City Leading Index, home prices in the secondary market have jumped 22.42 per cent so far this year.


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## hkskyline

By *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

Ap Lei Chau waterfront development by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> Ap Lei Chau waterfront development by *bextra* from skyscrapers.cn :


Previous updated was this complex has nine 29-32 story building towers.
Looks like it's almost topped out as the structure the high 20s now.

The complex has such a big footprint but short buildings.


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## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan - by *fatshe* :


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## hkskyline

*Centralise care of drains, jury says 
Seven departments look after drainage holes *
20 August 2009
South China Morning Post

The government should centralise the management of drainage holes on footpaths - currently looked after by seven departments - and promptly place covers on open holes, a Coroner's Court jury recommended yesterday.

The jury concluded that the death of Chan She-yim, a 68-year-old retiree who died after falling into a drainage hole in Ho Man Tin on August 18 last year, was an accident.

A Civil Engineering and Development Department spokeswoman said that management of the drainage holes, known as catchpits, fell under seven government departments responsible for maintaining slopes.

They are the Highways Department, Lands Department, Architectural Services Department, Water Supplies Department, Drainage Services Department, Housing Department, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

After the August accident, the Civil Engineering and Development Department advised the other departments to fit covers on catchpits.

The guidelines, revised in March, say catchpits on or next to a footpath should be fitted with steel gratings, concrete covers or railings. But the guidelines do not shed light on what factors should be taken into consideration when deciding whether covers are needed.

Outside court, Chan's daughter Chan Suk-man said she was grateful for the recommendations and hoped the departments would adopt them as soon as possible.

A government spokesman said it would carefully study the jury's recommendations.

Catchpits are holes that remove sediment and redirect water from hillsides to lower areas.

A spokesman for the Architectural Services Department said it maintained 1,005 catchpits that were accessible to the public and all were covered.

The Water Supplies Department said 411 of the 813 catchpits it managed had been fitted with covers since last year. Temporary wooden structures had been placed on the rest and they would be fitted with covers by the end of the year.

The Drainage Services Department said it had covered or fenced off 73 catchpits it regarded as easily accessible by the public and had no plans to cover the rest.

The Highways Department said it covered catchpits that were less than a metre tall but none of the catchpits it managed were on pavements.

The court heard earlier that Chan had been walking backwards uphill in Sheung Lok Street at about 7.20am when he stumbled, hit his head on the edge of a catchpit, and fell into the hole. He died three days later.

Yung Siu-lun, an engineer with the Architectural Services Department, told the court that the catchpit was one of five along that part of the pavement, and it was one metre wide and 1.5 metres deep.

He said it had not been covered since the department began maintenance and repair work in 2003, and no one had complained. Mr Yung said a temporary wooden structure had been put on top of the catchpit after the accident and concrete covers had been fitted to it and another one nearby eight days later.

A South China Morning Post inspection found that all the catchpits on Sheung Lok Street have been covered, but one just around the corner, on a slope near the Ho Man Tin Hill Road Rest Garden, remained open.

Unlike the holes on Sheung Lok Street, it bore no plate stating which department was responsible for its maintenance.

This confused one 71-year-old pedestrian. "Even if I want to lodge a complaint, I have no idea which department I should report to," he said.

Coroner Michael Chan Pik-kiu said walking backwards was a dangerous act and called on those who practised it to do so in a safe place.


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## jose_kwan

hkskyline said:


> Tsuen Wan - by *fatshe* :


wow ... that kinda looks like a knock off of the Birmingham Selfridges.


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## hkskyline

Florient Rise 
By *Itarilde* on 8/28 :


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## hkskyline

*Paul Y aims for HK$8b of major city projects *
29 August 2009
South China Morning Post

Paul YEngineering, an engineering and property firm, expects orders to substantially rise owing to 10 major infrastructure projects announced by Hong Kong, the territory's counterpart to the mainland's four trillion yuan (HK$4.54 trillion) stimulus.

The company estimates its new contracts this financial year will total HK$6 billion to HK$8 billion, a significant increase from the HK$4.15 billion gained in the year to March.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in October last year announced the acceleration of the 10 projects, which are expected to involve a total spending of HK$250 billion.

"As of now, we already have HK$3.52 billion of new projects secured. For this year, we plan to have HK$6 billion of new contracts," said Paul Y Engineering chief executive Stanley Wong Kam-cheong.

It was possible the amount of new orders Paul Y would win this financial year could reach HK$8 billion, he added.

"In the coming year, we'll have a higher emphasis on infrastructure.

"In the second half, we will be busy submitting new tenders [for some of the 10 projects]."

Within the next four months, PaulY hoped to tender for contracts involving the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail, one of the 10 projects, he said.

So far, it has won two contracts totalling HK$380 million out of six awarded for the MTR West Island Line, also one of the 10 projects.

The boost from the infrastructure projects will not be felt in Paul Y's top line and bottom line this year, "but definitely for the coming years, there will be a boost to revenue and profit, definitely next year".

The projects, because of their high demand for engineering and construction services, would offer higher profit margins, which would strengthen Paul Y's profitability, Mr Wong added.

In the year to March, Paul Y's net profit fell 66.3 per cent to HK$40.22 million, while turnover dropped 10 per cent to HK$4.43 billion.


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## hkskyline

*Flood of accusations over burst water main *
The Standard
Tuesday, September 01, 2009























































Lack of coordination between government departments was blamed for the burst Gloucester Road water main. 
Legislator Kam Nai-wai of the Democratic Party has called a meeting with officials from the water supplies, transport, highway and the environmental protection departments for today to discuss repair plans for mains. He said the incident could have been prevented if various departments were better coordinated and had acted faster.

"We had approved the budget for the second stage of the [Replacement and Rehabilitation Programme of Water Mains], which includes the fixing of this particular pipe since 2007," Kam said.

"If the Water Supplies Department had coordinated earlier with the Transport Department, the accident would not have happened."

Kam said one section of the pipe had been slated for repair in April but because of a lack of agreement between the two departments, the work was stopped.

"I urge the WSD to review their progress on the pipes, as there are eight water pipes along Gloucester Road." 

The lawmaker urged the government to produce a schedule for the systematic replacement of the pipes. 

Kam said water pipes in Hong Kong, due to lack of space, had to run under the pavement and roads and be subject to heavy traffic. They were also less accessible for monitoring and inspection. 

Developed countries tend to dedicate special tunnels and sections for water pipes and cables and Kam believes Hong Kong should look into doing the same. 

Democratic Party lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan said Hong Kong should have a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure water pipes are properly cared for, and said responsibility should be shouldered in part by the Water Supplies Department.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers immediate past president Peter Wong Yiu-sun said that the material used in Hong Kong mains, iron, is an international standard for water mains and that it is an appropriate material to use. 

He said it was very difficult for the Transport Department to arrange road closures with the Water Supplies Department for mains repair work as the public would inadvertently be affected and frustrated with long-term closures.


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## hkskyline

*New hotel reaches the dizzying heights with optical illusions *
13 October 2009
South China Morning Post

There's yet another new hotel in town but this one is a bit off the wall. To be more precise, aspects of it are off-centre. In To Kwa Wan at 199 Kowloon City Road - within walking distance of the Kowloon City ferry pier - the newest of the Harbour Plaza group, the Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees, opened yesterday.

The 21-storey building offers more than 700 rooms, meeting rooms, banquet halls, restaurants, a pool and gym. But what makes it unique is that it is full of optical illusions.

Designed by PAL Design's Patrick Leung King-wah, the lobby (pictured), lifts, pool bar and ground-floor cafe appear slanted. "The idea came from the hotel but the designer thought of the optical illusions," a hotel spokesman said. "And it is more than eight degrees, but we kept the name. Some people do get dizzy, but you gather your balance again quite quickly."

It's certainly a novel and daring concept. No doubt it will be very appealing to M.C. Escher fans.


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## hkskyline

*Review of standards governing seawater 
Criteria have not been changed for 22 years*
26 September 2009
South China Morning Post

The city's 22-year-old quality objectives for marine water are to be revamped under a review launched by the government yesterday that might lead to different standards for different places, depending on their uses.

The review will explore issues involved in tracking health risks at bathing beaches, the need for separate standards for fish-culture zones or marine parks, and introducing quantitative criteria for toxic water pollutants.

The outcome of the review will also have a bearing on a multibillion-dollar sewage treatment plant planned for Victoria Harbour beyond 2013.

Elvis Au Wai-kwong, assistant director of the Environmental Protection Department, said yesterday the review was needed because of new marine pollution science, technologies and practices and changing use of the seas over the past two decades.

"We have been closely tracking all these developments and it is time we moved on to see what improvements we can achieve," Au said.

A three-month push to engage the public on the issues would be launched and a public seminar would be held on October 31 to seek opinions. The exercise would be followed by further studies on proposals, decisions on objectives and methods by which to attain them.

The results would be made available for public consultation by the end of next year.

An advisory committee comprising academics, engineers and officials has been formed to steer the review.

According to review documents, Hong Kong has 11 broad categories of water quality guidelines on things such as dissolved oxygen, ammonia and nutrients. Overseas authorities have also begun replacing guidelines on E. coli bacteria with parameters on other bacteria when they measure beach water quality and effects on human health.

These have been incorporated into enforcement guidelines for 10 water quality control zones set up in 1982 that cover the whole city. No discharges into these zones are allowed without a licence.

But compliance with objectives varies greatly between the zones - from full compliance in eastern waters, to just 40 per cent in Deep Bay and 65 per cent in southern waters as at the end of last year.

One of the reasons for the low compliance rate is related to untreated sewage pumped into the sea.

About 450,000 cubic metres of raw sewage is discharged into the harbour every day.

That will continue until 2013 when an expanded sewage collection network is completed.

The Deep Bay area, shared with Shenzhen and adjacent to Mai Po Nature Reserve, is the most stressed water body outside the harbour.

Some of its pollution loads are believed to exceed its carrying capacity.

WWF Hong Kong yesterday welcomed the review but called on the government to clearly outline guidelines that will conform to the most stringent international standards.

"Relentless development and reclamation over the last 15 years on the Shenzhen side of Deep Bay has radically altered the hydrodynamics of the bay," the WWF said in a statement yesterday.

"Revised objectives based on the current situation are therefore needed to facilitate more meaningful interpretation of the marine conditions on which the biodiversity of the bay depends."


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline, 

Do you think you can somehow dig up some update on this development on Welfare Road, Wong Chuk Hang?



> 惠福道勢成豪宅新地標
> 鄰近地鐵港島兩支線樞紐 2007年10月20日
> 
> 信和(0083)再顯大好友本色，伙拍嘉華(0173)與南豐合組財團，斥資57.1億元奪得香港仔惠福道地皮，每方呎樓面地價高達8840元(以地積比率 9.37倍計算)，創97年後港島區分層住宅的每方呎地價新高。該地能以破紀錄價售出，除了是自02年6月後港島區首幅拍賣的大型地皮，以及擁有向南海景，刺激發展商力爭該地王外，上周施政報告透露港島南地鐵支線有機會加快上馬，亦成為群雄爭地的原因。
> 
> 上周施政報告公布，政府將加快港島南支線上馬，若落實以往發展計劃，黃竹坑將成為南港島線東段與南港島線西段的車站交匯點，日後區內住戶東可經海洋公園、跑馬地及灣仔至金鐘站，西則途經香港仔、華富、數碼港及大學站達至西環。而惠福道地王鄰近黃竹坑，正是計劃中南港島線東段與南港島線西段的車站交匯點，日後該處住戶無論往返中環或銅鑼灣均便捷。
> 
> 港島南支線料2015年落成
> 
> 港島區住宅供應一直較少，更難尋一個大型的住宅地皮，兼享向南海景，並具地鐵概念，但惠福道地皮正好滿足以上的條件。
> 
> 港島南地鐵支線若能趕及2015年落成，即使惠福道項目可於2010年落成，住戶亦只需待4至5年便可享用該條地鐵支線；一旦支線啟用後，區內的人口及整個社區將會發生龐大變化。
> 
> 政府擬區內建特色旅遊區
> 
> 發展商亦早已看好區內的發展潛力，待黃竹坑鸷清拆後，加上海洋公園的擴展工程，以及政府有意於區內設立水上海鮮食肆及主題食街等，整個地區將會變成具有漁鄉特色旅遊區，未來區內對商場及酒店的需求必將大增，故多家發展商已紛紛將旗下的工廈轉作商業或酒店發展(見表)，估計房間數目或逾5000間，其中新地 (0016)、華懋及大生地產(0089)已於惠福道地皮拍賣前率先完成補地價。
> 
> 惠福道地王集特色旅遊及向南海景特點，難怪有發展商亦指出，是次地價仍屬合理。有角逐該地王的嘉里(0683)代理執行董事朱葉培於賽後亦坦言，是次地皮的成交價已計及將會興建港島南支線等因素，令成交價更有指標性。美聯港島區董事伍創業指出，區內未來發展將會大變身，發展商亦明言該地將建超級豪宅，相信該項目將成為未來區內豪宅新地標。
> 
> 南區未來3年供應僅1700伙
> 
> 根據《2007香港物業報告》資料顯示，預計港島區今年的住宅落成量約1847伙，但明年將回落至1317伙，跌幅約29％。在港島區的4個地區中，以南區的供應最少，預計今年約有963伙落成，明年將大幅下跌至僅4伙，並創下新低紀錄，反映中短期港島南區的供應緊張情。若再集中在香港仔區，撇除南韓基金計劃將所收購薄扶林貝沙灣6期第6座全幢作長線收租後，未來3年只會有1700個一手單位供應(見表)。
> 
> 市場預料，泛海(0129)的香港仔夏巴車廠重建項目，最快於明年初推出，預料將成為惠福道地皮高價售出後首個區內一手開售的樓盤。
> 
> 泛海執行董事關堡林亦表示，受到惠福道地皮以破紀錄售出的消息刺激，旗下的夏巴車廠重建項目意向呎價將逾1萬元。此外，於05年完成每方呎4300多元補地價的新地及嘉里鴨婣洲船廠項目，亦將受惠是次地王成交，預料該盤的市值將水漲船高。
> 
> 撰文：陳天賜


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## hkskyline

*Flats rise from industry *
The Standard
Thursday, October 22, 2009

K Wah International (0173) said it plans to sell its former serviced apartments at a Tai Kok Tsui industrial building as individual strata-title units.

After naming the 23-storey building on Bedford Road as Solo yesterday, company associate director Wilson Chan Yuk-shing said the developer aims to charge about HK$3,000 or HK$4,000 per square foot for the 135 units.

The units range in size from 447 to 631 square feet, with the cheapest home costing about HK$1.6 million.

An entire floor of seven units, totaling 3,490 sq ft, would cost about HK$14 million.

So far, Chan said some 40 prospective buyers have expressed interest. He expects the property to attract both investors and people in the creative industry. The developer has yet to finalize a sales timetable or actual prices.

Meanwhile, Sino Land (0083) assistant general manager Raymond Lai Hok-leung said Sino has sold 70 units of The Palazzo in Fo Tan, about 30 percent of them to mainlanders.

Half of the units sold - with views of the Sha Tin Racecourse - fetched about HK$10,000 psf.

Three-bedroom units with mountain views sold for about HK$7,000 psf.

A low level racecourse-view unit measuring 1,176 sq ft fetched more than HK$7,600 psf.

The developer is considering putting more units on the market.


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## hkskyline

*Value for money
Hip, contemporary and chic serviced apartments gain as the financial meltdown forces banks to slash housing allowances for executives *
30 October 2009
South China Morning Post

The squeeze on housing allowance budgets provided an unexpected tonic for Hong Kong's armada of boutique serviced apartments at a time when the global economic downturn would have seen many of them sink.

With banking executives having to scale back perks, including rental allowances, the era of residing in a luxury home for a couple of years seems to have largely come to an end.

To lessen the pinch and ensure executives are still rewarded with a luxury stay, HR departments have turned towards the serviced apartments sector. Gone also are the costs and hassles of administration: leases are now being signed by employees with all the tenancy responsibilities that come with it.

Overall tenancy rates, however, have dropped as more players enter the boutique serviced apartment sector. Despite feeling some ill effects from the recession, many operators are benefiting from a convergence of crisis and opportunity thanks to being small and flexible compared with the bigger operators.

Leasing terms have been adapted as companies seeking more economical and convenient accommodation demanded shorter rental periods.

CHI Residences may have entered the fray only three years ago with operations now running in Sheung Wan and Kowloon, but chief executive Pilar Morais says the company has an "old hand" driving it - chairman Philip Morais, who formed Shama before selling his share to Morgan Stanley in March 2006. Philip Morais is seen as having pioneered this niche sector in Hong Kong and built up a portfolio of 250 apartments.

In 2007, together with his son, Phil Jnr, and daughter Pilar, he founded CHI International - of which CHI Residences is an integral component.

"With corporations cutting housing allowances for staff we have found that they are no longer putting staff up in apartments due to the longer-term commitment and the fact that it is not affordable to lease an apartment and furnish it," Pilar Morais says. "Corporations have also steered away from hotels due to the greater expense compared to serviced apartments.

"We offer very affordable living conditions with the great quality of high-end hotels. Our locations are convenient and our prices are very competitive. There is no way that one could duplicate renting an apartment and furnishing it or staying in a hotel. Our prices vary from HK$11,000 to HK$45,000, which is very hard to beat."

The boutique sector has played up its modern image by appealing to the lifestyle conscious who want a place in the heart of Hong Kong with all that it has to offer, from gyms and nightlife, to shopping and shorter commutes.

One brand in this hip and trendy movement is Kush, run by entrepreneurs Dinesh Nihalchand and Alexander Bent. Though the financial downturn hit overall occupancy levels at the start of the year, the two found that the finance sector's tightening of employee perks was a boon, along with the recent upsurge in recruitment by the finance and banking sector.

"In the midst of Lehman collapsing and turmoil in the world financial markets, we were certainly helped a little bit by companies wanting to reduce their employees' housing budgets," says Bent. "These companies also began to adopt a wait-and-see attitude and put some of their employees in serviced apartments so that they wouldn't have to commit to long-term leases."

Consolidation among financial institutions also helped as it was accompanied by an overhaul in housing arrangements for staff. Nihalchand points to the absorbing of most of Lehman's Asia operations by Japanese investment giant Nomura, and reorganisation by US banks in the regions.

"The collapse of some of the bulge-bracket financial firms - Lehman and Bear Sterns - last year prompted a flurry of mergers and acquisition activity within the financial services sector which made the serviced apartment sector a viable option for employees who are integrating themselves with new platforms and require more flexible lease terms as positions are reorganised regionally," says Nihalchand.

Flexibility has also been a key strength for home2home, which runs Ovolo, Abeo and a serviced office block in Hollywood Road. "Companies are cutting their budgets, including housing allowances. Under this current economic environment, we understand guests' needs may change," says Heddy Li, home2home's director of operations and project development. "In order to tide over this difficult time with our guests, we are flexible in lease terms {hellip} willing to adjust according to guests' requirements. As a market leader and trend-setter, home2home understands guest requirements and will adapt to market changes."

But Kush's Bent adds that the global crisis does have niche operators concerned about the more negative repercussions of the fallout. "We still experienced about a 20 per cent reduction in rates and occupancy at the beginning of 2009," he says. "This has picked up in the past couple of months with what seems like an influx of new employees as the economy picks up a little bit."

For Elaine Young, of Shama, which has expanded into third-party operations in mainland cities, the change in relocation perks has benefited tenants who prefer the convenience of a luxury serviced apartment. "Not only have corporations turned to serviced apartments because they offer flexible lease terms, some have even passed the onus of signing the tenancy agreement onto the employee. This safeguards the company against holding unnecessary leases should they be required to make staff cuts in the future," Young says.

She adds that company housing budgets were cut by up to 30 per cent at the peak of the downturn and the leases were for weeks rather than months. "When a stay is short it rules out renting a regular apartment as minimum lease periods are usually for one or two years."

Young saw those allowance cuts ease to 15 to 20 per cent in the second half of this year. "Some employees have been forced to downsize or decentralise to less prime locations in order to cut costs," she says. "Shama has noticed a significant rise in the weekly stay business at our Central and Causeway Bay properties. We find that many tenants are preferring to stay in serviced apartments over hotels as they enjoy better rates and a larger space and are prepared to sacrifice the in-room dining and turn-down service. An overall trend seems to be: only make the most necessary and needed of business trips; if a video conference will suffice, do it."

Property industry observers say that more players entering the boutique serviced apartment sector has led to a rise in quality, with added-value seen as essential in attracting tenants, particularly from international companies.

"Value for money is becoming increasingly relevant for all travellers, so well-priced brands will be important," says Young. "In this regard we have created a diffusion line that is hip, contemporary, chic but importantly, keenly priced. Boutique properties will still be in demand as brand personality is desired by guests."


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## hkskyline

*Don't expect changes to HK's high property price policy *
3 November 2009
South China Morning Post

Yesterday, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen promised to get a grip on Hong Kong's ballooning home prices.

"We do not want to see a huge property bubble developing," he told a hall full of business executives. "We do have tools available to stabilise the market if needed."

Of course, the government has the tools to stabilise prices; it is the monopoly supplier of land in Hong Kong and controls the market.

But whether Tsang chooses to do anything bolder than merely tweak the city's land supply mechanism is doubtful. After all, the government has deliberately rigged the whole system precisely in order to keep home prices high.

The reason Tsang is making noises about reining in the market is the near 30 per cent rise in flat prices so far this year, which has driven prices up to within a whisker of their March 2008 highs.

The run-up in prices has prompted a swelling chorus of protests that the supply of new flats coming to the market is insufficient (see the first chart below) and that the reason is the government's restrictive land supply system.

As things stand, there are three main ways a property developer can acquire plots to build on. It can trigger a land auction through the government's application list mechanism. It can pay a hefty premium to the government to allow it to build homes on land previously designated for agricultural or industrial use. Or it can go into business with the government-controlled MTR Corp to help develop portions of MTR's giant land bank.

Under the application list system, a developer triggers an auction if it proposes paying 80 per cent of a secret reserve price for a plot on the government's list. If no one then makes a higher bid, the developer that initiated the auction has to pay the full reserve price. The application list method was introduced in 1999 to replace regular auctions. A large part of the idea was to help support depressed prices. But the system has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Land auctions have all but ground to a halt (see the second chart) as developers have failed to file rich enough proposals.

The developers blame the government for setting reserve prices too high. Cynics rubbish that notion, saying the developers have colluded not to trigger auctions, in order to keep prices high.

That would suit the large developers, who are sitting on sizeable areas of farming and industrial land. With the conversion charge determined by the difference in value between residential land and plots earmarked for other uses, a shortage of residential land ensures that only the richest developers can afford to pay the premium.

It would also suit the MTR and its favoured partners, who in recent years have exerted a virtual stranglehold on new properties in the mass market.

In each case, the effect of the land supply mechanism is to erect formidable barriers to entry, restricting the market to a select cartel of developers and protecting their margins by supporting prices.

In last month's policy address, Tsang hinted that he might ease the supply of land through the MTR and by allowing easier land use change. But the fundamental flaws of the system - its high barriers to entry - will remain in place.

If he really cared about making property affordable, Tsang would introduce more competition to the market by scrapping the heavy up-front fees participants must pay and replacing them with back-loaded charges such as annual taxes on completed developments.

The chances of that are negligible, however. Tsang is far more interested in supporting the value of the assets held by Hong Kong's existing property-owning class than he is in providing affordable homes for first-time buyers.

As he said yesterday: "Whatever action we may consider, we have to take into account the legitimate concern of existing homeowners." In other words, don't expect any substantive changes to the government's high property price policy.


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## hkskyline

*Secret bidding for land sales urged *
2 November 2009
The Standard

An economist yesterday called on the government to resume secret bidding for land sales to prevent developers from inflating prices during an open auction.

City University associate professor of economics and finance Li Kui-wai told RTHK's City Forum that from 2002 to 2003, developers had to submit bids through a secret ballot, and the government decided who should get the land _ and not necessarily the highest bidder.

``It is not indeed a high land price policy [that props up the property market]. It is the way of selling land that results in a high land price,'' Li said. ``If you sell land in an open auction, it will always be the bidder who is willing to pay the highest price who gets the land. They [developers] can push up the price of land by continually raising their hands and their bids.''

The government abandoned the secret ballot policy and resumed open auctions for transparency, and to avoid the suspicion of collusion with any specific property developer.

Shih Wing-ching, chairman of Centaline Group, said the current sky- high property prices for luxury apartments were the result of a loose monetary policy by the mainland government and the SAR government's reluctance to put more land on sale.

Fred Li Wah-ming, a lawmaker and a member of the Housing Authority's Subsidized Housing Committee, said the prices of luxury units would inevitably affect the prices of other flats. He called on the government to restart the Home Ownership Scheme. ``It can help thousands of people who cannot afford to buy private property to have homes of their own, thereby vacating public housing for those in need,'' Li said.

Lawrence Poon Wing-cheong, chairman of the general practice division of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, said the high prices were not the result of a lack of supply. ``We have about 50,000 vacant flats, and a further 40,000 flats will be put on sale over the next three years,'' Poon said.

However, Shih argued many vacant flats are not available for sale. He warned the government should not repeat the lesson of the ``85,000 housing policy'' by hastily acceding to pressure for HOS resumption and other housing policies.

``The government should be very careful when imposing policy. There are fewer than 10 percent of the households who want to buy property and 60 percent who have already bought their homes,'' Shih said.

``If the government tries to suppress the price of property, it will hurt most of the families and will not benefit the minority, as people will not buy when the prices are too low.''


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## hkskyline

*Contract awarded for Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A*
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Government Press Release

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (November 3) awarded a $188.8 million contract for provision of covers and deodourisation facilities to the existing sedimentation tanks at Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW).

Speaking after the contract signing ceremony, the Assistant Director(Sewage Services) of DSD, Mr Shiu Wing-yu, said the department had, in recent years, implemented a series of mitigation measures at SCISTW to reduce odour nuisances from the plant. 

"The addition of covers to the sedimentation tanks will further remove a potential odour source at SCISTW and will provide long-term improvement to the air quality of its neighbouring areas," he said. 

The contract is the fifth works contract awarded under the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A. It comprises the supply and installation of approximately 25,000 square metres of fibre reinforced plastic covers to the existing sedimentation tanks, and two deodourisation plants (using biotrickling filter technology) at SCISTW. 

HATS is a major sewerage infrastructure project in Hong Kong to improve the water quality of Victoria Harbour. The commissioning of HATS Stage 1 in late 2001 has provided proper treatment to about 75% of the sewage discharged into Victoria Harbour, and has significantly improved the water quality in the eastern and central parts of the harbour. HATS Stage 2A will collect the remaining 25% of the sewage generated from northern and southwestern parts of Hong Kong Island, and involves the construction of another 21 km of tunnels, and expansion and upgrading of the SCISTW facilities and related preliminary treatment plants on Hong Kong Island.

The contract is scheduled for completion in late 2012 while the whole of HATS Stage 2A is targeted for commissioning at the end of 2014.


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## hkskyline

*LDAC welcomes initiatives to revitalise industrial buildings*
Monday, November 9, 2009
Government Press Release

The Land and Development Advisory Committee (LDAC) welcomed the Government's innovative measures to revitalise industrial buildings through encouraging redevelopment and wholesale conversion of vacant or under-utilised industrial buildings.

At its second meeting today (November 9), LDAC members considered the policy initiatives constructive in stimulating the provision of more land and premises to meet Hong Kong's economic and social needs. They noted that a wide range of social and economic uses may be permitted in redeveloped or converted buildings in the "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" zone where most of the industrial buildings are located, such as church groups gathering places, activity areas of NGOs, non-residential social welfare facilities as well as higher value-added economic activities including the six advantaged industries. They also noted that the Lands Department will set up a dedicated team to process applications for redevelopment and wholesale conversion when the application period commences on April 1, 2010.

The LDAC was also briefed on the redevelopment of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) Compound by the Commissioner for Heritage. Members agreed that the project would contribute to the society in terms of enhanced community services and the promotion of heritage conservation as well as local art and culture. Members noted that the redevelopment project, fully funded by the HKSKH, would help create jobs and boost the economy. The redevelopment is one of the eight projects under the "Conserving Central" initiative announced in the 2009-10 Policy Address.

Members were consulted on the Public Engagement Process on Building Design to Foster a Quality and Sustainable Built Environment launched by the Council for Sustainable Development to gauge public views on the key issues concerned. Members acknowledged the need to strike a balance between granting GFA (gross floor area) concessions for the provision of essential, green and amenity features, and addressing public concern over building height and bulk. The Council for Sustainable Development expects to submit a report to the Government by mid-2010.


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## hkskyline

Source : http://www.pbase.com/middlehill/image/70514600


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> hkskyline,
> 
> Do you think you can somehow dig up some update on this development on Welfare Road, Wong Chuk Hang?


_Search hasn't been very fruitful : _

*Land frenzy tipped to ebb *
31 December 2007
The Standard

After the jaw-dropping prices seen in land auctions this year, it is unlikely the same scenes of fierce bidding will be repeated next year as the property professionals expect triggering an auction to get tougher than ever.

So far during the current fiscal year _ April 1, 2007 to March 30, 2008 _ a total of eight land plots have been sold in six land auctions, generating HK$26.02 billion for the government.

The most noteworthy sale was that of the 69,822-square-foot plot on Welfare Road in Aberdeen which went for HK$5.71 billion in October, translating to an accommodation value of HK$8,836 per square foot. The winning bid was 130 percent above the opening bid of HK$2.5 billion.

With this year's land sale prices serving as a benchmark, the government is likely to raise the reserve prices next year, making land buying more challenging for developers, said Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, managing director of Savills valuation and professional services.

Centaline Property Agency research department associate director Wong Leung-sing said there will be fewer plots triggered for sale next year as developers will find it hard to keep up with the higher valuation adjustments. After the Aberdeen land sale, flats in South Horizons in nearby Ap Lei Chau climbed more than 50 percent in value to some HK$6,000 psf this month.

But the surge was mainly driven by the news that the MTR South Island Line which will go through Ap Lei Chau will start running by 2015, not by the Aberdeen sale, Wong said.

There were 34 unsuccessful bids to trigger land auctions in this fiscal year with the former Valley Road Estate Phase II site in Ho Man Tin receiving 16 of them. Market watchers believe Wheelock Properties (0049), which by being the first bidder triggered auctions for the five of the six sites, will remain aggressive as it rushes to replenish its fast-depleting land bank.

According to surveyors, developers next year will be more keen on sites suitable for luxury projects rather than mass-market schemes.

They said the Ho Man Tin site, a site on Mount Nicholson Road in eastern Mid-Levels and an Ede road site in Kowloon Tong may go on the block.


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## hkskyline

*Balancing act fine by Victor Li *
The Standard
Thursday, November 12, 2009

Cheung Kong (Holdings) is backing the government's housing policy, saying the administration is capable of taking care of both sides in property dealings.

"The government is able to strike a balance between the interest of homebuyers and owners," said Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, deputy chairman and managing director of Cheung Kong (0001).

Also, he said, Cheung Kong supports the opinions of the government and the Real Estate Developers Association on property market development.

The government has said it will fine- tune its land supply arrangements when necessary to avert a property bubble. And it will intervene if the market becomes unhealthy.

As Li sees the business, it is never a wrong decision for the long term if someone holds on to a flat bought in the economic slowdown.

That was in reaction to some professionals saying they could not now afford to buy homes they desired. "No young person in the world is able to afford expensive homes right after graduation," Li remarked during the grand opening of Cheung Kong's 1881 Heritage project in Tsim Sha Tsui.

"It's good if commuting time is reasonable - like if you take 45 minutes to go to work from home."

Government figures showed an average household spent about 34 percent of total income on mortgage payments in the second quarter this year.

On another front, Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (1038) is expected to announce an overseas acquisition next week.

Li, who is chairman of the infrastructure arm, said the company is actively talking to French electricity company EDF regarding a British power- distribution business worth 4 billion euros (HK$46.56 billion).


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> _Search hasn't been very fruitful : _
> 
> *Land frenzy tipped to ebb *
> 31 December 2007


Thanks anyways.

I did find a few, like two or three, Chinese articles about the project. Mostly published when the land was auctioned out in 2007, and there was a few publish in the past mid-October (2009).

Nothing much really, all I saw was there will be 6-tower with 30 floor each.


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## hkskyline

*When the water stops *
15 November 2009
SCMP

There was only sporadic drizzle over the supposedly wet summer months. And the rain simply disappeared after autumn took hold. The Beijiang, one of the three tributaries of the Pearl River in Guangdong, is drying up. In parts that run through Qingyuan's city centre, the riverbed is visible. Working and sightseeing boats have disappeared from the usually busy river, as navigation has become too difficult.

But this is not the only part of Guangdong suffering at the hands of the drought. With precipitation only 40 per cent of the seasonal average over the past months, the Xijiang and the Dongjiang - the other two tributaries - are also showing the effects of drought. Many Guangdong cities, such as Meizhou, Shaoguan, Shantou, Chaozhou and Qingyuan, have reported serious water shortages. In Qingyuan and the neighbouring city of Shantou alone, at least 40 hectares of farmland are affected, while 70,000 people are short of drinking water. But the drought was not even reported in the Qingyuan city newspaper, because of the tight press censorship there.

Luo Zhihui, 42, is one of the drought victims. Luo and his family own a fifth of a hectare of rice paddy in rural Qingyuan, and they started planting sweet potato recently.

"Sweet potato doesn't need much water; it can survive in a drought. We're supposed to harvest the rice crop this month but half of the yield has died, so we will have to buy rice from the market for our food," he said.

Luo works at a hotel in the city and returns to the field once a week on his day off; the rest of the time, his parents and wife are responsible for tending the crop. "We need cash for other necessities and to pay for my children's tuition fees. If I don't work in the city, how can we have cash?"

Luo's neighbour Huang Yongsen faces the same hardship. "There is no rain. The land has dried up. Half of the harvest has [gone]. I will have to go to town for work more often; otherwise, we will not have money to buy rice," said Huang, who has previously worked at construction sites during lax times. He believes he will have to head to the city for work more often in the coming months.

For farmers, the drought is a harsh reality. But only 10 kilometres southwest of their fields, in the urban area, drought is merely a novelty, or at worst an embarrassment.

Jacky Lee, assistant manager of Qingyuan's only five-star hotel, the Sofitel, said: "Facing a dry river is rather embarrassing. Guests complain there is no river view any more. Fortunately they understand there isn't much we can do after we explain to them that there hasn't been rain for months."

He stresses it is business as usual for the hotel - and that's true. Gardeners hose the trees and lawns as usual. The pool, steam room and jacuzzi are still open for business. Guests hear no requests to save water.

"We don't have a water shortage, either in this hotel or in this city. Even if there is a water shortage, the government will guarantee the water supply to our hotel," Lee said.

Residents of urban Qingyuan are also unaffected. Xie Liang, a taxi driver, said: "There hasn't been any rain at all. I don't remember when it rained last. That's why the Beijiang is drying up. Of course, there will be problems, but so far we are not affected by the absence of rain."

Yet even if many residents in Guangdong cities and Hong Kong remain unaware of the drought, it is likely to hit urban areas soon. Scientists warned recently that residents of Pearl River Delta cities - including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen - might have to put up with salty tap water because of the drought.

In Zhuhai, the city government has forbidden the use of water for non-essential activities such as street cleaning, fountains and watering plants. Neighbouring Macau is also being urged to cut back on water use.

Ho Kin-chung, dean of science and technology at the Open University of Hong Kong and a veteran researcher on water issues in Guangdong, said he was worried by the general ignorance about, and indifference to, the seriousness of the water shortage among the public and provincial government. "Whenever drought comes, the cities are protected at the expense of the rural area. Hong Kong is also well sheltered.

"On the mainland, at the regional level, governments guarantee water supply to the cities. At the national level, Beijing has an established policy on guaranteeing water supply to Hong Kong. It is precisely this that has made many underestimate the seriousness of the water shortage we are facing. It is bad. It is unfair for the rural population and undermines any serious effort to conserve water. With limited supplies, water shortages are the biggest challenge of the 21st century after climate change."

He added: "The water shortage in Guangdong is serious. There is a misconception that we don't have to worry about water in Guangdong because of its subtropical location with abundant precipitation brought by monsoons. But that is wrong. Rain in Guangdong is highly seasonal and unevenly distributed, and the province does not have sufficient reservoirs to hold the rain."

Unchecked industrialisation and urbanisation, which increase demand for water and cause serious pollution, also contribute to the water shortage. The province's environmental chief, Li Qing, said in 2005 that pollution had seriously damaged Guangdong's water quality.

In 2007, the Guangdong Water Resources Department revealed that half of the Pearl River's urban sections were seriously polluted, and bodies of water within the urban zones of the most industrialised and wealthiest areas - Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen - were described as "extremely polluted". Only about 20 per cent of the total volume of the province's waste water is treated before being discharged.

"The Pearl River is paying a high cost for being the world's factory," said Edward Chan Yue-fai, Greenpeace's campaign manager. The green group recently released research on water quality in the Pearl River. It said factories in Guangdong were poisoning the water; after analysing 25 samples of waste-water discharge from several industrial sites, it found a "diverse range of hazardous chemicals", including heavy metals linked to brain damage.

"What is very disturbing is that, once released, it is almost impossible to remove these hazardous substances from the environment," said Dr Kevin *******, a scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories.

The green group called on the Guangdong government to impose strict environmental regulations and companies to cut their use of hazardous chemicals, or the Pearl River - China's third-longest - would suffer irreversible damage.

Another side effect of industrialisation and urbanisation - population growth - also adds pressure to the water supply. Between 1997 and 2002, nearly eight million people have moved to Guangdong for better economic opportunities. "Economic growth is highly related to water consumption; the richer the place, the more water the people consume," Ho said.

Academics advocate building more reservoirs and raising water fees to ease shortages. But officials prefer to concentrate on building new office towers, residential high-rises and factories. Raising water fees to make people aware there is a price to pay for water is considered politically incorrect, in both Guangdong and Hong Kong.

"The biggest problem is that we put our priority on economic development," Ho said. "For years, we have taken for granted that water will be there when we go to the tap. We have achieved economic growth at the expense of water. We do not realise there is a hidden price, a social cost for our development. Water will run out eventually."


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## hkskyline

*Serviced office providers tap mainland companies *
11 November 2009
South China Morning Post

Providers of serviced offices in Hong Kong are tapping into a strong new customer base as growing numbers of mainland firms hunt for cost-effective accommodation for their business operations in the city.

"Previously, about 90 per cent of our clients were either from Hong Kong or overseas," said a spokeswoman at the Cosmopolitan Business and Convention Centre (CBCC).

"Now 50 per cent of our clients are mainland firms, and we are providing office accommodation to more trading companies from Shenyang [Liaoning province] and some cities I have never even heard of in Hebei and Henan provinces," she said.

Other services include a business centre, auditing{sbquo} bookkeeping and accounting functions{sbquo} a corporate secretarial and taxation service{sbquo} and assistance with company set-ups.

"Our clients are looking for flexibility in leasing terms instead of conventional office premises. Some are newcomers just exploring business opportunities in Hong Kong, and they are in the city for business appointments for maybe two days a week," she said.

"Such start-ups are reluctant to commit to taking a large office space for two to three years."

Regus, the world's largest provider of serviced offices, plans to open a new 15,000 sq ft business centre in the International Commerce Centre at Kowloon Station in January.

"We believe we will see more start-ups from overseas or from the mainland reaching into Hong Kong over the next few years," said a spokeswoman.

Regus will also add business centres in Beijing and Tianjin.

Desmond Poon Chi-ming, an associate director of consultancy Chartersince Realty (International), said his firm recently helped two mainland companies lease business centres as temporary offices in Hong Kong.

"They prefer to set up operations in a business centre mainly because of flexibility in leasing terms. These clients are looking for six-month or even shorter leases as a way to test the market," he said.

Companies in this situation prefer the option despite the fact that some business centres in core Central charge at least HK$30,000 a month for a single room or HK$70,000 for a unit to accommodate four people, plus service fees.

"Some will renew a six-month term lease three or four times. They will not sign longer leases until their business plans have been finalised," he said.

Since the global financial crisis, mainland firms had become more interested in serviced office options at a point when an increasing number of foreign firms had either pulled out of their operations in Hong Kong or become cautious about expansion in order to repair their balance sheets at home, Poon said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Transparency of transactions of uncompleted first-hand residential properties enhanced *
Friday, November 20, 2009
Government Press Release

The Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) announced today (November 20) that agreement had been reached with the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong (REDA) on new measures to further enhance the transparency of transactions of uncompleted first-hand residential properties and the clarity of property information.

Under the new arrangement, developers will be required to make public transactions of uncompleted first-hand residential properties within five working days after the signing of Preliminary Agreements for Sale and Purchase (PASPs). 

In addition, REDA also agreed to show the price per square foot/metre in "saleable area" of individual flats on the price lists, and provide floor numbering information in a more prominent manner in the sales brochures of uncompleted first-hand residential flats.

The above new measures will come into effect by end of November 2009.

"The Government is deeply concerned about some recent sales tactics in the first-hand uncompleted residential property market and confusing market information. The new measures will further enhance the transparency of transactions of uncompleted first-hand residential properties and the clarity of property information," a THB spokesman said.

"At present, developers are required under the Lands Department's Consent Scheme to register a duly signed Agreement for Sale and Purchase (ASP) of uncompleted first-hand residential properties in the Land Registry (LR) within one month from the signing of the PASP. There is therefore normally a lead time of about one month before the record of the transactions will be available for public inspection. As a new requirement under REDA's guidelines, developers will be required to provide in their websites and sales offices information on the ASPs within five working days after the signing of the PASPs, so that the public will know about the transactions concerned in a matter of days. Developers will still have to register the ASPs in the LR within one month from the signing of the respective PASPs," the spokesman said.

"At present, only the flat price but not the price per square foot/metre of a flat is shown on the price lists of uncompleted first-hand residential properties. There has been call for greater transparency in the flat price per square foot/metre for uncompleted first-hand residential properties. Under the new requirement of REDA's guidelines, developers will be required to show the flat price per square foot/metre in 'saleable area' of individual flats on the price lists," the spokesman said.

The definition of "saleable area" was standardised under the Consent Scheme on October 10, 2008, to include only the area of the unit, the balcony and the utility platform, if any. Also, developers have been adopting the standardised price list template promulgated by REDA in all uncompleted first-hand residential properties approved for pre-sale under the Consent Scheme since October 10, 2008.

On floor numbering information, developers have been providing in their sales brochures cross-section diagrams of floors which show the total number of storeys of a building and the position of floors, as well as floor numbering information in the "Information for Reference" section in the back part of the sales brochures. 

"To further enhance the transparency of floor numbering information in the sales brochures, REDA will require developers to set out the floor numbering information clearly in the section on 'Basic Information of the Development' at the front part of the sales brochure," the spokesman said.


----------



## hkskyline

*New property rules come at the right time *
23 November 2009
South China Morning Post

As Hongkongers have grown richer, their new flats, ironically, have actually been getting smaller. This is because living space in proportion to the gross floor area of their homes has consistently shrunk over the past three decades. Buying a flat is usually the most important financial decision a person can make in his or her lifetime. But flat buyers in Hong Kong are getting less and less for their purchases; developers build ever-bigger - but ill-defined - common areas that eat into the space where people live. This trend needs to be reversed. Belatedly, the government has taken a significant step to improve transparency in the market for uncompleted flats. This will go some way towards creating a fairer market for buyers.

From the end of the month, developers must state the saleable floor area and its price per square foot or metre when their uncompleted flats go on sale. Coupled with an earlier rule that explicitly defines saleable floor area as a flat's internal floor size plus the balcony, the new rule will severely restrict the latitude currently enjoyed by developers in promoting new developments. Mind you, there are still features such as the thickness of walls and utility platforms - built, for example, for air conditioners and washing machines - that may be included in the internal floor area. However, the scope for manipulation is significantly reduced. Under the new rules, the transaction records of flats will also have to be made public within five working days of the sale being confirmed, instead of the current one month.

The price per square foot or metre of saleable area is important information for people buying uncompleted flats. This is because unlike, built flats, potential buyers cannot inspect actual units but only showcase flats. But currently, that vital information is usually revealed only after a sale has been completed. As a rule, developers and their sales agents only list the flat price in terms of its gross floor area in promotional materials. This common practice misleadingly lowers flats' price per square foot to make them look more attractive to buyers.

It is also a deceptive way for developers to make buyers pay for common areas, which could include anything from gardens, play areas and huge clubhouses to management offices, car parks, lift lobbies and staircases, air-conditioning rooms and refuse-collection points. Common areas may also include the extra floor areas developers get for free from the government by incorporating environmental features. As such green features have become a source of widespread abuse, the policy has clearly not worked. It is time for the government to either scrap it, or force developers to provide environmentally friendly facilities by law.

Because of such unscrupulous practices long tolerated by the authorities, the actual size of flats in Hong Kong has shrunk by as much as 22 per cent since the 1980s, according to one study. If we are to become a truly first-class international city, we must improve people's quality of life. This must start at home, literally. People deserve more spacious living areas and value for their property.

Since the start of the global financial crisis, the property markets in Hong Kong and the mainland have bounced back quicker than those of most other major economies. People are, once again, jumping back into the market. In addition to new measures put in place to cool a market in danger of overheating, the government has picked the right time to introduce much-needed rules to make property transactions more transparent and fair.


----------



## hkskyline

*Developers targeting old buildings *
7 October 2009
SCMP

Developers are aggressively hunting for old buildings to redevelop and that means more and more of the quaint old shops that give Hong Kong its unique architectural heritage are disappearing from the streetscape.

Fifty years ago, Victor Sin Ho-yuen's father opened a small trading shop called Yat Lee Oil and Soy Sauce Shop. Ten years later, he bought another shop and then owned two shops at 42 and 44 Haven Street in Causeway Bay.

But now the shop at 44 Haven Street has been bought by a developer and shut down pending its redevelopment because Sin lost his bid at the Lands Tribunal to oppose a redevelopment buyout accepted by the majority of owners in the building in which the shop was located.

"Three years ago the developer [Soundwill Holdings] offered HK$15 million to buy our shop at 44 Haven Street. But that would not have been enough for us to buy another shop somewhere else in Causeway Bay, so we turned it down," said Sin.

"Our family has lived and done business in this district for 50 years. We want to stay here."

However, the flat owners in the building in which Sin's shop was located agreed to the developer's general offer.

Their acceptances were sufficient to trigger the Land [Compulsory Sales for Redevelopment] Ordinance, opening the way for a compulsory takeover of all the units since the developer had secured the nod of more than 90 per cent of the owners in the building.

Sin then hired property experts and lawyers to argue a case before the tribunal that the building was still in good condition and therefore did not qualify under the ordinance as a target for compulsory acquisition for the purpose of redevelopment.

But the Lands Tribunal dismissed the argument and approved the compulsory sale. Sin was also ordered to pay costs.

"It cost me more than HK$2 million. Not many flat owners could afford the cost of opposing developers. The system is unfair to individual owners," said Sin, who was forced as a result of rejecting the developer's offer to accept a court-ordered valuation of just HK$8.5 million for his 1,200 square foot shop when the developer moved to compulsory acquisition of the building at the auction that followed.

His other shop along with a flat at 42 Haven Street is now also the target of the same developer.

For the moment the developer has not been able to move to compulsory acquisition since it has only secured agreement from 80 per cent of the owners in the second building.

The Denmark Cake Shop, located for the past 30 years on the ground floor of Lei Shun Court in Leighton Road, is facing the same challenge to its continued existence.

Richfield Realty and Centaline Property Agency are bidding for appointments to secure sales agreements from owners in the building.

"More and more of Hong Kong's old shops are disappearing in the city as urban redevelopment has speeded up in recent years," a surveyor said.

Professional Property Services Group chairman Nicholas Brooke said redevelopment inevitably brought in its wake disruption and the need for owners to relocate.

"That's why we need to consider the option and alternative of regeneration and revitalisation wherever possible on a district or precinct basis," he said. "The focus under this scenario should be refurbishment and renovation and should neither change the character of the area nor mean the loss of the old shops."

Brooke said this would require the creation of a financial or funding model that helped owners through loans, grants and dollar-matching initiatives.

"It will also require a change of mindset by the government, the Urban Renewal Authority and the development community. But the pressure is there for such change."

Kim Chan, a vice-president at Hong Kong Institute of Planners, echoed these sentiments. "We can't save every old shop, otherwise Hong Kong will become an old town. But the government should make more effort.

"It should identify which street and which area in which district should retain their unique character."

In Wong Tai Sin, metals businessman Chan Kam-man wanted to sell his old flat and teamed up with other owners to appoint surveyors to prepare an offer for a developer to buy out their units in four buildings on Po Kong Lane in 2006.

"Our buildings do not have lifts, which meant it is inconvenient for the elderly. My 80-year-old mother has knee problems so she had to move out. I want to sell my flat and buy one in a newer building to live with her," Chan said.

"Most of the flat owners are more than 60 years old. We want to sell our old flats and buy new ones to improve our living environment and prepare for the future."

According to the tender offer prepared by the owners, Chan could sell his unit for up to HK$7 million, a much higher price than he could achieve through an individual sale in the secondary market. However, his dream has not materialised.

The estate comprises four 44- to 45-year-old buildings.

While 90 per cent of owners at three of the buildings have agreed to sell, just 80 per cent of the owners in the fourth building have so far agreed. The rest are looking for a higher offer from another developer.

"While we were negotiating with the other flat owners to agree to sell, the government imposed building height restrictions on our site and the developer immediately lost interest," Chan said.

"Now we are back to selling our units in the secondary market, but our building is old. It takes time to find buyers. If the government lowered the threshold to trigger compulsory acquisitions a few years ago, we might have already sold our units."

Opinions on the threshold differ, but Brooke believes the present requirement that developers must secure agreement to sell from 90 per cent of owners is too high.

"The present threshold is restrictive and thwarts many genuine attempts by owners and developers to redevelop properties which are well past their working life and which do not merit retention on heritage and other grounds," he said.

"Essentially, it means that the proponents often find themselves having to pay what is in effect a ransom price to reach 90 per cent."


----------



## hkskyline

*New home loans seen nearing 1997 peak 
Mortgage broker tips 19pc jump to HK$238b*
28 November 2009
South China Morning Post

Mortgage brokers expect new home loans to reach HK$238 billion next year, a 19 per cent increase on this year and the highest since the HK$256 billion at the market peak in 1997.

New home loans reached HK$159 billion in the first 10 months of this year, according to a survey by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

Sharmaine Lau Yuen-yuen, the chief economic analyst at mortgage broker mReferral, said yesterday the firm expected total new home loans drawn down to reach HK$200 billion by the end of the year, which would be 8.2 per cent higher than the HK$185 billion last year.

However, the number of new home loans is expected to fall 1.25 per cent to about 94,000 this year, compared with 95,189 last year.

The home loan market has benefited from the record-low mortgage rate and the booming property market this year, and Lau expected the situation to continue next year.

Average property prices in the secondary market have surged 27 per cent to HK$4,313 per square foot so far this year as the market has recorded more than 10,000 transactions a month in the last six months.

As the demand for residential property remained strong, Lau said the average property price was expected to rise a further eight per cent next year. She expected total new home loans to increase 19 per cent, while transactions should rise 6.4 per cent to about 100,000.

"The mortgage business is profitable with lower investment risk, which is attractive to the banks," she said. "We saw many banks become active in this area after the outbreak of the global financial crisis in September last year. I think the banks will continue to be active in this market."

However, she did not think the banks would lower mortgage rates any further.

The mReferral effective rate, the average mortgage rate approved by the broker, fell to 1.699 per cent last month, the lowest since it began in 1990.

Many banks have released new mortgage plans based on the Hong Kong interbank offered rate (Hibor) this year. The effective mortgage rate of Hibor-based mortgages could be even less than one per cent.

"The mortgage rate is close to the bottom. I don't think the banks would cut the mortgage rate further. The banks have to make a profit," Lau said.

She expected the rate to stay at the current level next year.

Mainlanders were a lot more active in the Hong Kong property market this year. The firm estimated a 50 per cent increase in mainland clients who bought luxury homes worth HK$10 million or above and applied for mortgages in the first three quarters.

About 21.5 per cent of mortgage clients who bought luxury homes worth HK$10 million or above were mainlanders in September.

Lau expected the mainlanders to remain active in the Hong Kong market next year, although growth would likely slow.


----------



## hkskyline

*Two Tai Po waterfront sites to go on the block 
Luxury residential land may fetch HK$12.4b in December sale*
19 November 2009
South China Morning Post

Two luxury residential sites on the Tai Po waterfront were triggered for auction yesterday - the first large-scale land sale in two years.

Surveyors estimated the sites might fetch up to HK$12.4 billion, giving a residential floor area of HK$9,000 per square foot.

The price per square foot would be 38 per cent higher than that for two nearby sites sold to a consortium led by Sino Land in 2007.

The Lands Department yesterday announced that the government had accepted the applicants' minimum guaranteed bid of HK$7.208 billion or HK$4,995 per square foot for the two sites.

Sino Land, Nan Fung Development, KWah International Holdings, Henderson Land Development and Sun Hung Kai Properties have denied responsibility for triggering the sale.

The sites, next to the Science Park and Sino Land's residential project, will be the first to be put up for auction this financial year when they come to market on December 28. They are also the first large-scale development sites up for auction since a residential site in Wong Chuk Hang was sold in October 2007.

Each site has an area of 2.1 hectares. Developers can build low-density residential buildings with a total gross floor area of 720,757 square feet on each site.

No large-scale sites have been triggered for sale in the past two years and only small sites in the New Territories have been sold.

Developers have turned up their noses at the government's land application list over the past two years, urging the government to lower the threshold for triggering sales from the list.

The sudden action by the developer that triggered the latest auction might be related to a meeting between developers and Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah last month, said Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, the managing director of Savills.

"The government may resume regular land auctions if property prices continue to rise sharply, but developers don't want this," he said. "It saves them from regular auctions if sites are triggered for sale."

With the minimum bids for the Tai Po waterfront sites at HK$4,995 per square foot, this signals that the government has estimated them to be at least HK$6,200 per square foot.

Under the application list system, a developer can trigger an auction by making a bid that is at least 80 per cent of a site's government-set reserve price.

In 2007, the consortium led by Sino Land bought three sites next to the Tai Po sites for HK$10.16 billion.

Two of the sites on the waterfront were sold for HK$6,109 to HK$6,368 per square foot.

Knight Frank executive director Alnwick Chan Chi-hing believes the latest two sites could fetch HK$9,000 per square foot as luxury residential prices have risen sharply in the past two years.

"Property prices for Sino Land's project [that was sold in 2007] can fetch HK$15,000 per square foot if it is launched in the market now," he said.

Charles Chan believes the winning bidders of the sites would develop houses and low-rise buildings to maximise profit.

"Prices of the houses can reach as much as HK$18,000 per square foot, while apartments can fetch up to HK$12,000," he said.

Midland Realty data shows the average price of flats in the area was HK$7,500 per square foot, while that of houses was HK$18,000.

Sales in the luxury residential market fell significantly after the world record-breaking transaction at Henderson's 39 Conduit Road in Mid-Levels West at the end of last month.

The auctions of the two Tai Po sites were expected to spark another increase in transactions and prices in the luxury housing market if land prices in the sector met or exceeded expectations within the market, Charles Chan said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Checks on all old blocks could start next year*
22 January 2010
SCMP

A long-discussed plan to require building owners to have old properties inspected regularly will be introduced late next year at the earliest.

The plan, covering 15,000 residential blocks that are older than 30 years, will ask each household living in them to pay on average HK$800 for the inspection every 10 years.

Households will also have to pay HK$400 every five years for checks on their windows to ensure there is no danger of them falling. The window inspections will be mandatory for buildings older than 10 years.

The plan, developed by the Development Bureau, will enter the legislative process next month and is expected to be implemented by the end of next year at the earliest.

"Consultations in the past few years have gathered consensus that it is the owners' responsibility to shoulder the duty and costs to keep their properties in good condition," Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday.

Mandatory inspection was necessary since neglect of buildings had long been a problem and posed a threat to public safety, she said.

Once the law was in force, the government would select 2,000 buildings a year and require the owners to hire registered professionals to examine the common areas, external walls and projections of the buildings, she said. In selecting the buildings, priority would be given to the most dilapidated. Common problems such as peeling concrete, water seepage and staircase damage would be checked.

If inspectors deemed repairs were required, owners had to get the work done, she said. Checking a block would cost HK$400 to HK$2,400 per flat, depending on the building's size; repairs would cost HK$300,000 to HK$4 million per block, she said, quoting government estimates.

Owners could apply to the Housing Society for subsidies for the first inspection without an income test - but only flats on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon with a rateable value below HK$100,000 and those in the New Territories rated at less than HK$76,000 would be eligible.

The Housing Society and Buildings Department would provide subsidies and loans, some designed for the elderly, to finance repairs, she said.

Owners who failed to get their building inspected faced a fine of HK$50,000 and a year in jail. Those who failed to have windows checked face a fixed penalty of HK$1,500. Only those unwilling to pay their share would be punished.

Vincent Ho Kui-yip, a building surveyor and council member of the Institute of Surveyors, said the government should set up strict requirements and a monitoring mechanism to make sure the quality of inspections was up to standard.

The government is expanding the pool of 1,800 qualified service providers - architects, engineers and surveyors - to 6,500, but "these additional professionals may be more experienced in building new blocks than inspecting old ones", Ho said.

Sin Hoi, 79, and his wife have lived in a nine-storey block in Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, for more than 40 years. A crack in the outer wall is causing serious water seepage in the bathroom of their flat. "But what can we do? There is no owners' corporation here and no one wants to pay for the repair," he said. "There is no need for the government to force us co-operative owners to do repairs, but it has to make laws to force the unco-operative owners to pay."

Ng Wai-tung of the Society for Community Organisation doubted government estimates that inspection fees could be as low as HK$400 per flat. "Even if the inspection fee is affordable, when defects are found and large-scale repairs are needed, many elderly owners will not be able to pay. Bear in mind that many elderly owners living in old blocks in aged districts are very poor. They only want a simple place to live."


----------



## hkskyline

*In Hong Kong, Cooling Trend; Residential-Market Transactions Eased in Fourth Quarter *
27 January 2010
The Wall Street Journal

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's de facto central bank said the city's residential property market cooled in the fourth quarter, allaying concerns a real-estate bubble may be forming, though it noted the city's asset markets remain vulnerable to international capital flows.

Local home prices jumped 27% last year as Hong Kong emerged from recession and funds poured into the city from mainland China amid a credit boom. To ease public concerns about local home prices becoming unaffordable, the government has said it will fine-tune its land-supply policy to avert a bubble if necessary, while other agencies have also moved to keep a lid on prices.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in a document submitted to the legislature Tuesday that Hong Kong's monthly residential property transactions fell to around 9,000 in December, from more than 11,000 in September.

Land Registry figures also show Hong Kong's total property transactions—not just residential deals—fell 0.7% in December to 11,112 from 11,191 in November, while the total value of all transactions fell 10.5% to 42.86 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$5.52 billion), from HK$47.91 billion in the previous month.

Those declines came as potential home-buyers delayed purchases on the possibility of economic policy adjustments following the runup in prices.

The government has recently shown signs it is willing to increase land supply. In December it held a land auction for two major sites in the New Territories, and it has approved the conversion of two plots of farm land owned by blue-chip Henderson Land Development Co. into developable sites.

The HKMA has also been stepping up its rhetoric, repeatedly warning banks about offering competitive mortgage rates. Government-run Hong Kong Mortgage Corp., meanwhile, has offered an extended fixed-rate loan program to help low-income home buyers in a move to cool prices.

Analysts have mixed views on the outlook for Hong Kong's property market. Many believe the downside is limited and mass residential prices could even rise up to 10% this year because of low interest rates and pent-up demand from end-users.

But others warn of some correction this year, because of an outflow of funds, especially from China, as Beijing has begun to tighten its monetary policy.

Hong Kong's commercial property sector has also been improving. Grade-A office rents in most key districts stabilized in the fourth quarter, while those in the core business district of Central may even rise 5% in the first half of this year, property adviser DTZ said Tuesday.

Hong Kong's overall grade-A office rents stood at HK$44 a square foot in the fourth quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter, as Hong Kong's economic environment improved, DTZ said.

The HKMA also said uncertainties over the global economic recovery and the timing of stimulus exit strategies by international governments will pose risks to Hong Kong's economy this year.

It added it will expand the types and amounts of yuan bonds allowed in Hong Kong, to develop the city's yuan business further.


----------



## hkskyline

*The appeal of industrial sites *
27 January 2010
South China Morning Post

Industrial property does not have the broad appeal of other property asset classes, but savvy investors are finding real opportunities for profitable trading at the small and large end of the market.

Among those in the know it is common to hold generally strong-yielding industrial assets for the future upside of redevelopment and repositioning when areas are rezoned for higher and better use. Indeed, many of today's developers earned their stripes by converting industrial sites and properties into large scale developments, typically offices and homes, for significant profits.

But the announcement by the government of the "industrial revitalisation scheme" late last year has helped bring the sector further into the spotlight.

There are more than 2,000 industrial buildings in Hong Kong with a total floor area in excess of 215 million square feet. At least 10.7 million sqft is vacant and/or under-utilised. These numbers indicate the significant opportunities available across the market, with the city fringe areas being the most sought after on the Island and Kowloon.

Kowloon East has been the hottest area with developers aggressively acquiring industrial property for redevelopment into office buildings for strata sale.

Interestingly, a number of large-space office users are among those considering the conversion of older industrial buildings into re-skinned, refurbished office space which allows for a single building use with the associated efficiencies and potential signage rights.

It is the intention of the government to speed up the gentrification of suburbs which are no longer relevant for industrial uses and are not "pleasant to the eye".

It is hard to quantify what effect the policy announcement had on transaction volumes in the fourth quarter. The overall sales market and also to a certain extent the leasing sector picked up significantly in the period, but this appeared to be more aligned to the more positive economic sentiment and continued low interest rates.

The industrial sector is a good bellwether of sentiment as this more closely follows the "real economy", particularly for Hong Kong which is so dependent on global trading volume and the fortunes of mainland exports and imports.

As we see it the biggest winners will be the en-bloc owners of buildings aged 15 years or more, and within precincts identified as "industrial", "commercial" or "OU(B)" (Other Uses - Business). Among these, sites which are close to the MTR and those with established infrastructure and amenities will be most highly valued. These qualities are crucial when it comes to outlying areas, because they enable owners or tenants to retain employees, a prerequisite to changing the use of a building from industrial to office use.

The rental rate available at the converted facilities will be higher than the previous industrial rents to cover the costs of refurbishment.

Hong Kong developers could also look to foreign markets where conversion is common, as opposed to demolition and redevelopment.

K Wah International Holdings adapted an old industrial building in Wong Chuk Hang named "The Factory" claiming it to be the world's first integration of comic book art with a building. Renowned Italian comic artist Mauro Marchesi tailored the "comic" features, and with his team hand-painted the facade of the factory conversion.

Our overall view of the industrial sector in Hong Kong this year is more of cautious optimism as the potential for damaging external factors is still apparent.

I am predicting a further 5 per cent increase in sale prices for strata property and en-bloc investment sales to remain about 7 per cent.

We see activity remaining robust and we expect more en-bloc deals in light of market participants getting a better understanding of the implications of the new policy measures allowing a more accurate prediction of fair value for the assets.

Darren Benson is a senior director of CB Richard Ellis' industrial and logistics services department


----------



## hkskyline

*Bill to speed up development of old buildings 
Mandatory repair works likely to encourage owners to sell *
27 January 2010
South China Morning Post

Compulsory en bloc acquisition of units in old and neglected blocks in Hong Kong for redevelopment could be sped up by policy changes the government is proposing in a bid to get rid of buildings that pose "a serious threat to public safety".

The changes are contained in a bill published last week that calls for the introduction of mandatory inspection every 10 years of buildings that are more than 30 years old, and mandatory checks on windows in such buildings every five years.

The bill will be debated in the Legislative Council on February 3 and, if passed, the provisions are likely to take effect late next year.

The bill provides that owners of units in old blocks will be required to engage qualified inspectors to check their buildings and windows, and to undertake the necessary repair works specified by the inspectors.

The move follows the lowering of the minimum number of sales acceptances by unit holders to 80 per cent from 90 per cent before a developer can compulsorily acquire a building more than 50 years old.

The lower threshold will take effect from April this year.

Property analysts say as a result of the changes, more flat owners could consider selling their units to developers rather than paying for the mandatory repair works.

Tsim Chai-nam, the director of Clerk of Works Services, estimates the inspection cost at HK$4 to HK$5 per square foot, possibly reaching HK$4,000 per household if the inspection includes common areas.

Repair costs could begin at about HK$3,000 for the repair of drainage systems, rising to HK$50,000 if external walls and windows need repair.

One occupant of an old building, Chinese medicine practitioner Kwan Chi-yee, welcomed the proposed mandatory inspections.

Kwan opened a clinic in a 600 square foot flat in a 40-year-old building on Hennessy Road 20 years ago.

"This is a good policy. Many people have been hit by falling concrete and windows from old buildings in the last few years. The policy can ensure the safety of pedestrians," he said. But he worries construction firms and inspectors could raise their fees if the policy is introduced.

Sito Lai-jin, 82, who lives alone in a 500 sq ft flat in a building more than 40 years old at Fuk Wa Street in Sham Shui Po, worries about the plan. "I am retired and have no income. How can I afford the inspection and maintenance costs? I hope the government will offer a subsidy," she said.

Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, the managing director of Savills Valuation and Professional Services, says repairs on old buildings could cost unit owners from HK$10,000 to HK$100,000.

He believes the new policies will encourage flat owners to sell their units rather than pay the cost of mandatory repairs.

"Changing windows and [fixing] drainage will not help flat owners sell their units at a higher price. Spending on repairs cannot be offset by gains in property prices," he said.

"But flat owners can improve their living environment by selling their units at a good offer from the developers. It will also be easier for the flat owners to sell their units after the sale threshold has been cut to 80 per cent of the total ownerships."

Tsim said Clerks of Works would benefit from the policy changes but he worried flat owners might suffer.

"I expect many construction firms will provide free property inspection to lure flat owners. They may overstate the problem of the buildings to get more renovation jobs," he said.

Standards were another problem.

"Some construction companies may not fully repair the buildings so if the problems recur, they can get another job. Thus it is important to monitor the standard of repair works," Tsim said.

He said most flat owners might be willing to renovate their buildings in the early stage of discussions.

"However, they will have different opinions when they negotiate the costs. Some will try to lower the costs by cutting some of the works while others may insist on a complete repair."


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## hkskyline

Noted this development on *Larch Street* ...

[2010.01.12]

By *鄧麗欣之戀* from skyscrapers.cn :


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## hkskyline

*Hospital rejects land offer *
27 January 2010
The Standard

The Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital has snubbed a government offer of a plot of land at Wong Chuk Hang, one of four sites released last month for private hospitals.

This is despite initial enthusiasm from hospital executives and spending of around HK$7 million on research for its ``expression of interest.''

``All along we have been very interested in the plot of land, but after putting in much effort to research we decided not to go ahead,'' said deputy medical superintendent Kwong Kwok-hay.

``I must emphasize that we are not being fickle- minded. Rather, we are not satisfied with the restrictions placed on the construction.''

The hospital's view that government restrictions on the site make it ``unrealistic'' for its purposes stem from the fact that is has already been gazetted by the government to have the MTR underneath.

According to hospital administration manager Li Wy-man, the government has limited the height of any building to 50 meters above sea level. However, this includes 15m to reach ground level and another 20m for the underground space the MTR needs.

That would effectively leave the Sanatorium with only 15m for its building, meaning it would be restricted to four or five levels whereas its target is a 20-story construction.

``The hospital needs more beds in order to expand effectively so we can support more services,'' Li said. ``It's not cost effective if we can only build so few levels.''

There would also be disturbance from the railway, including the shaking of delicate surgical instruments and noise that could affect patients.

The MTR would also affect a construction program at the site.

According to the government, work on the MTR would interrupt other work, breaking it into a two- stage building operation. That would result in double the amount of work, said Li.


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## hkskyline

*Shek Lei interim housing structurally safe *
Monday, February 1, 2010
Government Press Release

In response to media enquiries on structural repairs of Shek Lei interim housing, a spokesman of the Housing Department made the following remarks today (February 1):

Two buildings in Shek Lei (II) Estate, Block 10 and 11, are designated by the Housing Department (HD) for use as an Interim Housing and Transit Centre. The HD carried out an investigation two years ago to ascertain the building conditions of these two 40-year-old buildings. The findings completed in 2008 revealed that they were structurally safe but required repair works.

The repair works began in early 2009. The major part of the repair works has been completed while some are still in progress. The works include spalling repair to ceilings of balconies and toilets, applying a waterproof layer and re-tiling internal walls inside toilets, and repairing concrete defects in general.

In addition to the repair works, continuous efforts have been made by the HD to improve the living environment of the buildings with the Total Maintenance Scheme (TMS) launched in the estate in mid-2009. Under the scheme, TMS Ambassadors carried out household visits to all the flats to find out about potential defects proactively, followed by appropriate repairs and actions as necessary.

For various reasons, a few households could not make arrangements with the HD to carry out repair works to their flats. The HD will continue to liaise with them for early commencement of the works.


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## hkskyline

*Property deals stage rebound *
The Standard
Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Hong Kong property transactions in January more than doubled from December to 12,380, according to the Land Registry.

The surge came after the global financial crisis dragged home sales to just 5,759 in January of last year. The latest figure also represented an 11.4 percent increase from 11,112 in December.

Residential homes made up 86 percent of all transactions registered last month.

Total transactions registered last month amounted to HK$44.7 billion, up 139.3 percent from a year earlier and 4.3 percent from December.

The home market picked up last month as prospective homebuyers re-entered after taking a breather in the final quarter last year on concerns of policy adjustments, Dow Jones Newswires reported. 

New World Development (0017) sold over 85 percent of its Belcher's Hill project in Sai Wan within the first three days of its launch, with the highest per square foot price at HK$13,810. Market watchers said there are signs of buyers reselling property at the residence.

Kerry Properties (0683) will open the showroom of Island Crest to the media in nearby Sai Ying Pun today.

As developers were slow to launch new homes recently, mortgages for uncompleted homes in January fell to 69 - the lowest since October 2008 - according to mortgage brokerage mReferral.

Mortgages for completed homes in January also fell 11 percent to 11,455.

The brokerage said some banks have increased their market share in recent months as they introduced competitive mortgage plans based on the Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate and prime lending rate-related plans with cash rebates.


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## hkskyline

*Jewel of the tunnel borers makes debut today *
9 January 2010
SCMP

A HK$100 million boring machine will today begin cutting a drainage tunnel to solve the problem of flooding in West Kowloon.

The machine - named Dae Jang Geum after a popular female character in a Korean TV drama - will create a drainage tunnel in Lai Chi Kok that runs for 3.7 kilometres.

The tunnel will divert rainwater from higher ground before it runs downstream to Lai Chi Kok, Cheung Sha Wan and Sham Shui Po and discharge it into the harbour near Stonecutters Island.

The tunnel will start underneath Tai Po Road, run under Ching Cheung Road and outfall to Victoria Harbour, near Stonecutters Island.

The whole project is costing the Drainage Services Department HK$1.7 billion. Construction work began in November 2008 and will be completed by the end of 2012.

The boring machine, weighing in at a massive 650 tonnes, was designed in Germany and made there and on the mainland.

Made for both rock and soft-ground tunnelling, Dae Jang Geum costs 10 per cent more than machines that can only drill through hard rock. The cone-shaped boring head is 5.7 metres in diameter and will tunnel through 10 metres a day.

It is a tradition in the industry to give boring machines a female name. Dae Jang Geum was chosen for her passionate and fearless character.

Intercepting rainwater costs more than improving existing drainage networks in urban areas, but it causes less disruption to commercial activities, said Tsui Wai, assistant director of the department.

On average, the Lai Chi Kok tunnel will be 40 metres underground. The depth increases the difficulty of construction work, Tsui said. Since 1998, the department has spent HK$3.3 billion on improving the drainage network in West Kowloon.

Two other major drainage projects - in Tsuen Wan and on Hong Kong Island - are still in progress and will finish by 2012 at a total cost of HK$4.2 billion.

Tsui says that by then most areas in Hong Kong will be free from flooding problems.

"Even if an area is hit by storms bringing the highest rainfall in 50 years, the system will be able to cope with it," he said. But low-lying areas such as Tai O could still be troubled by floods.


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## hkskyline

*CEDD continues to green Hong Kong *
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Government Press Release

The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) had planted 4,000 trees and 900,000 shrubs in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok with the completion of the Greening Master Plan (GMP) in the two districts by the end of 2009.

Officiating at a planting ceremony today (February 2) to mark the completion of greening works in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr John Chai, said that apart from Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, the department had also completed its greening works in Sheung Wan, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay last year.

"Works under the GMP are being implemented in other urban areas including Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City, Eastern District, Western District and Southern District for completion by mid-2011. By then, more than 18,000 trees and 4 million shrubs will have been planted in urban areas of Hong Kong. This shows CEDD's determination and continuous efforts to enhance urban greening," Mr Chai said.

The GMP provides an overall greening framework for an area by identifying suitable locations for planting with desirable themes and species to achieve a continuous and consistent result. The Government established an inter-departmental Greening Master Plan Committee in August 2004 to oversee the development and implementation of the GMP in urban districts. The first phase of greening works was completed in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central in 2007.

Mr Chai thanked the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, district organisations and the local community for their advice and support during the projects' design and implementation. He also thanked the residents for their patience in regard to the inconvenience caused by the works.

Attending the ceremony today were the Chairman of Yau Tsim Mong District Council, Mr Chung Kong-mo, Deputy Secretary (Works) of Development Bureau, Mrs Jessie Ting, District Officer of Yau Tsim Mong, Mrs Vicki Kwok, Yau Tsim Mong District Council members, GMP Committee members and representatives of local community and relevant government departments.


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## hkskyline

*18pc of top-end HK flats bought by mainlanders *
4 February 2010
South China Morning Post

Cashed-up mainlanders snapped up almost one in five luxury flats sold in Hong Kong last year, a sign of their growing economic might in the city.

Research by Centaline Property Agency shows mainlanders comprised made up 18.1 per cent of buyers of flats worth more than HK$12 million last year, compared with 11.2 per cent in 2008. In 2007, 9.2 per cent of buyers in the luxury residential market were mainlanders.

A luxury flat is usually defined as one worth more than HK$10 million.

It was the sharpest growth in mainland purchases in six years, said Wong Leung-shing, an associate director of research at Centaline.

He said the buyers had taken advantage of a sharp fall in prices.

"From 2004 to 2008, mainland buyers grew only one to two per cent a year, but the growth was steady," Wong said. "The substantial increase in 2009 was due to the sharp fall in luxury property prices."

Prices of luxury properties in Hong Kong plunged 40 to 50 per cent after the global financial crisis began in September 2008. "This attracted rich people from the mainland, as they caught the best time to buy. Prices of luxury properties have since surged 50 per cent to 70 per cent from the bottom and have generated attractive profit," Wong said.

In the overall property market, including mass residential properties, only 5.6 per cent of the buyers came from the mainland last year, compared with 4.3 per cent in 2008.

Alva To Yu-hung, the head of consulting, North Asia, at DTZ, said the loose monetary policy on the mainland was another factor contributing to the influx of mainland buyers last year. However, he expects the number of mainland buyers to drop this year as the central government tightens its monetary policies.

The mainland appetite for luxury real estate in Hong Kong was evidenced by the sales at The Cullinan at Kowloon Station last year. The upmarket project attracted the highest proportion of mainland buyers among new projects in the city.

Property agents said about 10 per cent of buyers at the project held Chinese passports, while a further 20 per cent held Hong Kong identity cards with Putonghua phonetic transcriptions.

Henderson Land Development recently sponsored a mainland TV programme to promote its Beverly Hills luxury residential project in Tai Po, and Cheung Kong (Holdings) plans to promote Festival City, a new mass residential project in Tai Wai, on the mainland after the Lunar New Year.


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## hkskyline

*Developers tipped to speed up sales *
3 February 2010
SCMP

Major developers are likely to speed up the release of new housing projects as low interest rates and rising salaries underpin buoyant buying sentiment in both primary and secondary markets, property agents say.

Nearly 5,000 completed or near-finished new units await release, agents say. Strong sales achieved by an uncompleted project, Belcher's Hill in Western district, over the weekend are likely to persuade rival developers to release their new projects for sale.

Buyers snapped up 120 units at Belcher's Hill, or some 80 per cent of the total available, when New World Development launched the project for pre-sale at between HK$8,500 per square foot to HK$13,000 per sq ft last Saturday. The 52-storey single residential block comprises a total of 160 units, ranging from 732 sq ft to 2,198 sq ft, and is due for completion.

"Home buying interest is unaffected by the stagnant stock market performance. Developers will become more aggressive in launching their new projects before or after Lunar New Year," said Eric Yuen Chi-fung, the head of research at Guoco Capital.

Yuen dismissed concerns that a slump in the stock market last week would have a direct impact on the property market, citing the example of what happened when the Hang Seng Index peaked at 31,638.22 points on October 30, 2007, before diving to 11,015.84, a 4 1/2-year-low in October last year.

"Home prices only reached their peak in the middle of 2008 before heading for a correction in the fourth quarter as the global financial crisis dented housing demand. Since then we have seen prices shoot up 30 per cent in the whole of 2009," he said.

Speculation that the Hang Seng Index would drop to 18,000 points from 19,000 points, would therefore have no enduring impact on the property market, Yuen said.

A declining unemployment rate, lower mortgage rates and a positive outlook on salaries would boost property prices, said Yuen, who forecast a 10 per cent to 15 per cent rise in flat prices in Hong Kong this year.

Paul Louie, the regional head of property research at Nomura International (Hong Kong), said buoyant trading in the secondary residential market was likely to prompt developers to accelerate their sales.

According to Midland Realty, deals completed in the secondary market rose 19.61 per cent to 9,812 last month from 8,203 in December. Together with deals in the primary market as well as the retail and industrial markets last month, this brought total transactions to 12,357 at a total value of HK$43.98 billion, up 2.6 per cent from December.

In the secondary market, meanwhile, home prices jumped 4 per cent last month from December, according to property benchmark Centa-City Index.

Upcoming projects ready for pre-sale or in the process of applying for pre-sale permits include Sun Hung Kai Properties' 1,886-unit Yoho Midtown in Yuen Long; Cheung Kong's 1,360-unit Festival City in Tai Wai; Kerry Properties 488-unit Island Crest in Western district; Hongkong Land's 270-unit Serenade in Tai Hang; SHKP's 715-unit Larvotto in Ap Lei Chau; and Swire Properties' 25-unit project at 5 Star Street, Admiralty.

Louie believes sales' releases this year will be driven by demand in the mass residential sector in New Territories rather than luxury homes. By 2013, he forecast that only 6,000 flats - out of a total of 56,476 to be built - will be on Hong Kong Island. Units priced above HK$20 million, he said, would face the hurdle of having to find buyers able to pay an initial deposit of HK$8 million or 40 per cent of the total flat value.

In a bid to restrict soaring prices, the Monetary Authority last October reduced, from 70 per cent to 60 per cent, the required loan-to-valuation ratio for luxury properties of more than HK$20 million.

Morgan Stanley, however, said in a research note that Hong Kong residential property prices should start falling because mainland liquidity overflows into the city's property market could be reduced significantly this year because of tighter lending conditions by mainland banks.

"Funding costs in Hong Kong are at a cyclical low, implying little upside risk in residential prices," it added.


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## hkskyline

*Former government quarters offer redevelopment potential *
6 February 2010
South China Morning Post

Some prime former government quarters in Caldecott Road, a residential area near Piper's Hill in Kowloon, were put up for tender yesterday - the third project for the city's developers to compete over.

The Government Property Agency is offering 46 flats and 46 car parking spaces at the site, which represent about 96 per cent of the 48-unit building - the remaining two units were sold to individual buyers several years ago.

It means that whoever wins the tender has the option of forcing those two owners to sell their flats in an auction in an attempt to acquire the whole project for redevelopment, or renovating the 46 units for resale.

The total saleable area of the flats is about 125,626 square feet, with each averaging about 2,700 sq ft. The tender closes on March 5.

According to Centaline Property Agency, property prices of nearby Caldecott Hill and the Caldecott range between HK$6,503 and HK$7,825 per square foot.

Surveyor Albert So Chun-hin estimates the properties are worth up to HK$1.01 billion or HK$8,000 per square foot.

"The selling price of the project will be less than HK$10,000 per square foot as the building is too old," he said. It was built in 1964.

It is the third choice in the land market. The Lands Department is selling a site in Tseung Kwan O on February 22 and the tender for MTR Corp's HK$20 billion Austin Station project will close on February 24.

New World Development chairman Cheng Yu-tung said yesterday his company will go it alone in bidding for the Austin Station residential project and will join the land auction of the Tseung Kwan O site.

So expects bidding for the three projects to be aggressive.

The Caldecott Road units were first put up for tender in 2005, attracting bids from six developers. However, it was withdrawn as none of the bids was deemed adequate.


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## hkskyline

*Government pressure on URA denied*
5 February 2010
South China Morning Post

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor denied in Legco that the government had pressured the Urban Renewal Authority into shunning rundown areas where developers had bought properties.

Lam was responding to a claim by Democrat lawmaker James To Kun-sun, who is also a non-executive director of the authority, who said in a Legco debate that the government had sometimes "stopped" the authority from acquiring properties in areas where developers were active.

"Last night we checked the annual business plans submitted by the authority to us. There is absolutely no such thing," Mrs Lam said. "When the authority selects sites to redevelop it only looks at the condition of residents and buildings. We ask it to conduct a social impact assessment, but not a 'property developer assessment'."

People familiar with the URA told the Post that Ma Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan was among sites the authority considered last year, but dropped after records showed more than half the tenement buildings there had been bought by private companies.

To said after Legco that the authority avoided pitching plans to the government about areas where developers were active because it understood the government might not approve such proposals.

"So business plans submitted to the government would not reflect this kind of pressure [to which Lam had referred]," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Tang vows topush through cross-border projects *
6 February 2010
South China Morning Post

Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen has pledged to push forward regional infrastructure development with Guangdong despite recent heated protests in Hong Kong against a cross-border express railway.

Speaking after meeting Guangdong and Macau officials yesterday, Tang said opposition in Hong Kong would pose no barriers to cross-border development.

"It will only encourage us to strive harder in partnering with Guangdong to consolidate co-operation," Tang said.

Hong Kong must strengthen economic ties with Guangdong in order to push development to a new level, he said, adding: "Therefore our effort and perseverance in driving infrastructure to foster cross-border development is unshakable."

His comment came at the end of the Third Liaison and Co-ordinating Meeting of Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau and the 14th Working Meeting of the Hong Kong Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in Guangzhou yesterday.

Last month, opponents of the HK$66.9 billion high-speed railway to Guangzhou staged rounds of aggressive protests in Hong Kong in an attempt to block funding for the controversial project.

During meetings with Guangdong vice-governor Wan Qingliang and Macau's Secretary for Economics and Finance Francis Tam Pak-yuen, officials from the three jurisdictions reviewed the Pearl River Delta development plan.

Tang said they would push for the plan - which calls for closer regional co-operation on infrastructure, tourism and finance - to be included in the national 12th Five-Year Plan.

On tourism, Tang said Hong Kong benefited from the more than 1.47 million visitors from Shenzhen between April and December. This was the result of a mainland scheme that allowed Shenzhen permanent residents to make multiple visits to Hong Kong in a year with just one single application. Eligible non-Guangdong residents living in Shenzhen could apply under the scheme since December. Tang said he would continue seek Beijing's approval to gradually extend the scheme to cover all of Guangdong province.

Other major initiatives to be pursued by the three governments included conservation, low-carbon development, personnel exchange, transport and cultural development.

"We are making good progress and expect that the compilation of the plan will be completed by the second quarter of 2010," Tang said, adding that the Pearl River Delta quality living plan would be showcased at the Shanghai World Expo.

Tang also said a pilot electronic payment scheme - combining the Octopus and Shenzhen Tong smart cards on one card - would be launched in a year's time.


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## Jim856796

I found on Emporis.com that the 27-storey Tai Sang Commercial Building, constructed in 1997, is currently under demolition. It is unknown what new building will be placed on its site. Hong kong is so dence that the taller skyscrapers are being torn down before their time.


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## hkskyline

Jim856796 said:


> I found on Emporis.com that the 27-storey Tai Sang Commercial Building, constructed in 1997, is currently under demolition. It is unknown what new building will be placed on its site. Hong kong is so dence that the taller skyscrapers are being torn down before their time.


1997? It looked like an old building though.

*Swire bids $1.36b for Wan Chai site *
The Standard
Saturday, December 01, 2007










After fierce bidding, Swire Pacific (0019) bought an office tower on Hong Kong Island for HK$1.36 billion, an amount above expectations, reflecting developers' optimism on the commercial market.

The sale of Tai Sang Commercial Building, situated on a 9,600 square foot site near Swire's Three Pacific Place, where Wan Chai meets Admiralty, attracted 26 bids from seven paddles.

"It is a fair price, and it indicates a solid office market," said Swire Properties chief operating officer Gordon Ongley.

The building, originally belonging to the family of Ma Kam-chan, founder of the bank-to-property conglomerate Tai Sang group, has a total floor area of 185,447 sq ft.

The transaction price, 60 percent higher than the HK$850 million opening bid, translates to HK$7,334 per sq ft. Surveyors have estimated the 28-story tower to be worth between HK$900 million and HK$1 billion.

Swire will keep the 30-year-old office building and spend HK$150 million to renovate it, Ongley said. With Three Pacific Place fully let, the company will have to expand its portfolio to provide enough space for the expansion of clients.

Rents for prime offices in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay in the third quarter shot up 6.8 percent from the previous three months, while the occupancy rate dropped to a 20-year low, according to figures from Jones Lang LaSalle, which arranged the auction.

"The fierce bidding in the auction hall was a vote of confidence in the future of the office market," said Warren Liu Yuk-chor, LaSalle head of investments in Hong Kong, who was also the auctioneer.

Transactions for office buildings were hot during the year, Liu said.

Although the market slowed in the middle of this year because of a lack of supply, he expected it to revive strongly soon because of a downward trend in interest rates and climbing inflation. "Investors wishing to have more stable returns will turn to property, as the stock market has become turbulent in recent weeks," he added.

Losing bidders include Chinese Estates (0127), Easyknit International Holdings (1218) and several private investors.

Meanwhile, the Ma family sold two small pieces of land in Bonham Stand West in Sheung Wan. The sites, with areas of 1,879 sq ft and 1,392 sq ft, were sold at HK$60 million and HK$25.2 million, respectively.


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## Jim856796

Swire will keep the building and renovate it? I thought they were goind to demo the building, probably for air rights purposes. And was building was not built in 1997 as Emporis claimed. It was actually built in 1977.


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## Leyland

the plan to renovate was ruled out and the building is under demolition. IMO sad consider the building quite characterful compared to most of the others in Hong Kong.

Source: Singtao News
site area 9611sf
existing GFA 185384sf
plot ratio: 19
no of storeys: 28

Redevelopment:
New plot ratio approved for redevelopment with residential bldgs altogether: 15


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## hkskyline

*Tseung Kwan O site may tap $3b *
18 February 2010
The Standard

A plot of land in Tseung Kwan O could fetch as much as HK$3.4 billion for government coffers when it goes for auction on Monday, according to surveyors.

The 132,397-square-foot site in Area 66B Tseung Kwan O station will go under the hammer with the opening bid set at HK$2 billion. The market expects the final bid to range from HK$2.6 billion to HK$3.4 billion.

With a plot ratio of 5.5, the site's total gross floor area amounts to 728,185 sq ft and contains at most 880 homes.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun estimates the site to cost HK$3.4 billion, representing more than HK$4,600 per square foot in gross floor area.

``[Future property prices] depend on the market,'' Lam said. ``But judging from this site's particulars, it is expected to fetch more than HK$6,000 psf.''

He said the idle plots nearby _ currently reserved for residential and park uses _ may affect the site's views and hence the final bid, but the government has not yet decided when to launch them.

Lam believes developers with ongoing projects in the area may benefit from synergy. HSBC Securities said around 5,900 homes in Tsueng Kwan O will hit the market by 2012, of which Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) will account for 80 percent.

Sun Hung Kai Properties' (0016) comprehensive hotel and shopping complex atop Tseung Kwan O station in nearby Area 56 is a boon to the development, according to Lam.

Pang expects big developers to win Monday's auction.

The east side of the site has to make room for a 75-meter-wide breezeway.

The winning developer may build shops along it, which will give the maximum 66,199 sq ft non-residential GFA much potential, Lanbase Surveyors director Chan Cheong-kit told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard.


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## hkskyline

*Mortgage rates `rising'*
The Standard
Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mortgage rates look set to pick up next month as fierce competition in the market has weighed on banks' margins.

Citibank (Hong Kong) chief executive Weber Lo Wai-pak said its current rate of Hong Kong interbank offered rate plus 0.65 percent represents the low-water mark. He revealed the lender intends to raise its rate for new customers to HIBOR plus 0.7 percent in May, on par with the reference level suggested by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

With one-month and three-month HIBOR at 0.08 percent and 0.13 percent, respectively, yesterday, Citibank's rates equal 0.73 percent and 0.78 percent.

Both Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and DBS Bank (Hong Kong) said similar mortgage promotions based on HIBOR will end in April.

They will launch new plans in May pending further details, their spokesmen said.

Some lenders noted in a Hong Kong Association of Banks meeting that HIBOR- based mortgages are priced too cheaply and brings scant profits, Lo said.

While there is as yet no industry consensus on these mortgages, Citibank hopes banks can raise rates at the same time so that it will not become less competitive, Lo said. The bank will keep its cash rebate unchanged.

Hang Seng Bank (0011) vice chairwoman Margaret Leung Ko May-yee said the bank has as yet no intention to increase HIBOR-based mortgage rates, but will monitor market conditions closely.

HSBC introduced in February a HIBOR plus 0.65 percent plan, which was widely believed to have fueled market competition. This led the HKMA to introduce in March the "reference levels" of HIBOR plus 0.7 percent and prime minus 3.1 percent.

While mortgages based on prime rate - currently 5.25 percent - minus 2.75 percent to 2.85 percent also very low, they still bring reasonable profits, Lo said.

Asked about a remark that banks have raised commissions to real estate agents to fight for businesses, Lo noted neither Citibank nor any counterpart he knows of has done so.


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## hkskyline

*Property picks rattled by new rules*
The Standard
Friday, April 23, 2010

Local property stocks took a pounding yesterday after the government outlined new steps to curb speculation and soaring prices.

New World Development (0017) slumped 3.44 percent while Sino Land (0083) retreated 2.97 percent.

The Hong Kong measures, plus a tighter mainland multi-home purchase policy, sent the Hang Seng Index 0.3 percent lower to close at 21,454.94 points.

UOB Kay Hian analyst Sylvia Wong downgraded Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and Sino Land from "buy" to "hold" while Royal Bank of Scotland researchers recommended a switch from SHKP to Cheung Kong Holdings (0001).

"Developers with higher exposure to the residential market will be more severely hit," Wong said.

But she said even if the launches of SHKP's Larvotto in Ap Lei Chau and Sino's The Hermitage in Tai Kok Tsui are delayed, the impact will be limited.

Wong said the increase in Hong Kong's land supply has led the public to believe that property prices will not rise sharply in the long term. There will be four land auctions in the next three months.

CCBI executive director Adrian Ngan said the sector's near-term outlook is opaque but developers are likely to be restrained.

Ngan said the provision of sales brochures and price lists in advance will dampen transactions and sales atmosphere. "The longer a person thinks, the less likely he will want to buy a home."

Though interest rates are low and the economy is good, luxury unit prices may drop 3-5 percent this year, Ngan said.

Given higher land supply, Wong expects home prices to drop by an average of 10 percent, with the luxury sector facing a stronger correction.

RBS analysts see a potential minor price correction before an eventual 5 percent annual growth.

But Citibank economists believe that with the mainland's tighter property policies and yuan revaluation expectations, "risks of a housing price bubble [in Hong Kong] will likely continue to form."


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## hkskyline

*How representative are URA's district advisory committees? *
12 April 2010
South China Morning Post

The Development Bureau has said that advisory boards "may be set up in old communities to involve residents in drawing up redevelopment proposals" ("Advisory boards mooted to involve public in renewal plans", April 2).

Strangely, no mention was made of the fact that there are already six district advisory committees in place, as can be seen from the Urban Renewal Authority's annual report.

These cover Wan Chai, Central and Western, Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, Kwun Tong and Kowloon City.

So what have these committees been doing? Nothing, from my experience with regard to the URA/New World Hanoi Road redevelopment, now called The Masterpiece/K11. They scream "rubber stamp".

Going back and looking at some old papers, I read that Section 20 of the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance (Chapter 563) required "the secretary for planning and lands to consult the public before finalising the urban renewal strategy". The secretary, in accordance with the ordinance, consulted the public on a draft urban renewal strategy from August 1 to September 30, 2001.

This strategy was issued to the URA and, when "preparing its draft corporate plan, the URA has to follow the guidelines set out in this document".

The URA was to establish a district advisory committee in nine target areas. They would advise the authority regarding its urban renewal projects.

These committees were to be appointed by the URA board and the members were supposed to be representative of the local community.

They would include "owners, tenants, district councils and local non-governmental organisations with an interest in urban renewal".

Now take a look at the composition of the existing committees.

Four of them do not have a single female member and, on the other two, Wan Chai and Kowloon City, men greatly outnumber women.

Well, the last time I looked around our streets, I saw a lot of women; in fact, in certain age groups, we outnumber men in the community. How many of the members are bona fide local residents?

We are now in 2010, 10 years since the URA was instructed to set up genuine district advisory committees.

The secretary [now responsible] for planning and lands appears to be asleep at the wheel. Section 21(3) of the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance requires the URA to follow any guidelines set out in the urban renewal strategy.

We must now have an announcement to the effect that the current boys' clubs will be disbanded and advisory committees be installed, as per the stated criteria, with representatives of both genders, different age groups and backgrounds, and a voice for minority residents.

Mary Melville, Tsim Sha Tsui


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## hkskyline

*10,000 flats fall behind schedule *
6 May 2010
SCMP

More than 10,000 flats that were supposed to be on the market by 2013 are behind schedule, thanks to slow tendering by the MTR Corporation.

The flats, originally scheduled to have been completed from 2009, would have helped to alleviate pressure on the market by supplying it with more small and medium-sized homes.

An academic and lawmakers want explanations for the delay and have urged the government, as the biggest shareholder in the MTRC, to speed up implementation of the West Rail projects.

All 12 projects were transferred from the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation to the MTR Corp after the merger of their rail operations in December 2007. The MTR Corp does not own the sites but only acts as a government agent to implement the projects.

While the corporation shares lucrative profits with developers in other projects in core urban areas, such as Lohas Park at Tseung Kwan O station, Lake Silver at Wu Kai Sha and the newly tendered project at Austin station, it will get only 10 per cent of net profits accrued to West Rail subsidiaries after projects are awarded.

The corporation's records show only two of the 12 West Rail projects - Tsuen Wan West and Nam Cheong - have been tendered by the corporation since the merger, providing about 5,000 flats by 2013 and 2015. The Tuen Mun project was tendered by the KCRC in 2006. Schedules of other projects are under review, the corporation's annual report said.

But according to the original tendering and completion programme drawn up before the merger and obtained by the South China Morning Post, at least six projects - Tin Shui Wai, Long Ping South, Yuen Long, Kwai Fong and two other sites in Tsuen Wan West - were expected to be completed by 2013.

Given that an average of four years is required from tendering a project to its completion, the six projects, providing a total of 10,422 flats, will not be able to meet the original schedule even if they are tendered this year.

And even if the government tenders all the projects now, it will stifle the appetite of developers as such large projects, involving more than 1,500 flats, come with substantial land premiums.

Three projects - Long Ping North, Kam Sheung Road and Pat Heung Maintenance Centre - were expected to be completed by 2014 to 2016, under the original programme. They can still meet that target if the corporation tenders the projects shortly.

With the government under growing public pressure to supply cheaper flats and to reduce the risk of a property bubble, housing minister Eva Cheng said last month that 55,000 flats would be made available on the private market over the next three to four years.

That projection, having taken into account the two tendered West Rail projects Tuen Mun station and Tsuen Wan West station, means an annual supply of about 14,000 flats - way below the average annual demand of 20,000.

The West Rail projects will supply more than 29,000 flats but over 21,000 are still awaiting tenders.

Apart from easing the strain on the property market, flats along the West Rail are a big source of passengers for the railway, which has been suffering from a lack of patronage.

There was an average of 200,000 daily passenger trips on West Rail in 2006 and 2007. The KCRC had estimated a figure in excess of 800,000 by 2011. A West Rail spokesman refused to disclose figures since the merger.

An MTR Corp spokesman declined to explain why the projects had been delayed. He said the corporation was an agent of the government and the West Rail companies would work on the tendering.

Although Cheng is a board member of the MTR Corp, her spokeswoman said she only looked at transport issues in that capacity. The bureau said the secretary for financial services and the treasury, Professor Chan Ka-keung, also a board member, decides on the direction of property projects.

The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Development Bureau, which controls land supply, failed to reply to inquiries by the Post.

A professor of real estate at the University of Hong Kong, Chau Kwong-wing, said the early release of the West Rail projects, mostly in suburban areas, would provide more small to medium-sized flats and slow down the rise in property prices.

"It's a trade-off. The government wants the MTRC to take over the projects to enhance efficiency. But now the corporation is a listed company, it cannot be forced to solely fulfil social needs," Chau said.

He said the corporation had little incentive to implement the West Rail projects as it only received small profits as an agent. "It has to consider the interests of small shareholders."

Lawmaker Lee Wing-tat of the Democratic Party said the government should explain the delay and speed up the projects.

"The government lacks a long-term housing strategy," he said. "The bureaus are evading their responsibilities. The Transport and Housing Bureau said the Development Bureau controls the land supply, while the Development Bureau said it is not given a clear housing target."

Chan Kam-lam of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong urged the government to release the projects as early as possible.


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## hkskyline

*Lot in Tung Chung sold for $3.42 billion*
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Government Press Release










The Lands Department this afternoon (May 11) held the first land auction of the 2010-2011 financial year. A government lot in Tung Chung was sold for $3.42 billion.

The lot, Tung Chung Town Lot No.37 at Tung Chung Area 55b, Lantau, was sold to First Harvest Development Limited at $3.42 billion. The opening bid was $2.876 billion. Tung Chung Town Lot No.37 has a site area of about 26,200 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding godown, office, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes. A minimum gross floor area of 78,600 square metres for residential purposes must be completed. The maximum gross floor area is 133,620 square metres.

The auction was conducted at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wan Chai, by the Deputy Director of Lands, Mr Graham Ross, who was assisted by the Chief Estate Surveyor, Mr Tony Moyung.


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## hkskyline

*Sales dip ahead of auction *
The Standard
Monday, May 24, 2010










Secondary home sales in Fan Ling fell off this month partly as buyers took a wait-and-see attitude ahead of today's auction of a site in the area.

Home transactions total 40 so far this month. That is down 50 percent from the same period in April, said Midland assistant district manager William Chiang.

"Generally, [prices] have shrunk by 3-5 percent," Chiang said, noting the less-than-expected price at auction for a Tung Chung site earlier this month and the recent poor performance of the stock market.

"Many worried homeowners are willing to talk with prospective buyers," he added, and some had not waited to see out how today's auction turned out.

But home viewing has remained constant, Chan added, though most buyers appeared to be waiting to see what happened at the auction.

The 95,800-square-foot site is expected to boost the government's coffers by up to HK$1.45 billion.

A three-bedroom home measuring 878 square feet at Belair Monte - one of three residences next to the site for sale - was sold at a 5 percent discount for HK$2.38 million, said Centaline branch manager Ken Chan.

Belair Monte recorded only two deals this month, down from around 20 a month ago, Chan said.

Chiang noted that adjacent Grand Regentville and Regentville also saw a dramatic drop in transactions, while Chan said a two-bedroom unit at nearby Royal Green was recently sold for HK$1.76 million. This was after the asking price was cut by 2 percent.

Although transactions in the New Territories were limited because of price haggling, Midland said secondary transactions increased from 31 to 48 over the weekend as sellers lowered prices and quality homes became available.

On the primary market front, Midland chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai expects just three high-end projects in Sheung Shui, Fan Ling and Tai Po to hit the market this year.

Since they will only provide 570 units, Lau said the Fan Ling auction will not add to housing market pressure even if it proves disappointing.

Primary sales during the three-day holiday remained modest. Sun Hung Kai Properties' (0016) Yoho Midtown in Yuen Long turned in over 40 deals, said Centaline's Eric Chan.

A mainland investor bought two Yoho Midtown homes of around 573 square feet each for a total HK$5.93 million, or around HK$5,200 psf.

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) sold two homes at Festival City in Tai Wai, said Ricacorp Properties sales director Johnny Yeung Ho-yin.

An apartment was sold for HK$6.6 million and another for around HK$10 million.

Henderson Land (0012) sold a house at The Beverly Hills in Tai Po for over HK$21 million, or HK$6,700 psf.


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## hkskyline

*Home prices not expected to grow 
Government measures and poor results at land auctions lead to revisions of forecasts*
26 May 2010
South China Morning Post

The poor response from bidders to the last two land auctions has convinced analysts they were correct to change their forecasts for the outlook for home prices by the end of the year from positive to zero growth.

And although the market consensus is that prices will not end the year lower, short-term declines of 3 to 10 per cent could be unavoidable over the next two months before a recovery to present levels - where prices should remain until the end of the year.

The wave of revisions to forecasts began after the government introduced measures in April to curb price growth in the market. They continued after a residential site in Fanling was auctioned for HK$1.33 billion on Monday - at the low end of forecasts - a result that followed on the May 11 auction of a residential site in Tung Chung that attracted only two bidders and was eventually sold for HK$3.42 billion, or about 5 per cent below the bottom end of forecasts.

Alnwick Chan Chi-hing, the executive director at consultancy Knight Frank, revised his forecast for property prices from positive to flat this year. His decision was prompted by steps taken by the government to curb price growth but reinforced by the results of the auctions.

"The government is trying to cool the property market by increasing the land supply. They will definitely increase the supply of mass residential sites," Chan said. "The two disappointing land auctions this month reflected developers becoming pessimistic about the market outlook. Property prices will be flat this year."

Lau Chun-kong, international director and head of property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle's valuation advisory services, said market sentiment had changed. "We were previously forecasting that property prices will continue to rise. However, we now believe they will be flat."

Lau said the auction result suggested developers would no longer hold off releasing their new projects as it was clear that the government intended to increase land supply. He forecast residential supply would rebound to normal levels of about 15,000 units a year as a result.

"Property price movements depend on the economy and interest rates. But the upside potential in prices will be limited because residential supply will return to normal levels," he added.

The new mood of caution is evident even among property agents, who are traditionally the most bullish about the outlook for prices. "The price fetched by the Tung Chung site was far below expectations and this will make some buyers hesitant about entering the market," Buggle Lau Ka-fai, the chief analyst for agency Midland Realty, said.

At the end of the first quarter, Lau forecast prices would continue to rise in the second quarter, supported by a rise in home sales which he expected to rise to 30,000 deals from the 29,500 done in the first quarter. He changed this view after he saw home sales decline as a result of the government measures. He now expects property prices will drop this quarter and sales will decrease 20 per cent to 24,000 deals only.

Writing in a newspaper column, Shih Wing-ching, the chairman of agency Centaline, said that he expected property sales to drop 30 per cent this quarter from the first.

"End-users will postpone their plans to buy flats after the disappointing land auction. However, most flat owners would not cut their asking prices as the economy is improving. Property prices will drop 3 per cent only," he said.

Early this year, Credit Suisse analyst Cusson Leung forecast property prices would rise about 10 per cent in 2010. But he has turned cautious recently. "Prices will drop 5 to 7 per cent in the coming one to two months," he said. Leung says investment demand has fallen as a result of the measures taken by the central government to restrict lending for properties worth more than HK$20 million. The negative impact this had on the Hong Kong market was greater than expected, he said.

"A few months ago, many analysts thought the mainland buyers would continue to come into our property market. But in fact their [mainland buyers'] money is as smart as everyone else's. They were focused on a chance of making profit," he said.

Now Leung expects no growth in property prices in the next few months, although he believes the situation will improve. "We are still faced with tight residential supply, and inflation will get worse in the second half. Property prices will rebound 5 to 10 per cent by the end of the year."

Looking further ahead, Eric Wong, joint head of Asia property research at UBS, said he would maintain his forecast of a 35 per cent rise in home prices by the end of next year. "I don't see anything that will trigger a sharp fall in prices, although a consolidation of 3 to 5 per cent could occur in the next few months."

Paul Louie, the regional head of property research at Nomura International, said he would not change his forecast that prices would increase 20 per cent this year and next unless there was tightened mortgage lending. "One or two land auction results will not affect our prediction."


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## hkskyline

*Developers' association objectives chiefly framed for own benefit*
29 May 2010
South China Morning Post

The Real Estate Developers Association may claim it can regulate the often-questionable business practices of its members in the public interest without the need for legislation - but its stated objectives are overwhelmingly in its own interests.

It is also highly reluctant to discuss the objectives or its operations publicly, meaning the public whose interests it says it can safeguard has no idea how it will do so.

In the "objects" of the 45-year-old association, a four-page document deposited with the police and obtained by the South China Morning Post, only one of the 19 principles is related to the public interest. This says it will "consider, investigate and inquire into all matters and questions in any way related to real estate and allied business in Hong Kong".

But it has not been very active in that role - its compliance committee was recently found not to have held a hearing on any of 30 complaints made by the public against its members between 2007 and 2009.

The other objectives are all related to representation and protection of sector interests. For example, it is to promote, support or oppose any legislation affecting real estate and allied business. It is to finance any member involved in litigation concerning real estate transaction matters. It is also to support any movement, activity, scheme or project that in the opinion of the council of management is "in the interests of or beneficial to the association or its members".

Solicitor James To Kun-sun, the Democratic Party's deputy spokesman on planning affairs, said the objectives made it very clear that the association was more a self-interest group than a professional body.

"It is stupid of the government to rely on the group, which has a principal objective to protect its self-interest, to administer a guideline aimed at safeguarding the public interest," To said.

The government has recently introduced a series of guidelines governing developers' conduct, which the association insists it can enforce without legislation.

But To said that unlike the Law Society or the Bar Association, which have a disciplinary tribunal to sanction members, Reda has no such mechanism.

"So only legislation will really achieve the aim of protecting flat buyers," To said.

The "objects" document was obtained for HK$4 from the Police Licensing Office, one of the very few channels through which the public can get information about Reda, which was founded by late tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung under the Societies Ordinance in 1965. The association has no website, and it has no publications readily available in the community.

Asked for details of its terms of reference and organisational structure, the association provided only a copy of a press statement dated January last year, which reported that Stanley Ho Hung-sun had been re-elected president and Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong executive vice-president for two-year terms.

In a recent Cable TV report, a staff member of the association declined to be interviewed, saying it was "a private association".

Of the 11 vice-presidents, Ng Teng-fong and Peter Lee Ting-chang have died. Others are Li Ka-shing, Cheng Yu-tung, Lee Shau-kee, Gordon Wu Ying-sheung, Lo Ka-shui, Peter Woo Kwong-ching, Ronnie Chan Chi-chung, Keith Kerr and Joseph Leung Wing-kong. The association has more than 500 individual and 300 corporate members.


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## hkskyline

*Lee eyes Yuen Long sites*
27 May 2010
The Standard

Henderson Land (0012) chairman Lee Shau-kee said talks are continuing with the government on the premium amount for converting two Yuen Long sites to residential use.

A final decision on the land at Wo Shang Wai and Tai Tong Road is expected in the next few months.

Lee played down the lukewarm response at the most recent auctions for sites in Tung Chung and Fan Ling.

The tycoon nicknamed ``Uncle Four'' said cash-rich developers are bracing for a fight over two upcoming urban sites.

A 174,000 square foot plot in Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, will go under the hammer on June 8 and a 251,000 sq ft site at Mount Nicholson Road on The Peak will be auctioned on July 28. Lee said Henderson may join the bidding if the price is right.

Henderson is one of three developers to submit a tender for the MTR Corp (0066) Nam Cheong station residential-commercial development.

But the accommodation value of HK$6,600 per square foot is too high, Lee said.

Even if Henderson wins, the project will be ``very toilsome,'' with a slim margin,.

A Henderson unit, Hong Kong Ferry Holdings (0050), was the surprise winner at the auction of the Fan Ling site on Monday.

Last week, the Lee family paid HK$1.82 billion, or an accommodation value of HK$68,200 psf, for a site at Barker Road on The Peak.

On the stock market, Lee said he cashed 30 percent of his shares when the Hang Seng Index was still above 20,000 points to invest in the local property market. The veteran investor believes the index may find strong support at 19,000 points unless the European credit crisis spreads.

However, Delta Asia Financial head of equity Conita Hung Lai-ping expects the benchmark to fall between 18,000 to 18,500 amid market fluctuations.

Lee said he is still bullish about the Australian dollar.


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## hkskyline

By *fatshe* :


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## hkskyline

*Henderson Land: 45,000 Apartments Under Development In HK*
1 June 2010

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Henderson Land Development Co. (0012.HK) said Tuesday it has a gross floor area of 32 million square feet of property under development in Hong Kong, which can be developed into 45,000 apartments.

The land is from various sources, including the redevelopment of old buildings and the conversion of farmland into residential sites in satellite cities in the New Territories, Chairman Lee Shau-kee told reporters after the firm's annual general meeting.

He didn't give a timeframe for the completion of the apartments.

Separately, Lee said he wouldn't subscribe to new share offerings for now, including that of Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., with the exception of Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co.'s deal.

He didn't disclose the size of his subscription to the Chinese windpower equipment supplier's initial public offering, which aims to raise up to US$1.2 billion. Listing is slated for later this month.

Lee has been a subscriber to a wide variety of IPOs, big and small, including those of China Resources Cement Holdings Ltd. and building materials producer BBMG Corp. last year.


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## hkskyline

*17 pre-sale consent applications for residential developments pending approval*
Friday, June 4, 2010
Government Press Release

The Lands Department announced today (June 4) that 17 applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted residential units and two applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted commercial developments were pending approval as at the end of May.

The 17 applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted residential units being processed involve a total of 7,448 units. Among them, five developments involving a total of 429 units are estimated to be completed this year, while eight applications involving a total of 5,182 units are estimated to be completed in 2011 and three applications involving a total of 1,788 units are estimated to be completed in 2012. For the remaining development involving 49 units, the estimated completion date is to be updated by the developer.

In addition, two applications for consent to assign involving a total of 3,048 residential units and one application for consent to assign for a commercial development are being processed.

No pre-sale consent or consent to assign was issued in May.

Members of the public can obtain up-to-date information on pre-sale consents for uncompleted residential developments issued for the last six months and cases pending approval as at the end of May by calling the Legal Advisory and Conveyancing Office's hotline: 2147 5475 or on the Lands Department website (www.landsd.gov.hk).
　　
Intending purchasers are advised to carefully study details of the development and the sale procedures, through information available from public advertisements, sales brochures and price lists released by the developer, before making a deposit for a purchase. The sales brochure for a development (normally including a Chinese version) also contains the main points of the Deed of Mutual Covenant, including the definition of common areas, terms of appointment of manager, the basis of calculating management fees, amounts of any deposits and other relevant details, as well as any special features of the Government land grant, which intending purchasers are recommended to read carefully.

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201006/04/P201006040179.htm


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## hkskyline

*Authority rejects comparison with private developers*
6 June 2010
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority bristles at any suggestion that it is a developer in a statutory body's clothing. It points to its "social mission" and says that while developers are private companies dedicated to making money for their shareholders, it ploughs any profits back into other projects, some of them loss-making.

Scrutiny of its balance sheet shows that in most years it does well. From 2005 to 2009, the authority's return on net assets - which would be its return to shareholders if it had any - was 50 per cent, 14.5 per cent, 3.38 per cent, 11.82 per cent and minus 48 per cent respectively.

Accountant Frankie Yan Man-sing, a member of the ginger group Professional Commons, said it was hard to grasp the authority's operations just through its balance sheet. "There are fluctuations in the authority's financial performance. It is largely because it has to take up projects, such as Kwun Tong, for political reasons," Yan said.

"It is a statutory body so it has to take up projects the government wants to do, such as redeveloping Ma Tau Wai, but then it also works very closely with developers to maximise profits."

The authority said any comparison between URA and developers was meaningless. "We don't have a return to shareholders," a spokesman said. "We are a public organisation with a social mission and our profit goes to projects in the future and money-losing projects. With listed companies, their profit goes to shareholders."

The URA was set up to replace the Land Development Corporation in 2001. The government gave it a HK$10 billion war chest to pay compensation, believing that this and a waiver of its usual requirement for payment of land premium would increase the authority's bargaining power with developers, allowing it to launch projects that benefit the community.

The authority is expected to redevelop 2,000 buildings over 20 years. Most are in nine districts - Ma Tau Kok, Tai Kok Tsui, Sham Shui Po, Yau Ma Tei, Yau Tong, Kwun Tong, Western, Wan Chai and Tsuen Wan.

In most cases, the authority picks an area for redevelopment without consulting the community. (The 25 projects it inherited from the corporation are an exception.) Landlords get compensation based on the price of an equivalent seven-year-old flat. Tenants can go to public housing.

While private developers must buy 80 per cent of the flats in a building they want to redevelop, the authority has land resumption powers under the Land Resumption Ordinance, which does not state the proportion of flats the authority must buy before it can require owners of the rest to sell.

People who refuse to move are classed as illegal occupants of government land. Most eventually settle. Once a site is vacated, the authority invites developers to submit tenders to take part in redeveloping it.

The URA has so far demolished or plans to demolish flats comprising 522,526 square metres, on which it has built or will build over 15,000 flats.

In the 2008-09 financial year, the URA had a net operating deficit of HK$4.52 billion, largely because of a HK$4.03 provision made for the Kwun Tong Town Centre project.


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## hkskyline

*In lap of luxury for $10.9b*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 09, 2010




























A prime Ho Man Tin site sold yesterday for HK$10.9 billion - beating records and market expectations and reflecting developers' bullish views on the luxury market.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) beat out seven other bidders for the 173,800-square-foot lot on Fat Kwong Street with gross floor area of 864,200 sq ft. It will build luxury homes on the site.

Market estimates for the site ranged from HK$7.15 billion to HK$10.6 billion.

The price paid represented accommodation value of about HK$12,540 per sq ft - a new record for Kowloon.

This boosted investor confidence, as property stocks shot up across the board. New World (0017) climbed 3.05 percent, while SHKP shares rose 2.01 percent and Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) gained 1.74 percent. Meanwhile, existing homeowners in the vicinity immediately adjusted their sale strategies.

Centaline Property senior sales director Matthews Lee Tze-ming said some sellers pulled their flats off the market, while others raised asking prices by 5 percent.

Hong Kong Property sales manager Kenny Kwok Siu-fung said one raised the asking price for a house at King's Park Hill by 4.6 percent to HK$68 million, or HK$20,821 psf.

Another seller at Celestial Heights decided not to cut the price following the auction, which lasted 90 minutes and drew a total of 77 bids from eight bidders.

Cheung Kong was prompted to announce new strategies for its remaining units at Celestial Heights phase two today. Secondary prices at the developm
ent average HK$10,275 psf, agents said.

Cheung Kong's land cost was a mere HK$5,476 psf when it acquired the previous site auctioned in Ho Man Tin in 2004 for HK$9.42 billion, said Midland chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka- fai.

CCB International Securities executive director Adrian Ngan Wai-hung said SHKP's ability to build top projects makes the HK$10.9 billion price "reasonable."

Both Cheung Kong and Kerry Properties (0083) agreed the price was reasonable given the site's ideal location.

Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency executive director Victor Lui Ting finds the price dear, but acceptable: "It is located at a high-end area, and there will be an MTR station nearby in future."

SHKP plans to invest a total of HK$18 billion in the project. Ngan said the auction will be positive to the market as a whole, but cautioned that "it doesn't mean developers are optimistic about the entire market, but more likely just a particular kind of home."

Ngan expects completed homes to fetch around HK$16,000 to HK$17,000 psf and bring HK$2 to HK$3 billion in profits.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said SHKP will book reasonable profits selling at an average of HK$18,000 to HK$20,000 psf.

Centaline Surveyors yesterday raised its valuation of the Mount Nicholson Road site in The Peak, to be auctioned in late July, by 21 percent to HK$9.75 billion, or an accommodation value of HK$30,000 psf.

Lands Department deputy director and auctioneer Graham Ross said the government is "happy" about the transaction price for the Ho Man Tin site.


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## hkskyline

*Caine Road standouts in new forced sales battle*
The Standard
Monday, June 14, 2010

The law on the compulsory sale of old buildings is at the center of another row as some residents of Grand Court and Kension Mansion on Caine Road are not willing to move out even though a developer has acquired the 80 percent rights threshold.

The law, which reduced the threshold on buildings aged 50 and over from 90 to 80 percent, became effective on April 1.

Since then, there have been several cases in which owners forced out have complained about unfair compensation.

One of the new standouts is Krishna Singh, 79, who purchased an eighth-floor flat in Kension Mansion and has lived there for about 50 years.

"Home is where my heart is. I don't want to go away from my home and my community," wept Singh, saying she may be unable to buy another flat in the area even if she is compensated.

Her daughter, Mala Barber, blamed lack of transparency on purchases, saying no one has revealed the actual percentage of property rights acquired despite the stringing up of banners congratulating compensated owners.

"It is not about how much they pay us. We want to live here and we won't leave even if they pay us HK$10 million," Barber said. "They should show some responsibility to society."

Barber estimated the flat is worth about HK$6.5 million at today's prices.

Singh said she received by post notices in Chinese relating to the compulsory sale but that she did not know how to respond as she cannot read Chinese.

The owner of a fourth-floor flat at the 51-year-old Grand Court, surnamed Chan, said he has lived there for over 26 years.

Property agents frequently disturbed his family with phone calls and knocks on the door.

"Since the policy was implemented, our family has been frequently disturbed, with the highest number of visits being three times each week late at night or at dinner time," Chan said.

Wong Ho-yin, a member of Minority Owners' Alliance Against Compulsory Sales, said a developer has acquired 80 percent of the ownership rights of Kension Mansion, which turns 50 next year. However, it has not yet got 80 percent of Grand Court.


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## hkskyline

*City skies no limit for development*
18 June 2010
Planning

In Hong Kong planning ambitions have been shaped by geography, history and fortune with unique results, say Jon Gateley and Serena Tong.

Flying into Hong Kong, the first sights are craggy ridgelines which become the green backdrop to fishing villages, commuter towns and modern cities. Connecting these is a stunning coastline of natural peninsulas, coves and scattered islands punctuating the horizon. Hong Kong is far more than a stopover or vague colonial memory.

Now an administrative region of China, most of Hong Kong's industrialisation followed the Second World War, with the population growing at one million per decade to reach seven million today. Most of this development is squeezed into an area barely the size of Swindon, leaving aside more than three-quarters of the territory for recreation, conservation and agriculture.

As a result, not only do apartments and offices naturally sprout to great heights but factories, schools and virtually anything else are to be found in high-rise form. Many pitfalls that typically accompany rapid urbanisation have been avoided, while robust planning has delivered world-class infrastructure and standards of living that are among the highest in Asia.

Despite the 1997 handover to Chinese rule, Hong Kong's planning system has remained a close cousin of the UK's. While in the past reclamation, new towns and sheer scale enabled development to keep pace, Hong Kong's planners are now charged with sustainability, meeting the needs of the community and avoiding problems that can arise from engineering led solutions.

The current approach to planning is exemplified by the former Kai Tak Airport where, following a 2004 ruling that prevents further harbour reclamation, original redevelopment proposals were shelved. Technical studies, masterplanning and public engagement have culminated in plans to create a heritage, green, sports and tourism hub on a site of more than 300ha. Provision is made for 30,000 dwellings on little more than 40ha - densities considered modest by Hong Kong standards.

Faced with stiff competition in the manufacturing sector, the government's objective is to become Asia's 'world city' and the gateway to mainland China. Key to this has been the promotion of financial services and luring international corporations to choose Hong Kong for their Asian headquarters.

Hong Kong's transition, drawing on professional services, has been remarkably successful and the results are written not only on its skyline but the streets, which retain character despite losing their historic buildings to modernity. Additions such as elevated walkways are not unique but a mid-level escalator system, developed in the 1990s to relieve congestion in a steep part of the city and transporting more than 50,000 people per day, probably is.

Despite functioning as a state in its own right Hong Kong's relationship with the wider Pearl River Delta (PRD) region is an increasingly important dimension for planners.

Embracing Macao and the special economic zones of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the PRD accounts for about a quarter of China's trade. With a population racing towards 50 million, it has been described by the UN as one of the world's emerging megacities.

Although in the past the region evolved rather disjointedly, shared objectives of sustainable development come together in a common planning framework. While planning in the UK may have reached its high-water mark, in Hong Kong it seems the best is yet to come.

Jon Gateley is a consultant at Savills Planning and Regeneration. Serena Tong is an urban designer at John Hui and Associates, architects and development consultants.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ20: South East New Territories Landfill*
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Miriam Lau Kin Yee and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for the Environment, Dr Kitty Poon, at the Legislative Council meeting today (June 23):

Question:

Quite a number of Tseung Kwan O residents have indicated to me that the environmental problems created by the South East New Territories ("SENT") Landfill since its commissioning have caused nuisances to them for a long time. Recently, the Planning Department submitted a paper to the Sai Kung District Council proposing to further extend the SENT Landfill area, including designating about five hectares of land in Clear Water Bay Country Park and about 15.6 hectares of land in Tseung Kwan O Area 137 for landfill extension purpose. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council :

(a) of the number of complaints received about the SENT Landfill since its commissioning, together with a breakdown of the complaints by category; how the authorities follow up such complaints;

(b) given that it has been recently reported that it is expected that the proposed extension of the SENT Landfill will aggravate the adverse impact on residents in the district, including the environment (in terms of odour and visual impact), traffic and the health of the residents nearby, and will also affect Chai Wan district, which is situated on the other side of the bank opposite to Tseung Kwan O, and the authorities had indicated in its paper to the Panel on Environmental Affairs of this Council in October 2008 that they would adopt a number of mitigation measures for the proposed extension of the SENT Landfill in accordance with the principle of avoidance, minimisation and compensation as set out in the Technical Memorandum of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499), whether they have assessed if such mitigation measures can resolve the aforesaid adverse impact on residents in the district; whether the authorities have other mitigation measures; if they have, of the details;

(c) of the daily average numbers of trips run by refuse collection vehicles and vehicles carrying construction waste which travel to and from the SENT Landfill through Tseung Kwan O at present, and the expected changes in the respective vehicular flows of the aforesaid two types of vehicles after the extension of the landfill; what measures the authorities have to mitigate the traffic impact and odour nuisance caused by such vehicles in the Tseung Kwan O district;

(d) whether the authorities will plan to require the use of compressed and enclosed type of refuse collection vehicles to travel to and from the SENT Landfill, so as to prevent wastes from spattering and emitting odour during transportation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(e) given that the proposed extension of the SENT Landfill will cover 15.6 hectares of industrial land in Tseung Kwan O Area 137, of the original planned use for the site; whether the proposed extension of the landfill will affect the development potential of other industrial land lots in Area 137, and as a result, reduce the employment opportunities within the area for residents in the district;

(f) given that it has been reported that the authorities plan to supply the methane generated by the wastes in the SENT Landfill after its extension to the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited ("Towngas") for conversion into gas, whether the authorities will request Towngas to reduce the tariff for Tseung Kwan O residents, so as to compensate for their being plagued by the environmental problems caused by the landfill for a long time; and

(g) given that the life of the SENT Landfill will be extended to 2019 after the proposed extension, whether the authorities have planned to further expand the area of the landfill, with a view to extending the life of the landfill again?

Reply:

President,

(a) The development of the South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill started in the 1990s and was commissioned in 1994, and its operation has been assessed as meeting international standards.

Since 2005, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has received complaints about odour problem in the Tseung Kwan O town and the related figures are as follows:



Code:


Year Figures
2005 106
2006 165
2007 459
2008 943
2009 629

 Most of the complaints were received in hot and rainy months.

Apart from the SENT Landfill, there are potential sources of odour nuisance in Tseung Kwan O. In this connection, the District Officer of Sai Kung has established an inter-departmental working group comprising representatives from the Sai Kung District Office, EPD, Drainage Services Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), District Lands Office and Highways Department. It aims to investigate and follow up on potential sources of odour under the purview of various departments with a view to abating the local odour nuisance. The working group has held a number of meetings, conducted joint inspections in Tseung Kwan O, and stepped up cleaning of the sites where odour may be emitted. We will continue our work on this front.

The EPD looks into each complaint about odour nuisance independently to identify the odour source. The EPD also informs the complainant of the investigation results of each case.

The EPD understands that Tseung Kwan O residents are concerned about the odour nuisance. The Department has stepped up odour management and control measures to further abate the potential odour impact of the Landfill. Such measures implemented so far include for example covering the tipping face with a thicker layer of soil at the end of the daily waste reception process; covering the non-active tipping face with temporary impermeable liner; setting up fixed deodorisers at the Landfill boundary; providing additional mobile deodorisers at the tipping area; putting a mobile cover on the special waste trench; and installing additional landfill gas extraction pipes and mobile landfill gas flares. The EPD will continue to implement the above measures. In addition, the Department is planning to construct an 800-metre wall along the boundary of the Landfill facing the industrial estate to abate environmental and visual impacts on the surrounding area. The EPD will also upgrade the existing facility for wheel washing to full-body vehicle washing facility to ensure that the entire body of every refuse collection vehicle is washed before leaving the Landfill.

(b) The Government has been working hard to promote waste reduction at source in recent years. Last year, the recovery rate of municipal solid waste has reached 49%. However, as we currently rely almost entirely on landfilling as our only means of waste disposal and the total municipal solid waste disposed of at landfill is about 9,000 tonnes per day, this has exerted pressure on our valuable landfill space. The proposed extension of the SENT Landfill (the proposed Extension) aims to continue an effective management of the municipal solid waste generated in Hong Kong every day when the existing SENT Landfill reaches its capacity. The EPD completed the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and traffic impact assessment on the proposed Extension in 2008. The EIA has studied in detail the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Extension, covering air quality (including odour), ecology, noise, waste management, water quality, landfill gas as well as landscape and visual impacts, and recommended effective mitigation measures. Apart from Tseung Kwan O, the study on air quality, noise and visual impacts also covered Siu Sai Wan area in northeast of Hong Kong Island. According to the EIA Report, with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, the anticipated environmental impacts are acceptable and will meet the relevant requirements under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) and its Technical Memorandum. The EIA was approved by the Authority in May 2008. The traffic impact assessment points out that the Landfill Extension will not have any adverse impact on the traffic. The EPD will ensure that the recommended mitigation measures will be strictly implemented, the works under the proposed Extension will comply with the conditions set out in the environmental permit issued under the EIAO, and the operation of the Landfill will not create any adverse impact on the residents nearby.

(c)According to the statistics for 2009, on average the SENT Landfill received about 1,050 vehicle loads daily, including about 510 vehicle loads of municipal solid waste. 

According to the traffic impact assessment on the proposed Extension, the number of vehicles travelling to and from the Landfill Extension will be similar to that of vehicles travelling to and from the SENT Landfill at present. Therefore, the vehicular flow will be approximately the same upon the exhaustion of the SENT Landfill and the commissioning of the Landfill Extension. As such, the Landfill Extension will not create any adverse impact on the traffic. However, to abate effectively the odour from refuse collection vehicles, the EPD will implement a number of odour mitigation measures under the proposed Extension. They include enclosing entirely the weighbridge area, providing a vehicle washing facility at the exit from the Landfill Extension, and reminding drivers of refuse collection vehicles to take heed of hygiene and keep their vehicles clean.

(d) Currently there are three strategically located landfills in the territory. Coupled with seven refuse transfer stations, they form a solid waste disposal network which handles the waste generated daily by the community. Bulk waste transfer is adopted to avoid large number of small refuse collection vehicles travelling in the urban areas. The SENT Landfill mainly receives commercial, industrial as well as construction wastes from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Sai Kung District and domestic waste from Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung collected by private waste collectors. It is the private waste collectors' own commercial decisions to choose the types of their refuse collection vehicles. To reduce the environmental impacts of refuse collection vehicles, the EPD regularly draws the attention of the trade to road safety as well as the cleanliness and hygiene of their refuse collection vehicles at landfill liaison meetings. At the meetings of the inter-departmental working group, the EPD also refers the complaints about refuse collection vehicles received to the relevant departments for follow-up. Moreover, the EPD distributes leaflets to drivers of refuse collection vehicles on a monthly basis through the landfill contractors to remind the drivers of the operation practice of refuse collection vehicles, so that they can keep their vehicles clean and tidy. Under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, the FEHD may, with sufficient evidence, institute prosecutions against people concerned in case of refuse collection vehicles dirtying public roads.

(e) The 15.6 hectares of land in Tseung Kwan O Area 137 rezoned for the extension of the SENT Landfill as shown on the draft Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan No. S/TKO/18 was previously zoned "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Deep Waterfront Industry" ("OU(DWI)") on the earlier version of the Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan No. S/TKO/17. According to the Notes of the Outline Zoning Plan, the "OU(DWI)" zone is intended primarily for special industries which require marine access, access to deep water berths or water frontage. The subject area for the extension of the SENT Landfill is located inland which does not have access to the sea. Although part of the area in Area 137 is proposed for the extension of the SENT Landfill, the remaining area is still zoned as "OU(DWI)", which has an area of about 86.9 hectares of land with marine frontage unaffected to meet the long term need of deep waterfront industries.

(f) To utilise the landfill gas generated from the SENT Landfill more effectively, the EPD has been exploring a large-scale landfill gas recovery and utilisation project with the contractor of the SENT Landfill and the town gas producer. The EPD is studying its feasibility and contractual arrangements.

(g) We estimate that the SENT Landfill will reach its capacity in mid-2010s. We hope to complete the planning in time so that the SENT Landfill Extension can be commissioned immediately after the exhaustion of the SENT Landfill. Our current projection is that the Landfill Extension will reach its capacity in about six years, and then we can proceed with restoration and aftercare of the Landfill Extension. Apart from the proposed Extension, the Government has no plan to further expand the area of the SENT Landfill.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ8: Illegal shop extension*
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Sophie Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (June 23):

Question:

It has been reported that the problem of illegal shop extensions in public places has becoming more and more serious in recent years, which has affected the cityscape and environmental hygiene and also posed danger to other road users. Besides, it has also been reported that the enforcement efforts of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department are lax, and despite repeated complaints from members of the public, no improvement has yet been made. The persons who were prosecuted and convicted were often fined a few hundred dollars only, and thus deterrent effect was not created. Some persons-in-charge of the shops have already included the fines in the recurrent operating costs of their shops and some have even instructed others to "stand in" for them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the total number of black spots of illegal shop extensions in public places of Hong Kong at present, with a breakdown by District Council district;

(b) of the number of prosecutions last year which involved illegal shop extensions in public places, and among such cases, whether there was any person-in-charge of the shop prosecuted for more than once; of the number of cases in which the persons-in-charge of the shops were sentenced to imprisonment; of the number of cases in which the persons-in-charge were fined, the ratio of such persons-in-charge who were fined and the amount of fines;

(c) whether the authorities will amend the legislation to impose heavier penalty on repeated offenders; and

(d) whether the authorities had, in the past three years, considered conducting a comprehensive review on how to handle the aforesaid problem, as well as examining the relevant enforcement practices, prosecution procedure and legislation, with a view to eradicating illegal shop extensions in public places and preventing the aforesaid "stand in" cases from happening again?

Reply:

President,

Illegal shop extension in public places is one of the street management problems which fall within the ambits of various government departments. For the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), it will, depending on the circumstances of obstruction, take enforcement actions in accordance with the most appropriate statutory provisions among the following three provisions: For shops which have extended its business without authorisation and caused obstruction of public places, the FEHD may institute prosecutions under Section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228). If the shops have obstructed scavenging services by extending its business without authorisation, the FEHD may institute prosecutions under Section 22 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132). Regarding those licensed food premises that carry on business illegally outside the confines of their premises, the FEHD may take enforcement actions under Section 34C of the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X). If the situation involves illegal structures, causes traffic congestion or threatens the safety of pedestrians, the FEHD may refer the case to relevant departments such as the Lands Department, Buildings Department or Hong Kong Police Force. Apart from regular enforcement and cleansing operations, District Officers will coordinate joint departmental operations to resolve the problem in locations with serious obstruction through concerted efforts. Our reply to the four parts of the questions is as follows:

(a) The major black spots in the joint departmental operations of various districts are at Annex.

(b) and (c) In the past year up to May 31, 2010, the FEHD has instituted 21,311 prosecutions against illegal shop extension in public places under the above legislations, inclusive of repeated cases. The FEHD, however, does not keep statistics specifically on the number of repeated cases.

Offenders in breach of Section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 or imprisonment of three months. Those who obstruct scavenging services in breach of Section 22 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000. Food premises which carry out business illegally outside the confines of their premises in breach of Section 34C of the Food Business Regulation are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment of three months.

Offenders in all of the 16,914 cases convicted by the court in the past year were sentenced to a fine. For the majority of cases which contravened the Summary Offences Ordinance and the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, the fine ranged from $400 to $600, while the fine of most cases in contravention of the Food Business Regulation ranged from $4,000 to $5,000, with sporadic cases reaching $10,000. None of the offenders was sentenced to imprisonment, and there does not appear to be a need to increase the maximum penalties. The court as the judiciary body is responsible for awarding sentences. As the court will determine the level of penalty and the amount of fine by reference to the circumstances of the cases, the FEHD will provide relevant information, such as the previous record of offence, the area of obstruction, the number of complaints received and the amount of fine in respect of the repeated offenders or offenders in more serious obstruction cases to the court immediately after conviction as a reference in sentencing. If the FEHD considers that the sentence imposed in a particular case is too lenient, it will consider lodging an appeal after consulting the Department of Justice.

Besides, if a food premises carries out business illegally outside the confines of their premises, the FEHD will take actions under the Demerit Point System (DPS). Under the DPS, a licensee is subject to demerit points registered against his/her food premises in addition to a fine upon conviction. When the demerit points have accumulated to a prescribed level within a specified period, the food business licence of the premises will be suspended temporarily or cancelled. In 2009, the numbers of food premises with their licence suspended temporarily or cancelled due to unauthorised extension of business outside the confines of their premises were 104 and 7 respectively.

(d) It is the top priority of the FEHD to keep the environment clean. The FEHD staff will continue to handle street obstruction problems in accordance with the above legislations. The FEHD has laid down clear guidelines on the enforcement actions and prosecution procedures relating to illegal shop extension in public places for compliance by law enforcement officers. "Stand in" cases will definitely not be allowed, and such cases also involve perverting the course of justice. If suspected "stand in" cases are detected, the FEHD will refer them to the relevant law enforcement departments for follow up.


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## hkskyline

*59,000 new flats to hit market within 4 years*
24 June 2010
South China Morning Post

The government estimates that 59,000 new flats will become available in the private housing market in the coming three to four years.

That number includes those already completed but unsold, flats under construction and planned developments approved by the government on sites already sold or granted.

The 21 developments on which work has yet to start are expected to comprise 12,000 flats, the Transport and Housing Bureau said in a written reply to lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming. He had asked for details after the bureau promised to increase the supply of housing. The bureau said it would set completion dates for the projects but would not stipulate when construction must begin.

The bureau did not list the locations and sizes of the 21 sites or the expected earliest dates for commencement of work, as Li had requested. Earlier, it said developers were normally required to complete construction within four to six years.

The number of flats unsold but in pre-sale, or under construction, is 40,000. Seven thousand completed flats that remain unsold. When they would be put on the market was up to developers since it was commercial decision, the bureau said.

Lawrence Poon Wing-cheung, a senior lecturer in real estate development at City University, said he was not about a mismatch between supply and demand.

"It's not that supply cannot meet our population growth, which has been slowing down. Many buyers are investors or property speculators, some from the mainland," Poon said.

"I'm more worried that if the central government tightens liquidity and less hot money is in the Hong Kong market, the property prices will lack support and drop, and so many thousands of flats on the market will be at risk."

Meanwhile, the Housing Authority has surrendered nine public housing estates in the past five years for redevelopment as open space or for schools and community facilities.

In addition, the 3.8-hectare former North Point Estate will be redeveloped for private housing and a hotel.


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## hkskyline

*Keep the concrete jungle out of our country parks *
27 June 2010
South China Morning Post

Our country parks are cherished. We should treat them as though they are sacred. Yet this reverence does not appear to be shared by those developing a parcel of private land within the Plover Cove reserve. One of our most pristine, serene places is being despoiled.

What is taking shape on the site is unclear. One of the men behind the plans says HK$200 million is being put into what will in effect be a park within a park, open to public use. Plans for a giant statue on a hill speak less of a public park than a tourist attraction. The involvement of a property developer and the tearing down of 11 two-century-old Hakka houses so that new ones - or a columbarium - can be built tell a more familiar story for the New Territories.

There's no mystery about the damage that clearing of the land has caused. Bride's Pool, an attraction downstream from the site, has been muddied by runoff water spilling over sandbags. A total of HK$3,500 in fines has been handed out for the illegal cutting down of 13 trees and driving of vehicles through the country park. It's also clear that for all the talk of the project and the work already carried out, authorities have not given it the go-ahead.

Although this is private land, activity of such a nature is at odds with the need to carefully preserve our country parks. There are strict laws governing use of their trails, attractions and facilities. But there is another reality: that ancestral land within the parks takes up about 2 per cent of their area. The government has consistently shunned calls to buy it back and insisted that mechanisms to control development and police law-breaking are effective.

Such assuredness is unjustified. There have been repeated infringements of laws, sometimes with devastating consequences. Illegal works described by conservationists as "shocking" were discovered in Pat Sin Leng Country Park and on adjacent government land last year; they included a long concrete road, a bridge over a stream and 150 felled trees. A total of 127 trees were illegally cut down in country parks between 2006 and 2008. It's clear that the cavalier and often lawless attitude of some people towards development in the New Territories extends beyond ancestral property to all land, regardless of its zoning.

The presence of country parks doesn't mean that time has to stand still on the private land within them. What is envisaged has to be sensitive to the parks, though; large-scale projects that disrupt wildlife, water catchment areas and serenity obviously aren't what we want or need. Nor do we require parks within country parks that have nicely manicured lawns, snack pavilions and concrete paths - we go to the country parks to escape such traits of our concrete jungle. Whatever is planned has to be firmly within the law and scrupulously monitored.

Penalties aren't harsh enough. The HK$25,000 maximum fine for cutting down trees and HK$2,000 for damage, with an additional HK$100 a day for recurring offences, aren't deterrents when multimillion-dollar projects are in the offing. They are a fraction of what applies in other places, where parkland is held in the highest regard. These need to be reviewed and policing stepped up.

Our country parks are our escape from noise, pollution and stress. Within their 41,582 hectares - 38 per cent of our land area - are the greenery, animals, insects, waterways and other natural features that make hiking, camping and picnicking so enjoyable. Every effort has to be made to preserve them.


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## hkskyline

*Developers face less room to move in new proposals*
The Standard
Monday, June 28, 2010

The halcyon days for developers may be fast coming to an end, with a top advisory body proposing 51 rules to restrict their room to exploit floor-area concessions for "green" features.

The Council for Sustainable Development's proposals - the product of a year-long consultation that attracted 1,100 submissions, including 347 from individuals - come fast on the heels of the government's tightening of pre-sales regulations earlier this year.

But chairman Bernard Chan Charnwut was forced to deny that the council's refusal to propose a specific cap was due to fear of developers. "It's the government's job is to work out the percentage," he said. 

"Our role is to collect public views."

The council also wants concessions on gross floor areas, implemented in 2001, to be cut for a whole slew of other features, from podium gardens, balconies, mailbox areas, clubhouses, guardrooms, etc, that are now regarded as indispensable for housing estates. 

Another sticking point for critics and a swath of the public is that developers pay no premium or next to nothing for these enhancements and include them in the floor area for which home buyers pay market price.

Opponents of the measures say the environmental effect of the concessions have been nullified by the growing density of housing estates, leading to the so-called "wall effect," as developers go all out to cash in on them.

Pressure group Green Sense said the proposals fail to address public demands, and the absence of a specific cap was disappointing.


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## hkskyline

*Long seen as Central's less sophisticated sister, the peninsula is being transformed by new landmark buildings, malls and hotels District's renaissance*
28 June 2010
South China Morning Post

Long regarded as the poor cousin to districts across the harbour, Kowloon, in recent decades, has benefited from relaxed restrictions on building heights thanks to the 1998 closure of Kai Tak airport. Hotels and serviced apartments have in turn opened to meet the demand from more global companies that are opening offices on the peninsula.

Stretching from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok, Kowloon once boasted the highest population density per square mile in the world and was home to the majority of the city's residents.

However, the development of new towns over the years and the relocation of many residents has regenerated neglected areas. These areas now offer seemingly endless streets of shops, malls and restaurants catering to locals and visitors.

From Union Square in West Kowloon - housing Hong Kong's tallest building, the 118-storey International Commerce Centre, which is home to the city's highest hotel, The Ritz-Carlton - to the Elements shopping mall above the Kowloon MTR station, and the neighbouring twin towers of The Cullinan, housing the W Hotel, Kowloon has undergone a renaissance that has reinvigorated and transformed the area.

South of Union Square is Harbour City, Hong Kong's largest shopping mall, stretching over several city blocks along Canton Road and boasting an infinite variety of retail, food and dining outlets, and three hotels.

Hullett House on Salisbury Road, with a hotel, shops, galleries, and indoor and outdoor dining on the site of the former Marine Police headquarters, shows signs of a new era of conservation and preservation of the city's historic buildings being embraced.

Nathan Road also boasts the new 31-storey iSquare complex on the site of the former Hyatt Regency hotel, with 600,000 sqft of retail space, and housing Asia's largest IMAX cinema.

To the west of Nathan Road, popular shopping areas around Kimberley Road and Granville Road have also undergone revitalisation, with shops galore and numerous new eateries.

A revitalised Knutsford Terrace, on the southern side of Observatory Hill, also features a row of international restaurants, pubs and bars, and has quickly become a nightlife destination in its own right.

The new Mira Hotel has also added an element of class to the former rundown neighbourhood.

To the north, Mong Kok is now the home to Langham Place, a complex housing a five-star hotel, a 59-storey office tower and seemingly endless retail outlets, cafes, a food court and cinemas. Back on the harbour front area, along Salisbury Road, sits several five-star hotels with panoramic views of Hong Kong Island, and some of the city's most unusually shaped buildings, including the round-shaped Science Museum and IMAX cinema, the Museum of History and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, hosting top local and international dance and music performances, and resembling the shape of a formal bow tie when viewed from the air.

The gracious and refined Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui is a Hong Kong icon with venues such as the Felix bar regarded by many as the best in town.


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## hkskyline

*Stanley set to lose landmark blue house*
6 July 2010
South China Morning Post

The waterfront at Stanley Main Street will lose its landmark "blue house" in two years' time, when the site is redeveloped into a 10-storey hotel.

The building is one of the most memorable spots in the street and has been occupied for 11 years by The Boathouse restaurant.

In March, the site's owners, the Dolphin Bay Trading Company, were given the go-ahead to turn it into a hotel-style serviced apartment complex with six guestrooms.

With two more years to continue business, The Boathouse's operators, Igor's Group, are renovating the building's third floor to make more open space for alfresco dining. "We want customers to enjoy themselves in our last years here. People met here, got married here, and brought their kids to here - lots of fond memories," restaurant manager Ashok Sharma said.

Igor's Group said it had yet to work out with the landlord whether the restaurant would be part of the redevelopment but Sharma said it would be difficult to find another place in Stanley.

According to the papers submitted to the Town Planning Board by Dolphin Bay Trading Company, the proposed hotel would house restaurants on the first three floors and be a continuation of the Stanley Main Street culture.

"This site {hellip} is ripe for renewal as a private-initiated urban redevelopment scheme. Such redevelopment will act as a catalyst and stimulate further renewal in other degraded areas of Stanley," the company said. In approving the application, the board advised the landlord to ensure the design of the hotel complemented the local street character.

The blue house is not graded as a historic building.

Hazel Yuen Wai-yan, a flight attendant who patronises the restaurant about twice every year, said she was not aware of the redevelopment plan.

"This is a comfortable place where you can enjoy seafood and the sea breeze," she said. "It's sad to hear it'll be torn down soon."


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## hkskyline

*LCQ5: Government properties*
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201007/07/P201007070173.htm
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Paul Chan and a reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 7):

Question:

In recent years, the community is concerned about the short supply of housing in Hong Kong and has urged the Government to make available more land on the market or strive to increase the supply of housing on the market. Yet, the Government Property Agency (GPA) invited tenders for purchase in one parcel of the two blocks with a total of 168 flats and car parking spaces of former government quarters at Ventris Road, Hong Kong last year, instead of selling them directly to members of the public, and the tender was eventually awarded to a real estate developer. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of former government quarters sold by tender for purchase in one parcel by GPA in the past five years, and whether the Government had compared and reviewed the differences between the proceeds from the resale of such properties by the successful bidders and those yielded by the sale of such properties by the Government; if it had, list, by the date of sale, the respective locations, names, quantities, numbers of flats and car parking spaces involved and the prices of such properties, as well as the review outcome; and of the number of former government quarters which GPA plans to sell by tender for purchase in one parcel in the next five years, and list, by the intended date of sale, the respective locations, names, quantities, numbers of flats and car parking spaces involved and the estimated tender prices of such properties;

(b) given that quite a number of members of the public hope that the Government can increase the housing supply, whether the Government will review the current policy on the leasing and sale of government properties and, placing the interests of members of the public above all else, consider giving priority to leasing or selling all vacant government quarters to members of the public, instead of selling them by tender for purchase in one parcel to individual real estate developers, so as to avoid depriving the public the opportunities of renting or purchasing such properties; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(c) given that the Director of Audit pointed out in his report published in March 2008 that some government properties under the management of GPA had remained unused for a long period of time, and it has also been reported in recent months that the situation has not improved since then, whether the Government has held the officials of the relevant bureaux or government departments accountable for that or recorded relevant remarks in their performance appraisals; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will take such actions against them?

Reply:

Acting President,

Government Property Agency (GPA) has in place a clear and effective strategy to deal with surplus government quarters properly. The ultimate objective of Government is to dispose of surplus government quarters in the open market. As an interim measure, some quarters pending sale would be let to private tenants at market rental to generate revenue for Government's coffers.

Generally, there are two ways to dispose of surplus government quarters. For quarters located on intact development sites which are suitable for residential use, GPA will return the sites together with the quarters to Lands Department for land sale. One example is the sale by auction of the former government quarters site at Mt. Nicholson Road at the end of this month. The remaining surplus quarters are mainly individual units or whole blocks of quarters in private housing estates, and will be disposed of by GPA by tender or public auction. The number of such surplus quarters has been small, and their disposal cannot effectively help increase the supply of residential flats. For instance, the 144 surplus government quarters sold by GPA over the past five years are insignificant when compared with over 1,400,000 private residential units in Hong Kong.

In putting up surplus government quarters for sale, GPA will adopt the most appropriate and cost-effective disposal method in light of the actual situation. If Government only owns individual residential units in a housing estate, GPA will sell the units concerned individually. Over the past five years, GPA sold a total of 20 such units.

If the surplus quarters involve a whole block of building in a housing estate, GPA will usually sell them in one parcel. This has the advantage of disposing of all the units concerned in one go, thus saving the high costs involved in managing and maintaining such old quarters. The additional administrative and marketing costs required for future resale of individual unsold units can also be avoided. In addition, selling in one parcel enables buyers to opt to make investment in refurbishing the building before reselling or leasing out the flats. Buyers may also seek to consolidate the ownership with a view to redeveloping the site. Under such circumstances, the selling price would, to a certain extent, reflect the redevelopment potential of the land, thus bringing more revenue for Government's coffers. Over the past five years, GPA sold out a total of 124 surplus quarters together with parking spaces by tender for purchase in one parcel, comprising the two blocks of quarters at Ventris Road as mentioned in the question and the single-block quarters at Wylie Court. For details, please see the Annex.

According to our understanding, some of above-mentioned 124 surplus quarters are still held by the buyers and have not yet been resold. Hence, we do not have complete information at this stage for comparing the selling prices of Government and the resale prices set by the buyers. As a matter of fact, we do not think it is appropriate to make such comparison. From Government's perspective, what is important is that we have sold the quarters concerned by open tender to the highest bidders. Such tender process has ensured that Government would obtain the highest price the market could offer at that time. The buyers will then decide whether to make further investment in refurbishing the properties for resale by taking into account factors such as the future price trend of the property market, purchasing power and needs of end-users, cost of capital, etc. The resale price will depend on the prevailing market conditions, and the buyers have to bear the risk of fluctuation in property prices. As for whether GPA will sell other surplus quarters in one parcel in the next five years, we have no specific plan at this moment.

The vacant government premises in the three buildings as mentioned in Report No. 50 of the Director of Audit (the Audit Report) published in March 2008 and reported by the media in recent months were originally reserved for use by the MTR Corporation Limited as mass transit railway entrance/exit areas (reserved areas). As we explained to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) before, to change the use of the three reserved areas would involve, among others, various legal and technical issues. PAC has made recommendations on this matter and released its Report No. 50. According to the established mechanism, we reported the progress in the Government Minute (GM) submitted to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in October 2008, the annual progress report to PAC in November 2009 and the GM to LegCo in May 2010. In sum, we generally agree with the recommendations of the Audit Report and PAC. GPA, Buildings Department and other departments concerned have been actively following up the recommendations since then, with a view to identifying solutions to the legal and technical issues involved. GPA is taking forward the work relating to the change of the use of the reserved areas progressively. We will closely monitor the progress, and will report to Members the latest progress in detail in the annual progress report to be submitted to PAC this year.

Ends/Wednesday, July 7, 2010


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## hkskyline

*Self-financing key to URA, say advisers *
10 July 2010
SCMP

The Urban Renewal Authority should continue to be self-financing in the future even though some planned renewal projects may not be profitable, the government's advisers say.

Instead of injecting more public money into the authority, the advisers suggest setting up a heritage trust to deal with conservation projects as a way to reduce part of the authority's financial burden.

Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, a member of the government's steering committee on urban renewal strategy, said yesterday that there would be more flexibility in the authority's financial operations as it was expected to adopt a district-based approach in the future.

"The authority doesn't have to gain a profit in every project in a district. It can lose in one while gaining in another," Cheung said. "I don't see an immediate need to inject more money."

The authority is supposed to be self-financing under the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance. The government injected HK$10 billion into the authority when it was set up in 2001 and the authority does not have to pay land premiums for its redevelopment projects.

But the self-financing principle is seen as putting limitations on the authority. Some critics say redevelopment quality may be compromised and the authority has sold luxury apartments to prevent losses.

The authority's financial operations, along with other measures, are being reviewed by the Development Bureau, which will come up with a new strategy by the end of this year.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who chaired the steering committee, said earlier she had an open mind on the authority's future financial model.

But Cheung said yesterday the committee did not recommend a change to the existing model.

"We agreed that preservation projects are costly. One idea worth considering is that a trust could be set up separately to support those projects," Cheung said, adding this could reduce the authority's financial burden.

Cheung said the committee had not decided who would give the trust money and how much money was needed. But he said the authority would not suffer a loss easily because the city's property market was prospering and renewal projects could be quickly implemented.

He said the committee's recommendations released in May were meant to rebuild trust between the authority and communities affected by redevelopments.

Recommendations include giving people an extra flat-for-flat compensation option, giving independent status to social workers who offer help to affected owners, and setting up a local consultative body comprising owners' representatives and professionals to recommend the scope of renewal for districts.

Responding to criticism over the authority selling luxury apartments that were unaffordable for residents, Cheung said the authority had started to provide smaller flats in its redevelopment projects.

The panel also agreed that the authority should, wherever possible, provide instant housing near redevelopment sites for affected residents to buy.

"Instead of waiting for a redeveloped flat, some residents may want to move into a readily available flat," Cheung said.

Professor Law Chi-kwong, studying renewal issues at the University of Hong Kong, said it was inevitable the government would inject more money into the authority in the long run.

He said there was a chance of the property market slowing down and a lower development density considered by the government in recent years also reduced the development potential of old buildings.

"The community has increasingly high expectations. They want more open space and community facilities. These factors will eventually increase the authority's financial burden," Law said. However, he admitted it was difficult to predict the loss and gain of renewal projects.

He suggested the authority limit conservation projects in order to save money and provide flats which were more affordable. "Small units do not mean they are always affordable," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Repulse Bay parcel could fetch HK$1b 
Owners at the top end of market opting to cash in on surging prices for luxury homes *
14 July 2010
South China Morning Post

Surging house prices in the luxury sector have encouraged owners to put top-priced properties up for sale - with a Repulse Bay property likely to carry a price tag of about HK$1 billion, according to agents.

The owner of the five-storey detached house and an adjacent five-storey residential block at 20 and 22 South Bay Road in Repulse Bay has appointed property consultant Knight Frank to sell the parcel of luxury properties by tender. Closing date for offers is August 18.

The buildings are on a combined 20,723 square-foot site that provides a total floor area of 37,324 sq ft, including open area. The site was bought for HK$130 million or HK$6,970 per sq ft at a government land auction 10 years ago.

A property agent said that following the strong growth in luxury residential prices the two properties could fetch a combined HK$1 billion or HK$53,616 per sq ft.

Another luxury residential property up for tender is house number 26 at Le Palaris in Tai Tam. The two-storey house has a gross floor area of 4,372 sq ft and an 840 sq ft garden. The tender will close on August 12.

A 12,318 sq ft house at Jardine's Lookout is also offer for sale at HK$400 million or HK$32,000 per sq ft.

Keith Chang, deputy senior director of the residential department of property agency Savills said the last deal done in the housing estate was in September last year when a house sold for HK$96 million, or HK$21,622 per sq ft - suggesting a possible price for the latest home on offer of between HK$110 million and HK$120 million.

Clarence Chow Ho-yin, associate director at Centaline Property Agency, said an increasing number of owners were now willing to sell their luxury residential properties because prices had risen to high levels.

According to the firm, prices of luxury houses on The Peak and Island South have risen by 20 per cent and more than 10 per cent respectively so far this year.

"There are two types of vendors selling luxury residential properties currently. One is 'old family' that wants to cash in assets for estate allocation. The other is motivated by the profit that can be made at present prices," he explained.

Contributing to the high prices, said Chow, was the limited supply.

"I don't think you will be able to find another new site available for luxury residential development in Island South in the next 20 years. But demand is strong. The entry price for a single house in Island South has risen to HK$600 million," he said.

Property agents are now hoping the upcoming land auction of the site at Mount Nicholson Road on The Peak, and the former Civil Aid Service Training Centre in Ho Man Tin will record good responses.

But Landscope Realty managing director Koh Keng-shing worried that sales volumes could fall under the weight of rising prices.

"Flat owners may raise their asking prices sharply if the land auction result is positive and that could keep potential buyers away from the market in the short term," he said.

Mainland buyers could possibly be counted on to remain a major driver of demand as long as the mainland economy continued to grow strongly, said agents.

"They have continued to look for luxury properties in Hong Kong in last few months," said Alvin Yip, co-head of the investment department of property consultancy DTZ in North Asia. "However, they are cautious as the cooling measures on the mainland are continuing and this could affect their income. They are also affected by tightened loan conditions," he said.

A Nomura study found that mainland buyers accounted for 12 per cent of total property purchases in June, up from 9 per cent in March. Excluding corporate deals, purchases by mainlanders accounted for 18 per cent of transactions while other foreigners' buying accounted for 10 per cent. Only 71 per cent of deals recorded in June were by local buyers - the lowest proportion recorded in the firm's four surveyed periods beginning in September last year.

The latest time frame coincides with the measures taken by the central government to further tighten property lending, and Nomura said the tightening policy may have pushed some speculative demand from the mainland to Hong Kong.

The report found Kowloon remained the most favoured location for mainland buyers.

The proportion of mainland buyers involved in property deals in Kowloon rebounded to 22 per cent in June from 18 per cent in March, while in the New Territories it rose to 13 per cent in June from 2 per cent in March. Mainlanders accounted for 18 per cent of deals on Hong Kong island in June versus 16 per cent in March.

Henry Lam, executive director of investment services at consultancy Knight Frank, said he expected the austerity measures on the mainland and the appreciation of the yuan would prompt mainland buyers to search for luxury properties in Hong Kong.


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## hkskyline

*Hybrid housing an affordable alternative 
Foundation suggests homebuyers could part-rent, part-buy properties*
19 July 2010
South China Morning Post

Hongkongers priced out of the property market could soon get a more affordable alternative - a scheme that allows them to part-buy and part-rent their dream home.

According to an ongoing study by the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, this hybrid model might be the answer to the thorny issue of providing affordable housing to people who are not eligible to apply for public rental flats.

Centre chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk said the concept was modelled on Britain's shared ownership schemes under which a homebuyer can part-buy and part-rent their home.

"Shared-ownership schemes can provide the Hong Kong government food for thought in helping local people buy their homes," Wu said.

The centre's study on home ownership is expected to be completed by October. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen will give an account of the results of the consultation on subsidising home ownership in his policy address in October.

Under the shared-ownership schemes in Britain, a homebuyer can buy as little as a 25 per cent share in his flat and a housing association buys the rest. The buyer pays rent set at an affordable rate, in most cases 3 per cent, on the part that he doesn't buy. He also has the right to buy the housing association's share in the property.

The bigger the share that the homebuyer purchases, the less rent he has to pay.

The idea is that the initial outlay to buy a property is far smaller than is usually the case and, as a result, people who would not be able to own their own home are able to do so. The initial outlay to buy a property is far smaller than usual, opening up the market to people who would not otherwise be able to own their own home.

"Our idea is that, for a HK$2 million property, a homebuyer in Hong Kong only has to pay HK$1 million and pays rent on the other half owned by the government," Wu said.

"The homebuyer can buy the share owned by the government within 10 years at the original price. The arrangement would protect the homebuyer from dramatic surges in property prices."

Wu said he appreciated possible concerns about details of the plan such as the rate of rent a homebuyer had to pay for the government's share and arrangements for homebuyers to sell their share.

"But let's start the discussion about whether shared ownership is a good idea in the first place," he said.

Francis Lam, a Hong Kong-born architectural assistant, was one of the beneficiaries of Britain's shared-ownership scheme when he bought a £297,000 (HK$3.53 million) flat in London in September .

He bought a 35 per cent share in his flat and had to pay a rent of £380 per month.

"There is no doubt that the scheme does cut down the initial cost but I also think there is uncertainty, particularly how many people would take the full ownership of their property. If the figure is low, the scheme will gradually become another public housing thing, " Lam said.

"Nonetheless, I believe this scheme eases off a lot of political and social tension regarding house prices within our country."

Wu said another proposal to be included in the centre's study was provision of rent subsidies for people who were eligible for Home Ownership Scheme flats.

"The people with the biggest grievances were those who could not afford to buy property and face difficulty paying rising rents," Wu said.

"There would be no need for people to rush to buy property when prices are rising if they are provided with a certain amount of rent subsidy," he said.

In May, Tsang announced a public consultation on whether the government should subsidise people to become homeowners, and if so, who should be subsidised and what kind of method should be adopted.

Tsang will give an account in his policy address in October if the government has further ideas on the issue after the consultation.

As property prices rise, there have been repeated calls for the chief executive to resume the HOS. Tsang said the government was aware that some people who did not qualify for public rental flats could not afford to buy private flats.

Meanwhile, the research centre is carrying out another study on the salary and social mobility of the so-called post-80s generation compared with older age groups.

Wu said the study would compare the pay rises and promotion prospects of university students graduating in 2000 with those who graduated in 1980 and 1990.

Since the protests against funding for the express rail linking Hong Kong with Guangzhou, there has been a popular notion that young people are becoming increasingly discontent and radical.

Some local media attributed the radical actions of some young activists to the lack of social mobility in Hong Kong and the sense of powerlessness among twenty-somethings in the city.

"My own observation is that the gap in status mobility between students graduating from university in 2000 and their counterparts graduating in 1980 and 1990 is bigger than that in salary mobility," Wu said.


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## hkskyline

*Work to stop at Sai Wan site*
The Standard
Thursday, July 22, 2010



















Excavation work at a controversial Sai Kung site near a protected park will be suspended today amid mounting pressure from green groups and villagers.

Lawmakers, green groups and individuals were outraged when the site at Tai Long Sai Wan was stripped bare by diggers.

A Facebook group protesting the destruction has reached more than 60,000 members since it was discovered.

The site, originally a deserted village, was bought by businessman Simon Lo Lin-shing for HK$16 million. While Lo claims it is to be developed into an organic garden with public pools, villagers believe he plans to build a private lodge, with artificial ponds and a tennis court. 

While the site is surrounded by the Sai Kung East Country Park, it is not a part of it.

A spokesman for Lo issued a statement yesterday saying that work on the Sai Wan site "created unnecessary disagreements" from "differing opinions in the [Sai Kung] community and considerable speculation [from] the media."

The statement added: "We will commence discussions with the related departments and organizations in the hope [of finding] a solution that is acceptable [to] various parties."

An inspection of the site on Monday revealed no serious damage to vegetation despite the extensive excavation work, Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah said.


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## hkskyline

*Site in Kowloon Tong triggered for auction*
Friday, July 23, 2010
Government Press Release





































The Lands Department announced today (July 23) that a site at No.1 Ede Road, Kowloon Tong, New Kowloon Inland Lot No.6306, had been successfully triggered for sale under the Application List System.

The lot will be offered for sale at this financial year's sixth government land auction to be held at 3pm on August 31, 2010, at Tsuen Wan Town Hall.

A Lands Department spokesman said that the Government had accepted the applicant's minimum guaranteed bid of $659 million for the lot. This will be the opening bid at the auction subject to the reserve price of the lot.

New Kowloon Inland Lot No.6306 has a site area of about 2,399 square metres and is designated for private residential purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 4,319 square metres and 7,197 square metres respectively.

The final Conditions of Sale for the lot will be available for distribution and uploaded onto the Lands Department's website (www.landsd.gov.hk) by August 13, 2010, when the particulars of the land auction will also be gazetted.


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## hkskyline

*Luxury rental prices fired by executive moves *
28 July 2010
South China Morning Post

A sharp increase in the number of expatriate executives moving to Hong Kong with their families helped drive a 10.9 per cent rise in rentals of luxury residential properties in the first half of this year - and the trend looks set to continue over the remainder of the year, according to property consultants.

"This is simple supply and demand. We have seen a 33 per cent increase in the number of new families relocating to Hong Kong in the first half of this year compared to the first half of 2009," said Anne-Marie Sage, regional director of the residential division of property consultancy Jones Lang Lasalle.

"The new demand is mainly from the financial sector, with large corporations expanding and new hedge funds and legal companies setting up in Hong Kong," she said.

As a result, rentals increased 5.8per cent in the second quarter following a 4.8 per cent rise in the first quarter, and expatriate tenants are being forced to bear the consequences of sharply rising living costs.

"Rental allowances for large companies were generally reduced due to the recession and cutbacks made by the companies last year. Unfortunately the Hong Kong market moves so quickly that no sooner had these cuts come into effect then the leasing market began picking up," Sage said.

Island South and The Peak saw the biggest increases in rentals in the second quarter, while Mid-Levels experienced the biggest increase in the first quarter, she said.

"Areas like Clearwater Bay, Sai Kung and Discovery Bay are popular with families who want the luxury of space and gardens at a lower rent than Island South. However, due to popularity and lack of supply, gone are the days you can find a selection of houses for around HK$30,000 a month. Popular village-type properties that have been renovated in Clearwater Bay are now achieving up to HK150,000 per month," she said.

"We expect this rise to continue for rest of the year with a further 10 per cent growth for the second half."

With continued increases in rentals, Sage said the trend for companies to encourage personal leases taken out by staff members was expected to grow. "I expect this trend to continue with only very senior management left holding company leases," she said.

Another property consultancy, Savills, said the rising trend in rents on Hong Kong Island had prompted some tenants to look for cheaper homes that nonetheless offered good quality. Discovery Bay continued to gain in popularity among expatriate families because of the space and higher-quality living environment on offer.

"The rental differential between Discovery Bay and traditional luxury districts on Hong Kong Island has narrowed, with the average discount falling from 47 per cent to 36 per cent over the past three years," according to Savills' latest research report.

Low-rise units and garden houses are the most popular housing types in Discovery Bay, with rents up by 5-14 per cent over the second quarter of this year.

Island South, with more choices of private or international schools, also remained a favoured housing locality for the expatriate community. Average rents of luxury flats and townhouses in Southside were up by 4.6 per cent and 3.9 per cent over the quarter, respectively - outstripping the overall market, Savills said.


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## hkskyline

*Home auctions tap $226m*
The Standard
Friday, July 30, 2010

Official coffers grew by a further HK$226.1 million yesterday as nine former government quarters on Hong Kong Island were snapped up at auction.

The luxury homes went under the hammer, one day after a site on The Peak was sold for HK$10.4 billion as part of official moves to boost the supply of prime urban land.

The nine homes, all with parking space, went for 6.6 to 41 percent higher than their opening bids.

The most expensive unit was an Elm Tree Towers apartment in Tai Hang that sold for HK$32.1 million, 22 percent above the opening bid.

A buyer surnamed Cheng, who said "I'm loaded," bought a Baguio Villa apartment in Pok Fu Lam for HK$25 million for his son's use.

Auctioneer and Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat said the results were "satisfactory."

He dismissed suggestions that the sale of the former quarters will boost home prices. "This is an open auction for everyone to bid. The government was only selling its assets at market prices."

Meanwhile, Jones Lang LaSalle is inviting tenders for a prime property atop a 25,764-square-foot site at 20 Peak Road in Mid-Levels.

"A number of prospective buyers from the mainland have shown interest," it said. The target price is between HK$500 million and HK$600 million. 

Sino Land (0083) noted the proportion of mainland buyers at The Hermitage surged to 50 percent over the past week, from 10 to 15 percent previously. 

The developer reiterated that it may raise prices for the remaining homes at the Tai Kok Tsui project after reaping over HK$90 billion.

Kerry Properties (0683) executive director Chu Ip-pui said prices for the remaining 120 homes at Island Crest may rise by 5 to 7 percent. It will sell four special units at the Sai Ying Pun project from HK$10.4 million. Kerry will also raise prices for Belgravia in South Bay and 15 Homantin Hill.


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## hkskyline

*Planners act to extendtheir control to scenic Sai Wan beach site*
31 July 2010
South China Morning Post

The Town Planning Board yesterday approved designating picturesque Sai Wan in Sai Kung as a development permission area (DPA), a major step towards protecting the scenic beach with statutory zoning.

The next step is to publish a plan of the DPA in the Government Gazette, after which the planning authority will have power to control any new development on the Tai Long Wan site. However, existing alterations to the site will not be affected.

The board's endorsement moves a step closer the start of a public consultation process to develop a detailed land-use plan for the site, which is not protected by any planning controls at present. "It is going to be a battleground within the community, as different parties will put forward their views and come up with a consensus," a board member said on condition of anonymity.

Under the Town Planning Ordinance, after a DPA is gazetted, an outline zoning plan specifying land-use rules should be prepared by the Planning Department within three years.

The board member refused to give details of the DPA discussed, only saying there were positive discussions about the issue and there was no opposition to bestowing the DPA designation. "We have been reminded not to reveal anything since this might be counterproductive to protecting the site from further destruction," he said, adding the whole board backed the DPA designation.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday she had instructed lawmakers the previous day to designate Sai Wan a DPA.

She said it was an exceptional move to disclose the designation before the process was completed, but she believed there would be little room for the developer to carry out further work on the site under the current close public monitoring.

A spokeswoman for Simon Lo Lin-shing, the businessman who bought several private plots of land at Sai Wan on which to build a personal retreat, said he did not have any further comment on the case.

Lo issued a statement on July 21 saying he would stop construction, which had spread onto government land, and discuss the situation with relevant government departments.

Lo and his contractor face the possibility of charges, including illegal occupation and excavation on a government site. It remained uncertain last night whether the Lands Department had issued a formal notice to Lo for reinstatement of the public land, covering an area of 5,500 square metres, to its original condition.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said yesterday it was still investigating how diggers had been moved to the work site. It said it had not yet approved an application by the diggers' operators, received on Thursday last week, to remove them via the protected beach. The department has yet to publish a list of 54 sites in or close to country parks not covered by zoning.


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## hkskyline

*Tenants keen on measures protecting the environment*
28 July 2010
South China Morning Post

A growing number of tenants are keen on moving into luxury residential developments with eco-friendly features.

Coco Wong, Swire Properties' residential manager, says it's not unusual for residents to inquire about green programmes that Swire Properties have in place before they sign a tenancy agreement.

"We believe our residents share the same environmental values as Swire Properties, and appreciate our efforts and commitment to environmental protection. For instance, residents of Pacific Place Apartments are mainly senior executives working for multinational corporations, so it is not surprising their awareness about environmental protection concepts is extensive," Wong says.

She says Swire Properties has received compliments from residents on various green programmes, such as garment and book recycling initiatives, dimming and switching off lights during non-busy hours, reduction in the use of plastic bags for laundry, and participation in the Earth Hour scheme.

She says recycling programmes can serve as a friendly reminder for residents to include eco-friendly planning in their day-to-day living. Wong explains that instead of throwing away unwanted items, such as toys and books that end up in landfills, tenants can donate them to a charity.

She says cleaning products used in Pacific Place Apartments are environmentally friendly and meet the government's Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) regulations. The government implemented the VOC regulation as part of its objective to reduce emissions from cleaning products, adhesives and sealants. The adopted standard is similar to those in place in California, and puts Hong Kong in a leading position in the region to limit VOCs in selected products.

One of the biggest environmental concerns associated with property development and management is the emission of greenhouse gases from electricity use.

As a large user of electricity, Swire Properties is committed to improving its energy efficiency, while encouraging stakeholders to do the same.

Last year, the company invested HK$48 million in energy efficiency initiatives and HK$11 million in environmental improvement works across the firm's Hong Kong portfolio.

While saving energy across Swire's properties is one of its highest priorities, the firm says that to reduce energy use significantly over the long-term, it is essential to integrate sustainability into the design of new developments. The firm routinely assesses its impact on the environment and seeks to integrate environmental considerations into the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of its facilities.

Last year, Swire commenced studies on four of its new developments to determine the environmental and cost effectiveness of sustainable design features and systems that help to reduce energy consumption. It adopted a number of recommendations from the studies, including better performing glazing, LED lighting and renewable energy.

In Guangzhou, Swire's new TaiKoo Hui development features a rain harvesting system which collects water to be treated and used for flushing.

Kenneth Wong, executive director at architectural and design firm Aedas, says developers are acutely aware that investors and end-users are demanding that sustainable design is a central part of environmental solutions and are increasingly marketing properties on that basis.


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## hkskyline

*Tunnel toll hike sparks call for fourth crossing *
The Standard
Monday, August 02, 2010 

The toll increase for the Western Harbour Tunnel yesterday drew protests, with a political party suggesting a fourth harbor tunnel be built.

Members of the League of Social Democrats drove slowly in protest through the tunnel. Ten cars and taxis displayed slogans protesting against the hikes, asking the government to buy and take over the operation.

Legislator Tam Yiu-chung said the government should adjust tolls and help redistribute traffic by attracting vehicles from the congested Cross Harbour Tunnel.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong also suggested building a fourth crossing and introducing an exit in Central to alleviate jams in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.

From yesterday, tolls for cars, taxis and minibuses increased HK$5 to HK$50, HK$45 and HK$60 respectively, with taxis facing a 13 percent increase. Single-decker buses and double-deckers now have to pay HK$10 and HK$13 more each, respectively.

The Western Harbour Tunnel Company attributed the increases to financial difficulties, saying it faces debts of HK$2.6 billion by end of December.

The toll rise is the third after 2004 and 2008.

Following the Western Harbour Tunnel rise, the KMB plan to increase fares also met protests calling on the government to reject the proposal.

The DAB staged protests in front of the Kowloon Motor Bus headquarters at Lai Chi Kok yesterday. 

More than 20 residents joined the demonstration. 

KMB and its subsidiary, Long Win Bus services, which operates around North Lantau and the airport, are proposing fare increases of up to 8.6 and 7.4 percent with an average increase of 52 and 85 HK cents per trip, respectively.

Around 2.7 million commuters using 400 routes would be affected.

Protesters called the bus operator "shameless" for proposing fare increases despite recording hefty profits last year.

Meanwhile, New World First Bus drivers and technicians are threatening to strike next Monday against the company's offer of a 1.8 percent pay rise, asking for 2.2 percent instead.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ9: Village public sewers*
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201007/14/P201007140206.htm
Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at the Legislative Council meeting today (July 14):

*Question:*

Recently, I have received complaints from quite a number of villagers, who have pointed out that for years the Government have not provided public sewers in some villages, leaving the sewage from such villages not properly treated. Moreover, in some of the villages where public sewers are provided, since sewers are not directly connected to the sewerage facilities of the villagers' residences, the villagers had to spend a substantial amount of money to connect such facilities to public sewers, which had significantly increased the burden on their livelihood. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of villages which at present are still not provided with public sewers, and the names and locations of such villages; whether the authorities have planned to provide public sewers to such villages; if they have, of the details of the plans and when the works will commence; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) in those villages which are provided with public sewers, the percentage of the number of households for which the sewerage facilities of their residences are not connected to public sewers in the total number of households in such villages; whether the Government has planned to assist the households in connecting such facilities to public sewers; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether it will connect the sewerage facilities in the villagers' residences to public sewers directly when providing new public sewers and implementing sewerage projects in villages; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

*Reply:*

President,

(a) Village sewerage is part of the Government's sewerage provision programme to improve the village environs and sanitary conditions of unsewered areas and reduce pollution to our rivers and coastal waters. There are about 980 villages in the rural New Territories. As at end April 2010, we have provided public sewerage to about 130 villages and village sewerage works for about 55 villages are in progress. In addition, about 275 villages covered by the village sewerage programme are at the planning stage. The names of these villages by areas are at Annex 1. Construction of the village sewerage will commence after the pre-construction works, such as design and consultation, are completed. We shall progressively roll out the village sewerage programme to cover more unsewered villages and areas.

(b) The rate of sewer connection of village houses in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Sai Kung, Tsuen Wan, Islands, North and Yuen Long districts upon provision of the public village sewerage, as at end April 2010, is shown at Annex 2. The sewer connection rates of village houses vary and depend on a number of technical factors. Based on past experience, the main reasons for those unable to be connected include limited space, inadequate hydraulic gradient, costly pumping requirement, obstruction from underground utilities, land resumption issues and encroachment on other's private land etc. Such unconnected village houses may continue to use their private treatment facilities including septic tanks.

(c) It has been our aim to extend the sewerage network to all village houses within a sewered area and provide the branch sewer up to the lot boundary of a village house where feasible to facilitate as far as possible the house owner to make sewer connection to the public sewerage. According to the current legislation and policy, all sewer connection works within a lot boundary and associated maintenance are private works that are the responsibility of the house owner. This policy has been applied to all property owners in Hong Kong on equal basis for years. In Hong Kong, all private buildings and village houses that were already connected to the public sewerage had completed the sewer connection works at their own cost. Currently, there are building related grant and loan schemes provided by the Government and other organisation to assist those eligible house owners in need for carrying out the sewer connection works, such as the "Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners" and "Home Renovation Loan Scheme" operated by the Hong Kong Housing Society and the "Comprehensive Building Safety Improvement Loan Scheme" operated by the Buildings Department. Owners in need may contact the Hong Kong Housing Society and Buildings Department for details accordingly. Also, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department can provide the relevant information and referral assistance.


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## hkskyline

*Fresh code of practice imposed on estate agents *
The Standard
Tuesday, August 03, 2010

The Estate Agents Authority has published a new code of practice for agents acquiring old tenements, which takes effect today.

The code comprises six major categories, including the need to clarify the estate agent's function, potential conflict of interest, accuracy of paper work, and agents' conduct.

"More owners of old properties have voiced their concerns about estate agents after the government lowered the threshold for the compulsory sale of flats in old buildings. A new circular is needed to better safeguard their interests," said EAA chief executive officer Rosanna Ure Lui Hang-sai.

Under the revised threshold, developers have to gain only 80 percent instead of the earlier 90 percent of overall ownership of an old building for the compulsory sale of other remaining flats to come into effect. So more old building acquisitions are expected.

To ensure estate agents are well informed of the new guidelines, the EAA will step up inspection and education efforts. Estate agencies seemed to welcome the new code.

"The new guideline will curb the rising [instances] of misconduct as it provides a formal framework," said Jeffrey Ng Chong- yip, director of Midland Realty. "It's a positive thing for the industry."


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## hkskyline

*We need new thinking on our land supply*
5 August 2010
South China Morning Post

The dream of one day owning one's home is universal. Responsible governments do their best to make it a reality; a happy, stable and productive society is built on the foundation of people having a place they can call their own. That is well understood here, but there is a danger that the fundamentals are getting lost in the debate. While we need more flats, they also have to be affordable.

This is not rocket science. Plenty of data is available: housing supply, population, forecasts and construction approvals and schedules are a starting point. Income levels, savings and investments and mortgage terms and conditions complete the picture. Getting the numbers right is not foolproof, but estimates with a fair degree of accuracy can be arrived at.

Yet the crucial element of affordability has not been raised loudly enough ahead of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's policy address in October. Part of his speech will be devoted to detailing the results of the consultation on subsidising home ownership. He is likely to put a firm number on how many new public and private flats we need. It is probable he will raise the issue of whether land in the New Territories should be reclaimed so that they can be built.

Tsang promised fresh thinking on land supply in his previous policy address, and we certainly hope to see it. But, hopefully, reclamation will not be the centrepiece of that. Selling land has been the backbone of government budgets since the 19th century and reclamations have played a central role in that process. Reclaiming land is an expensive proposition. The property that is built on it reflects the high costs. The Protection of the Harbour Ordinance prevents Victoria Harbour from being reclaimed, but obviously the New Territories falls outside its ambit. It is hard to imagine that housing built on expensive reclaimed land will be particularly affordable.

The government is also believed to favour providing subsidised housing by private developers rather than directly participating in building Home Ownership Scheme flats. It has been criticised by some lawmakers for underestimating the number of new flats needed. While 15,000 public flats and 14,000 private ones will be built annually over the next four to five years, there is pressure for the latter number to be 20,000 - the yearly average supply over the past decade. So more land will be needed if such a figure is to be accommodated.

That is where data comes in. Our population growth is just 0.5 per cent and falling, which points to lessening demand for new flats. Assuming an average household of 2.9 people, Hong Kong would need just 12,900 more flats to meet the increased demand. Older parts of the city are being redeveloped, which requires replacement homes to be built, but still, the numbers are not huge.

Of course, creating an oversupply of flats, if that is what happens, would seem to augur well for potential homebuyers. That is not the case, though: expensive land generally means high flat prices. After all, the developer wants to recoup his costs, and so sets his sights on the high-end market. The result: a glut of housing, but few units that the middle-class can afford. Reclaiming land cannot be the solution. Tearing down perfectly good affordable blocks so that glossy, new expensive apartments can go up is not either. Middle- and lower-income families looking for a place to call their own should not have to take on mortgages that eat up most of their income. We hope the fresh thinking that has been promised will address this issue.


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## hkskyline

*Urban renewal has seen 
Wan Chai overcome its tawdry image to become one of the city's best places to reside, with a world of shopping and dining to enjoy 
Infamous district reborn*
28 June 2010
South China Morning Post










Urban renewal and the introduction of upmarket bars, restaurants and serviced apartments have injected a new lease of life into this formerly worn-out district.

Arguably the city's most famous - and infamous - district, Wan Chai is trying to shed its decades-old reputation as a waterfront haunt. Serviced apartments have sprung up to serve multinational companies with offices in the district and the area is a magnet for locals and visitors who flock there to wine, dine and shop.

Host to the historic 1997 handover ceremonies, heralding the city's reversion to Chinese sovereignty, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) continues to be the region's most popular venue for world-class conferences, exhibitions and trade shows. A new HKCEC extension now sees the venue also hosting international art and antique shows, fashion extravaganzas and health and wellness expos. The surrounding area is also home to commercial and government organisations, and some of the city's best hotels.

By way of contrast to its nightlife reputation, Wan Chai is also home to the Academy for Performing Arts (APA) which hosts cultural offerings across the artistic spectrum.

The APA has also grown an international reputation attracting talents from around the world to train in music, dance and theatre.

And, while Lockhart Road still retains its reputation for notorious entertainment, newly established bars and eateries also signal the rapid disappearance of many less than salubrious establishments and old-fashioned Chinese dai pai dong eateries.

Further into the district, Johnston Road has also benefited from renewal projects, with former traditional shop-houses dating back to 1888 now housing international restaurants and pub-style eateries, while also retaining their exotic ambience associated with the architecture of a bygone era.

The maze of streets in the surrounding area are also home to food and fashion outlets, open-air markets, traditional tea merchants and Chinese herbalists.

Savvy investors have also recognised the district's potential.

The new Star Street precinct is home to scores of trendy bars, cosy cafes and top restaurants. Conveniently connected to Admiralty's Pacific Place, the 280-metre link features moving walkways providing the public with safe, direct and air conditioned access to the lively new lifestyle precinct.

Immediately adjacent is Queen's Road East, home to traditional Qing dynasty rosewood furniture shops that reside next to modern furniture shops and interior décor emporiums.

The 64-storey Hopewell Centre, formerly Hong Kong's tallest building, hosts a top-floor revolving restaurant providing panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, while lower floors house numerous retail shops and one of the largest international supermarkets in the city.

All roads lead to Wan Chai and the area's public transport options are the envy of many other districts. A short MTR ride delivers passengers to the heart of Causeway Bay and Admiralty, and quick and easy connections to the city's Airport Express train. Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) is also a short 10-minute cross-harbour MTR trip away. The Star Ferry also departs from the Wan Chai waterfront, next to the HKCEC with connections to TST and Hung Hom.


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## hkskyline

*Flood death village given safety pledge*
30 July 2010
The Standard

Director of Drainage Services Peter Lau Ka-keung has promised to clear the boulders from a construction site believed to have caused the flooding in a Tai Po village during last week's rainstorm, in which a man died.

Legislator Gary Chan Hak-kan said he was told by the director that the clearing of the boulders, which blocked the river in Sha Po Tsai village, will be completed by Sunday. A floodgate will also be built.

Chan met with Lau and Development Bureau officials yesterday. A 50-year-old villager, Lam Wing-wick, died in the floods triggered by last Thursday's black rainstorm, and more than a dozen villagers were trapped for hours before they were rescued.

Villagers said boulders from government construction projects washed down from the upper reaches of the river, blocking it and causing the flooding.

``We hope the floodgate can block both the boulders and water [from going to the lower stream],'' Chan said.

According to Chan, Lau agreed that the boulders came from nearby government construction projects.

Lau has earlier denied that the flooding was caused by one of the nearby drainage works of his department.

The Drainage Services Department also will address the issue of compensation when the investigation on the cause of flooding is completed in six weeks, Chan said.

``We hope the investigation can be completed as soon as possible so that it will not cause trouble for villagers when claiming compensation,'' he said.

Chan said villagers remain afraid that more flooding will occur. ``Many have packed their things and are ready to leave,'' he said.

During the second black rainstorm on Wednesday, Chan and other government officials visited every household to warn villagers to seek safety in the Tai Po Community Centre.


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## hkskyline

*Greens out to smash flats bay window ploy*
The Standard
Monday, August 09, 2010

Developers are cashing in by building needlessly deep bay windows, a green group claimed yesterday.

Green Sense urged the government to stop exempting such windows from floor areas after revealing how developers take advantage of the provision by building them as deep as 80 centimeters, and then charging higher prices for "more" space.

The group revealed the findings after inspecting four new estate projects by Sun Hung Kai Properties, Cheung Kong, Emperor Group and Sino Group.

Green Sense chairman Roy Tam Hoi-pong said developers have been allowed to build bay windows as deep as 50cm, which is included in the floor area, and homebuyers have been paying for such windows over the past 30 years.

However, developers have been building 80cm deep bay windows since 2006 and, lately, they have also made full use of the exemption on prefabricated components, which may be as deep as 30cm.

And they include such 30-cm-deep parts in salable areas.

The prefabricated components are an approved green feature that the government has exempted from the plot ratio. 

The depth of bay windows stated in sales brochures is misleading, Tam said. "The sales brochure says the bay window is 50cm deep but we found that the bay window is in fact 80cm deep after measuring it in the model flat."

A 611-square-feet flat at Sun Hung Kai's Lime Stardom was cited as an example of a bay window area as large as 10 square meters and equivalent to about HK$240,000 of the sale price. 

The window takes up a quarter of the flat's smallest room, he said.

Tam said this was the first time they had discovered such a feature in a Sun Hung Kai property.


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## hkskyline

*Po Toi to farm the wind for quiet power*
The Standard
Wednesday, October 06, 2010

A new group has been set up to use local technology in building the territory's first wind farm. 

The nongovernmental group, SU.RE NGO, plans to build the farm on Po Toi Island, southeast of Stanley.

Christian Masset, the group's vice chairman, said wind speed ranges from eight to 13 kilometers per second on the island, offering the "best setting" for implementing the project.

"We chose Po Toi because it's not connected to the grid and its electricity is produced by diesel generators. The electricity is switched off at night, it's very noisy and there is a lot of nuisance in their backyards," Masset said. 

The group hopes to open the wind farm next year, producing 70 kilowatts of electricity per hour.

It aims to educate the public on renewable energy as well as manage energy projects. 

The latest project will require the installation of 5,000 micro turbines and connecting the system to every household on the island, at a cost of approximately HK$5 million.

The micro turbines have been designed by a local company, Motorwave Group. 

It will be the first time for the turbines to be used on a wind farm, although the machinery already has been been in use for educational and small electricity production in schools and other locations. 

Masset said the group hopes to raise the HK$5 million needed from corporations, sponsors and the public. The Po Toi project is "a way to raise awareness in the community and put Hong Kong in the front line of the cities bringing solutions to their pollution problem." 

The group added: "The simplicity of this system makes it easy and cost- effective to maintain, and its modular structure means that the system always keeps on running." 

Po Toi has 30 permanent inhabitants, but the population swells each weekend with more than 200 visitors.


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## hkskyline

*Most people in homes race see long run ahead *
The Standard
Friday, October 08, 2010

Up to 60 percent of people in the market for residential properties see no hope of buying a first home or adding to their portfolio over the next decade if prices stay constant, a Citibank survey finds.

Of the 1,063 people polled last month, 41 percent of whom are homeowners, only one- fifth of the respondents are confident of buying a flat within five years. Around 49 percent believe prices will increase in the next two years.

Hang Seng Bank has warned that homes are overvalued and that low interest rates are making them appear affordable.

And Citibank director of consumer lending Lawrence Lam warned: "US quantitative easing means interest rates won't rise until 2012, but our view is that three-month HIBOR will rise to 0.6 percent by year-end."

The HIBOR, or Hong Kong interbank offer rate, was 0.35 percent yesterday.

Lam said banks are unlikely to offer lower mortgage rates or caps in future.

On the average, a little more than half of those respondents aged between 18 and 29 as well as those 60 or above say the government should support first-home buyers. That support wanes to 34 percent for those in the 30-44 and 45-59 groups.

Midland Realty believes the government will exercise policy caution. "We expect the government to increase land supply gradually to keep price growth at moderate levels," said chief analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai.

The potential for homes in next year's land application list should be increased to between 13,000 and 14,000 from the current 9,000 so that, based on a sale rate of about 50 percent, supply will be 6,500 to 7,000 homes.

As of last month, the current list can provide around 3,750 units - 2,940 from sites triggered for sale and 810 units from auctions initiated by the government.


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## hkskyline

*Kerry eyes combined sites *
The Standard
Monday, October 11, 2010

The government is expected to rake in up to HK$1.79 billion from a Kowloon Tong site that goes under the hammer tomorrow, the eve of the policy address.

The 30,225-square-foot plot at 3 and 5 Ede Road is due to fetch between HK$1.4 billion and HK$1.79 billion - representing an accommodation value of HK$15,400 to HK$19,700 per square foot - according to eight surveyors.

Kerry Properties (0683) is set to be a key bidder, with executive director Chu Ip-pui not expecting any impact from the policy address. Kerry bought 1 Ede Road in August for HK$1.28 billion, or a record accommodation value of HK$16,587 psf for Kowloon.

Kerry is expected to go all out to secure the adjoining site for itself, but surveyor Pang Siu-kei did not rule out the possibility of the group joining forces.

`With just one site, Kerry can only build flats. Combined through a joint venture, flats and also houses, which command higher prices, can be built."

Ringo Lam Chun-chiu, valuations director at AG Wilkinson & Associates, thinks so too, but says Kerry may find it difficult to negotiate with others after the intense competition for 1 Ede Road.

With other prime sites in Inverness Road and Stubbs Road coming up, Lam said, other developers may give way to Kerry. Lam said his valuation of HK$1.79 billion for 3 and 5 Ede Road is based on its size and shape.

It can provide 29 homes when developed alone, or 51 homes that can fetch more than HK$24,000 psf when combined with the neighboring site.

Savills expects the average selling price to be up to HK$21,000 psf.

Only five flats in two nearby projects - One Beacon Hill and Mount Beacon - have been sold since last month. Prices ranged from HK$12,324 to HK$17,566 psf. 

Meanwhile, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) said it has sold 250 villas at Valais 10 days into its launch. 

Chinachem Group, meanwhile, said it has sold 141 homes at Billionaire Royale. The units were worth HK$1.4 billion.


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## hkskyline

*Cash happy*
The Standard
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Homeowners are hoping to laugh all the way to the bank after a government land auction yesterday fetched the highest ever price for a site in Kowloon.

Chinachem Group beat hot favorite Kerry Properties (0683) to win the plot in Kowloon Tong for HK$1.63 billion - committing to pay a record HK$17,976 per square foot.

Many luxury homeowners had already raised their asking prices by 10 to 20 percent before the auction, which came on the eve of today's policy address - widely expected to include measures aimed at tempering runaway property prices.

A homeowner in nearby One Beacon Hill is now asking HK$35 million for his 1,954-square-foot flat - up 13 percent from HK$31 million a week ago.

A 1,636 sq ft apartment at Celestial Heights in Ho Man Tin now commands HK$25 million, up 14 percent from last week.

One Beacon Hill and Mount Beacon each recorded two deals this month, averaging HK$17,912 psf and HK$17,571 psf, according to Midland Realty.

The final price for the 30,225-square-foot plot at 3 and 5 Ede Road, Kowloon Tong, fell within estimates by eight surveyors of HK$1.4 billion to HK$1.79 billion.

Chinachem sales manager Ng Shun- mo said the firm will invest HK$2 billion to develop the site, regardless of the policy address.

"If, as rumored, the government is going to provide more plots, subsidize home purchases or launch a rent-to-sale scheme for the middle and sandwich classes, I think it's very appropriate," Ng added.

The auction saw the first successful bid by Chinachem under its new chairman Kung Yan-sum, the younger brother of the late Nina Wang Kung Yu- sum.

Under Kung, Chinachem has actively bid at least seven previous land auctions, failing to emerge as the winner.

Chinachem and Kerry competed neck and neck in much of the 30-minute auction that saw a total of 74 bids from five concerns.

In August, Kerry won a smaller adjoining site at 1 Ede Road for HK$1.285 billion or HK$16,578 psf.

Kerry's shares slid 1.2 percent to HK$44.10 shortly after it lost the auction, before eventually closing up 0.6 percent to HK$44.95.

Ng denied Chinachem had only intended to bid up prices, saying it will consider working with Kerry.

Kerry, however, seems reluctant to enter into partnership with the group.

Chinachem will build one or two blocks with a maximum gross floor area of 90,676 sq ft, providing 48 flats. After taking into account GFA concessions, completed homes will have to sell for HK$22,000 psf to generate reasonable profits, Ng said.

Lanbase Surveyors director Chan Cheung-kit said Chinachem had not obtained any new site in a while and saw a strong need to replenish its land bank.

He said the government appears to have no intention of curbing the luxury market and is only trying to help mass- end buyers.

But Hong Kong Property senior sales manager Calvin Lam Yee-hang expects transactions to slow due to dramatic price hikes in recent weeks and policy address cooling measures. 

Yu Kam-hung, CB Richard Ellis senior managing director for Greater China, said successive land auctions have fetched record prices as developers remain bullish amid the prevailing low interest rate environment.

The government, in the face of high home prices, can only boost land supply, which is currently far from sufficient, Yu said, and - given its larger size - it was only natural that the site sold yesterday commanded a higher price than the number 1 site bought by Kerry.


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## hkskyline

*35pc of luxury HK flats sold to mainlanders *
14 October 2010
South China Morning Post

More than one in three new luxury flats in Hong Kong were bought by mainlanders in the first half of this year - a rise of more than 50 per cent compared to the second half of last year. And the trend is set to continue.

"Hong Kong property prices have become around 25 per cent cheaper to mainland buyers because of the appreciation of the yuan in recent years. It is very attractive to them," said Louis Ng, a director at property agency Ricacorp Properties.

Beijing's new measures to curb property speculation also prompted mainland investors to shift their focus to the Hong Kong market, Ng said.

Research by Centaline Property Agency showed that new luxury units costing more than HK$12 million were the most popular among mainland buyers. In the first half, about 35.1 per cent of new luxury flats sold in Hong Kong were bought by mainlanders, up from 22.5 per cent in the second half of last year.

However, in the secondary market, only 16.7 per cent of luxury flats priced more than HK$12 million were bought by investors from across the border. Residence Bel-Air in Cyberport and the luxury housing estate atop Kowloon Station were the most popular among mainland buyers in the secondary market. Residence Bel-Air saw 23 deals worth HK$582 million in the first half while The Arch on Kowloon Station sold 17 flats totalling HK$298 million.

Wong Leung-sing, an associate director of research at Centaline, said the number of mainland buyers in the secondary market for luxury flats remained flat since the first half of last year but it continued to rise significantly in the primary market.

In the mass residential market, new homes are still the most attractive to mainland buyers. About 13.2 per cent of the new mass residential flats below HK$12 million were bought by mainlanders in the first half of this year, up slightly from 11.9 per cent six months ago.

Mainland buyers accounted for only 5.8 per cent of the flats sold in the second-hand mass residential market in the first half, compared with 5.7 per cent six months ago.

Ng of Ricacorp estimates that fewer than 10 per cent of his mainland clients bought flats for immigration purposes and believes the influx of mainland buyers would continue despite the temporary removal of real estate from the investment asset classes under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

"Most of them bought the flats for long-term investment purposes or for personal use. They will keep the flats even if property prices rise sharply. You can see the number of flats in the estate on Kowloon Station available for sale has been decreasing as mainland flat owners are reluctant to sell. They are proud to own a property in Hong Kong," he said.

In view of Beijing's strict foreign currency controls, mainland investors have to resort to credit card transactions, fund transfers between companies trading in Hong Kong and the mainland, parallel accounts, the underground banking system and currency smuggling to be able to buy properties here.


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## hkskyline

*Home comfort*
The Standard
Thursday, October 14, 2010

The hopes of middle-class homebuyers got a boost yesterday as the government launched steps to cool the market and promised a day-to-day watchdog role.

Plans include a government land reserve that will produce 20,000 private flats annually over the next 10 years and a new scheme of subsidized housing to help the sandwich class buy homes. First-time homebuyers can rent flats and use part of the rent they pay for a future purchase.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen's housing initiatives have won praise from property developers and academics.

Experts said the new strategy - while mild - will work in the long run and help stabilize the red-hot property market.

Tsang said the package will immediately ease property prices and solve the housing crisis, which he said is Hong Kong's "greatest concern."

In his sixth policy address, he said he has set up a Steering Committee on Housing Land Supply, chaired by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun- wah, to ensure that housing issues will be dealt with as a matter of priority.

An enhanced scheme of subsidized housing will be introduced.

"If real estate developers know that, in the long run, our policy is that every year we are able to support the development of 20,000 residential units in the property market, we believe that will immediately ease property prices," Tsang said at a press briefing.

"I'm going to pay attention day by day to the question of property prices for the middle class. This is an important aspect
of our policy. We certainly will not allow a bubble in our property market."

Sun Hung Kai Properties said in a statement: "The average supply of 20,000 private homes per year can help maintain a stable supply of land to satisfy public need and is good for the market's healthy development."

Hang Seng Bank economists Irina Fan and Joanne Yim wrote in a report: "The new policies to provide steady long-term land and housing supply are a step in the right direction."

Emperor International executive director Donald Cheung agreed, saying: "It's a good first step."

But Citigroup economists Adrienne Lui and Cheng Mount-cheng believe the government will continue to rely on urban renewal projects and residential development along the West Rail Line to supply small-medium flats.

"As reflected in recent land auctions, property developers are more interested in luxury flats development than mass market projects," they said.

CB Richard Ellis senior managing director for Greater China Yu Kam- hung said a 20,000 annual homes supply will be effective in stabilizing the market in the long run.

But the company warned: "The chief executive has made it very clear that the government will begin moving at a faster pace away from the 'positive non-intervention stance' which it has carefully cultivated for nearly eight years."

Ricacorp Properties managing director Willy Liu Wai-keung said the measures are "long-term in nature and very mild."

"They shouldn't be able to counteract the momentum in the home market caused by a depreciated dollar and low interest rates," he said.

Billy Mak Sui-choi, a Baptist University professor in finance and decision science, said the housing initiatives can help stabilize the market.

"Tsang will only implement relatively mild strategies in order not to suppress the market too hard," he said.

"Therefore, substantial effects will only be shown after a year or two."

Economics professor Chong Tai- leung of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said sandwich-class families will get the most benefit from the property package.

"Without the government's new home purchase option, it's difficult for an ordinary families earning HK$210,000 a year to afford a home in the private market.

"They often have to save up to eight years to afford the downpayment," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Construction workers face surge in demand
Surge in demand spells good news for construction workers*
11 October 2010
South China Morning Post

The good old days are starting to return for Hong Kong's depleted army of construction workers. With work starting on several large infrastructure projects, demand for labour is pushing up wages and creating more opportunities.

From November 1, those of the city's 269,100 registered construction workers who are still active will see pay rises of between 5 and 10 per cent being offered. They will also enjoy greater job security, with major contractors agreeing to blacklist subcontractors found guilty of non-payment of wages.

This is a major step forward in tackling the long-standing problem of wage disputes in the industry. It has been prompted by a ban on unscrupulous subcontractors from bidding for government contracts.

"This move will seriously deter subcontractors from owing workers wages, as they will be put out of business," said Chow Luen-kiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.

Developers have been working with the government since last year to attract new blood to the industry with the start of major projects, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge and the HK$66.9 billion high-speed railway to Guangzhou, inevitably putting pressure on the city's ageing construction workforce.

Of the registered workers, only about half are still active, while half of these in turn are 50 or over.

The Development Bureau injected HK$100 million to give the industry a boost in May, with part of the money being used as individual subsidies of HK$5,000 for people to take a course to learn some of the most essential skills, such as bar bending and metal-forming. Graduates are guaranteed a job paying at least HK$8,000 a month for the first six months and HK$10,000 after that.

Not all the 105 course positions were filled in the first phase of recruitment, but course organiser Charles Wong Dun-wee of the Construction Industry Council said it was the first time in two years that youngsters had joined the bar-bending sector.

"The prospects are good. More than half of the 84 students we have accepted since September are between the ages of 18 and 37. When they become fully trained in three to four years they will still be young."

The council hopes to train 3,000 skilled workers in the next three years.

While this is good news for the workforce, the increase in wages and benefits will inevitably push up the price of projects. The Hong Kong Construction Association expects wages, which account for about 40 per cent of a project's cost, to rise at least 20 per cent in the next two years, though association vice-chairman Thomas Ho On-sing said the pay rates still lagged far behind 1997 levels when a bar bender, for example, could earn up to HK$40,000 a month. Several major infrastructure projects have seen costs increase due to the rising price of construction materials and labour.

Another big MTR project, the West Island Line, faces the same problem. Its projected cost has risen from the budgeted HK$8.9 billion to HK$15.4 billion, also due to the rising cost of materials and design changes made for environmental reasons.

Unionists will press for more benefits today when they renew calls for the city's 500 main contractors to cover workers' unpaid Mandatory Provident Fund contributions as well as their wages if subcontractors renege on paying wages.

"The main contractors now cover up to two months of workers' unpaid wages, why can't they cover unpaid MPF as well?" Chow said.

The union will also demand that contractors get subcontractors to sign proper employment contracts with their staff.


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> *35pc of luxury HK flats sold to mainlanders *
> 14 October 2010
> South China Morning Post


That's huge chunk of the pie, may as well give them a second market to play with like in Singapore.


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## Jim856796

Anyone want to tell me why some of Hong Kong's newer skyscrapers (mostly the resdential ones) have unusually small floorplates?


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## hkskyline

Jim856796 said:


> Anyone want to tell me why some of Hong Kong's newer skyscrapers (mostly the resdential ones) have unusually small floorplates?


Residential skyscrapers tend to have a squarish floorplate with units radiating out with gaps between units. Hence, the windows in the kitchen / bathroom may actually not face the exterior. This arrangement saves the amount of space needed to put more units.


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## Car L

425 Reclamation Street
















__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## Car L

SOLO (83 Bedford Road) http://www.kwre.com.hk/workspace_en/office_solo_en.html
























__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## Car L

Metro Heights - 483A Castle Peak Road (see post 598
























__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## Car L

Grandion Plaza (932 Cheung Sha Wan Road)
















__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## Car L

Shouson Peak








__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## hkskyline

*Set example on 'inflated buildings', Tsang urged *
18 October 2010
South China Morning Post

The government has been asked to set a good example by addressing its plans to construct "inflated buildings" under its West Rail project partnership with the MTR Corporation.

Environmental group Green Sense found six residential projects to be built atop three West Rail stations and the Tin Shui Wai light-rail station will have large car parks, clubhouses and shopping malls taking up as many as seven levels of the buildings.

Such facilities increase the total gross floor area for which flat buyers have to pay. Tall buildings also create a "wall effect", blocking air flow.

"To show its sincerity, the government should start making changes to projects it can have a say in," Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi-pong said. "[The West Rail plan] is totally not in line with the new government policy.

"Although all those plans have been approved, the tendering process has not started. It is not too late for the government to make changes."

Tam was responding to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's promise in his policy address last week to control inflated buildings.

Critics allege developers abuse the government's concessionary policy encouraging the construction of environmental buildings. New measures have been introduced to cut back on the claims developers can make for areas to build extra facilities and green features, but these will not go into effect until April.

The six projects to which Tam referred have already been approved and would not be affected by the new measures, but Tam said the government should set an example. He wanted small and more affordable flats to be built, because most of the units planned would be three-bedroom "luxury" flats of about 1,000 sq ft.

Citing three projects atop Tsuen Wan West station, Tam said: "There are already clusters of high-rise blocks walling in the coast of Tsuen Wan. If the new projects go ahead as planned, it will worsen air ventilation in the inner parts of the district.

The new government policy aims to control the scale of developments by capping the amount of floor area that can be given to green features and amenities. Facilities and features such as balconies and clubhouses should not exceed 10 per cent of the total gross floor area of a development.

At present, they may be exempted from calculations of the gross floor area and this has proved a bonanza for developers, which get areas taken up by most of these facilities for free but include them in the pricing of their flats' gross floor area.

Widespread abuse has inflated the scale of development, but shrunk the usable area of flats for homeowners.

The MTR Corp said: "We are acting as an agent of the government on the West Rail development sites and have the duty to proceed with the planning and development process."

A spokesman said plans for some of the projects cited by Green Sense were approved two years ago.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong's 'Last Train' Rush *
15 October 2010
Dow Jones

Last-minute applicants to a Hong Kong residency scheme, presumably many from the mainland, rushed to purchase property before a change in rules took effect today. But analysts say the hefty mainland Chinese appetite for Hong Kong homes is unlikely to shrink soon.

The Immigration Department said it received around 200 applications yesterday for the Capital Migrant Investment Scheme, or more than six times the daily average of about 30. The surge followed Chief Executive Donald Tsang's announcement in his policy address Wednesday that property purchases would no longer qualify applicants for residency under the scheme. Local press described the surge as a rush by Chinese buyers to squeeze onto the "last train" into Hong Kong via the real-estate market.

Mainland Chinese buyers have become a force to be reckoned with in Hong Kong property. James Cheung, director of Centaline Surveyors Ltd., said research shows that up to 30% of total residential sales this year are from mainland buyers.

"And this doesn't even include transactions made under a company's name, so the figure could be more," said Cheung.

In the luxury space, or apartments costing upward of HK$12 million (about US$1.5 million), Centaline estimates that the proportion of mainland buyers in the first half of the year was more than 35%.

Yet the official statistics suggest only a small number of these purchases were made by buyers looking to acquire Hong Kong residency.

As of 30 September 2010, 6,570 applications from mainland China had been approved for residency under the scheme, or just over 80% of the total. About HK$19 billion, or just over a third of the total investments, was in real estate.

Assuming that 80% of those investments were made by mainland Chinese, that means they poured about HK$15.4 billion into Hong Kong real estate over a period of about eight years, or an average of HK$2.2 billion a year. That's only about 0.4% of the HK$526 billion in residential property sales for the 12 months to September.

The initiative is "a non-event to the property market," wrote analyst Cusson Leung of Credit Suisse in a note. He said Tsang could help ease some of the public's concern, "but this is not the root of the problem."

Chinese buyers may be pushing up home prices, but analysts say asset price inflation due to excess liquidity and low interest rates are a much bigger cause. Given Hong Kong's pegged currency, those factors are probably out of the chief executive's control.


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## hkskyline

*Developers' group reluctant to play ball on new law for flat sales*
22 October 2010
South China Morning Post

The Real Estate Developers Association (Reda) said yesterday there was no need for new laws to regulate flat sales, just 24 hours after the government set up a committee to work on legislation.

A number of the association's corporate members met yesterday to discuss the measures announced in the chief executive's policy address relating to flat sales and the artificial inflation of apartment sizes.

"Our principle is to work with the government as much as possible, but we have yet to see whether all the measures are feasible. We do not aim to put up resistance," said Louis Loong Hon-biu, the association's secretary general.

However, he said the association had not changed its view that there should be no law to regulate flat sales. "We have already updated guidelines on flat sale arrangements. They have been working well," Loong said. The association has yet to decide who will be its representative on the steering committee to regulate on the sale of new flats.

The committee will deliberate on the definition of new flats, sales practices, price lists, show flats, saleable area, the enforcement mechanism and penalties. It is expected to make recommendations within a year.

The 14-member committee is chaired by the permanent secretary for transport and housing, Duncan Pescod. It includes lawmaker Lee Wing-tat, the Democratic Party's spokesman on housing; lawmaker Dr Patrick Lau Sau-shing, who represents architects, surveyors and planners; Andrew Chan Chi-fai, a marketing professor at Chinese University; Lam Kin-che, a geography professor at Chinese University; and solicitor Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, a vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Representatives have yet to be named from the Consumer Council, the Estate Agents Authority, the Institute of Surveyors, the Law Society and Reda.

Lee Wing-tat said he disagreed with Reda that a law was unnecessary: "Reda should reflect on why its position has always been different from the absolute majority view in society. I don't wish to see the committee end up saying there is no need for a law after working for a year, like in 2001."

In that year the government aborted a law regulating flat sales after pressure from developers.


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## hkskyline

*Family fights to save noodle shop from developer*
The Standard
Monday, October 25, 2010





































A 56-year-old family noodle-making operation in Sham Shui Po faces closure under a mandatory auction bid by Lai Sun Development.

Leung Fat Noodle is owned by seven children of 90-year-old Yeung Wo-man, who founded the company in 1954. The firm is known for its handmade boletus mushroom noodles, invented by Yeung's brothers.

The business produces 1,000 catties of noodles a day, selling them to restaurants and individuals.

Yeung Ding-yin, the youngest son, said the redevelopment will mean the end of the business.

"The developer has offered compensation of about HK$8 million for us to relocate our shop of 1,050 square feet ... but it's not enough to buy another unit of similar size in the same district," Yeung said.

He said if they relocate to another district, revenue will fall substantially owing to the loss of a community connection. As a result, the family may consider closing the business.

Leung Fat Noodle owns 14 percent of the undivided shares in the lot on Ki Lung Street, while all other units in the five-story building, including 15 homes and a frozen meat shop, have already been acquired by Lai Sun over the past two years.

The compulsory sale application threshold was lowered from 90 to 80 percent by the government in April.

Lai Sun deputy chairman Poon Yui- man said the company's application to the Lands Tribunal is expected to trigger an auction to enable redevelopment by the end of the year.

The noodle shop is the only business still operating in the redevelopment area since Lai Sun demolished an adjacent building last year.

Yeung Yee-hung, the eldest son of the family, said the developer has taken unusual measures in an attempt to force them to accept the compensation.

"Staff from the developer came and opened the windows of the vacant residential units when it was raining. It caused serious flooding in some lower floor units of the building," he said.

Yeung said the Buildings Department assesses the conditions of a structure under the developer's application for a compulsory sale order.

If the building is in a state of severe disrepair, the application for redevelopment has a higher chance of being approved by the Lands Tribunal.

Wong Ho-yin, a member of Minority Owners Alliance Against Compulsory Sale, said: "In many redevelopment projects, shop owners are resistant to the developers' unreasonable practice to acquire shares."

The alliance hopes the government will raise the threshold of compulsory sale back to 90 percent.


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## hkskyline

*Why city needs to do something about a big, wet footprint before it's too late*
17 October 2010
SCMP

It has been the best part of half a century since Hong Kong was wracked by water shortages in the 1960s, but memory fades fast. Hong Kong residents now use more water per capita than nearly any other city in the world.

Last week, the chairman of Black & Veatch, the engineering company responsible for most of Hong Kong's major water infrastructure, came here with a message: unless we find ways to use water more efficiently, the world's growing population and changing climate will make it increasingly hard to quench our thirst.

Hong Kong's investment in water infrastructure "is setting an example for other countries", said the chairman, Len Rodman. But with some of the world's most advanced water-management infrastructure and a ready supply of fresh water from the mainland, it is easy to forget that fresh water is not naturally abundant in Hong Kong. "We still have to put emphasis on water conservation," he said.

Rodman was in town to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Black & Veatch's business in Hong Kong. In 1930, the Missouri-based company helped the government to design and build the Shing Mun Reservoir, which boosted the local supply of fresh water after a severe drought forced 60,000 people to leave the city.

Since then, Black & Veatch has had a hand in almost every major piece of water infrastructure in Hong Kong, from the massive High Island and Plover Cove reservoirs to underground storage tanks and an overhaul of the city's ageing water pipes.

But for all Hong Kong's technological prowess, it lags behind in conservation. People in Hong Kong are water hogs by any measure. Data from the International Water Association shows that the city's water footprint - which takes into account direct and indirect consumption - is 219 litres per person, per day; a higher rate than nearly every other city in the world.

According to the Water Supplies Department, domestic fresh water consumption increased from 493 million cubic metres of water in 2004 to 519 million in 2008.

Close to 80 per cent of Hong Kong's water comes from the Dongjiang in Guangdong, which also supplies water to more than 30 million other people in Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen .

"Although we don't have many water resources, we've been able to rely on Dongjiang water for so many years, we have forgotten about the problems," said David Chen Yong-qin, chairman of the Chinese University of Hong Kong's geography and resource management department.

As Hong Kong's mainland neighbours increase in size and wealth, so will their demand for water. Meanwhile, climate change will make rainfall patterns more unpredictable, leading to an ongoing drought that could cause water levels in the Dongjiang basin to decrease. "Competition for water will increase," said Chen. "We need to take conservation more seriously."

Part of that will involve understanding something that water experts call "the nexus of water and energy". The amount of water each person consumes goes well beyond an evening shower or a load of laundry. Production of a single kilogram of beef requires 15,000 litres of fresh water and each litre of fresh water consumes energy through treatment and transportation.

When cities and countries become more populous and more prosperous, their fresh water consumption increases, regardless of the amount of water available nearby. "How are we going to spread that fresh water out?" asked Rodman.

One answer is new technology - even something as simple as Hong Kong's dual pipe system, which allows toilets to be flushed using seawater instead of fresh water and saves 270 million cubic metres of fresh water every year. Black & Veatch is currently rehabilitating 3,000 kilometres of water pipes, which will prevent water from being wasted through leaks and bursts. But it comes at a price. Building the new infrastructure required to cope with the world's increasing demand for fresh water could cost US$40 trillion, said Rodman.

"You have to ask, where will money come from?" In the long run, he said, limiting demand will be much more cost-effective than increasing supply.

Two years ago, the government introduced the Total Water Management programme, which emphasises water conservation through education and upgrading Hong Kong's water infrastructure. One of the programme's initiatives is a water efficiency labelling scheme for consumer products.

So far, though, there has been no sign that consumers are concerned enough about water conservation to actually change their habits. Part of the reason is that, even as the government encourages conservation, political pressure has kept water rates frozen for 15 years. In the 2008-09 financial year, the government earned HK$2.587 billion in water rate revenue, while the cost of buying water from Guangdong was HK$2.621 billion. As a result, there is little political motivation to raise rates to cover the cost of both supplying Hong Kong with water and maintaining its infrastructure.

In a paper presented by the Legislative Council Panel on Development last May, the government acknowledged Hong Kong's low water rates contributed to its exceptionally high rate of water consumption. "We do not rule out the option of changing the water tariff structure to induce a reduction in consumption," it said.

Until that happens, said Chen, Hong Kong might continue to struggle with conservation. "The water bill is always the smallest one," he said. "But this is a problem worldwide. Water is really cheap and its price doesn't reflect its economic value, or the costs of diverting the water, treating it and distributing it."


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## hkskyline

*Home prices to rise*
The Standard
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Local home prices will rise a further 10 to 15 percent in the coming year, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp said.

Low interest rates will continue for at least 1 years more, while official efforts to boost land supply to bring down prices will show results only from 2012, said Donna Kwok, economist for Greater China.

She said more capital will flow into the local property market as Beijing puts the brakes on property speculation and if the United States launches a second round of quantitative easing.

The bank's chief executive for Hong Kong, Mark McCombe, said a vibrant home market has historically been "the bedrock of Hong Kong's economic growth."

He said the policy address took a prudent approach to address the issue of affordability.

"I think it is ...extremely important that people in Hong Kong have a chance to own their homes," he said.

According to Midland Realty, secondary deals at 35 major projects were up 24.3 percent at 476 last week, an almost three-year high.

And the Housing Authority said almost all the remaining 3,200 Home Ownership Scheme units left in its inventory have been sold.

As of Friday, the Land Registry recorded 9,179 HOS deals worth HK$15.6 billion so far this year.

On a wider front, HSBC chief economist for Greater China Qu Hongbin believes Asian authorities may launch more tightening policies - such as taxes or capital restriction - to minimize risks stemming from liquidity inflows.

The possibility of a quick and sharp rise in home prices and rising inflation driven by capital inflows may be the largest concerns this year, Qu said. HSBC expects mainland home prices to fall by 7 to 20 percent in the coming year.


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## hkskyline

*Finding new value in old buildings*
26 October 2010
China Daily - Hong Kong Edition

There has been plenty of high drama at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium this year as land auctions grab the headlines every month. Record-breaking prices show that Hong Kong developers have an insatiable appetite after years of lean land supply from the government. But away from the media spotlight, however, they have also been busy boosting supply in quite a different way - acquiring "old buildings" for redevelopment. The Buildings Department classifies old buildings as those that have stood for 50 years or more.

In many cases, the city's buildings are aging along with their occupants. The Buildings Department conducted a comprehensive safety inspection after a building on Ma Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan collapsed on January 29 this year, claiming four lives. As of December 2009, the number of buildings aged over 50 years was 3,690. More of these buildings will fall into this category over the next decade at an even higher rate, at an annual average rate of 570.Most of these old buildings are crowded together in older parts of the city such as Sai Wan, Sheung Wan, and Shau Kei Wan on Hong Kong Island. Neighborhoods in Kowloon such as To Kwa Wan, Kowloon City, Sham Shui Po, and Tai Kok Tsui also contain a lot of aging buildings.

Gabriel H.W. Cheng, head of the collective sales division at property firm Savills, has been specializing in the old building acquisition market since 2004. Witnessing its ups and downs over the years, Cheng said the acquisition of old buildings is in line with the movement of the property market, where buyers' expectations set the tone.

"Back in 2002 and 2003, the property market was in a trough, and so was the interest of buyers in old buildings," Cheng said." After that, the property market started to climb up, yet land supply through auctions was limited, stoking interest of acquiring old buildings, especially those in old areas with good transportation links," said Cheng.

This year has also marked a watershed for the acquisition of old buildings as the Legislative Council passed a compulsory sales law on March 17. Under the law, which took effect on April 1, developers can apply to the Land Tribunal to trigger a compulsory sale after acquiring 80 percent of a property interest, down from the previous 90 percent threshold. The law covers residential buildings older than 50 years and those left with only one apartment the developers have previously failed to acquire.

The past five months have already seen eight compulsory sale applications, while in 2009 there were only a total of seven. Cheng estimated that the number of buildings eligible for the 80 percent law may hit 100.

"Before the law, the success rate for collecting 90 percent of a property interest was quite low. Now - although 10 percent does not sound very exciting - it actually can make a significant difference," said Cheng.

Acting as a bridge between property owners and developers, Cheng said two approaches are prevalent in the practice of acquiring old buildings.

One is that a group of property owners, for example, representing 40 percent of property interests in the building, will bundle their interests together, then put it on the market for bidding. A real estate agent will then help to persuade remaining owners to join the others to attract potential buyers.

The other way sees the developers taking proactive step. On behalf of the developer, the agent offers property owners a price and signs a "conditional contract" with them, committing to buy the flats once 80 percent of the interests are acquired. Sometimes the trigger point may be lower, since the developer may want to take control and speed up the whole process.

From Cheng's experiences, the second approach - where developers take the initiative - usually shortens the acquisition period to around four months. This is far more efficient than the owner-led approach, which may last more than a year.

Over the years, the practice has been for the price offered by developers to be set against the market price as the benchmark. There is also a premium which reflects the developers' confidence about redevelopment prospects. Cheng said the average price has gone up 20 percent in 2010 compared with last year. He expects this trend to continue.

However, Cheng does have some concerns.

"Though the number of old buildings is soaring, the pool of old buildings with redevelopment value is shrinking," Cheng said.

By redevelopment value, Cheng means the site plot ratio, which determines the gross floor area allowed to be built on the site.

For an old building, if its allocated plot ratio - eg eight times - is higher than that used by the existing building - eg five times - the site will bring more value after redevelopment, since the developer can build and sell more flats on the site. This is the key factor developers consider when calculating their offer price.

As such old buildings with "potential" are gradually drying up, so the price offered by developers and that expected by property owners will see a widening gap. As buildings grow older and more dangerous to live in, property owners with a strong wish to sell may be frustrated by the price offered, since developers could be discouraged by the site's limited future profitability.

With this in mind, Cheng forecasts that the prices of old buildings, as well as the general property market, will meet resistance after 2014 due to supply and demand. Sites just auctioned or under construction will unleash a spate of home supply by then, holding down room for price hikes. Meanwhile, people prefer holding property right now given the present low interest rate. However, if the government nudges up the interest rate, people may reconsider their asset allotment and sell their by selling their properties, another supply stream that will put a dampener on prices.


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## hkskyline

*HK property prices up 45pc on post-crisis low*
27 October 2010
South China Morning Post

Property prices in Hong Kong have risen by more than 45 per cent from the trough to which they sank after the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, research by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority shows.

The recovery in the luxury residential market has been particularly strong and average prices in the sector are now 14 per cent higher than their previous historic peak, reached in the third quarter of 1997.

Prices in the mass residential market are only 10 per cent down on the peak levels reached before the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 triggered a sharp slump in the market.

But homebuyers are not as heavily indebted as they previously were, with the current mortgage repayment-to-income ratio at around 40 per cent, compared with more than 100 per cent in 1997. Mortgage rates are also less than 2.5 per cent, against more than 10 per cent in 1997.

The average loan size is about HK$2.5 million with an average contractual period of 23 years, both at record highs for the past 10 years.

Hong Kong has surpassed New York, Paris and Tokyo to become one of the most expensive cities for buying a flat, according to a report from the Global Property Guide.

The report says Hong Kong is now the third most-expensive city for buying a 1,291 sq ft apartment in the city centre, with Monaco the world's most expensive and London in second place.

"Demand for housing in Hong Kong is no longer limited to local people, but also comes from the mainland," said Alva To Yu-hung, the head of property consultant DTZ.


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## davidboom

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## hkskyline

*Contract for sludge treatment facility in Tuen Mun signed *
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Government Press Release




























The Environmental Protection Department (EPD), after going through an open tender procedure, has awarded a contract to design, build and operate a sludge treatment facility at Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, to VW-VES (HK) Limited, a subsidiary of Veolia Environnement. Representatives of the two sides signed the contract today (October 27).

In addition to being a major treatment facility applying advanced technology, the plant will have leisure, educational and landscaped facilities for the public.

The sludge treatment facility will be equipped to treat 2,000 tonnes of sludge a day at maximum capacity. When it comes on-stream in 2013, it will be able to reduce the volume of sludge by up to 90%.

One of its features is the incorporation of architectural and landscape elements. The wave-form and streamlined design of the main building, which has incorporated the Tuen Mun District Council's (TMDC) views, will reflect and integrate the seaview in front and ridge lines at the back so that the plant will blend well with the surrounding scenery. Upon completion, it will become a unique landmark in the district.

The plant's outdoor landscaped and ecological gardens will provide visitors with a green open space and a natural environment, as well as providing a habitat for water birds.

The building will also house an Environmental Education Centre (EEC) with an exhibition room, an Internet/interactive area, a lecture theatre and a conference room. Visitors will be able to view the operation of the plant through a dedicated visitors' gallery with information on sustainable waste management at the EEC.

The contract for the sludge treatment facility was signed by representatives of the EPD and VW-VES (HK) Limited today in the presence of the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau.

"By adopting a brand-new design concept, this sludge treatment will combine advanced technology and world-class management in treating sludge in a manner compatible with sustainable waste management. We will ensure that the facility will be run with world-class management upon its completion. We will also strengthen links with the community and play our role in environmental education," an EPD spokesman said.

This green facility will adopt state-of-the-art thermal incineration technology to ensure that the sludge treatment meets the highest environmental protection requirements and the strictest emission standards. Thermal energy generated from incineration will be turned into electricity to fully meet the energy needs of the facility, including the operation of the EEC, a seawater desalination plant that will produce potable water, and indoor heated pools. Surplus electricity will be exported to the power grid.

Design and construction of the plant has commenced. It is expected that about 600 jobs will be created during the construction period and 60 staff will be required when it comes into operation. Priority for employment will be given to Tuen Mun residents.

In response to the TMDC's request, the EPD will set up an air quality monitoring station in Tuen Mun town centre to provide objective data on the local air quality so as to ensure that the operation of the facility will not affect the surrounding environment. Addressing the TMDC's concerns, the EPD will also report to the council regularly on progress on the facility's construction and its operational plan.

When completed, the facility will process sludge generated from the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme and 10 other regional sewage treatment works, reducing the load on landfills. It is estimated that the emission of greenhouse gas can be reduced by up to 260,000 tonnes per year. 

Upon completion of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A and the extension and upgrading of some existing sewage treatment works, the total amount of sludge generated in Hong Kong will substantially increase from the current 800 tonnes per day to about 1,500 tonnes per day in 2014.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ8: Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works and West Kowloon Refuse Transfer Station*
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon James To Kun Sun and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 20):

Question:

From time to time in recent years, I have received complaints from residents of the Stonecutters Island and the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter areas about odours frequently coming from the sea water. Moreover, although government officials said at the meeting of the Panel on Environmental Affairs (EA Panel) of this Council on January 25 this year that an analysis of the water quality at the outfalls of the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW) indicated that the residual chlorine content was within acceptable limits, it was recently reported in a weekly magazine that the outcome of the tests and investigation conducted by it showed that the sewage discharged from SCISTW and the operation of the West Kowloon Refuse Transfer Station (WKTS) had led to water and air pollution in the district, and the hydrogen sulphide content in the air of the district had exceeded the standards of certain states of the United States. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) focusing on the investigation outcome in the aforesaid report, whether the authorities had, in the past five years, conducted similar studies; if they had, of the outcome; if not, whether they will conduct such studies; whether they will re-examine if the operations of SCISTW and WKTS have led to air or water pollution in the West Kowloon district, and whether they will re-assess the impact of such facilities on the health of members of the public;

(b) whether the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has regularly monitored the contents of air pollutants (including hydrogen sulphide, etc.) in the vicinity of the aforesaid two facilities; if it has, of the locations of the monitoring points; of the relevant data obtained in each of the past three years, and whether such data exceeded any international standards;

(c) of the monitoring results of the marine monitoring stations set up by EPD around the aforesaid West Kowloon waterfront in each of the past three years; whether it had detected any deterioration in the water quality and conducted relevant investigations to ascertain if the odours from the sea water are related to water quality;

(d) of the number of complaints received by the authorities in each of the past three years about the air or water quality near SCISTW, WKTS or the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter/the West Kowloon waterfront, and among them, the number of such complaints which had been substantiated; whether government departments such as EPD and the Marine Department, etc. had prosecuted or penalized the persons or organizations involved; if they had, of the penalties imposed;

(e) whether the Government had, in the past three years, carried out regular inspections on illegal connection of sewers for discharging sewage in the West Kowloon district; if it had, of the number and locations of sewers which were proved to be illegally connected but have not yet been removed so far, as well as the number and locations of sewers which illegally discharged sewage into the harbour; and whether the Government has any plan to remove all the illegal sewers;

(f) focusing on the current odour problem in the West Kowloon district, what improvement plans the Government has, including whether it has carried out any dry weather flow interceptions works in respect of the odour problem at the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter (YMTTS), and whether it has implemented any environmental measure for the operations of SCISTW and WKTS;

(g) given that in its "Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A Environmental Impact Assessment Study ? Investigation" report submitted in June 2008, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) recommended enclosing or covering all the identified odour sources in the preliminary treatment works and SCISTW and discharging them into the atmosphere after treatment, when such recommendation can be implemented; given that the authorities stated at the meeting of EA Panel of this Council on July 5 2005 that in the event that the water quality objectives could not be met due to an increase in the population during the implementation of HATS Stage 2, consideration would be given to proceeding to secondary sewage treatment, whether the Government has studied the feasibility of providing secondary sewage treatment; and

(h) according to the information of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, a large flood relief box culvert was built underground in the central part of the open space at Hoi Fan Road of Tai Kok Tsui, and the culvert with its surrounding area of 33 metres in width is classified by DSD as a drainage reserve on which quite a number of manholes for repair are distributed, of the current operation of the culvert (including the areas from which flood water is collected and where flood water is discharged), and whether water quality monitoring is conducted in the district?

Reply:

President,

(a) In early 2006, DSD commissioned an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study on HATS Stage 2A. The EIA study, completed in mid-2008, was endorsed by the Advisory Council on the Environment and approved by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in October 2008. The EIA study included an impact assessment of the odour from the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW). With mathematical models, it made predictions about the odour from the SCISTW upon the completion of the HATS Stage 2A extension and improvement works. The modelling results indicated that after implementing various odour control and mitigation measures (including covering up all the odour sources and installing deodourising devices) as recommended in the EIA study report, the level of odour in the vicinity of the premises that might be affected would meet the requirement set out in the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process.

The Government has attached great importance to the environmental performance of the SCISTW and West Kowloon Refuse Transfer Station (WKTS). On odour management at the SCISTW, the DSD has been upgrading relevant facilities, and has carried out a series of enhancement works over the past few years to step up odour control and mitigation measures, so as to minimise the potential odour nuisance to the public. They include the installation of chemical deodourising spray systems at all the sludge cake unloading bays and sedimentation tanks, the provision of biofilters at the vertical discharge chambers of the sedimentation tanks, and the provision of mobile deodourisers for equipment under maintenance to control any potential odour from such equipment. 

As for the WKTS, EPD has adopted a series of odour control measures including the air purification system for filtration and deodourisation in the waste tipping hall. The tipping hall itself is designed with negative air pressure to prevent odour from emitting to the surrounding areas. The tipped waste will be compacted and containerized in sealed containers for onward transportation to the strategic landfill by marine vessels. This method of transporting waste can minimize the environmental impact to the surrounding environment and waste will not be exposed to the atmosphere in the entire waste handling procedure. As all sewage generated from the WKTS will be discharged into sewers after proper treatment, the operation of the WKTS would not pollute the surrounding sea water. The EPD will monitor the existing operation and strengthen the environmental management of the WKTS to ensure compliance with a series of stringent environmental parameters.

(b) An odour monitoring system has been put in place at the SCISTW. The DSD measures the odour at the boundary of the plant and at the locations of the sedimentation tanks every month. Based on the analysis of the DSD, the concerned level of hydrogen sulphide has not constituted undesirable impact to the nearby residents. In response to the complaints from nearby residents, the DSD had also measured hydrogen sulphide levels at the neighbouring premises and the data showed that the nearby residents had not been affected. The DSD will continue to closely monitor the odour from the treatment works.

Odour control at the WKTS is monitored independently by air specialists from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. They monitor the odour at the periphery of the WKTS at irregular hours on a daily basis. Based on the data, no anomaly has been detected.

(c) The EPD has set up a marine monitoring station off the coast of West Kowloon to monitor the water quality. The monthly data cover the measurement and records of various physical and chemical properties, including dissolved oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen and E. coli. The compliance rate of major water quality indicators is assessed annually based on the data collected. The monitoring results over the past three years (2007-2009) show a continuous improvement in marine water quality. The compliance rate of marine water quality for 2009 exceeds 90%, comparing favourably with the 2008 figure. The EPD has not received any complaint about odour from the marine water. According to a performance verification on HATS Stage 1, effluent discharged from the SCISTW has not affected the local water quality, marine sediment and benthos. Upon the commissioning of the advance disinfection facilities of the SCISTW in early 2010, the E. coli level in marine water on the western side of Victoria Harbour fell by 60%.

(d) The number of complaints about air and water pollution received by the EPD, DSD and MD between January 1, 2008 and September 30, 2010 is shown in the tables below:



> Air Pollution 2008 2009 2010
> Complaints (as at 30.9.2010)
> ----------- ------ ------ ------------------
> Stonecutters　　　　9　　　　　11　　　　18
> Island
> Sewage Treatment
> Works (SCISTW)
> 
> West Kowloon　　　　8　　　　　2　　　　　8
> Refuse Transfer
> Station (WKTS)
> 
> Yau Ma Tei　　　　　0　　　　　3* 4*
> Typhoon Shelter
> (YMTTS)/West
> Kowloon
> waterfront (WKW)


*Complaints were related to black smoke from vessels and not related to odour.



> Water Pollution 2008 2009 2010
> Complaints (as at 30.9.2010)
> --------------- ----- ----- -----------------
> 
> SCISTW 0 0 0
> WKTS 5 0 2
> YMTTS/ WKW 2 4 2


 The relevant Government departments have followed up with all the above complaints. For those individual cases that were related to the operational issues, the EPD has requested the concerned operator to take immediate measures for improvements. In the subsequent inspections, it was found that the problems had ceased. For the majority of the remaining complaints, the sources of pollution could not be identified after taking follow-up actions. Relevant government departments will continue to closely monitor the situation.

(e) The EPD has conducted regular inspections of mis-connected sewers in West Kowloon. The numbers of confirmed cases and locations of mis- connected sewers over the past three years (from January 1, 2008 to September 30, 2010) are shown in the table below:



> Cases of Rectified Cases for
> mis- cases which follow-up
> connection action is
> being taken
> ---------- ---------- --------------
> Yau Tsim 27 11 16
> Mong District
> 
> Sham Shui  13 3 10
> Po District


 The EPD, in collaboration with other government departments, will continue to follow up on each case with a view to rectifying all the mis-connections.

(f)&(g) The Government has installed six dry weather flow interceptors in the storm water drainage system along the upstream area of YMTTS. They are located at the junctions of Nullah Road/Nathan Road, Portland Street/Nelson Street, Soy Street/Portland Street, Dundas Street/Portland Street, Waterloo Road/Dundas Street, and Public Square Street/Reclamation Street. These interceptors serve to intercept effluent flow in dry seasons. The recently completed Feasibility Study of the Review of West Kowloon and Tsuen Wan Sewerage Master Plans recommends a series of works targeting YMTTS to mitigate the existing water pollution and the associated odour problems. They include a trial scheme for providing an odour removal system at Cherry Street Box Culvert. Detailed design of the scheme will commence soon.

The EPD reviews regularly the WKTS’s operation and steps up odour management and inspection within the WKTS to ensure compliance with environmental standards. Apart from the air purification system for filtration and deodourisation in the waste tipping hall, we also require washing up of the bodies of refuse collection vehicles before leaving the WKTS to prevent pollution of the surrounding area.

To solve the odour problem at the SCISTW, the DSD has been upgrading its facilities. A series of enhancement works have also been implemented over the past few years to step up odour control and mitigation measures, so as to minimise the generation of odour. The mitigation measures include:

(1) the installation of chemical deodourising spray systems at all the sludge unloading bays and sedimentation tanks;

(2) the provision of biofilters at the vertical discharge chambers of the sedimentation tanks; and

(3) the provision of mobile deodourisers for equipment under maintenance to control odour from such equipment.

As a long term solution to the odour problem at SCISTW, in October 2009, the DSD awarded a works contract on providing covers for all the exposed sedimentation facilities, including sedimentation tanks, flocculation tanks, main distribution channels, effluent drop shafts and launders to eliminate odour from such facilities. The contract also includes the provision of air extraction systems and deodourising devices to extract and purify the air from the covered areas before discharge to meet the operational safety and maintenance requirements. The works progress has been good and we expect that all the covering works will be completed in phases by year 2012.

Apart from the above covering works for all the exposed sedimentation tanks at the SCISTW, the extension of the SCISTW includes providing deodourising devices in all the pump rooms and sludge treatment facilities to enhance the deodourising performance. 
The Government commissioned a consultancy study in June 2010 on the planned secondary sewage treatment works under the HATS Stage 2B, including the review on the water quality, population projection and sewage flow and load. The study will put forward recommendations on planning, funding arrangements, design and construction for HATS Stage 2B. The Government will make reference to the findings of the study in drawing up the schedule for the implementation of HATS Stage 2B; and

(h) The box culvert system near the open space at Hoi Fan Road, Tai Kok Tsui is in operation and effective in relieving floods. It runs from Cornwall Street near Chak On Estate to the southwest along Nam Cheong Street, passes through Tung Chau Street Park, Nam Cheong Park and the open space at Hoi Fan Road, and discharges at the seawall outlet between Hampton Place and The Long Beach. It collects rainwater from Shek Kip Mei, Sham Shui Po and Tai Kok Tsui for direct discharge into the sea. The EPD has set up a marine monitoring station off the coast of West Kowloon to monitor the water quality regularly. The relevant water quality monitoring results are shown in our reply in paragraph (c) above.


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## EricIsHim

Sha Po Tsai Village flood probe ends (28.10.2010)


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## hkskyline

*New curbs may hit auction price*
The Standard
Monday, November 01, 2010




























An Inverness Road site to be auctioned on Wednesday is expected to bring the government up to HK$2.96 billion, but new rules governing how much developers can build above the gross floor area may lower prices.

Five surveyors forecast the 75,843-square-foot site bordering Kowloon Tong and Kowloon City will fetch between HK$2.5 billion and HK$2.96 billion. With a plot ratio of three, gross floor area amounts to 227,529 sq ft.

Developers on average build up to 20 percent more than the gross floor area, with the extra space allocated for a carpark, clubhouse or other amenities.

But from April 1, these facilities can take up no more than 10 percent over GFA. 

Ringo Lam Chun-chiu, valuations director at AG Wilkinson & Associates, said the winning developer is "quite unlikely" to get a building plan approval before April 1.

The site's value therefore decreases by about HK$250 million to HK$2.75 billion, with an accommodation value of HK$12,086 per square foot, he said.

Given the site's special zoning, the winner will have to hand in a detailed master layout plan.

"Unless the developer is very capable, the whole process will normally take too much time for it to make the March 31 deadline," Lam said.

Faced with the risk of not getting approval in time, developers may be more conservative in bidding, said Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, a Savills managing director.

And because the site is not in the heart of Kowloon Tong, surveyors forecast its accommodation value will be lower than two Ede Road sites auctioned earlier.

The Chinese Christian Cemetery is close by, but Lam said the site's large area and low-development density will enable the winning developer to block the view of the cemetery. The Kowloon Tsai Park is also nearby.

He said the site can provide 212 homes measuring about 100 square meters with buildings no taller than 10 stories.

Centaline senior sales regional sales director May Wong Oi-yen said transactions and home viewings in Kowloon Tong doubled after the policy address, with some homeowners asking for 5 percent more.

The Bloomsville and Beverly Villa at Nga Tsin Wai Road both averaged around HK$10,000 psf.

One Beacon Hill, further away, saw seven deals last month - up from three in September- averaging HK$14,300 psf, according to Hong Kong Property.


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## hkskyline

*Investigations into flooding at Sha Po Tsai Village completed *
Government Press Release
Thursday, October 28, 2010 

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) has completed its investigation into the flooding incident at Sha Po Tsai Village in Tai Po which occurred on July 22 this year. An independent review of the DSD's investigation conducted by a hydraulics expert has also been completed. A summary of the investigation was uploaded to the websites of the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the DSD for public perusal today (October 28).

During the Black Rainstorm on July 22, serious flooding occurred at Sha Po Tsai Village. The Administration is deeply concerned about the incident which resulted in one fatality and damage to property. 

After the incident, the Development Bureau directed the DSD to carry out an investigation into the causes of the flooding. The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, appointed an internationally renowned hydraulics expert, Professor Joseph Lee Hun-wei, to conduct an independent review of the investigation report. The DSD's investigation report and Professor Lee's independent review report were submitted to the Development Bureau in August and October respectively.

In the course of the investigation, the DSD conducted a thorough review of the drainage regime around Sha Po Tsai Village, the improvement works completed before July 22 as well as the degrees of blockage and damage to Tai Po River resulting from the flooding event. With the information collected, the DSD constructed a mathematical hydraulic model to assess the effects that the blockages at the bridges, the interim drainage works and the erosion/deposition had on the flooding situation.

Professor Lee carried out an independent review of the DSD's investigation report on the causes of the flooding, the effect of the river training works on the flooding situation, the sources of the coarse sediment, the appropriateness of the construction sequence, and the adequacy of the improvement measures completed or to be carried out by the DSD. 

In the course of the review, Professor Lee made site visits, interviewed relevant villagers and collected information on the flooding event, the flooding history of Sha Po Tsai Village, as well as the construction activities of the drainage improvement works. With the information collected, Professor Lee deployed different kinds of state-of-the-art hydraulic modelling techniques developed in hydraulic research in recent years to simulate the flash flood in the incident.

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said the Coroner had instructed the Hong Kong Police Force on July 26 to carry out an investigation and submit a death investigation report to him within six months. 

"At the moment, the Administration cannot rule out the possibility of a Coroner's inquest into the fatality. In order not to affect the conduct of a possible death inquest or possible criminal investigation, the investigation report and the independent review report will not be disclosed to the public at this stage," the spokesman said. 

"However, the Administration has prepared a summary of factual information which covers the methodology of the DSD's investigation as well as the relief work and improvement measures following the rainstorm. The summary has been uploaded to the website of DEVB (www.devb.gov.hk) and DSD (www.dsd.gov.hk) for public perusal."

Immediately after the flooding incident, the DSD carried out flood relief work to help restore to normal the daily lives of the affected villagers as early as possible. 

"The relief work includes reinstating pedestrian accesses and railings, clearing blockages at bridge crossings, and clearing sediment and boulders deposited along the river. In addition, the DSD has assisted the villagers to clean up and repair their houses that had been affected by the flooding.

"The DSD aims to carry out as much improvement work to the Tai Po River as possible in the coming dry season to further raise the level of flood protection prior to the completion of all the drainage works by end 2011," the spokesman said.

The department has also completed a review of its on-going river improvement works in various parts of the territory, and is satisfied that the flow carrying capacities of these rivers will not be adversely affected by their construction works during heavy downpours. 

"These river improvement works will not increase the risks of flooding of their works areas. Nevertheless, temporary drainage management plans have been put in place under the respective works contracts to ensure that the flow carrying capacities of the concerned rivers will not be adversely affected by the works," the spokesman said.


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## hkskyline

*Mortgage costs on the rise*
The Standard
Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Lenders look set to follow Standard Chartered Bank's mortgage rate hike to reflect higher costs and risks, bankers said.

StanChart, which was offering an interbank mortgage rate of Hibor plus 0.7 percent, yesterday raised it to Hibor plus 0.8 to 1 percent, following a property bubble warning by Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Norman Chan Tak-lam.

Based on the latest one-month Hongkong interbank offered rate, the lender's new rates will be 1 to 1.2 percent.

The mild hike is unlikely to impact property prices even if other banks follow suit, Swire Properties' senior sales manager Wendy Ho said. 

Hong Kong's interest rates are still low and the currency is cheap, she said.

Bank of East Asia (0023) has no plans to follow suit, but will continue to monitor the market. Currently it offers Hibor plus 0.85 to 0.9 percent.

Robbie Choi Yee-chuen, Wing Lung Bank's head of mortgage and personal loans, said home loan rates are likely to rise by the year-end on cost concerns.

"For one, the Deposit Protection Scheme will surely end this year. Without it, banks will pay more to get funds."

He said banks need to raise mortgage rates slightly to make a profit. While Choi played down the need to raise rates because of risks, ICBC (Asia) (0349) director Stanley Wong Yuen-fai told a radio station the rapid surge in home prices has brought risks for lenders.

Past property price surges have seen banks move with speed to raise rates.

Wong said other loans - including those to mainland firms - have seen considerable growth this year and brought better returns than mortgages.

Based on existing market conditions, he expects mortgage rates to rise to Hibor plus 1 percent.

But an industry source said it is about right for mortgage rates to range from Hibor plus 0.6 percent to 0.8 percent. Banks will not raise rates too much as this may hurt their competitiveness.

The source said the move by StanChart could means that it has already secured a targeted level of market share this year.

The lender ranked fourth with a 10.1 percent share of mortgages for completed homes in the first 10 months, said Ivy Wong Mei-fung, Centaline Mortgage Broker managing director.


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## hkskyline

*MTR vow on double trouble at Admiralty *
4 November 2010
The Standard



















Construction work will start next year to expand Admiralty MTR station in preparation for its role as an interchange for four lines.

Admiralty is already handling the Island and Tsuen Wan lines, and the new South Island and Sha Tin-Central routes will join them.

Work is expected to finish in 2015, and one planner pledged yesterday to try to keep disruptions in the area to a minimum.

The expansion to the station will mean it doubling in size.

Total space will increase to 20,000 square meters from the 9,000 at present.

Four new platforms will be installed as well as more than 30 additional escalators.

``The station will become an important interchange hub and will provide an easy and convenient connection to the existing MTR network,'' said Peter Leung Man-fat, design manager for the South Island Line.

It will take passengers less than three minutes to walk from the lowest-level South Island Line platform to the upper three platforms, he said.

Apart from the underground expansion, features above ground are set for a major remake.

The new Harcourt Garden is to be closed during the five-year construction period, and when it reopens it will have a landscaped deck that connects directly to the nearby footbridge system.

The open area will also be expanded by 70 percent with more greenery.

``Members of the public will be able to enjoy the broader space and greener landscaping in the garden,'' Leung said.

He added that MTR Corp ``will minimize the construction disruption.''

Leung did not disclose what the Admiralty project is likely to cost because, he said, the budget hinges on a detailed design agreed by the government. But the yuan's rise will not affect it, he added.

The seven-kilometer South Island Line (East) will be a medium-capacity operation able to handle 20,000 passengers an hour in each direction.

There will be four stations: at Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang _ which will have train sheds and a maintenance depot _ Lei Tung and South Horizons.


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## hkskyline

*New rule puts damper on Kowloon land sale 
Chinachem buys residential site for HK$2.17b*
4 November 2010
South China Morning Post

New rules on floor area resulted in a lacklustre land auction yesterday as a luxury residential site in Kowloon Tong sold for HK$2.17 billion - at the bottom of the forecast range.

Chinachem Group outbid Tai Cheung Holdings and two anonymous bidders to win the site at Inverness Road for HK$9,537 per square foot. Surveyors had forecast the site could fetch HK$2.06 billion to HK$3 billion, or HK$9,054 to HK$13,185 per square foot. Major developers Cheung Kong (Holdings), Kerry Properties, Nan Fung Development and New World Development did not join the bidding.

The auction got off to a slow start as developers seemed reluctant to place their bids. That forced the auctioneer to lower the increment twice and warn that the site could be withdrawn from auction.

"Developers were cautious because of the new rules capping the amount of common area," Ng Shung-mo, sales manager at Chinachem, said. "The land price is reasonable based on this new rule."

Under the new rules, features such as balconies, utility platforms and clubhouses - previously exempt from gross floor area calculations - should not exceed 10 per cent of the gross floor area of a development. Developers have been known to inflate the saleable floor area by 20 to 50 per cent to generate more profit.

If developers want to dodge the new rule, they have to secure the building plan from the Buildings Department before the rule comes into effect in April next year. But Ng said Chinachem is likely to miss the deadline as it needs to get Town Planning Board clearance before going to the Buildings Department.

The land has been zoned as comprehensive development area (CDA), said Nicholas Brooke, chairman of Professional Property Services. This means all development on the site has to get approval from the Town Planning Board.

"This site is not as clean and tidy as the ones in Kowloon Tong that were sold previously," he said.

"The developer has to submit a master layout plan of the project to the Town Planning Board for approval. [As a result,] the development could be delayed. It [is also what] brought the price down."

Brooke believes developers will still aggressively bid for a plot if it is clean and not complicated, in the sense that it does not need Town Planning Board clearance, which adds an extra layer to the approval process for the developer. "But they won't be as aggressive as before since the government has imposed a cap on the development potential."

It is the third Kowloon Tong site sold in less than three months. The last two were sold at record prices. One was bought by Chinachem for HK$1.63 billion, or HK$17,976 per square foot, last month.

Ng said Chinachem planned to invest HK$3 billion in the project.

Meanwhile, Cheung Kong executive director Grace Woo Chia-ching said last night the new government measures had caused uncertainties in the market and could further reduce flat supply.

"The industry is hoping to talk with the government about the operational details of the new measures," she said, but added that calling for a judicial review would not be the way to overturn them.

"The most direct effect is that once they come into practice, flat supply will be cut as the original floor space for building flats will now be used for building car parks," she said.


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## hkskyline

*Tuen Mun plant to take brunt of sewage toll on landfills*
28 October 2010










The new sludge treatment facility to be built in Tuen Mun will be able to handle up to 2,000 tonnes of sewage each day, easing the burden on landfills and noses, Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah said.

The seven-hectare facility in Tsang Tsui is expected to reduce the volume of sludge being disposed of in landfills by 90 percent.

Construction of the HK$4.96 billion plant, which will use advanced European Union incineration technology, will be completed by 2013.

Thermal energy generated from incineration will be converted into electricity to fully supply the plant's needs, while the excess will be fed into the power grid.

The sludge facility, which will have a streamlined wave-form design to blend into its waterside location, will also have an environmental education center to give its visitors insight into operations at the plant, an exhibition room as well as a lecture theater.

It will also include a water spa center for visitors and an ecological garden, which can double as a habitat for water birds.

Speaking after the contract-signing ceremony, Yau estimated 1,000 tonnes of sludge will not be dumped in landfills once the facility is up and running.

He also said the government will speed up environmental impact assessments on the site proposed for the Tsang Tsui incinerator as well as for another at Shek Kwu Chau on Lantau before deciding on location and numbers this year.


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## hkskyline

*Banks join StanChart in home move*
The Standard
Thursday, November 04, 2010

The stage has been set for a wave of mortgage rate increases after Hang Seng Bank (0011) followed quickly on the heels of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) to raise its rate while Wing Lung Bank is set to follow.

Hang Seng hiked its mortgage rate yesterday to Hong Kong interbank offered rate plus 0.8 to 1 percent, on par with StanChart's offer.

The lender did not have a specific mortgage range before and the change offers clients more transparent information, a spokeswoman said.

"There is higher demand for loans in the market," she said, adding the hike has nothing to do with mortgage or property market risks.

Robbie Choi Yee-chuen, Wing Lung head of mortgage and personal loans, said its HIBOR mortgage rate will be raised to a level in line with the two bigger rivals, most likely this week. The lender's current mortgage rate is HIBOR plus 0.7 percent. One-month HIBOR stood at 0.19 percent yesterday.

"Banks' net interest margins have been rather slim due to the extended low interest rate environment," Choi said, noting capital costs have risen.

He said it is hard to predict the final levels of mortgage rates after this wave of hikes ends, but noted the current increase of around 0.2 percentage point is insignificant for homeowners.

"With just sporadic and mild rate increases, there shouldn't be any impact on the property market," Choi said.

Pan Asian associate director Benny Wong Wing-tai said for many homeowners the increase is only 0.1 point and that additional monthly repayment for someone with a HK$1 million mortgage is around HK$20.

Wong said it is unlikely that all lenders will raise their mortgage rates as many smaller banks still need to improve their results, unlike StanChart and Hang Seng, which have already met their targets.

HSBC, Bank of East Asia (0023), DBS Bank (Hong Kong), Citibank, ICBC (Asia) (0349) Dah Sing Bank and Fubon Bank have kept their rates unchanged.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ14: Implementation of green roof projects for government buildings*
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, in the Legislative Council today (November 14):

Question:

It has been reported that green buildings have become very prevalent in recent years. Recently, I have also received requests from some residents of the Sha Tin District for greening the rooftops of the Sha Tin Town Hall and the Sha Tin Public Library. They pointed out that greening rooftops could beautify the environment on the one hand and provide more leisure open space on the other. Furthermore, they can help lower the room temperature in the buildings concerned, reduce energy consumption and promote environmental protection. The Government once said that the Architectural Services Department (ASD) would implement green roof projects for new government buildings as far as practicable since 2001. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of green roof projects implemented for government buildings in Hong Kong since 2001; of the number of such projects to be carried out in the next three years;

(b) of the percentage of the number of government buildings for which green roof projects have been implemented in the total number of government buildings in Hong Kong at present; whether ASD will explore the possibility of adding green features to the rooftops of all existing government buildings, so as to benefit more people; and

(c) in order to attenuate the urban heat island effect, whether the authorities will consider including roof greening in the standard construction specifications for new government buildings, in particular cultural and recreational facilities, so as to make an extra effort for the cause of environmental protection?

Reply:

President,

Hong Kong is a densely populated place. To beautify the environment and attenuate the heat island effect, the Government has been actively promoting greening in recent years. In view of the limited space available for planting in the urban areas, we have been proactively promoting innovative greening techniques, such as roof greening, to enhance the urban environment.

My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

(a) From 2001 onwards, the Architectural Services Department (ASD) has, where practicable, incorporated roof greening in the design of new buildings if there is adequate usable rooftop space, after taking into account the actual conditions (such as the rooftop loading capacity, structural safety, the drainage and irrigation arrangements, and the building height). Starting from 2006, the ASD has further encouraged departments which manage existing government buildings to incorporate roof greening works into their roof refurbishment projects if the building structure, availability of rooftop space and waterproof design etc. so permit. Other works departments have also implemented roof greening works, where practicable, in appropriate building projects. As at end October 2010, a total of 159 government buildings maintained by the works departments had green roofs. In addition, the works departments are currently undertaking roof greening works at 62 government buildings (including new buildings and buildings under refurbishment). Planning and design of roof greening works for another 32 government buildings are underway for implementation within the next three years.

(b) At present, the works departments are responsible for the maintenance of some 8,500 government buildings. New buildings completed in recent years account for only a small proportion, while most buildings are at least 10 years old. About 159 of these buildings (about 2%) have green roofs. For buildings already in existence, if they require any roof refurbishment works in future, the departments concerned will consider carrying out roof greening works under the established policy, taking into account the actual circumstances and technical feasibility.

(c) As explained above, it is the current practice of the works departments concerned (e.g. ASD, Drainage Services Department and Water Supplies Department) to proactively consider incorporating roof greening features into building projects under their purview. Notwithstanding, it would be difficult to impose a mandatory requirement on all building projects to install green roofs since there may be practical and technical constraints from some of the projects. To further promote roof greening in government and private building projects, the Greening and Landscape Office (GLO) under the Development Bureau coordinates with the departments concerned in conducting research on roof greening techniques (e.g. suitable plant species and plant growth medium) and disseminating the research findings. The GLO also organises professional seminars to promote these techniques to the landscaping sector, professionals and government officers, with a view to promoting roof greening technologies by lowering the technical thresholds.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ9: Levy of profits tax on profits arising from property speculation*
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Paul Chan Mo-po and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, in the Legislative Council today (November 10):

Question:

Since April 1 this year, the Government has increased the rate of stamp duty on transactions of properties valued at more than $20 million to 4.25%. On April 21 this year, the Financial Secretary also told this Council that the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) would closely follow up all cases involving speculators profiting from property speculation, and profits tax would be levied on the persons or companies earning profits arising from such transactions. The Financial Secretary also indicated that in 2008-2009, some 4,000 suspected speculation cases required further follow-up action by IRD officers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of the relevant property transactions recorded and the amount of stamp duty collected by the Government since the aforesaid new rate of stamp duty on property transactions was levied six months ago, and how such figures compare with those of the same period last year;

(b) among the some 4,000 aforesaid suspected speculation cases which IRD has followed up, of the numbers of cases substantiated to be speculation cases, cases pending decision and cases proved not involving speculation; in respect of the substantiated speculation cases, of the amount of tax involved, the amount of tax collected, and the number of cases in which tax was not successfully recovered as well as the Government's follow-up actions; and

(c) in cases where the seller is not a Hong Kong resident or a company registered in Hong Kong, whether the Government will consider requiring the lawyer, when processing the transaction for the seller, to withhold a certain percentage of the seller's proceeds until the seller has paid the profits tax or IRD has issued a certificate confirming that the seller does not need to pay tax?

Reply:

President,

(a) From April 1 to October 31, 2010, the total number of property transactions valued more than $20 million as recorded by the Stamp Office of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) was 3,223, representing an increase of 86% over the same period of last year. The amount of stamp duty involved was $6.16 billion, representing an increase of 127% over the same period of last year.

(b) In 2008-09, 4,300 cases of suspected property speculation were identified through IRD's computer programme and initial review by IRD officers. As at end of October 2010, IRD completed the examination of 3,600 cases with the remaining 700 cases still being processed. Of those 3,600 examined cases, 1,600 cases were considered not taxable. Of the other 2,000 cases found to be chargeable to tax for profits derived from property transactions, 350 cases were already reported in the tax returns filed by the taxpayers. IRD has issued tax assessments for the remaining 1,650 taxable cases, and the amount of profits tax involved is $410 million. However, IRD does not keep statistics on the amount of profits tax collected in this regard.

For overdue tax, IRD would take various recovery actions immediately, including imposing a surcharge; issuing recovery notices to the third parties (such as the defaulting taxpayer's banker, employer or debtor) requesting them to transfer money held on account of the defaulting taxpayer to IRD for payment of the outstanding tax; and applying to the District Court to institute civil proceedings. If the judgement debt remains unsettled, IRD will issue a writ of fieri facias to levy execution against the movable properties of the defaulting taxpayer; or apply for a charging order on the immovable properties belonging to the defaulting taxpayer. IRD may also initiate bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings for the default cases, and may apply to the District Court for a direction to prevent the defaulting taxpayer from departing Hong Kong.

(c) Hong Kong adopts all along a territorial source principle of taxation, and strives to maintain a fair taxation system. Any persons, irrespective of whether they are residents of Hong Kong or companies incorporated in Hong Kong, carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong are chargeable to profits tax on their profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong. Imposing withholding tax arrangement only on non-Hong Kong residents and companies incorporated outside Hong Kong for their purchase/sale of Hong Kong properties would violate the fairness principle of Hong Kong's tax regime.


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## hkskyline

*Raging river reports to stay under wraps*
29 October 2010
The Standard

Authorities are citing legal reasons for their refusal to release reports on a deadly flood at a Tai Po village in July.

An investigation report and an independent review report will not be disclosed ``at this stage'' because of the possibilities of there being a criminal investigation and an inquest, said Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) Wai Chi-sing

A 50-year-old Sha Po Tsai villager, Lam Wing-wick, died in the flash floods brought by a July 22 rainstorm. More than a dozen people were stranded in a Tai Po River surge.

A report by hydraulics expert Joseph Lee Hun-wei went to the Development Bureau after he made site visits and collected data on upriver activities related to drainage- improvement works.

Using a mathematical model to simulate the situation, Lee yesterday talked of a ``scary flood'' and said its scale was very rare.

Director of Drainage Services Chan Chi-chiu said relief work has been done in the wake of the flood, including reinstating pedestrian accesses and railings, clearing blockages at bridge crossings,and shifting boulders deposited along the river.

He did not mention a compensation procedure for affected villagers and refused to comment on ideas that the drainage works caused the flash flood.


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## hkskyline

*Effort to prevent housing bubble in China diverts buyers to Hong Kong growth pains*
9 November 2010
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...ng-s-bubble-fight-as-buyers-cross-border.html

"The reaction has never been as good," said Lam, who credits the interest to the Shenzhen government's September 30 announcement that it was restricting home purchases by most local residents to two units. Lam, the regional project associate director at Centaline Property Agency, said almost half of the visitors had made appointments to look at properties in Hong Kong, or left contact details.

China's effort to prevent a housing bubble in cities such as Shenzhen, the country's first special economic zone, is hampering Hong Kong's own battle to curb a 50 percent surge in home prices since early 2009. Chinese buyers accounted for a third of new luxury home purchases in the first half, up from about 20 percent in the previous six months, Centaline said.

"More curbs in the mainland will trigger more funds to move across the border," said Eddie Hui, a professor in the real estate and construction department at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. "All that money needs a way out. There's a strong belief among mainland Chinese that investing in property is the best way to preserve capital value."

The Hang Seng property index, which tracks seven developers in Hong Kong, fell 1.3 percent on Tuesday as Beijing announced curbs on foreign currency inflows. The gauge is up 18 percent this year.

Taxes and showrooms

China unexpectedly raised borrowing costs last month for the first time since 2007. Consumer prices jumped 3.6 percent in September from a year earlier, while home prices in 70 Chinese cities rose 9.1 percent in September from a year earlier, even after officials extended curbs on property purchases.

In September, China told commercial banks to stop offering loans to buyers of third homes and extended a 30 percent down-payment requirement to all first-home buyers.

Beijing might start levying a property tax on a trial basis before March next year, the China Securities Journal reported last month, citing Nie Meisheng, the president of the China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce. The government said in September it would speed up the introduction of a trial property tax in some cities and then expand the levy to the whole country.

Hong Kong is a trade and financial hub for the mainland with its own legal and currency systems. Its population of 7.1 million is dwarfed by China's 1.3 billion people.

Hong Kong developers are increasing efforts to lure mainland buyers. Sun Hung Kai Properties, the territory's biggest developer, had sold about 300 houses in a luxury project in Sheung Shui, a district close to the Shenzhen border, since sales began early last month, the company said.

The company, which set up a showroom in Shenzhen with agents, models and artists' impressions of the project, estimated that as many as 60 percent of the buyers were from the mainland or Hong Kong businessmen who based their businesses across the border, said Andy Chan, a senior sales and marketing manager.

Henderson Land Development had also held regular roadshows in "multiple locations", including Shenzhen, to promote its Hong Kong projects, spokeswoman Bonnie Ngan said.

"If you can identify where those Chinese investment dollars are going next, you'll make a fortune," Michael Klibaner, the head of China research at Jones Lang Lasalle, said at the Hedge Funds Asia Summit last month. "You're talking about a tremendous amount of money. Wherever it goes, asset appreciation would follow."

Millionaire ranks

The number of millionaires in China climbed 6.1 percent year on year to 875 000, the Hurun Report said in April. China has the second-most billionaires after the US, according to Forbes magazine.

Hong Kong home prices have more than doubled from a trough in 2003 on a recovering economy, low interest rates and an influx of mainland Chinese buyers whose travel restrictions to the city have been gradually relaxed. Prior to 2003, home values went through a slump that began shortly after the Asian financial crisis hit in 1997, the height of the previous bubble.

Concerns that housing may become unaffordable for the majority of Hong Kong's population have forced the government of Chief Executive Donald Tsang to bring in curbs to rein in prices. The measures include stopping offers of residency to foreigners who buy property in the city and a plan to build more apartments for first-time property buyers, both of which Tsang unveiled last month.

Halting the residency eligibility would not do much to cool Hong Kong prices, said Cusson Leung, an analyst at Credit Suisse. "Most mainlanders invest in Hong Kong through their relatives or their business. I don't see how changing that will have any meaningful impact."

The city's residential property prices were likely to gain 30 percent from now until the end of 2011 because a weaker dollar would boost asset inflation, Leung and Joyce Kwock wrote in a Credit Suisse note to clients this week.

"The pool of money will always be there and they're always looking for speculative opportunities," said Eric Wong at UBS. "If you shut down one possible destination then, naturally, they'll have to find somewhere else to move into, and there's a chance more of those funds would flow into Hong Kong."


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## hkskyline

*Lam bites over flats `slip'*
The Standard
Monday, November 15, 2010

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has chided a developer for a "Freudian slip" in saying new rules on gross floor area may affect the supply of flats. 

On a Commercial Radio program yesterday, Lam reiterated that the new rules, to come into effect in April following a consultation of the industry, will not affect the supply of private flats.

Earlier this month, Cheung Kong executive director Grace Woo Chia- ching said the new government measures could reduce flat supply.

Under current practice, car parks for the use of occupants and their visitors are exempt from gross floor area calculations. But the government has proposed that, from April, only underground car parks will be exempted while those on the ground floor will have a 50 percent concession.

Woo said that when the new rules are in place, part of the floor area will have to be set aside for car parks instead of for building flats.

Apparently responding to the developer's comment without naming her, Lam said: "I really feel that the one who said it was making a Freudian slip."

She said the current practice of exempting certain facilities is aimed at making developers incorporate more environmentally friendly features and amenities so that residents can enjoy a more comfortable living environment.

The policy, she pointed out, exempts the floor area of clubhouses, wider corridors, sky gardens, and podium gardens, but "it has never increased the supply [of flats]."

"Why is it that when we slightly tighten the controls now, it will affect the supply? I don't quite get it."

Under the new rules, features such as balconies, lift lobbies and clubhouses, previously exempted from the gross floor area's calculations, should not exceed 10 percent of the gross floor area of a development.

The government has come up with these measures as developers have been known to inflate the saleable floor area to generate more profit by taking advantage of the exemptions.

Asked to comment on Lam's remarks, another Cheung Kong executive director, Justin Chiu Kwok-hung, said Woo had meant to say that more flats can be built if there is a larger gross floor area.

A government-appointed steering committee on regulating the sale of first- hand residential flats through legislation will have its first meeting today.

The 14-member committee will discuss issues such as the use of salable floor area as the only basis for listing the price per square foot to avoid misleading buyers in the coming year.

Meanwhile, on an RTHK program, Chinachem Group chairman Kung Yan- sum blamed the high property prices on the exorbitant cost of land.


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## hkskyline

*Work starts on law covering flat sales*
The Standard
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A steering committee on regulating the sale of new homes will complete its work by October next year, with some members hoping a law may be enacted soon after. 

The government-appointed Steering Committee on the Regulation of the Sale of First-hand Residential Properties by Legislation, chaired by Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing Duncan Pescod, will submit a report to Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Yu-wah.

After its inaugural meeting yesterday, committee member Lee Wing-tat, a Democratic Party legislator, said he hopes discussions will move swiftly so the report can be ready next summer. 

The government can then table a bill a couple of months later, so that the legislative process may be completed by the summer of 2012.

Lee proposes criminalizing acts of providing false or misleading information to prospective homebuyers.

"It is illegal to sell short-weight food. A flat may cost several million to more than HK$10 million," he said.

"It is reasonable to make it a criminal offense if a developer provides misleading or false information." 

There are subcommittees on property information and show flats, sales arrangements and practices, as well as enforcement mechanism and penalties.

Another committee member, lawmaker Patrick Lau Sau-shing of the architectural, surveying and planning sector, also hopes that the legislation can be completed as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said committee members will discuss the scope of the legislation as well as requirements on sales brochures, price lists, show flats and promotional materials.

The enforcement agency, law enforcement mechanism and the nature and levels of penalties will also be on the agenda, he said.


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## hkskyline

*Floods to move a million, study warns*
1 December 2010
The Standard

More than one million people in the Pearl River Delta, including Hong Kong, will be forced to move to higher areas by 2050 as climate change increases the risk of flooding.

The prediction is made in a report, entitled Rich Delta, Costly Flooding, jointly published by local policy think-tank Civic Exchange and the University of Leeds in Britain.

The report shows that a 20-centimeter rise in sea levels in the region by 2050 will affect more than 2,000 square kilometers in the delta plain, which is vulnerable to tidal inundation.

``Climate change studies show that this region will face extreme weather conditions that include more intense typhoons and rainstorms,'' said Christine Loh Kung-wai, Civic Exchange chief executive officer. ``The authorities need to consider carefully whether to permit dense development in flood-prone zones or not.''

Engineering fixes alone by the Drainage Services Department will not be enough, said Loh, who is also a co-author of the report.

She called on the government to release the findings of its cross-district flood risks assessment to alert residents.

``This could have an impact on property prices, but what we should be concerned about is human life and potential damage arising from floods,'' Loh said.

Faith Chan Ka-shun, researcher of the study, said Hong Kong should follow strategies in the United Kingdom that require decision-makers to direct development away from high-flood-risk areas.

A recent study by the Hong Kong Observatory showed that the incidence of heavy rainstorms has increased in the past decade, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas such as Tai O and the northern New Territories.

According to the Drainage Services Department, 18 flooding blackspots in the territory are under monitoring or maintenance to alleviate flooding.


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## hkskyline

*Bidding period opens for NT college site*
The Standard
Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Education Bureau is calling for bids from schools in Hong Kong and overseas wishing to build a private college on a 100,000-square-meter site in Fan Ling.

The disposal of the land in the New Territories at a nominal premium for educational purposes is part of the government's effort to improve access to tertiary education.

It is the largest of six sites selected for private self-financing education, the others being at Ho Man Tin, Sha Tin, Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O and Tai Wai.

The site at Queen's Hill, Fan Ling, can provide 8,000 tertiary education and 4,000 hostel places. 

"The Queen's Hill site demonstrates our strong commitment to promoting the development of self-financing tertiary education in Hong Kong," an Education Bureau spokesman said yesterday.

The tender period will run until March and the government welcomes expressions of interest from post-secondary institutions in both Hong Kong and overseas, the spokesman said.

The institution must be non- profit-making and run on a self- financing basis. Loans will be provided to finance the construction of the college premises.

Some schools have said the site is too big and beyond the means of smaller institutions.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong said it will carefully assess the development potential of the site. 

Hong Kong Baptist University, which has in the past expressed an interest in expansion, said its current plan already serves its needs and it has no interest in the Fan Ling site. 

A spokesman for Hong Kong University's School of Professional and Continuing Education said the location is too far from the urban area, where most learning centers are located.

The government has said it plans to make Hong Kong a regional hub in education. 

In his policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen announced the setting up of a HK$2.5 billion fund to support self-financing tertiary education.


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## hkskyline

*Two institutions interested in Fanling site for university*
23 December 2010
South China Morning Post

Two tertiary institutions say they are interested in applying for a piece of land in Fanling big enough to create the city's fifth-biggest university.

Their responses came after the government announced yesterday that the site in Queen's Hill, with a potential gross floor area of more than 100,000 square metres, is open for application. It is the biggest of six sites the administration has tagged for private university development.

Professor Peter Yuen Pok-man, dean of the Polytechnic University-affiliated College of Professional and Continuing Education, said the college was attracted by the size of the site, which it is estimated will provide 8,000 self-financed degree places, only slightly fewer than the 8,500 full-time undergraduates studying at City University.

But Yuen said the University Grants Committee's recommendation in a recent report on higher education - that community colleges like his should be separated from their mother institutions - complicated the matter. "We don't have problems admitting students now. Our two campuses have a combined student body of 9,000. But we need to study if we can sustain such a large-scale operation if we are separated from PolyU," he said.

Director of the University of Hong Kong's School of Professional and Continuing Education Lee Chack-fan said the school would consider all sites offered by the government.

Leung Yam Shing, education adviser with the Vocational Training Council, said the council would study the land in Fanling before deciding whether it was interested. A Chinese University spokeswoman said it would assess the potential of the site to house an institution for self-financing degree students.

Reggie Kwan Ching-ping, principal of Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, said it was not interested in the site.


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## hkskyline

*Party voice backs an `island for the dead'*
The Standard
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Liberal Party has joined calls for an "island for the dead."

The Food and Health Bureau was urged to investigate whether a columbarium can be built on an outlying island, for example, on Tung Lung Chau near Sai Kung or Hei Ling Chau to the east of Lantau Island.

The move follows similar calls from Savantas Policy Institute community development director David Wong Chor-fung.

Wong is also a Wan Chai district councillor and a member of the Hong Kong Chinese Reform Association.

The party's Yuen Long district councillor, Chow Wing-kan, along with several community officers yesterday handed a petition to the bureau to back its demands.

"There is shortage of land for development in the urban area. Even if each district can provide 500 more niches, it still cannot meet the long-term demand," Chow said.

His remarks came after the government identified five sites in five different districts for public columbariums and it is carrying out feasibility studies.

The five sites are in addition to 12 already proposed in seven districts in July.

But Chow believes they are insufficient. "The government can consider building a large-scale columbarium on an island to meet the growing demand for urns."

He added: "Hong Kong needs an average of about 50,000 new urns every year.

"More sites will have to be identified in each district for building columbariums if we do not consider putting niches on an island."

Chow said building a columbarium on an island will probably draw less opposition than locating such sites in urban areas.

But he stressed that when considering which island is more suitable, the government should assess the impact of such facilities on the environment.

"It should choose an area where there are few residents and where there will be least harm to the environment."


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## hkskyline

*Developers in race to beat curbs*
The Standard
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Buildings Department received 92 floor plans for property projects last month - the highest since the handover.

The high figure is a sign of a race by developers to win approval before curbs take effect next year over "inflated buildings" from misuse of concessions for building green and amenity facilities. 

It is more than double the amount for the same month last year and a sharp rise from the 65 received in October. 

"Developers are rushing to get their floor plans approved before restrictions on saleable floor areas are in place," said Patrick Chow Moon-kit, head of research at Ricacorp.

The government said in October that it would curb "inflated buildings," with a 10 percent cap to be placed on certain concessions. 

In November, the department approved 30 floor plans, 15 of which were for residential projects.

Sixteen projects were granted occupation permits last month. 

The permits covered 1,477 residential units with a combined gross floor area of 1.16 million square feet.

Meanwhile, the supply of private residential units jumped 85 percent in the first 11 months this year from a year ago, according to the department.

Around 70 percent of the new flats were in the New Territories, where 13 residential projects were finished this year. 

"A total of 12,550 units were completed during the period, thanks to the strong trend in housing starts back in 2007," said Chow.

The total for the year could reach 14,000, which is 96 percent more than last year.

Chow also noted that starting in 2011, fewer than 9,000 private homes will be completed each year, as there were only 7,000 home starts annually between 2008 and this year.

Newly completed units fetched HK$2 billion last month.


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## hkskyline

*URA promises 3,400 flats in next five years*
The Standard
Friday, December 31, 2010

The Urban Renewal Authority will put 3,400 flats on the market over the next five years, half of them smaller than 500 square feet. 

"There is a huge demand for small to medium-sized flats. Half of our flats to be put on sale over the next five years will be of a compact design sized 500 square feet or below," authority managing director Quinn Law Yee-kwan said yesterday.

Asked whether prices will be set as high as its recent Queen's Cube project in Wan Chai - which fetches up to HK$15,000 per square foot - Law said that will depend on the private property market when the flats go on sale.

The authority's 68 small flats at Baker Court, Hung Hom, will go on sale by the end of next year. And 1,200 flats at Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai will supply the highest number of homes among authority redevelopments over the next five years, a spokesman said.

The remaining flats to be released are in six districts including Mong Kok, Kwun Tong and Sai Ying Pun.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen in his policy address promised to liaise with the authority to increase the supply of small and medium-sized flats in urban renewal projects.

Law said the authority plans to spend HK$20 billion on revitalization projects in the next five years, with a "substantial amount" on redeveloping large sites of 1,000 square meters and over.

Meanwhile, executive director Iris Tam Siu-ying said four design options for revitalizing the 70-year-old Central Market will be available for public consultation as early as March.

The designs aim to introduce greenery into Central by renovating the market and creating a public amenity space. A decision on the design and tenancy mix will be made next year, Tam said, and renovations may take up to four years.


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## hkskyline

*Land use ruling opens way for stiffer penalties*
4 January 2011
South China Morning Post

Environmental groups have long argued that penalties imposed for illegal dumping and land use in the New Territories are too lenient to discourage offences which can yield big profits. They have certainly looked derisory at times compared with the maximums allowed by law - and the money to be made by flouting it. The courts take other factors into account, such as the history of offending and consistency of sentencing. But there can be no argument about how light penalties can weaken the deterrent effect of punitive maximums. The question remains whether the deterrent effect, if any, of lower-range penalties reflects trends in community awareness and concerns about town planning and protection of the environment.

There is mounting evidence that they do not. It is good therefore to see that the courts appear to be listening to public sentiment, if a recent case is any guide. Hopefully the message will get through to people who treat light penalties like a licence fee for illegal activities that have turned parts of the New Territories into an eyesore.

Last June, a magistrate imposed fines totalling HK$980,000 on 18 people for illegally developing a container storage on a one-hectare site in Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long. They had defied an order from the Planning Department to desist since 2008 after flattening and fencing land with a pond and vegetation. Two years ago, a similar case - except that the site was six times larger - resulted in 56 people being fined a total of only HK$680,000.

Not surprisingly, 12 owners and managers in the later case appealed against fines ranging from HK$30,000 to HK$100,000 each. The appeal failed, but the real significance lay in remarks by the appeal judge which appear to set a new standard for punishment of people who breach land-use rules. Deputy Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai said the courts should focus on depriving offenders of illicit gains and pass sentences that act as deterrents.

He rightly pointed out that society's awareness of planning and environmental issues was increasing. The court had a responsibility to hand down punishments that were more of a deterrent to people who broke the law purely for personal gain. Moreover, he left little doubt that the defendants may have been fortunate not to have come before him for sentencing, saying that the magistrate had been lenient. Each of the defendants had been treated as if they had only one previous breach, although some had many. In future, he said, the level of fines should be rational and logical.

We trust Chan is not a lone voice. His views, after all, are not inconsistent with the usual approach of the courts to persistent and repeated offending for personal gain. Prosecutors should also seriously consider his suggestion that they help magistrates determine an appropriate fine by supplying information about the increased market rental value of a plot under illegal use.

A string of violations of development and environmental rules has heightened public awareness and concern. Last year, the average sentence imposed for unauthorised development ranged from HK$9,682 to HK$23,333, although the Town Planning Ordinance allows fines of up to HK$500,000 on first conviction. Understandably there have been calls for the government to introduce jail sentences, as there are for breaches under the Country Parks Ordinance, Forest and Countryside Ordinance and Lands (Miscellaneous Provision) Ordinance, which have lighter fines. The imposition of fines that fit the crime, as suggested by Chan, would be a sensible test whether this is necessary.


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## hkskyline

*Tougher action on illegal structures *
The Standard
Friday, January 14, 2011

The government proposes to amend the law empowering the Buildings Department to seek court warrants and inspect flats suspected of carrying out illegal internal alterations.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told legislators the government planned to introduce a legislative amendment under the Buildings Ordinance to help the department take action against uncooperative landlords.

The government believes the law is necessary to inspect subdivided rooms or flats suspected of having illegal internal alterations. 

Lam told the subcommittee on building safety that the community hopes the amendment will be implemented within the next few months.

The department is currently empowered to break into flats.

Yet this measure is rarely used unless there is a clear sign of imminent danger.

Lam said yesterday the time has come to take a tougher stance. Currently, there are about 400,000 illegal structures in the SAR, half the number of 10 years ago. 

"We will treat all buildings the same and we won't just set priorities to do dangerous illegal structures first, or limit our scope because we have inadequate manpower and resources," she said. 

It also does not matter if unauthorized constructions are on rooftops, podiums, yards or back lanes.

She believes more manpower and resources will be allocated in the forthcoming budget to address the increasing needs of the department.

On another front, the government is also planning to regulate illegal advertising signboards. But those inspected every five years by registered building professionals or contractors may be kept. 

The department plans to draw up a comprehensive database of all signboards in Hong Kong, to ensure safety and facilitate control and enforcement action. 

The proposals will be sent to the relevant Bills Committee for consideration.

While lawmakers generally approved the proposal, they asked that a flexible approach be taken as some illegal structures were erected before the homes were purchased by current owners.

The government will also explore the feasibility of encouraging building owners to make use of mediation to resolve water seepage-related disputes, a recommendation made by the Ombudsman after an inquiry into wrongful water charges was made.


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## hkskyline

*Stanley Ma Hang Park Officially Opened in Stanley *
Government Press Release
Monday, January 17, 2011










The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:

Visitors are encouraged to visit Stanley Ma Hang Park following its official opening by the Housing Authority today (January 17). The park has an area of 50,000 square-meters featuring various thematic zones to cater for people of all ages and interests.

Stanley Ma Hang Park is designed to blend in with the natural landscape. Pedestrian paths have been improved to enable safe and easy access to the various thematic zones, with display boards set up to introduce the birds, butterflies and plant species found in the park.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Director (Development & Construction) of Housing, Ms Ada Fung said, "The design of Stanley Ma Hang Park has incorporated views and ideas from the local community and District Council, environmental groups, professionals and relevant government departments. We have strived to preserve the natural environment and improve the facilities in the park, including the lighting system and provision of toilet facilities, thus offering a green leisure space for our residents. The Housing Authority is thinking of improving the vegetation, so that in five years' time, the park will become an attractive habitat for more birds and butterflies."

At the ceremony, Ms Ada Fung and the Chairman of the Southern District Council, Ms Mar Yuet-har jointly stamped a giant map of Ma Hang Park to mark its official opening. More than 100 guests from the local community, Southern District Council and the green groups witnessed this important moment.

Also officiating at today's event were the Chairman of the Southern District East Area Committee, Mr Joseph Chan, District Officer (Southern), Mr Alex Wong, Chief Executive of the Conservancy Association, Mr Ken So, Assistant Director (Project) of Housing, Mr Martin Cheung, Chief Manager/Management (Kowloon West and Hong Kong) of the Housing Department, Mr Sunny Ip and Assistant General Manager of China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd, Mr Lau Wing-shing.


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## hkskyline

*Tunnel work eases flood fears*
The Standard
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

West Kowloon residents can sleep a little easier with the completion of a branch of the Lai Chi Kok drainage tunnel, which aims to put an end to flood misery.

Areas of West Kowloon were inundated last year following some of the worst storms in years.

The whole tunnel is due for completion by the end of next year although engineers said they may encounter problems because part of it runs close to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

"The surface runoff from the uphill catchment of Lai Chi Kok and Cheung Sha Wan will be intercepted by the drainage tunnel and discharged into the harbor near Stonecutters Island," Drainage Services Department director Chan Chi-chiu said.

Work began on the 2.5-kilometer branch tunnel near Butterfly Valley Road last March and was carried out 24 hours a day, six days a week.

Work on the 1.2km main tunnel under Tsing Sha Highway will begin in April.


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## hkskyline

*Housing Society plans 1,200 flats in Sham Shui Po*
19 January 2011
South China Morning Post









_Cityscape_

The Housing Society will offer more than 1,200 flats from 2013 at affordable prices, under its five urban renewal projects in Sham Shui Po.

"These will be no-frills and simple flats but of competitive quality, as the owners may resell the flats on the market," the society's chairman, Yeung Ka-sing, said yesterday.

The projects were targeting the mass market, especially first-time homebuyers who were seeking an affordable home, Yeung said.

"We don't actually impose any [application] conditions [about] whether you are a first-time homebuyer or not. But we believe the kind of affordability we will offer will suit first-time homebuyers."

The society will not impose any other specific eligibility conditions on applicants.

About 70 per cent of the 1,257 homes will be two-bedroom flats measuring about 500 sq ft and the rest will be 400 sq ft studio and one-bedroom flats, and three-bedroom homes from 600 sq ft to 700 sq ft.

The first of the five projects to be completed will be two 327-flat blocks located at the junction of Po On Road and Wai Wai Road. The development is expected to be finished in 2013. A pre-sale will be launched by the end of next year and ballots will be drawn if the number of applicants exceeds the number of flats available.

Prices have yet to be determined, but the society's chief executive, Wong Kit-loong, said they would be close to market prices.

However, since they are no-frills homes, their prices would still be lower than those with luxury decoration offered by private developers.

"When we set the prices, we are subjected to a lot of circumstances like the market - whether it's going up or down," he said. "At the moment, what we can say is that we've already spent HK$1.8 billion to resume all the flats in these sites.

"It's a very high-cost project and at the moment we hope that we can break even."

He said flats were now selling at about HK$6,000 per sq ft in Sham Shui Po.

Patrick Chow Moon-kit, head of research at Ricacorp Properties, said the projects would be attractive to buyers because of their location. "This is located in the urban area where there aren't many private residential projects," Chow said. "And it is close to the MTR stations."

He said private flats aged about three to five years in the neighbourhood were selling at between HK$6,500 and HK$7,400 per square foot in the secondary market.

The Housing Society is an independent, statutory, non-profit-making body which provides housing for low income and middle-class families with its own resources or in partnership with the government.

It raises finance for its projects through property sales, commercial leasing and external borrowings.

The society is confident that it will not receive criticism similar to that heaped on Queen's Cube, the residential project in Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, jointly developed by the Urban Renewal Authority and Nan Fung Group.

The flats there were criticised for being overpriced. The project raised eyebrows when flats went on the market in October at HK$14,888 per sq ft of gross floor area.

Yeung said the society chose to develop the Sham Shui Po project on its own instead of with private developers, so it would not need to compromise when setting prices.

The society said its medium-sized flats would offer an alternative choice of simple and durable homes.


----------



## hkskyline

*'Dark age' hits flats as 34-storey hotel looms next door*
21 January 2011
SCMP




























The dark age has arrived for homeowners in a Sheung Wan building - literally.

A three-storey building next to it is turning into a 34-floor hotel that will completely block some of their windows.

There will be so little room between the two buildings that some flat owners in the 14-storey Wing Shun Building on Bonham Strand West have been told to remove air-conditioners and water pipes to make room for the rising hotel.

"We received a letter two months ago, [from the builder] telling us that our windows will be blocked. And they asked us to move our air-conditioners and pipes to the other side," said a tenant living on the 12th floor.

"There won't be any light and air coming into the living room," she said.

The hotel construction was approved by the Buildings Department - but so was the placement of air-conditioners and pipes on the older building, questionably close to the lot boundary.

It appears that when Wing Shun was built 40 years ago, its developers were so eager to make use of the investment, the building literally used every inch of the site's space.

Bernard Lim Wan-fung, professor of architecture at Chinese University, said the air conditioners and pipes were probably illegal constructions in the first place.

"No windows and facilities can be built on the side of a building which is close to the lot boundary," he said.

"If they are built, the building should not be constructed close to the lot boundary. There must be space between these facilities and the adjacent building."

Once the hotel is complete, three of the five windows of flat B units in Wing Shun Building will disappear, leaving those flats with only two windows facing the main street.

The hotel, developed by Bright Century Limited, is now seven floors high. Its completion date is unknown. "It's now very noisy and dusty in the apartment," the woman tenant said. "Lights are on until 8pm or 9pm. That's very annoying."

Flats on the lower floors are not affected, however. Their windows do not face the hotel project.

Lawmaker Kam Nai-wai, who is also a Central and Western district councillor, said four owners had complained to him so far.

Vincent Ho Kui-yip, chairman of the Institute of Surveyors' building surveying division, said buildings close to each other were common in Hong Kong.

Developers were allowed to build buildings within their own lot boundaries, Ho said.

He said the hotel developers had a right to ask that the older building's facilities be removed.

"In the first place, the old building should not have windows, air conditioners and pipes out of its lot boundary," he said.

Bright Century project director Joe Liu said his company had first tried to approach property owners affected by the development a year ago. "In fact, we have settled cases with three units already, to help them remove air conditioners and other facilities," he said.

He said the hotel development had been approved by the Buildings Department, which assisted in talks with affected property owners. "When our hotel is built, there will still be a 10cm gap between our building and the adjacent building."

The owner of Flat B on the 9th floor said he felt humiliated when trying to negotiate with contractor Paul Y Builders. He said the contractor had only offered to pay half the expenses involved in modifications. "They sent us letters and informed us what they were going to do. We are in a very weak position."


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## hkskyline

*Contract awarded for Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A *
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Government Press Release

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (January 20) awarded a $625 million contract for upgrading the preliminary treatment works at North Point, Wan Chai East and Central.

Speaking after the contract signing ceremony, the Director of Drainage Services, Mr Chan Chi-chiu said this was the eighth major works contract awarded under the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A. 

"This contract comprises the upgrading of three preliminary treatment works (PTWs) at North Point, Wan Chai East and Central. The PTWs provide preliminary treatment to the sewage before the sewage is conveyed via the deep sewage tunnels to the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW) for further treatment. The major works of this contract include upgrading the inlet sewage pumps, the fine screen systems and the grit removal systems as well as the enhancement of the deodorisation systems and landscaping areas of the PTWs," Mr Chan said. 

HATS is a major sewerage infrastructure project in Hong Kong for the improvement of water quality in Victoria Harbour. The commissioning of HATS Stage 1 in late 2001 has provided proper treatment for about 75% of the sewage discharged into Victoria Harbour, and has significantly improved the water quality in the eastern and central parts of the harbour. HATS Stage 2A will collect the remaining 25% of the sewage generated from the northern and southwestern parts of Hong Kong Island, and involves the construction of approximately 21 kilometres of sewage tunnels, and the expansion and upgrading of the SCISTW facilities and related PTWs on Hong Kong Island.

The contract is scheduled for completion at the end of 2014.


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## hkskyline

*Punishment must fit the crime for eco-vandals*
23 January 2011
South China Morning Post

If you litter the footpath with a scrap of paper you risk an on-the-spot fine of HK$1,500. There is a lot to lose and nothing to gain. There are also laws to protect country parks and wilderness from degradation, such as development. The difference is that the people involved, from principals to employees, do stand to benefit one way or another. On-the-spot fines are not the answer. To make the punishment fit the crime, the penalties must be tough enough to prompt reflection as to whether the gain to be made from breaking the law is worth the risk. If not, the penalties are part of the problem, not the solution.

Examples are to be found in prosecutions following the public uproar over development of a site beside scenic Sai Wan beach on Sai Kung peninsula. The land was unzoned, but enclosed by conservation areas. A businessman bought it from owners of an abandoned village. Development resulted in illegal excavation of government land and pollution of watercourses. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department brought charges under the Country Park Ordinance against three drivers, four employees of a development company and a machinery supplier, for illegally transporting diggers across the beach. A court imposed fines from HK$450 to HK$800. Littering a street would have cost them more.

Not only are these fines derisory given the increased public awareness of the value of our natural heritage, but so are the maximum penalties of HK$2,000 and three months' jail the law provides for. The Lands Department brought charges against other parties for illegal excavation of government land and polluting watercourses. The same misgivings apply. The court imposed fines of between HK$1,000 and HK$35,000, when the maximum penalties are HK$50,000 and six months' jail.

Neither the sentencing nor the maximum sentences reflect prevailing public sentiment. Conservationists rightly point out that transport of the diggers was a deliberate violation of the law and not accidental trespassing. They want the Department of Justice to apply for a review of the sentences; the Lands Department is, at least, seeking legal advice on its next step. But that does not atone for the fact that much of the damage need not have happened anyway. It turns out to be a classic case of divided responsibilities and red tape preventing decisive action to enforce the law and safeguard the environment. Digging work had only just begun when AFCD officers visited Sai Wan in early June. Instead of stopping it they asked the Lands Department if it had approved development there; the latter's staff took another three weeks to visit and survey the area. It was another month before work was halted. The two departments give conflicting accounts of what went wrong. But a more proactive, interdepartmental approach is needed to combat eco-vandalism.

The Sai Wan case represents a quirk of history. Pockets of ancestral land were exempted from the country parks system. Those that defied zoning for agricultural or conservation use were left unzoned, leaving a loophole for unregulated development. The government has acted to close this loophole in Sai Wan and at some other sites through temporary protective zonings. More action like this is needed, along with a greater sense of urgency in response to environmental threats and tougher penalties to fit the crime and public expectations. The government could start by explaining why the person ultimately responsible for the illegal Sai Wan work - the one who authorised it - has not been prosecuted.


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## hkskyline

*Builders hike pay to lure `new blood' *
25 January 2011
The Standard

Graduates of a construction industry training scheme can look forward to earning up to HK$15,000 a month after only six months on the job, trade executives said.

This is the centerpiece of the latest attempt to attract more young people to an industry suffering from an acute shortage of workers.

``We want to make it more appealing so as to attract new blood,'' Construction Association president Conrad Wong Tin-cheung said. ``The demand for construction workers mainly hinges on the amount of government projects and those of the private sector. When the economy booms, more building projects will come on stream.''

Under the Construction Industry Council scheme launched last September, the training allowance for students enrolling in courses for bar bending and fixing, timber formwork, metal formwork and drain laying is HK$5,000 a month.

Ninety-four companies have pledged to hire course graduates for periods ranging from one to three months at a salary of at least HK$8,000 a month. The salary will be raised to a minimum of HK$10,000 after six months.

As of mid-January, 39 of the 44 graduates have been hired on salaries ranging from HK$8,000 to HK$14,000 a month.

The scheme, which aims to train 3,000 workers over three years, is one of the measures included in a HK$100 million package approved last year by the Legislative Council's Finance Committee to attract more young people and enhance training for existing workers.

Wong yesterday disclosed that more than 20 of the 94 firms have recently agreed to raise the starting salary for graduates by HK$2,000 to at least HK$10,000 a month. After six months they will be paid at least HK$15,000 a month, he said.

He expects other firms will follow to compete for talent. ``Graduates will be drawn to the companies which provide better wages,'' Wong said.

Billy Wong Wing-hoo, chairman of the council's committee on manpower training and development, said the pay hike offer does not imply a lukewarm response to the current scheme. Instead, it reflects the increased salary levels of the trade.

He dismissed worries that the rise in labor costs may push up tender prices.

``What rattles contractors most is the difficulty in hiring enough workers to do a project after being awarded a tender,'' he said.


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## hkskyline

*Cheung Kong seeks $30b flat sales*
The Standard
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) hopes to gross around HK$30 billion this year by launching up to 11 residential projects in Hong Kong, Singapore and three mainland cities.

"We may raise HK$20 billion by selling seven projects in Hong Kong with about 3,500 flats, if we can obtain pre- sales consent this year," said executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung, adding sales revenue will be similar to last year.

The first two projects to go on the market are Phase 2C of Lohas Park in Tseung Kwan O - with 1,100 flats - and the Hung Shui Kiu project in Yuen Long, which is mainly targeted at mainland buyers.

"Around 10-15 percent of our buyers will be from the mainland, compared with 5-6 percent last year," said director William Kwok Tsz-wai. The Li Ka- shing-controlled developer also expects to make HK$10 billion from more than 1,000 homes that will be sold in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Singapore.

Looking ahead, Cheung Kong is interested in bidding for land along and above the Long Ping railway station in Yuen Long, said Chiu.

Meanwhile, rival Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) plans to sell its residential project Imperial Cullinan in the coming months. Situated in southwest Kowloon, the five-block project offers 650 residential homes. The apartments range from 800 to 2,000 square feet.

"For the price, you may take reference from nearby The Cullinan," said Allen Woo, Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency senior sales and marketing manager, hinting they will cost more than HK$20,000 per square foot.

The local property market is expected to see robust growth after speculators were bounced out by government curbing measures in November.

With interest rates remaining low and inflation between 4 and 5 percent, home prices are expected to see double-digit growth this year, said Chiu. "Developers don't want house prices to shoot up too fast," Chiu said.

On the other hand, mainland property prices will stabilize due to further credit tightening policies, Chiu noted.

Cheung Kong said it will continue to replenish its land reserves in China and is targeting large sites for big projects.

Cheung Kong shares rose 0.3 percent to HK$133 yesterday, while Sun Hung Kai Property (0016) dipped 0.7 percent to HK$134.20.


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## hkskyline

*Residents displaced by renewal projects fear being shut out *
24 January 2011
South China Morning Post

Residents affected by a redevelopment project in Sham Shui Po fear they will not be able to afford to move back to the area.

They urged the Housing Society, which is responsible for five renewal projects in the district, to include public housing or Home Ownership Scheme flats in its plans, so residents can afford to resettle in the district after the redevelopment work.

"Prices of the society's planned flats would be too high for many of our residents. This will widen the poverty gap," said Ho Kwok-keung, who lives in the district and is a member of a group concerned about the projects.

The society said on Friday it planned to build 1,200 affordable, no-frills flats aimed at the mass market, especially first-time buyers, in the five projects, starting in 2013.

But the residents said they were disappointed the society did not consider their proposal made in September, for which they received almost 1,000 signatures in support.

The proposal included building one block of public housing, two blocks of HOS flats and two blocks of private housing, for a total of 1,182 flats. The society's plan is to build eight blocks of private housing, in four of the five projects.

"Our proposal considers the needs of different people, but the society is only responding to demands of first-time homebuyers," said Ho.

The proposal was supported by Sham Shui Po District Council, which submitted it to the society, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Development Bureau in October. But only the society responded in January, saying it was discussing the matter with the URA, he said.

"We are calling on the authorities to consider our proposal. Many of our residents work or go to school in the neighbourhood. It will pose a great financial and psychological burden to them if they have to relocate to other districts," Ho said.

Cheung Sin-yi, another resident and member of the concern group, said: "They are contradicting their own urban renewal strategies, which include maintaining social linkages and proper resettlement of residents in the district."

The URA handed over the five projects in Sham Shui Po to the society under a memorandum of understanding, a spokesman for the society said, and the society has to follow the URA's policy and strategy.

"It is the government's decision whether or not to build public housing and HOS flats," he said but admitted the agreement did not say private housing must be built in the projects.

"We paid full compensation in land acquisition, and houses will be sold at market prices," he said.

The Housing Society is an independent, statutory, non-profit-making body that provides housing for low-income and middle-class families with its own resources or in partnership with the government.

It funds its projects through property sales, commercial leasing and external borrowings.


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## hkskyline

*Prices staying the course*
The Standard
Thursday, January 27, 2011

Housing experts predict the volume of property sales this year will fall from 2010 levels, while prices will rise 5 to 15 percent - down from last year's 21 percent - as more government intervention is expected to cool the market.

Transactions in Hong Kong's primary and secondary markets may slump 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, analysts and agencies said.

That being said, Samsung Securities managing director and regional head of property Lee Wee-liat does not expect residential prices to slide much due to the current low mortgage rates.

"Even if the interest rates rise within these two years, the pace won't be too fast, and home prices won't fall easily," he said.

Lee forecasts property prices will climb 5 percent this year as the government launches more measures to curb speculation.

"Homebuyers will be more cautious as they may find home prices too high after those austerity measures, so we foresee the number of home transactions dropping," Lee said.

According to Samsung, the average transaction value in the primary market for the first half of 2010 soared to almost HK$20 million per property - five times higher than the norm of HK$4 million per unit.

This indicated that a large number of the sales involved luxury properties, defined as homes costing HK$12 million or more.

The strong response of homebuyers in the primary market subsequently triggered a wave of transactions in the secondary market, where the average transaction value jumped to HK
$4 million, up from the norm of HK$2.5 million to HK$3 million per apartment - similar to what occurred in 1997, when per unit price also hit HK$4 million.

"Mainland buyers will continue to be the main driver of the local luxury residential market," Lee said, adding they may have accounted for 40 percent of firsthand luxury home purchases in the second half of last year.

For the first six months of last year, Centaline Property attributed up to 35 percent of luxury sales in the primary market, and about 20 percent of deals in the secondary market, to mainland buyers.

Centaline research director Wong Leung-sing said 1,172 villas changed hands in the whole of 2010, generating turnover of HK$25.67 billion - the highest level since the HK$43.37 billion recorded in 1997.

Meanwhile, Midland Realty head of research Buggle Lau Ka-fai takes a more bullish view for 2011.

Lau projects that home prices will rise 10 percent, with trading volume declining about 17 percent.

Ricacorp predicts the number of residential transactions will drop 20 percent this year to 108,000 deals, or about 9,000 per month, while prices will climb 10 percent at major housing estates, and 15 percent for luxury homes.

Construction started for 5,397 flats in 35 projects last year - a 22 percent plunge from 6,887 homes in 2009 - according to Ricacorp head of property research Patrick Chow Moon-kit.

Chow forecasts construction starts to rebound to 8,000 to 12,000 flats this year.

"The actual levels of demand may be distorted by investment activities," said Samsung's Lee, commenting on the view that home prices are pushed up by undersupply.

Of the private flats built and occupied between 2006 and 2009, some 26 percent to 36 percent of them are being rented out rather than occupied by owners, according to data compiled by the Rating and Valuation Department.

Lee said those percentages were even higher than the 17 percent in 1996 and 28 percent in 1997, during the asset bubble before the Asian financial crisis.


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## obama64

hkskyline said:


> *Garley Building owner to sell redeveloped premises *
> Ernest Kong
> 6 April 2005
> South China Morning Post
> 
> China Resources Enterprise, having secured full ownership of Garley Building after a seven-year battle, plans to sell the site which it is in the process of rebuilding.
> 
> The company is redeveloping the building, which was heavily damaged in a tragic fire in 1996, into a 12-storey Ginza-style shopping mall. It was seeking about $1 billion, or about $9,000 per sqft, for the property, an agent said.
> 
> While construction of the 101,332 sqft project will not be completed until the end of 2007, most potential buyers are local investors who are confident in running a shopping mall near Jordan MTR station.
> 
> Colliers International director of Investment Antonio Wu said: "Most foreign investors eye retail property that is already generating a stable rental yield, while [this] property is only in pre-sale status. Interested parties are mostly local investors and developers."
> 
> The property, at $1 billion, can generate a rental yield of about 4 per cent if it is leased for about $30 per sqft per month, which is similar to rents at Ginza-style shopping malls in Causeway Bay.
> 
> China Resources Enterprise has been offloading its non-core properties in Hong Kong. The firm recently sold an office tower with a retail podium - CRE Building on Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, for $41 million.
> 
> Last October, it sold an office project near the Central escalator for $1.33 billion.
> 
> A property agent said: "The firm is selling its properties in a low profile. It welcomes price negotiation but will not put properties on tender."
> 
> The Garley Building name would probably change when the new building was completed, a property agent said.
> 
> After being badly damaged by the fire, the abandoned building became an eyesore on bustling Nathan Road. Despite strong redevelopment merit and keen interest from majority owner China Resources Enterprise, which owned about 68 per cent in undivided shares before the fire, the building went through a long land-assembly process.
> 
> In 2000, the firm had amassed an undivided share ownership close to 88.5 per cent, but it could not force an auction until 2003, when its ownership rose to more than 90 per cent, the minimum level required to force an auction according to the compulsory sale for redevelopment ordinance.
> 
> China Resources Enterprise secured full ownership from the five remaining owners in an auction for $19 million.
> 
> China Resources Enterprise said it had spent about $300 million to raise its ownership to more than 90 per cent before the forced auction.


The Urban Renewal Authority will implement the project in association with the Hong Kong Housing Society, helping to rejuvenate the old district and improve residents' living conditions.




______________________
iphone book reader
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## hkskyline

*City still has 1,400 dilapidated buildings a year after collapse *
To Kwa Wan disaster left four dead, but moves to improve safety are stuck at the talking stage
29 January 2011
South China Morning Post

It was a year ago today: a 53-year-old tenement building shook. Then it cracked and fell amid deafening noise and a plume of dust, crumbling into a pile of rubble.

Four people died and two were injured in the shocking January 29, 2010, collapse of a five-storey, 53-year-old apartment house in To Kwa Wan. Dozens of people in neighbouring buildings thought to be at risk were forced to find new homes. And though the tragedy riveted the city and prompted plenty of concerned talk about building safety in Hong Kong, a government survey shows that 1,400 buildings that are at least 30 years old remain today in "dilapidated conditions".

The Urban Renewal Authority, which completed the survey last month, did not specify how run-down the buildings are or where they are located. It said that releasing information about specific buildings could hurt their property value.

A spokesman took pains, however, to say: "No building is found to be in immediate danger so far."

Despite the high number of ageing buildings with clear defects, remedies are still in the talking stage. The URA is planning a forum in April to figure out urban-renewal strategies. Lawmakers are debating a basket of new measures, including a law that would compel owners of older structures to get regular professional building inspections.

The new survey of dilapidated buildings follows up an earlier one, done by the URA shortly after the tenement collapse of a year ago. That investigation found that about 2,000 buildings in Hong Kong were a "potential danger". The phrase was not defined.

"We will not release the full results of the report," a top URA official said late last year. "Releasing such information would have a serious impact on the value of the properties concerned and this would not be fair to the owners.

"There is no public safety concern since any building found with immediate danger will be fixed," the official added. "We are talking about blocks with potential danger and we will tell these owners and help them repair their homes."

The To Kwa Wan tragedy prompted the Buildings Department to make its own survey last February. The department found that over half of Hong Kong's 4,000 buildings more than 50 years old were found to have obvious and minor defects. Most of the buildings were found in Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po districts. Two needed emergency remedial work and got it.

Professor Law Chi-kwong, who specialises in urban renewal issues at the University of Hong Kong, called for more disclosure. He questioned the premise that flat prices would fall if the authority disclosed more details of its survey.

"The price could rise as the potential redevelopment value could be attractive to buyers," he said. "They can realise a much higher profit from redevelopment than owning a renovated flat," he said.

Making public such information, without naming the buildings, would bolster public and owners' awareness of building maintenance, Law said.

A spokeswoman for the development agency yesterday declined to say if it would release details of the survey results.

Earlier this month, the Buildings Department brought charges against a contractor responsible for renovation work in a ground-floor shop done before the building at 45 Ma Tau Wai Road collapsed.

The contractor, who was not identified, was charged under a section of the Buildings Ordinance regarding work that causes injury or damage to property. The maximum penalty is HK$1 million and three years' jail. A Buildings Department spokeswoman said the Department of Justice decided to prosecute after studying forensic results and witness statements. Investigators found that renovation work had damaged structurally important columns, and two others.

Questions have been asked about whether Chak Oi-luen, owner of the collapsed building, will face any charges. Police have been investigating the case but have arrested no one so far.

Democratic Party lawmaker and solicitor James To Kun-sun said if prosecutors could prove the owner had instructed the contractor to remove the structural columns, knowing that could cause danger, she could be charged with inciting someone to violate the building law.

"But it looks unlikely the owner will be prosecuted," To said.

In the Legislative Council, lawmakers are debating bills submitted by the Development Bureau meant to step up building safety.

A major step would be a new law requiring owners to conduct building inspections. Owners of buildings older than 30 years would have to hire a professional to examine the common areas of the blocks every 10 years. Those who failed to comply would face a fine of HK$50,000 and a year in jail.

The bill, finally tabled after nearly two decades of political haggling, is expected to take effect no sooner than year's end.

Other measures would equip building officials with court warrants to let them enter flats for inspections, and require owners to apply to the Buildings Department when subdividing flats to ensure they hire qualified contractors.

Property owners refusing to share costs of repairing common areas would be charged a 20 per cent surcharge of the expense. A unified scheme of building maintenance subsidies, run by the Housing Society and Urban Renewal Authority, would offer help to owners with financial difficulties.

These new measures require the amendment of dozens of regulations. Whether they will take effect soon will depend on how fast the bureau can secure lawmakers' approval.

Law said mandatory inspections would alleviate problems relating to older buildings, but the bill failed to answer some questions. Should government offer help to elderly people who cannot afford inspections? Should buildings more than 50 years old be exempted from mandatory inspection because they could be redeveloped soon anyway?

In the long run, he said, the hazards of old buildings would not be solved without addressing poverty in the city.

"The root of the problem is that we have a large number of poor families which create a continuous demand for dilapidated flats and subdivided flats," he said, "In other modern cities, these poor-condition flats are often demolished as they have no market."

Redevelopment in the collapsed building's neighbourhood has not gone smoothly. The project, undertaken by the authority alone, was scheduled to commence acquisition last May. But it is still in a deadlock, eight months later.

Earlier this month, eight residents filed an appeal against the redevelopment, saying their flats, located on the street adjacent to the collapsed building, were excluded from the redevelopment boundary. The appeal - a first for the authority - will postpone the project by two months; acquisitions cannot commence until it is settled.

Chan Ming-chuen, one of the eight residents, said the authority's arrival had ruined a deal to sell his flat to an estate agency, which had been acquiring old buildings in the area before the collapse. Chan, in his 60s, urged the authority to include him in the project because his site had now become too small to be lucrative for private developers.

Although the authority is allowing tenants and owners to receive compensation before it takes their property, only two of the 159 property interests have been sold to the authority, and about half of the affected tenants have moved out.

The authority's HK$2 billion project will convert 33 blocks on Ma Tau Wai Road and Chun Tin Street into two 30-storey blocks. Each will have 500 square metres of open space at ground level, 1,000 square metres of community facilities and street-level shops. The project is expected to create experimental "no-frills" small to medium-sized apartments.


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## Rachmaninov

One thing they really shouldn't do is to apply a FLAT rule that buildings shouldn't be taller than the hills behind. I agree that some of the hills must never be obscured, e.g. Lion Rock, The Peak, etc. but I'm sure the rule could be relaxed in Taikoo without really ruining much. Stubbornly following this rule only restricts the heights and hence GFA and price/rent of the office buildings...


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## hkskyline

Well, developers will then question why can't their plot be the tallest. Once the height limits are lifted, everyone will redevelop to the highest they can get. Combining all these developments together will likely be a very bad wall effect.


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## Rachmaninov

That's why we need a stronger government. We're wasting a lot of potential office space and people ask why property prices are so high.


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## hkskyline

Rachmaninov said:


> That's why we need a stronger government. We're wasting a lot of potential office space and people ask why property prices are so high.


Actually, commercial prices are only starting to catch up to the astronomical residential property prices.


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> Actually, commercial prices are only starting to catch up to the astronomical residential property prices.


But the article did state "office rentals across the city rose by an average of 28.5 per cent [last year]," that's a significant amount as well. 
How much did the residential side rise on average?


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> But the article did state "office rentals across the city rose by an average of 28.5 per cent [last year]," that's a significant amount as well.
> How much did the residential side rise on average?


But commercial prices started jumping later in the year, while residential prices have risen throughout the year.

Here's a gauge : http://www.midland.com.hk/chi/midland_trend/


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## EricIsHim

hkskyline said:


> But commercial prices started jumping later in the year, while residential prices have risen throughout the year.
> 
> Here's a gauge : http://www.midland.com.hk/chi/midland_trend/


Nice, never realized Midland has such graphic.


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## Rachmaninov

Regardless when it started to rise, a height limit does limit the supply and does have an effect on rental price. The residential bit is already bad enough. The last thing we want is for office space to get even more expensive!


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## hkskyline

*More 'green' offices as demand grows *
23 March 2011
SCMP

Rising demand from tenants seeking "green" office buildings will prompt developers to build more smart commercial buildings in Asia equipped with environmentally friendly features, says a global association for corporate real estate professionals.

"A lot more companies are looking for green space, and Asia is growing, with more multinational corporations coming here," said Michael Zamora, CoreNet Global board member and vice-president of communications in Asia.

About 50 per cent of companies were willing to pay more for a "greener" or more environmentally friendly office, according to a recent survey by property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle and CoreNet.

CoreNet has about 7,000 members from the real estate sector worldwide.

Of the 143 industry executives interviewed around the world in the annual survey at the end of last year, 48 per cent said they were willing to pay up to a 10 per cent premium for sustainable office space. And 2 per cent said they would even pay 10 per cent more.

Zamora, who is also an architect and real estate broker based in Hong Kong, explained that companies, particularly multinational corporations, sought offices in green buildings because they were more aware of their corporate social responsibility and image.

And smart buildings helped them significantly cut power expenses.

"Depending on where you are talking about in the world, probably about 30 to 35 per cent of the operating expenses of a building is electricity ... for air-conditioning to keep us cool, or machines to keep us warm, and run our equipment," said Zamora, citing the new Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou's Tianhe district as an example.

The development, which is billed as an iconic smart building equipped with energy-saving features such as wind turbines, solar collectors and raised-floor ventilation, consumes 20 to 40 per cent less power than ordinary buildings, he said.

Such buildings are also lucrative for developers, even though they cost more to build, because the green features are in demand and fetch higher rents.

Zamora said Asia was gradually catching up with the Western trend towards more intelligent buildings as the region develops and its newest constructions meet increasingly higher, or even the highest, standards.

According to recent research by CB Richard Ellis, Asia accounted for around 35 per cent of the 110 million square foot of office space completed in 2001.

But in the last decade, Asia's percentage share has grown to 75 per cent of the estimated 110 million sq ft of completed space this year.

Zamora said in Australia, the New South Wales government would only rent space in buildings with a certain level of green ratings.

In Hong Kong, demand is also growing for green office space, especially from multinational companies, he said, citing the International Finance Centre in Central and the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon as examples.

He also noted that in South Korea, the government has announced plans to develop Songdu City in Incheon into a green city with at least 50 per cent of the buildings to meet the international standard for green buildings.

CoreNet is holding a three-day summit in Hong Kong until tomorrow to discuss topics such as smart buildings.


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## hkskyline

*Radicals offer land-swap solution*
The Standard
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

"Mad Dog" Raymond Wong Yuk-man and his People Power colleague Albert Chan Wai-yip say besides exercising power to destroy, they have a constructive side, and are prepared to suggest solutions to social problems.

Speaking on the escalating dispute between Mei Foo Sun Chuen flat owners and a developer on a plan to construct a 20-story block in the area, the lawmakers proposed the government follow its success in the King Yin Lei case, where a land-swap approach saved a historic mansion.

The lawmakers - who broke away from the League of Social Democrats in January - said they will set up several committees in their group to provide constructive views to other social problems, to dispel the "destructive power" name tag they have been given. Chan said a land swap could change a "three-loss" situation between the government, the developer and residents to a "three-win" situation.

"Dissatisfaction over the monopoly enjoyed by property developers is aggravating society and many people are angry," Chan said.

"Yet the King Yin Lei precedent shows a land swap is possible, and the government should make good use of it."

People Power said the government can swap land with developers, using sites on the land application list that nearby residents already know have been earmarked for high-density development.


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## hkskyline

*Developers queue for green tests that boost floor area*
2 April 2011
South China Morning Post

Developers hungry for extra floor area for their projects via government concessions are queuing for environmental assessments of their buildings that are required under a revised policy that took effect yesterday.

Thirty new developments, including some big names, are already registered for a certificate from the Green Building Council.

Apart from government departments, which are expected to take a leading role, Swire Properties, Sino Land, Nan Fung, the MTR Corporation and the English Schools Foundation are on the list.

Under the revised policy - limiting the amount of extra floor area a developer can obtain for adding green and amenity facilities - a green building assessment is required before plans are submitted to the Buildings Department. The assessment results will be published in sales brochures to inform flat buyers of how much energy the design will save.

Among the 23 projects which have completed the registration and were disclosed by the Green Building Council yesterday, three are government projects - the cruise terminal building in Kai Tak, the redevelopment of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority headquarters, and quarters for the Customs and Excise Department.

Almost half of the disclosed projects are residential. They include the Housing Society's pioneering project in Tsing Yi, which allows people to rent a flat first and buy it later.

Also on the list is the 1,200-flat MTR project at Austin Station, Swire's two 50-storey towers in Seymour Road, Mid Levels; and a renewal project in Tai Kok Tsui codeveloped by Sino Land and the Urban Renewal Authority.

The assessment is also being sought by educational institutes including the English Schools Foundation, which plans to redevelop its King George V and Kowloon Junior schools. Baptist University and the University of Science and Technology are in line for their joint hostel project in Tseung Kwan O.

Only two commercial blocks - in Kwun Tong and Wong Chuk Hang - had registered by yesterday.

The council spokeswoman would not give details of the seven projects still to complete registration.

The assessment, undertaken by assessors trained by the council, looks at various aspects of a development including energy use, site ventilation, indoor air quality, water consumption and waste management.

But developers do not need to pass the assessment in order to obtain extra floor area - they are only required to complete the assessment and disclose the results.

"This should be the first step. It encourages developers to achieve better environmental standards through market competition," council board director Wong Kam-sing said, adding that a pass or minimum standard may be required later.


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## hkskyline

*Residential Development near Phase 8 of Mei Foo Sun Chuen complies with Statutory Requirements and Lease Conditions *
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Government Press Release




























In response to some local residents' concern over a residential development near Phase 8 of Mei Foo Sun Chuen, a spokesman for the Development Bureau confirmed today (April 3) that the project meets relevant statutory requirements and complies with the use permissible under the land lease. There is no case for the Government to interfere with a lawful private project.

"The residential development concerned (the development) is located at Lots NKML 25 R.P. and NKML 25 S.B (the site). According to the lease conditions, the site can be used for non-industrial uses which include residential use. The site falls within the Lai Chi Kok Outline Zoning Plan and has been zoned 'Residential (Group A)' since 1985 under the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131). The Building Authority (BA) has approved the general building plans and commencement of foundation works for the development in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO)", the spokesman said.

According to the latest approved building plans, one single block of 20-storey building will be built at the site and its height will be similar to that of the buildings of Phase 8 of Mei Foo Sun Chuen next to the site.

"There have been suggestions that the Government should consider executing a non-in-situ land exchange with the owner of the site so as to stop the development. We have to emphasise that non-in-situ land exchanges are considered by the Executive Council only under very special circumstances with full policy justifications where an overall public interest is at stake, for example, to protect and preserve a historic building under Hong Kong's heritage conservation policy.

In this case, the development complies with the planning and building legislation and residential use is permissible under the land lease. There are no policy considerations or special circumstances which warrant the Government's interference with private property rights. Any suggested non-in-situ land exchange with the owner to stop the development simply to address some local resistance cannot be justified", the spokesman added.

The residents' concern about the development has been the subject of discussion at the Sham Shui Po District Council and the Legislative Council. Specifically, Members of the Legislative Council met with the Administration in case conferences on the subject held in 2004, 2009 and 2010 (twice in 2010). Between 2009 and 2011, representatives of the Administration also attended meetings of the working group established under the Sham Shui Po District Council on the subject, and met with the residents of Phase 8 of Mei Foo Sun Chuen. During those extensive discussions, relevant departments had explained the situation and clarified misunderstandings. For example, in response to an allegation that the project was taking up the so-called "residual plot ratio" of the Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 site, the Administration explained that there could be no question of this as the project site is a separate site with its own development parameters.

"We fully appreciate growing public aspirations for a better living environment in recent years and the Government has taken various steps, both policy changes and review of government schemes, to respond positively to those aspirations. However, respect for private property rights and upholding the rule of law must not be compromised," the spokesman said.

A background note on the development is attached : http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201104/03/P201104030186_0186_77336.pdf

Map : http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201104/03/P201104030186_0186_77337.pdf


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## toramip23

A "people-centred" approach should be used to carry out urban renewal. The purpose of urban renewal is to improve the quality of life of residents in the urban area. The Government has to balance the interests and needs of all sectors of the community without sacrificing the lawful rights of any particular group. The aim is to reduce the number of inadequately housed people.


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## hkskyline

*Sleepless in Mei Foo *
The Standard
Monday, April 04, 2011

Hundreds of Mei Foo Sun Chuen residents and supporters staged a dramatic lie-down protest yesterday to try to stop a new block being built on the estate.

They claim that the development will cut off air flow in the 99-block estate. Protesters, many clad in black, held their "sleep in the street" action next to the construction site for three minutes and later marched around the estate.

Police said about 300 residents participated in the lie-down protest and 500 in the march, but organizers claimed 1,100 residents and supporters joined in.

They are fighting a 20-story residential block due to be built by 2013 on a site that held a petroleum storage tank.

The project follows developer Cheung Tat's purchase of the site from New World Development and surrounding roads from Broadway-Nassau Investments, the management company of Mei Foo and linked to New World. 

Early-stage construction has been on hold since early last month when residents formed patrol teams and launched blocking action.

They argue that the site serves as a wind corridor, and a new block will have a shield effect on what was the world's largest private housing estate when completed in 1978.

Protesters want the government to enter into a land swap with the developer to stop the project.

Yip Siu-chau, convener of the concern group, said there is also a move for a judicial review as the developer used incorrect plot ratio data in gaining a go- ahead for the project.

But the government indicated last night it will not interfere as the project meets statutory requirements. A land swap was ruled out, with a spokesman for the Development Bureau saying that is limited to very special circumstances and the public interest, and an action "simply to address some local resistance cannot be justified."

But Yip said there is nothing new in such responses. Agreeing to a land swap would mean the government admitting to a mistake, he said.

Meanwhile, more action right down at street level is in the offing.

Lo Chung-cheong, a resident of Block 94 for more than 10 years and on the street yesterday, said possible venues are Government House, the residence of Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and the jewelry store owned by Cheung Tat.

Politicians are also getting into the act, with lawmakers from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Democratic Party, Civic Party and League of Social Democrats supporting residents.


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## Rachmaninov

Don't think such a demonstration would help things ...


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## EricIsHim

Rachmaninov said:


> Don't think such a demonstration would help things ...


Me, too. It certain raised the public awareness, but highly doubt they can turn the development down by sleeping on the street.


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## hkskyline

Although they can make plenty of noise to get people's attention and embarrass the government through poking at the ventilation effect and hot social topics of the day.


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## hkskyline

*Hospital hit over `monster' block*
The Standard
Monday, April 04, 2011

Residents opposing the expansion of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital ramped up their protests yesterday, accusing the government of going back on its word.

The group solicited signatures for a petition against the proposed construction of two 20-story blocks as part of the hospital's Phase 4 development. 

Within a span of four hours, the group collected nearly 400 signatures, mostly from Happy Valley residents who tied yellow ribbons on a fence to express their hopes for change. 

"It feels almost as though the government has cheated us. First, they said they were going to prevent construction. Now they're allowing it again," said Jeff Ho Yip-chor, co-founder of the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital Redevelopment Concern Group.

Ho said many residents are making a stand because the sanatorium is ultimately a private hospital that serves only a select portion of the community. 

"The hospital doesn't even have the resources to run all its wards, and now they want to expand even further. It's ridiculous," Ho said.

The new blocks, he added, will see the hospital tower over neighboring flats. 

Some residents fear the value of their flats may fall by up to one third because their views of the racecourse will be obstructed. 

Cecilia Atwood said traffic congestion is a growing problem, and having more rooms in the hospital may worsen the situation.

"There are days when we're simply frustrated by the traffic. Put that together with this upcoming monster of a building, I think we've got a pretty nasty estate," Atwood said, referring to the start of building on one of the blocks

The initial plan for a 38-story extension was blocked in 2008 when the Town Planning Board set a 12-story height restriction before agreement was reached in September for the two 20-story extensions.


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## Rachmaninov

Meh, they just didn't want their views blocked.


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## EricIsHim

Rachmaninov said:


> Meh, they just didn't want their views blocked.


And property value goes down without the park view.


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## hkskyline

5-9 Yuk Yat Street, To Kwa Kwan 
Project Details : http://www.kerryprops.com/kpl/en/pr...struction/to kwa wan residential project.html

Rendering 










4/9


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## hkskyline

*... but sellers gear up for Golden Week*
The Standard
Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Developers are gearing up to grab more sales during the May 1 Golden Week holiday as competition quickens in the primary property market.

Cheung Kong (0001) plans to host eight roadshows in Shenzhen on Thursday and Friday, targeting more than 1,000 potential mainland millionaire homebuyers for its Yuen Long project Uptown.

"We have also reserved lucky number flats at low, medium and high levels especially for these buyers," Cheung Kong Real Estate director William Kwok Tsz-wai said.

More than 100 flats in Uptown were sold over three days of the Easter holidays, each priced at an average of HK$4,900 per square foot.

About 12 percent of buyers were from the mainland.

Effective today, the developer has raised the price on 18 flats by at least 8 percent.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) also plans to lure mainland buyers with its flats at Avignon in Tuen Mun.

"Sales during the holidays went well, and we plan to put more four-room flats on the market during Golden Week," said Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency senior sales and marketing manager Tam Sik-cham.

The developer put 192 flats in the project on the market over Easter, expecting to reap more than HK$1 billion.

Emperor International (0163) plans to put the rest of its flats at Upper East 18 in Sai Wan Ho on the market during Golden Week.

More than 60 of 94 flats have been sold since their launch a week ago. The project has a total of 108 homes, with the prices of 14 yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, Sino Land (0083) sold the first 50 flats of Maison Rose, its new residential project at Cheung Sha Wan, over Easter, priced from HK$2.4 million, or HK$6,270 psf.

The developer offered another 28 flats yesterday, priced between HK$2.5 million and HK$3.31 million, or HK$6,553 to HK$8,366 psf.

The project has a total of 96 flats, sized from 363 to 396 sq ft.

The developer introduced the first 50 flats last Thursday, and immediately received around 400 reservations from interested buyers.

Construction is complete and the developer has received the occupation permit from the government.


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## hkskyline

*Pre-sale consent eludes Lions Rise*
The Standard
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Lions Rise - the latest project by Kerry Properties (0683) - has yet to receive consent from the Lands Department to put its Wong Tai Sin development on the market during the upcoming Golden Week holiday.

But Kerry still hopes to start pre- selling the units within the first half of next month.

"We have got 10,000 inquiries so far," executive director Chu Ip-pui said. "Most are from local end-users."

The project has 960 units spread over five towers.

Kerry plans to launch up to 60 in the first batch, comprising three-bedroom units of 936 square feet and two- bedroom units of 740 sq ft.

They are expected to fetch an average price of HK$16,000 psf, Chu said.

Larger three-bedroom flats of 1,276 sq ft and smaller two-bedroom ones of 640 sq ft will become available later.

Kerry is currently holding a roadshow in Shenzhen to promote the project.

Site tours will be organized for prospective mainland buyers after the project receives pre-sale consent, Chu said.

The developer plans to launch its next project, a residential development on Yuk Yat Street in To Kwa Wan next year. Authorities have already approved the floor plan of the 150,000 sq ft site, expected to house 180 units in sizes ranging from 600 sq ft to over 1,000 sq ft.

Meanwhile, 400 new flats were sold during the four-day Easter break but the secondary market stayed relatively quiet.

Developers will put more units on the market during the Golden Week starting this weekend.

But Midland Realty (1200) warned that mortgage rates will rise further and buyers should consider signing up for fixed-rate plans.

"Variable-rate mortgages are dominating the local market with a 99.8 percent market share," vice chairman Albert Wong Kam-hong said. "The risks will intensify as interest rates go up."

Wong noted that fixed-rate mortgages will help stabilize the property market and shield investors and homeowners from potential risks triggered by economic changes. A survey of 227 clients last week by brokerage firm mReferral found 80 percent will consider switching to fixed-rate mortgages if interest rates continue to rise.


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## hkskyline

*Gung-ho in Hung Hom*
The Standard
Thursday, April 28, 2011



















A dramatic bidding battle in the first land auction of the fiscal year drew in top cash and protesters yesterday - and immediately prompted homeowners in the area to push up their asking prices.

The site on Ko Shan Road in Hung Hom fetched HK$1.525 billion.

Nan Fung Development and Wing Tai Properties (0369) snapped up the 20,470-square-foot plot with the 88th bid.

The partners - each holding 50 percent of the project - beat eight other bidders, including Sino Land (0083) and Chinachem Group. With a plot ratio of 7.5, the accommodation value is HK$9,934 psf.

Some homeowners in the district lifted their prices by 5 to 10 percent right after the auction, said Centaline director Davey Bow Chi-tak.

And Midland Realty (1200) analyst Buggle Lau Ka-fai expects the number of sales in Hung Hom to grow 5 to 10 percent in the wake of the auction.

Lands Department deputy director and auctioneer Graham Ross was forced to stop the bidding four times as noisy demonstrators, some with placards, protested against rising home costs. They were escorted out of the auction. The winning bid came in at the upper end of market estimates of between HK$1.07 billion and HK$1.53 billion.

Nan Fung managing director Donald Choi Wun-hing said the joint project will require another HK$500 million to HK$600 million to build more than 100 flats, mainly with two to four bedrooms.

Choi said the 10 percent cap on the building's "inflated areas" - such as green and common spaces - did not h
ave much impact on the auction.

"The site has its own advantages, including an MTR station nearby in a few years," said Choi.

Gung-ho bidders were aggressive right up to the 37th bid, when only two remained.

Nan Fung and Chun Wo Development (0711) were locked in a tight contest to the end. The two accounted for 60 bids, including the final 52 calls after each bid increment was halved to HK$5 million.

Auctioneer Ross said the price reflects the optimism of many developers on the local property market.

Savills managing director Charles Chan Chiu-kwok expects the completed homes to sell for HK$14,000 to HK$15,000 psf.

But the high auction price is not an indicator for two other plots in the same district, according to Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat.

"The plot sold [yesterday] is much better than the others," he said.

All three plots are designated for small and medium-sized flats.

Nan Fung's Choi said his firm is looking into details of the two other plots - a 6,189 sq ft site at the junction of Bulkeley Street and Gillies Avenue South, and a 13,982 sq ft site at 5-23 Lee Kung Street.

Centaline expects the winning tenders for these two plots to reach up to HK$390 million and HK$880 million, respectively.


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## hkskyline

Kowloon Tong Construction 
Source : http://www.fotop.net/CK525/beaconhill2011


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## hkskyline

*Higher prices set for auction*
The Standard
Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Buoyed by an upbeat market, price estimates for the three plots of land to be auctioned tomorrow have surged.

The former Lingnan University site on Stubbs Road, 62 Begonia Road in Kowloon Tong and a site in Ngau Tam Mei are now expected to fetch up to a total of nearly HK$6 billion.

The Stubbs Road site is valued at between HK$3.6 billion and HK$4.52 billion, according to four surveyors polled by The Standard.

"The plot is likely to be developed into a low-density luxury project. It should attract bids from the large developers," said Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tze-pun.

Lam expects the 160,384-square-foot site, with a plot ratio of about 1.13 times, to sell for HK$4.52 billion, or HK$25,000 psf - 8 percent higher than his previous estimate.

Flats nearby are priced at about HK$18,000 psf.

Meanwhile, the 30,247 sq ft Begonia Road site may fetch between HK$500 million and HK$768 million, or HK$13,600 to HK$20,880 psf.

Midland Realty and Centaline revised their estimates upward by nearly 40 percent to HK$515 million.

The 252,743 sq ft Ngau Tam Mei plot in Yuen Long is estimated to go for between HK$410 million and HK$700 million, or HK$4,000 to HK$6,924 psf.

Midland Realty revised its estimate to HK$525 million from HK$400 million, marking a 31.25 percent hike.

With a plot ratio of 0.4 times, the plot is limited to development of a low- density residential project. Houses at The Vineyard nearby are priced around HK$8,400 psf.

Meanwhile, over the past four days, The Beverly Hills in Tai Po, a project comprising 535 individual houses by Henderson Land (0012) fared well after the price was lowered on Friday to HK$5,600 psf from HK$7,000 psf.


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## hkskyline

*Kerry Properties upbeat on key weekend home sales *
The Standard
Friday, May 06, 2011

About 400 units of Lions Rise will be available for sale tomorrow and Kerry Properties (0683) is confident they will all sell, allowing it to pocket HK$5 billion.

Executive director Chu Ip-pui said yesterday 350 to 400 units will be put on the market, representing 40 percent of the total number of 968 units spread over five towers in Wong Tai Sin.

Prices for the units, released on Wednesday, ranged from HK$9,998 per square foot to HK$14,942 psf. Most of them are two- and three-bedroom units of between 640 and 1,276 square feet. 

So far Kerry has attracted more than 10,000 people to its showrooms. 

Ip said market response will determine whether prices go up. 

"We should be able to cash in HK$10 billion when all the units are sold," Ip said. 

He expects the 80,000 sq ft shopping arcade in Lions Rise to fetch HK$4.8 million a month in rent and around HK$60 million for the whole year. 

Kerry Properties is in talks with a Japanese supermarket over the possibility of it becoming an anchor tenant. 

Meanwhile, the company will put on the market two new projects this year. 

One is in Des Voeux Road West with 146 units of between 660 and 2,000 sq ft each. The other one is in Shan Kwong Road in Happy Valley with 126 units of around 2,000 sq ft each. 

The developer expects to pocket HK$2.5 billion and HK$5 billion, respectively, from the two projects. 

Further, Ip said Kerry will bid for the Stubbs Road site in Thursday's land auction on its own.

He expects bidding to be intense as all three sites up for grabs are for luxury homes. The other two are 62 Begonia Road in Kowloon Tong and Ngau Tam Mei off San Tam Road in Yuen Long. 

The government is set to net at least HK$5 billion, with the Stubbs Road site fetching HK$3.26 billion.


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## hkskyline

*Sites sizzle at $5.7b*
The Standard
Friday, May 13, 2011










Three sites offered by the government yesterday fetched a staggering HK$5.7 billion in one of Hong Kong's most heated land auctions.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) snapped up the 158,231-square-foot site of former Lingnan University on Stubbs Road for HK$4.49 billion - near the top end of an estimated range of HK$3.09- HK$4.55 billion. The final sale price is equivalent to HK$24,829 per buildable square foot - the third highest ever paid in the city.

Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency executive director Victor Lui Ting said the developer will invest HK$8 billion on the site, which has a maximum buildable floor of 180,835 sq ft.

"We won the plot at a reasonable price, as [Stubbs Road] rarely has land put up for sale," Lui said.

Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat expects the completed homes to sell for as much as HK$40,000 psf, due to the rising cost of building on a slope.

The competitive bid war finished in just 11 minutes with 33 bids among five bidders.

To the surprise of many, the Yuen Long plot drew the most aggressive bids. It was sold after receiving 81 bids from 12 bidders in less than 20 minutes.

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) won the 252,739-sq-ft Ngau Tam Mei plot for HK$662 million - also at the upper end of the estimated range of HK$400 million to HK$700 million.

The accommodative value - the land price per square foot - of HK$6,548 psf marked the fifth highest for the New Territories. "It's very rare to have a site where you can
have low density development," executive director Grace Woo Chia-ching said.

Cheung Kong plans to build 60 detached houses. They are expected to sell for more than HK$10,000 psf, given the construction of HK$5,000 psf.

Bidding was most modest for the Kowloon Tong plot. China Overseas Lands (0688) won the 30,247-sq-ft plot at 62 Begonia Road near Yau Yat Chuen for HK$578 million, or HK$15,715 psf - the third highest average for Kowloon.

"We plan to invest HK$85 million to build 10 houses, each sized between 3,000 to 5,000 square feet. They are expected to be sold at HK$26,000 psf," said managing director Yau Wai- kwong.

The plot price was estimated between HK$406 million to HK$768 million.

Lands Department deputy director and auctioneer Graham Ross said he is satisfied with the results. He denied that he tried to heat up the auctions by lowering the bid increment.

AG Wilkinson & Associates director Ringo Lam Chun-chiu said the results indicate developers' confidence on government measures to cool flat prices not dampening demand for luxury homes.

Kerry Properties (0683) executive director Chu Ip-pui said the auction showed that there is no room for home prices to fall. But he said the company has no plan to raise prices at Lions Rise - its latest project in Wong Tai Sin.

Nan Fung Development managing director Donald Choi Wun-hing said any price changes will follow the market.


----------



## hkskyline

*Terror tactics claimed at buy-bid flats*
The Standard
Monday, May 16, 2011

Kowloon City residents say they are living in fear of developers and want the government to buy them out.

According to district councillor Ng Po-keung, they claim private acquisition firms have been using illegal means - such as threatening phone calls, vandalism and even setting fire to common areas - to pressure them into selling their homes.

Ng said even though a number of small narrow buildings of seven to 10 storys have been bought by developers, work has yet to begin.

Under current law, a building taking up one plot of space cannot be higher than 70 meters. The larger the base area, the taller the building.

One resident who has been living in a walk-up apartment for nearly 30 years, claims her corridor was recently set on fire after negotiations fell through. She declined to be named for fear of reprisals. 

"I woke up early one morning to the smell of smoke and when I opened my door, the area outside was on fire," she said, adding that within a two-week period, there were fires at three corridors on different levels.

Police were called, but said there was little that could be done without hard evidence. 

Meanwhile, several hundred residents took to the streets yesterday to protest against hegemony by developers and soaring property prices.

Co-hosted by the Democratic Party, Civic Party, League of Social Democrats, People Power and Neo Democrats, as well as several green groups, the protesters walked from Chater Garden to the headquarters of two leading developers, Cheung Kong Center and New World Tower.

The protest, which was without incident, ended with the presentation of a petition to a representative from the Central Government Offices.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ4: Expansion project of Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital*
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Tanya Chan and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, in the Legislative Council today (May 18):

Question:

In January 2008, the Town Planning Board (TPB) proposed amendments to the draft Wong Nai Chung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to incorporate building height restrictions for the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital (HKSH) site, and HKSH applied for judicial review (JR) from the court in this regard. On September 1, 2010, HKSH submitted a settlement proposal to TPB which accepted the proposal on September 3, and the Metro Planning Committee under TPB agreed on September 10 to make amendments to the OZP. The relevant JR proceedings were terminated on September 27. On September 30, TPB consulted the public on the revised draft OZP. It has been learnt that, with the aforesaid amendments and upon completion of the relevant expansion project of HKSH, the number of bed spaces in private hospitals in the Happy Valley area will increase substantially. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) given that TPB proposed further amendments to the OZP and conducted consultation after accepting HKSH's settlement proposal, whether the authorities have assessed if TPB's practice of "agreement first, consultation to follow" renders the subsequent public consultation to lose its substantive meaning; whether TPB had gone through such amendment and consultation procedures which were similar to the above practice of "agreement first, consultation to follow" in the past; if it had, of the details; whether the authorities have assessed the legal risks and liabilities to be borne by TPB if the amendments ultimately approved after the consultation do not conform with the contents of the settlement proposal;

(b) as I have learnt that the Planning Department (PlanD), as the executive arm of TPB, has handled the settlement issues related to the aforesaid JR case on behalf of TPB under TPB's delegated authority, while at the same time PlanD is also responsible for consolidating the views given by various policy bureaux and departments on HKSH's revised development proposal as well as providing TPB with objective and professional advice, whether the authorities have assessed if this has resulted in role conflicts for PlanD, making it impossible for PlanD to provide professional advice in an independent manner; and

(c) during the planning process in dealing with the expansion project of HKSH, whether the authorities have assessed the impact of the project on the planning for the supply of bed spaces in private hospitals on the Hong Kong Island and even in Hong Kong as a whole; if they have, of the assessment results; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Town Planning Board (TPB) is established under section 2 of the Town Planning Ordinance (the Ordinance). It discharges its functions under the Ordinance independently. 

The question is asking about a decision of the TPB. It would not be appropriate for me to give an explanation on its behalf. The case in question has nevertheless been recorded in the papers of the TPB that are accessible to the public. I would refer to those documents and my reply to the three-part question is as follows.

(a) As pointed out in Metro Planning Committee (MPC) Paper No. 20/10, according to the settlement proposal between the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital (HKSH) and the TPB (the settlement proposal), the Planning Department (PlanD) was required to prepare a paper for the MPC meeting on September 10, 2010, and propose amendments to the draft Wong Nai Chung Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H7/14 (the new draft OZP) under section 7 of the Ordinance. After PlanD had submitted the relevant paper, and the MPC agreed to the amendments to the draft OZP on September 10, 2010, the HKSH withdrew its application for judicial review (JR) as set out in the settlement proposal.

As mentioned above, the TPB had amended the draft OZP as required in the settlement proposal, and published the amendments in gazette for public consultation in accordance with the Ordinance. Representations and comments in respect of the new draft OZP had also been handled in accordance with the Ordinance. The TPB's exhibition of the amendments, conduct of consultation and processing of public representations and comments were all done in accordance with the Ordinance and it would be inappropriate for the Development Bureau to comment.

As far as I know, there was no similar precedent of a settlement proposal for the TPB.

(b) According to the information provided by the Secretary of the TPB, in the settlement of this case, the Secretary of the TPB has been acting on authority delegated by the TPB, representing the TPB in handling the settlement matters relating to the JR, including advising on the settlement proposal and its terms, as well as seeking professional and legal advice on the relevant matters for the TPB's consideration. On the other hand, in dealing with the HKSH's proposed development and making amendments to the draft OZP, PlanD was mainly responsible for consolidating the views of the relevant bureaux and departments, and providing planning analysis and professional planning advice to the TPB. It had also confirmed that the development proposal was acceptable.

However, it is the job of the TPB to consider and decide on the settlement proposal and the amendments to the draft OZP. The Secretary of the TPB and PlanD are mainly responsible for giving objective, professional and independent advice on the relevant procedures/legal issues and planning matters. There is no conflict of roles.

(c) The TPB had considered the HKSH's expansion project with reference to the views of the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and the Department of Health (DH). FHB supported the development proposal and DH did not object to it.

It is the Government's policy to promote private hospital development to enhance the overall capacity of the healthcare system and further improve the quality of healthcare services to cope with the increasing service demand in Hong Kong. Private hospital development also helps address the imbalance between the public and private sectors in hospital services for the long-term sustainable development of the healthcare system in Hong Kong. Subject to compliance of the development with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements, the Government supports the expansion and redevelopment projects of existing private hospitals for the enhancement of their services, as well as the development of new hospitals.

In general, private hospitals provide services to residents living in the same district and also those from other districts. Apart from residents of the same district where the hospital is located, residents of other districts can also benefit from the new services and enhanced facilities provided by private hospitals through expansion or redevelopment. As far as the HKSH's expansion project is concerned, FHB and DH consider that it will enhance hospital services and increase the number of hospital beds and service capacity for the benefit of the public. The Government supports the HKSH's redevelopment project subject to compliance of the hospital with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.


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## hkskyline

*Reclamation back in frame to meet development needs*
The Standard

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A year-long public consultation exercise will be launched later this year on whether Hong Kong needs to reclaim land or develop rock caverns to deal with long-term development needs.

Sites such as Sunny Bay, Penny's Bay, Tuen Mun and southwest Tsing Yi, which have been studied in previous years as potential areas for reclamation outside Victoria Harbor, will again come under consideration, the government said.

Permanent Secretary for Development Wai Chi-sing said authorities will launch a territory- wide search for potential sites and disclose details as the basis for public discussion.

Wai said there is a need to come up with more land supply "if we have to sustain our economic development" as well as "accommodate population growth and the associated needs." 

He added: "There are different methods to produce land. One of these is reclamation. The other methods, including developing natural land, will also affect natural conditions. So different methods have got different problems that have to be solved."

Despite the proposals, Deputy Director of Planning Ling Kar-kan admitted Hong Kong will have sufficient land to meet its housing and economic development needs up to 2030.

But he said the SAR should consider whether there is a need to build up a "land bank" via such ways as reclamation and developing rock caverns to meet unexpected needs after 2030.

Wai added that construction activities in the territory generate about six to seven million tonnes of waste that need to be dumped in landfills each year. Most such waste is currently sent to Taishan in Guangdong for recycling, but the contract will end in 2013.

If the deal is not renewed, Hong Kong will need to identify more sites for landfills.

Wai also said dredging of harbor fairways and other marine works generate about 2.4 million cubic meters of contaminated sediments each year.

It may be necessary to set up more areas for disposal facilities when the existing ones near Sha Chau are full, probably in 2015.

In the first stage of the consultation exercise from the third quarter of this year to the second quarter of next year, the public will be asked to select not more than 20 potential sites for reclamation, five sites for handling contaminated sediments and 20 rock caverns for development.

The second stage will be held in the fourth quarter of next year.

Residents will be asked to narrow down the selections to seven reclamation, three sediment and eight rock cavern sites.

Wai said this long-term study is not directly related to property price surges. No decision has been made on how to use the land created.

Peter Lee Siu-man, campaign manager at Conservancy Association, said he will wait and see what sites are chosen before assessing the potential impact on the environment.

Lee urged the government to tell the public how much more land is needed before reclamation is allowed to begin.


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## gabblet

nice posts, thanks for all your efforts i enjoyed reading it.


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## hkskyline

*New flat launches to tap strong sentiment *
The Standard
Monday, May 23, 2011

Developers are gearing up to put more new flats on the market, with Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) planning to sell all 117 units at i.UniQ tomorrow.

Flats at the Shau Kei Wan project are sized between 398 and 622 square foot, and priced at an average of HK$13,508 per square foot - higher than similar flats at private estates nearby. 

Units at 18 Upper East in Sai Wan Ho - put on the market recently - cost an average of HK$12,385 psf, while those at Tai Koo Shing are fetching HK$10,600 psf. 

The i.UniQ sale comes as two more plots to be auctioned on June 9 are expected to fetch as much as HK$13.2 billion. 

Meanwhile, Kerry Properties (0683) sold around 10 flats at Lions Rise in Wong Tai Sin during the weekend, with a mainland buyer paying HK$28 million for four units. More than 300 of the total 968 flats have been sold so far. 

Chinachem sold nine flats at its Residence 228 in Sham Shui Po, where one- to three-bedroom units are priced between HK$7,553 and HK$9,847 psf. 

Of the sites going under the hammer next month, the 112,800 sq ft plot at Borrett Road in the Mid-levels will likely fetch between HK$8.7 billion and HK$13 billion, representing an accommodative value of HK$20,000 to HK$30,000 psf. 

Savills Valuation and Professional Services managing director Charles Chan lifted his estimation on the plot by 20 percent to HK$30,000 psf, on "market sentiment boosted by the last land auction."

The plot's gross floor area is limited to 435,304 sq ft, and the building's height is capped at 230 meters. There is also a 10 percent limit on the site's "inflated building area" including green areas and gym.

Despite the restrictions, Swire Pacific (0019) and Emperor International (0163) have expressed interest in the plot. 

The 65,403 sq ft plot at Ping Kwai Road in Ping Shan, Yuen Long, is tipped to fetch between HK$130 million and HK$160 million, with an AV of up to HK$3,000 psf. 

Building height is capped at 15m, with a maximum gfa of 65,403 sq ft.


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## hkskyline

*Liantang checkpoint between HK, Shenzhen to begin construction in 2013 as planned*
23 May 2011
Xinhua News Agency

HONG KONG, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Construction of the Liantang (Heung Yuen Wai) Boundary Control Point project between Hong Kong and Shenzhen was expected to start in 2013 as planned, the Hong Kong government said Monday in a statement.`

The statement came after the sixth meeting of the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development in the day, convened by Secretary for Development of the Hong Kong city government Carrie Lam and Shenzhen Vice Mayor Lu Ruifeng.

Both Hong Kong and Shenzhen have launched a design competition for the passenger terminal building in the eastern part of the boundary between the two cities. An exhibition of selected entries will be held in Hong Kong and Shenzhen next month for public feedback. Winning entries will be announced in August.

Both sides have also reached a consensus on the mode of co- operation on the construction work of the bridge and footbridge connecting the checkpoints. Details of the entrustment arrangement and agreement are being worked out.

Meanwhile, both sides are now taking forward preparatory works for the checkpoints' construction, which is scheduled to be put into operation in 2018.


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## hkskyline

*Imperial Cullinan, i.UniQ star in SHKP's 120-flat offer next week *
The Standard
Friday, May 20, 2011

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) plans to launch as many as 120 units at two projects next week.
The first batch of 80 to 100 units at Imperial Cullinan in southwest Kowloon will likely be priced at an average of HK$25,000 per square feet. Show flats also open next week.

And at its i.UniQ project in Shau Kei Wan, the developer will offer 20 of the total 117 flats at an average of HK$13,388 psf, with sales project director Amy Teo expecting the first batch to fetch up to HK$13,787 psf.

That would be significantly higher than prices of secondary homes nearby, which average HK$6,000 psf, according to Ricacorp head of research Patrick Chow Moon-kit.

"This type of project usually attracts single buyers, especially foreigners. But the location may not be too attractive," Chow said. 

He disagreed with Teo - who insists i.UniQ has easy access to two major commercial districts - Kowloon East and Island East.

Of its 117 units, 70 percent are one- bedroom flats sized up to 500 square feet, Teo said.

The 20 flats launched include both one- and two-bedroom apartments sized from 398 to 622 sq ft. The cheapest unit costs HK$ 5.19 million.

Meanwhile, Kerry Properties (0683) raised HK$2.5 billion from the sale of 280 flats at Lions Rise at an average price of HK$11,000 psf, executive director Chu Ip-pui said. 

So far, Kerry has put on the market 426 units, or 45 percent of the total flats at the Wong Tai Sin project.


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## hkskyline

*Mei Foo developer fails in new bid to stop protests*
The Standard
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A developer failed in another bid for an interim injunction against further protests at a controversial Mei Foo Sun Chuen site before a formal hearing in December.

Deputy High Court judge Queeny Au Yeung Kwai-yue dismissed an application for leave to appeal against a provisional order for an interim injunction sought by developer Billion Star Development on the grounds there was no urgency to exercise her discretion.

The judge also found there was no chance of the developer winning the appeal for an interim injunction.

Arguments by the developer, including claims of losses in the millions of dollars, can be dealt with in the December injunction hearing, she said.

But the judge also refused to accept a submission by the respondents that the legal action is meant to bully Mei Foo residents.

She also accepted an application by the developer to amend the summons and listed three politicians - the Civic Party's Claudia Mo Man-ching and the League of Social Democrats lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung and member Tsang Kin-sing - as additional respondents.

Yip Siu-chau, campaign leader for the residents and one of the respondents, welcomed the judge's refusal to grant an interim injunction to prohibit protests.

"There will be irreversible consequences if the developer is allowed to go ahead with construction," said Yip.

"What happens if we win eventually? Pull down the building?

"They have waited more than 10 years since the site was a gas storage plant. Why can't they wait for a few more months?"

Yip reiterated that campaigners did not disrupt the work intentionally.

Residents are seeking a judicial review against the development on the grounds it is illegally using the development potential of Phase 8 of Mei Foo.

The government earlier declared the development is lawful.


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## hkskyline

*Lee Shau-kee has pointer to the land of opportunity*
The Standard
Thursday, June 02, 2011

Billionaire Lee Shau-kee, chairman of Henderson Land (0012), says that buying plots with old buildings on them is more profitable than acquiring new sites for development.

Still, Lee is keen to acquire a much- eyed plot on Borrett Road being auctioned on June 9. "Everyone is interested in it," he said, though he hopes it will move at "a reasonable price."

Henderson Land is currently involved in 23 development projects.

Conditions appear rosy for another firm controlled by Lee - the hotel- and mall-focused Miramar Group (0071).

Its hotel business saw a 28-percent jump in guest numbers since January, and the average room rate rose 25 percent to HK$1,800 per night.

Its shopping mall operations also looks promising.

On that, managing director Martin Lee Ka-shing said rents at The Mira will definitely go up after the Tsim Sha Tsui mall is refurbished.

And the strong performance of the initial public offering of restaurant chain Tang Palace (1181) last month may prompt the group to spin off its own catering business, the junior Lee noted.

In another field, "our Japan tour business has been reviving after the earthquake in March," said Martin Lee.

Asked about the equity market, Lee Shau-kee expects the Hang Seng Index to fluctuate by 10 percent around the 23,500 mark throughout the year.

"Only when the HSI goes up to 24,000 to 25,000 could our bonus warrants perform better," he said in a reference to a HK$58 per-share warrants issued last year on Henderson Development (0012). The warrants have not performed well this year.

The Lees were speaking after the annual general meeting of Miramar Group.

Meanwhile, saying a buyer problem involving 39 Conduit Road was "old news," Lee noted that deposits equal to 10 percent of prices of units had been forfeited.


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## hkskyline

*URA spells out its `demand-led' rules*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Homeowners in old buildings can now redevelop their properties with help from the Urban Renewal Authority. 

Under the URA's "demand-led" redevelopment model, if 67 percent or two-thirds of homeowners at a site reach consensus, they can initiate the redevelopment by submitting an application to the authority. 

Upon approval, the URA will issue conditional plans to redevelop the project. 

The owners then have 60 days to agree to the URA's plans and at least 80 percent of them must do so before the authority can start implementing the scheme. 

Projects accepted by the URA will be included in its 2012-13 annual business plan for submission to the Financial Secretary for final approval. 

Each homeowner will be compensated a sum that is equivalent to the price of a seven-year-old flat nearby. 

If the time between the authority accepting an application and the drawing up of plans for the site exceeds three months, the offer price will be adjusted according to a pre-determined methodology, URA chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, said.

But if it takes the URA more than a year to come up with redevelopment proposals, then the project will be cancelled.

The proposed sites must take up no less than 400 square meters and be located within the government's redevelopment zones. Buildings should be identified as "poor or varied" and should not have any historical, architectural or cultural significance.

The authority will accept applications under its demand-led model from July until the end of October, Cheung said.


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## hkskyline

*URA changes its focus to providing smaller flats*
22 June 2011
South China Morning Post

The Urban Renewal Authority will build 3,400 flats in the next five years.

The flats - half of them less than 500 square feet in size, a response to demand for smaller, cheaper homes - will be sold at market prices. Authority chiefs say they are not in a position to provide subsidised housing.

Authority chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen said yesterday: "Building subsidised housing is not the mission of the URA. Our mission is to solve urban decay problems. Without instructions from the government, we cannot on our own introduce such housing projects."

The 3,400 flats will be built at the former Wan Chai Market and in nearby Lee Tung Street and in Kwun Tong, Hung Hom and Mong Kok.The authority will launch 10 redevelopment projects in the next five years as part of a HK$20 billion scheme, but is keeping under wraps where they will be built.

Last year, the authority said it could build more "no-frills" flats to address public criticism that its projects were not generally affordable. An authority spokesman said the "no frills" option was still being considered for the 10 projects. He said no-frills flats would, for the time being, be limited to Kai Tak and Ma Tau Wai Road, two projects the URA has undertaken alone.

The rest of the HK$20 billion will be used to subsidise the maintenance of 2,600 old buildings.

The authority reported a net operating surplus of HK$2.2 billion for the past financial year and disclosed financial details of five projects where flat sales were completed last year.

Overall, there was a deficit of HK$50.3 million on the projects. A deficit of HK$1.9 billion from the sale of flats at Vision City and Citywalk, a development of 1,466 flats in Tsuen Wan, offset surpluses on the other four. The Tsuen Wan project was in deficit because the site on which it was built was bought in 1997 when the property market peaked.


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## hkskyline

*Safety push over cubicle homes likely to prove mammoth task*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Officials face a mammoth task in checking the safety of subdivided flats with about 1,300 cubicle homes believed to be in every 150 buildings.

Director of Buildings Au Choi- kai said his department plans to inspect 150 buildings a year to ensure renovations meet fire safety requirements and do not put structures at risk.

"We will take action if any problems are found," Au warned.

He said the government will determine whether the subdivided flats should be incorporated.

Au also told Sham Shui Po district councillors the issue does not only involve the buildings concerned but also housing and social problems in the territory.

He was responding to criticism that his department is not doing enough to address the issue, especially in the wake of a recent blaze that tore through a Hung Hom tenement, killing four people.

However, district councillors were not satisfied with his assurances.

Sham Shui Po district council member Vincent Cheng Wing-shan, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the efforts outlined are not enough. Cheng suggested the government establish a data base to record the number of subdivided flats.

District councillor and lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee, of the Hong Kong Association For Democracy And People's Livelihood, questioned whether the Buildings Department has sufficient manpower to carry out inspections. Fung said it is also necessary to strengthen public education with regard to problems posed by subdivided flats.

Separately, about 40 people from the DAB and ADPL staged a rally in the lobby of the Government Offices in Cheung Sha Wan.

They urged the government to regulate subdivided flats and to conduct regular inspections.

According to a survey conducted by the DAB earlier this year, there are an estimated 40,000 subdivided flats in buildings that are more than 50 years old in Kowloon City and Sham Shui Po alone.

About one in six flats in old buildings in Kowloon West is subdivided into an average of four units, the party said.


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## EricIsHim

I still wonder how these size-restricted units help to relieve the housing demand.
Yes, the cost to purchase one unit may come down to a more affordable 2M+/-.
But if the price tag is still going for 8k to 9k per sq. ft, these units will be like less than 300 SF! So what is the point? Just for the sack of saying "owning a flat," that is not livable?


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## hkskyline

EricIsHim said:


> I still wonder how these size-restricted units help to relieve the housing demand.
> Yes, the cost to purchase one unit may come down to a more affordable 2M+/-.
> But if the price tag is still going for 8k to 9k per sq. ft, these units will be like less than 300 SF! So what is the point? Just for the sack of saying "owning a flat," that is not livable?


It's a circular argument. The government wants to sell the land at market price, but inevitably that will push up the cost once the units are complete.


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## hkskyline

*Multi-pronged approach to combat unauthorised sub-division of flat units*
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Government Press Release

In response to the commentaries and media reports today (July 19) on the Administration's enforcement policy regarding sub-division of flat units, a spokesman for the Buildings Department (BD) stressed that the building safety problem arising from unauthorised building works (UBWs), including those associated with sub-divided units, is always a matter of serious concern to the BD. Initiatives are being proactively implemented to combat UBWs.

The Minor Works Control System (MWCS), which was fully implemented on December 31, 2010, has designated an item of works commonly involved in sub-divided units, internal drainage works within building units, as minor works. Such drainage works have to be carried out by suitable prescribed registered contractors. Otherwise, the works would be a contravention of the law.

The spokesman for the BD said, "In order to impose control at source, we proposed to incorporate building works commonly found in sub-divided units into the MWCS, requiring the owners to carry out such works through legal means by engaging registered building professionals and/or registered contractors so as to enhance the safety level and quality of such works. Apart from the addition of floor screeding and erection of partition walls which have been frequently mentioned before, 'formation of openings to a fire escape staircase or its protected lobby' is also one of the items of works proposed to be incorporated into the MWCS. The regulation of such types of building works will help prevent the sub-division works from affecting fire escapes and the building structure. The BD is now consulting the industry on the relevant technical details, and would submit the proposed legislation to the Legislative Council for scrutiny later."

To tackle the problem of unauthorised building works associated with sub-divided units, apart from carrying out investigation in response to reports or complaints on sub-divided units from members of the public and taking suitable enforcement action according to the current enforcement policy, the BD has launched a special operation since April 1, 2011, to inspect suspected sub-divided units and ascertain whether the alteration and addition works involved therein are in compliance with the planning, design and construction requirements under the building regulations concerning fire safety, drainage works and structural safety, in particular the impact on means of escape. The department will take enforcement action against irregularities of building works so identified. In this special operation, the BD will inspect 150 target buildings involving more than 1,300 sub-divided units per year.

Since the launch of the special operation this year up to the end of June, the BD had visited 45 target buildings and successfully entered 86 sub-divided units for inspection. "However, our staff are facing some difficulties in conducting the investigation. Entry of BD staff is often refused by uncooperative owners or occupants, despite the department's effort to deploy significant staffing resources to pay visits to the flats on different dates and during different times of the day," the spokesman of the BD stressed.

The spokesman urged the property owners and occupants to co-operate with the department's staff for the protection of their own interests and public safety. This is to facilitate the early identification of any irregularities as well as to prevent fatalities and financial losses. The spokesman reiterated that if the relevant owners or occupants were still uncooperative after continuous advice, the BD would actively consider the power of breaking into the premises vested in it under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) in order to ensure public safety.

In the inspection of the 86 sub-divided units so far, most of the irregularities in the building works found were related to fire safety. The BD has taken enforcement action in accordance with the prevailing enforcement policy on such UBWs by issuing removal orders under the BO requiring the owners to rectify the irregularities, the spokesman added.

The BD has also launched a series of public education and publicity activities within a short period of time. These activities include (i) the uploading of FAQs related to sub-divided units onto the department's website to enhance awareness among building owners not to carry out unauthorised building works to sub-divide flat units. Potential tenants of sub-divided units are reminded to check the building safety conditions, in particular whether the fire escape routes in the building are adequate and without obstruction, before deciding whether to rent the unit. Other measures are (ii) the display of promotional slogans on bus bodies, (iii) promotional messages on the radio, (iv) newspaper supplements and (v) a promotional pamphlet.

The spokesman reiterated that sub-divided units present multi-faceted issues spanning public and building safety, building management and housing aspects. The BD will continue to regulate building works associated with sub-divided units under the BO from the building safety perspective.


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## hkskyline

*Offer made to clear the air in court*
The Standard
Monday, August 01, 2011

Environmental group Green Sense wants to help the Town Planning Board in a legal fight against private property developers by producing a comprehensive picture of what may happen if height restrictions are lifted in some areas.

Green Sense president Roy Tam Hoi- pong yesterday said his group supports board decisions in September and October last year on the likelihood of air pollution worsening if restrictions on buildings to be redeveloped are relaxed.

If there is no height limit on buildings along the coast, he said, developers will throw up massive blocks that will block offshore winds, preventing polluted air from dispersing. 

The Real Estate Developers Association has applied for a judicial review of height restrictions in four areas - Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and Ngau Tau Kok/Kowloon Bay - because, it claimed, people were not given a fair hearing in protracted talks with the board as its members changed constantly, resulting in a lack of consistency.

"I understand that everyone has the right to fight for their own rights," Tam said. "But the arguments of developers do not convince us. They care only about their benefits."

Green Sense's opinion will offer a court a clear and comprehensive picture of the potential impact should restrictions be lifted, Tam said, adding that he is surprised the association claims its move is in the public interest.


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## josephcounseling

This thread is full of information really some great long discussions are going here


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## hkskyline

*More new homes on block as secondary prices ease *
The Standard
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 

Developers are putting more newly built flats on sale as homeowners in the secondary market continue to cut prices.

Chinese Estates (0127) yesterday said it will launch One Wanchai - a residential project in Wan Chai jointly developed with the Urban Renewal Authority - in the second half.

The project comprises 237 flats, ranging from 430 to 1,200 square feet. One Wanchai sits above the shopping mall built at the site of the old Wan Chai market on Queens Road East.

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2013. "We will take residential projects nearby as reference in pricing the flats," said Chinese Estates executive director Lau Ming-wai.

The flats are expected to cost about HK$17,000 to HK$18,000 per square foot. Neighboring flats are currently priced around HK$12,000 psf.

Kerry Properties (0683) said it got up to 1,000 inquiries on Soho 189, a residential project on Queen's Road West.

Kerry hinted the flats will be priced from HK$8 million. Once sold, most of the units are expected to be rented out.

"We are confident the flats can be leased for HK$50 psf per month, which is why we have partnered with Sotheby's to help owners lease out their properties," said executive director Chu Ip-pui.

Soho 189 comprises 149 units, ranging from 730 to 1,180 sq ft. The smallest unit is expected to command a monthly rent of about HK$36,500, giving its owner a 5 percent return.

Separately, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) said 500 of the 650 flats at Imperial Cullinan have been sold.

It also sold at least 39 of the 79 flats at its i.UniQ Grand project in Shau Kei Wan, with mainlanders buying 20 percent of the units.

Meanwhile, owners in the secondary market continue to cut prices.

One vendor sold a 660-sq-ft flat at Telford Garden in Kowloon Bay for HK$3.18 million, or HK$4,818 psf, about 24.7 percent less than prices of neighboring flats.

Another cut HK$1.22 million before selling a 1,048-sq-ft flat at University Heights in Mid-Levels West for HK$11.78 million, or HK$11,240 psf.


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## hkskyline

*Delay challenged in Mei Foo building row hearing*
The Standard
Wednesday, August 03, 2011










A Mei Foo Sun Chuen resident must not be allowed to use a judicial review to further stall the construction of a 20-story building already given the green light, the High Court has heard.

Court of First Instance Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon will continue to hear submissions today before deciding whether to approve or dismiss a full judicial review sought by Ho Mei-ling, who says the building site is just meters from her home.

The developer was given the green light by the Building Authority several months ago.

Ho, represented by senior counsel Denis Chang Khen-lee, did not attend yesterday's hearing.

It was suggested Ho is single, unemployed and around 30 years old.

Building Authority senior counsel Godfrey Lam Wan-ho said it deals with a site's maximum permissible plot ratio - not residual plot ratio, which apparently concerns Ho.

The authority relies on ordinances and regulations before approving a site's building plans, he said. Private land title is not a consideration.

Ho maintains the Buildings Department miscalculated the residual plot ratio and the site coverage of Mei Foo Stage 8 when it approved the plans of Billion Star Development in October 2010.

The development also covers a pedestrian area which residents have used since 1978.

However, Lam described as unrealistic Ho's argument that she and a concern group sought non- judicial means to resolve the issue.

These means included meeting district councillors, legislators and the ombudsman, writing to government officials, and meeting representatives of the developer.

"A meeting with the developer cannot be a fruitful one since the developer paid more than HK$100 million for the land. How can one expect the developer to agree [with residents] and vacate the site?" Lam said, adding the applicant had the right to use alternative means.

Ho applied for legal aid in February, more than three months after the plans had been approved, even though the concern group of which she is a member was aware of the development long before October 2010, it was argued.

Lam also claimed that Ho did not follow up the progress of the legal aid and was "completely silent" on the matter.

The developer, represented by senior counsel Benjamin Yu, asked the judge to distinguish between "private law" and "public law" and argued the one before him was about private rights. "The site is a matter of fact, not a matter of law," Yu said.

He also said residents could have dealt with the pedestrian right of way issue between 2003 - when another decision was made concerning its use - and 2010, but nothing was done about it.

About 50 residents and supporters of the "Concerned Group Against the Construction of the Mei Foo Sun Chuen Walled Building" gathered outside the court before the hearing began shouting slogans such as "Fight against property hegemony."


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## hkskyline

*Waiting time in Mei Foo building struggle *
The Standard
Thursday, August 04, 2011

A Mei Foo Sun Chuen resident hoping to prevent construction of a 20-story building just meters from her home is awaiting word on whether she will have her day in court.

Court of First Instance Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon yesterday reserved judgment until later this month after a two-day hearing on Ho Mei-ling's bid for a judicial review.

Billion Star Development, represented by senior counsel Benjamin Yu Yuk-hoi, had urged the court not to entertain Ho's application as she failed to explain why she did not seek a review by January - three months after the Building Authority approved plans and still within the period for objections.

But senior counsel Denis Chang Khen-lee, representing Ho, said residents had not lodged objections within the three-month period as a letter from Billion Star in November had suggested the developer was considering a reduction in the building area, which would lessen the impact on residents.

It was only in March that the developer indicated there would be no change, he said.

Ho had applied in February for legal aid to make her bid for a judicial review, and that was accepted in June.

About 20 residents and supporters of the Concerned Group Against the Construction of the Mei Foo Sun Chuen Walled Building, to which Ho belongs, attended yesterday's hearing to show support.


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## hkskyline

*Past lights home run*
The Standard
Friday, August 05, 2011

Property prices are likely to rise further in keeping with the low interest rate environment, but people should consider affordability before buying, said Li Ka-shing.

To make his point, he used Braemar Hill Mansion as an example.

"We sold flats at Braemar Hill [about 30 years ago] at HK$330 per square foot. But if you compare that price with today's, even the construction cost is over HK$3,000 psf - 10 times higher than the selling price back then. The price of similar flats would be HK$18,000 to HK$20,000 psf today."

Li said buying a home is not a problem for end-users with a conservative mortgage, but he cautions against high leveraging.

"Today, the interest rate is low. Judging from what is happening in the US and Europe, it doesn't look like an interest rate hike is likely. With the Hong Kong currency being pegged to the US dollar, inflation will take place," he said.

But Li doesn't think it's a good time to end the link.

"The peg has been in place for years. We are seeing its weakness today, but if we unpeg it, the situation could be worse than imagined. Change is not necessarily always good. It could bring disaster."

As for the mainland, Li doesn't see any risk of an economic hard landing, despite a slowdown in global recovery. "Every policy in China these days goes through a process of careful deliberation.

"I think China is heading in the right direction. The country is trying to create a more equitable society for people on lower incomes." That, he pointed out, led to a huge jump in wages over the past 18 months and driven the gross domestic product even higher.

Li's optimism does not extend to the West, saying the United States is going to need some more time to recover economically while Europe is mired in debt.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 5-9 Yuk Yat Street, To Kwa Kwan
> Project Details : http://www.kerryprops.com/kpl/en/pr...struction/to kwa wan residential project.html
> 
> Rendering
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 4/9


Yuk Yat Street Redevelopment


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## hkskyline

Wuhu Residence
7/24


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## hkskyline

*Strings attached to Sha Tin site*
The Standard
Monday, August 08, 2011










A Sha Tin residential site goes under the hammer in a government land auction tomorrow.

The 248,100 square foot Kau To Shan plot is expected to fetch between HK$6.7 billion and HK$9.3 billion, or HK$6,500 to HK$8,000 per buildable square foot.

The site comes with several restrictions. The winning developer must build at least 970 units on the plot, which has a maximum gross floor area of 1.03 million sq ft - a requirement that is a first for an auctioned plot.

The height of the future project is also restricted to between 197 and 202 meters, while green areas should account for at least 30 percent of the total.

"The transaction price of this site will become the new benchmark for the upcoming sites in Kau To Shan and New Territories East," Cushman & Wakefield's Greater China national director Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho said.

The winning bidder will likely build 163 blocks of five-to-six story purely residential buildings, with each flat sized around 1,063 sq ft, Cheung said.

He forecast the plot to fetch HK$9.27 billion, or HK$8,987 per buildable sq ft. Future flats on the site can cost around HK$13,000 psf.

But residents may find parking a problem, according to Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tze-pun.

"The site is located in [upscale] Kau To Shan, where residents are likely to want car parking facilities. With its requirement on a minimum number of flats, it will be hard to provide a parking space for each," said Lam, who expects the plot to fetch HK$8.25 billion, or HK$8,000 per buildable sq ft.

He originally forecast more than HK$9 billion.

The site is the seventh to go under the hammer this year, with another six plots in the same area on the application list.

According to Centaline Property Agency, around 40 percent of nearby flat owners have withdrawn their units from sale pending the auction result.

Secondary flats nearby are priced between HK$12,000 and HK$16,000 psf.


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## hkskyline

*Land price hammered*
The Standard
Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A huge plot in Kau To Shan, Sha Tin, was sold to the first bidder in just five minutes at the government's land auction yesterday.

A consortium made up of Kerry Properties (0683), Sino Land (0083) and Manhattan Group bought the 248,100-square-foot site for HK$5.5 billion - 16 percent lower than the lowest estimate.

"We are a little surprised about the price, but it is reasonable," said a beaming Kerry Properties executive director Steven Ho Shut-kan.

The slump in the stock market, building constraints imposed on the plot plus the government's vow to boost land supply all helped to dampen the auction, analysts said.

But Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said: "Despite the poor auction result, the government's land sale plans will proceed as scheduled."

In his budget speech in February, Tsang said the government may sell as many as 52 plots of land this year.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said: "There are many more choices of land plots for developers in the near future as the government is set to auction off more sites in the next few months.

"This may also have diluted developers' interests in this plot."

Eddie Hui Chi-man, deputy director of the Research Centre for Construction and Real Estate Economics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said the government had set a relatively lower reserve price for the Sha Tin plot.

"This means the site would add less money to the government revenue."

He added: "It is very rare to see the plot go at the first bid."

Prior to the auction, surveyors expected the site to fetch between HK$6.7 billion and HK$9.3 billion, or HK$6,500 to HK$8,000 per buildable square foot. It fetched just HK$5,332 per buildable square foot.

The winning consortium must build at least 970 units on the plot, which has a maximum gross floor area of 1.03 million sq ft - a requirement that is a first for an auctioned plot.

"With the low price, developers are exposed to very limited development risk," said AG Wilkinson & Associates surveyor Ringo Lam Chun-chiu.

Lam foresees flats at the site priced from HK$9,500 psf.

He said the price of the plot is not likely to impact the other six Kau To Shan plots on the application list, as they will have better views.

Lam estimated that the lower-than- expected price and the global debt crisis are likely to make residential prices in the secondary market fall by between 7.5 and 15 percent from now till the end of the year.

Kerry Properties, which holds a 40 percent interest of the project, will be responsible for project planning and management.

Sino Land also holds 40 percent, with 20 percent held by Manhattan Group, a property developer owned by former lawmaker James Tien Pei-chun.

Kerry said the project should be completed within three years. Total investment of the project - including the land price - will be around HK$10 billion, according to Sino Land chairman Robert Ng Chee Siong.


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## hkskyline

*Slow to catch on*
The Standard
Thursday, August 11, 2011

Government measures to revitalize industrial buildings have prompted owners to look into the potential of their individually owned industrial buildings that are eligible for wholesale conversion for other uses, or redevelopment under the scheme.

As at June 30, the Lands Department had received a total of 56 applications - 45 of them for conversion and 11 for redevelopment.

The two latest cases involve conversion of the whole block at 71 Hung To Road, in Kwun Tong, for office use and the building at 4 Hing Yip Street, also in Kwun Tong, for retail purposes.

Apart from Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay, San Po Kong will be the next bright spot in the Kowloon East area.

The future new infrastructure development of the Sha Tin-Central MTR Link (upon full completion in 2020, connecting the two districts via Kai Tak) will improve the connection between San Po Kong and other areas.

As San Po Kong will be close to the commercial zone of the Kai Tak development project, industrial premises there will benefit from the infrastructure improvements and the gradual development of the decentralized commercial hub of Kai Tak.

On Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang will be given facelifts as a result of the implementation of the Revitalization of Industrial Buildings policy and completion of the MTR South Island Line (East) in 2015.

Several developers have chosen to redevelop their industrial premises in the districts for commercial uses.

Henderson Land and Hing Shing Hong plan to redevelop the plot at 19-21 Wong Chuk Hang Road into a 31-story commercial building, providing total floor area of about 214,300 square feet.

However, the pace of wholesale conversion has been slow, as many owners find difficulty in justifying the cost of conversion and the prospective rental income growth.

Industrial revitalization is still at its infant stage, and the government needs to offer more incentives to encourage owners to revitalize their premises.

Joanne Lee is an assistant manager of research and advisory at Colliers International. The real estate consultancy has integrated teams of specialists to speed up success for institutional and private clients by developing solutions to give their properties a competitive business advantage. E-mail: [email protected]


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## hkskyline

*Auctions on track despite low price for Sha Tin site*
The Standard
Friday, August 12, 2011 

A recently upgraded land sales program will proceed as planned despite a lackluster response at an auction for a plot in Sha Tin on Tuesday.

"The plot was sold at the reserve price due to a poor response from developers," Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday. "But still, that was the market price, so I do not find it disappointing."

Authorities had announced in June that seven additional plots were going to be offered for sale between July and September.

The 248,100-square-foot site at Kau To Shan, Sha Tin, offered on Tuesday was one of the seven sites. It was sold for HK$5.5 billion - 16 percent below the lowest market estimate.

A downturn in local stocks and building restrictions on the plot were said to have dampened demand for the plot.

But Lam was unfazed. "The administration will not change plans for land sales due to the result of a single auction," she said.

The secondary residential market has also felt the effects of economic uncertainties, with owners continuing to slash asking prices. One homeowner took a HK$814,000 hit after selling a 511-sq-ft flat at Metro City Phase 1 in Tseung Kwan O for HK$2.85 million, or HK$5,245 psf.

The owner lopped 6 percent off the asking price to make the sale.

Neighboring flat owners are now asking for HK$6,014 psf.

Another homeowner cut the asking price by 14.6 percent, or HK$1.18 million, before selling a flat of 1,215 sq ft at Mei Foo Sun Chuen for HK$6.9 million, or HK$5,679 psf.

The leasing market also faces a squeeze. A 514-sq-ft flat at Healthy Gardens in North Point went for 11 percent lower than the asking price of HK$13,800 per month.

The owner now has an investment return of 4 percent rather than 4.5 percent.


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## hkskyline

*Contract awarded for Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A*
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Government Press Release

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (August 11) awarded a $680 million contract for the construction of an effluent tunnel and disinfection facilities.

Speaking after the contract signing ceremony, the Director of Drainage Services, Mr Chan Chi-chiu, said that this is the 10th major works contract awarded under the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A.

"The contract, comprising mainly the construction of an 880-metre-long effluent tunnel with an internal diameter of 8.5m and disinfection facilities at the Stonecutters Island, is scheduled for completion in early 2015. The tunnel serves to convey the treated effluent from the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW) to an existing outfall drop shaft and provide sufficient retention time for disinfection. The effluent tunnel will be constructed in a rock layer at a depth of 90m, such that it would not constrain the development potential of the land above the effluent tunnel. The drill and blast method, which is a more reliable construction method at such depth, will be adopted for the tunnel construction," Mr Chan said. 

HATS is a major sewerage infrastructure project in Hong Kong to improve the water quality of Victoria Harbour. The commissioning of HATS Stage 1 in late 2001 has provided proper treatment to about 75 per cent of the sewage discharged into Victoria Harbour, and has significantly improved the water quality in the eastern and central parts of the harbour. HATS Stage 2A will collect the remaining 25 per cent of the sewage generated from northern and south-western parts of Hong Kong Island. The scope of HATS Stage 2A comprises the construction of approximately 21km of sewage tunnels as well as the expansion and upgrading of the SCISTW and related preliminary treatment works on Hong Kong Island. Construction of HATS Stage 2A works has commenced since July 2009 and is progressing satisfactorily.


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## hkskyline

*Battle of the buyers and sellers*
The Standard
Thursday, August 11, 2011

Hong Kong property prices are part of the collateral damage triggered by US political wrangling over the country's debt situation and subsequent downgrading of the sovereign debt rating.

A government land auction on Tuesday did nothing to help sentiment, with a huge plot in Kau To Shan, Sha Tin, selling to the only bidder for HK$5.5 billion - 16 percent lower than the lowest estimate. The auction lasted just five minutes.

Over the past few weeks, local property agencies have been filled with stories of homeowners cutting asking prices. Some vendors even slash up to 20 percent to facilitate transactions, but to no avail.

Amid the falling prices, does it really mean homes are getting cheaper now?

"Many homeowners are now purposely jacking up their asking price to allow room for bargaining. That is the usual tactic seen when the market starts to slide," said Eddie Hui Chi-man, deputy director of the Research Centre for Construction and Real Estate Economics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"So, when homeowners slash prices, potential buyers may feel they are getting a discount, but in fact, they may not be."

Examples of overpricing can easily be found around the market. A flat owner chopped HK$2 million - or 14 percent - off the asking price before selling a 1,176-square-foot unit at City Garden in North Point for HK$11 million, or HK$9,354 per square foot.

The discount may seem big, but neighboring flats sold recently at HK$9,047 psf on average. That mean
s the new owner of the flat actually paid 3.3 percent higher than market price.

Another homeowner lopped HK$340,000, or 7.4 percent, off before selling an 846-sq-ft apartment at Belvedere Garden in Tsuen Wan for HK$4.26 million, or HK$5,035 psf. Neighboring flats are priced at an average of HK$4,830 psf - meaning this purchaser shelled out 4.2 percent more.

"The price slashing is not really real, and it cannot truly reflect the decrease in property prices, which is only around 5 percent from the start of the year," Hui said.

He does not expect the price- slashing situation to last more than two weeks, as impact from the equity market to property market should only be short term.

However, some selling prices are real, but do not necessarily represent very large discounts. One homeowner slashed 14 percent off the asking price, or around HK$370,000, before selling an 896-sq-ft flat at Belvedere Garden in Tsuen Wan for HK$4.13 million, or HK$4,609 psf. Neighboring prices average HK$4,830 psf - 4.7 percent higher.

Meanwhile, another vendor at City Garden sold a different 1,176-sq-ft unit for HK$11 million, but this price was about 13 percent below bank valuations.

"The owner sold it the night the US equity market tumbled, because he did not have a positive view on the property market," said Gary Lam, a Centaline Property agent.

At Palm Springs in Tin Shui Wai, a homeowner sold a 1,463-sq-ft individual house for HK$4.8 million, or HK$3,281 psf - about 27 percent lower than the average neighborhood price of HK$4,500 psf.

"The house had a track record of a person dying inside. After the owner saw the downfall of the property market, he wanted to make some cash from the house to buy some cheap stocks in the equity market," explained Jacky Lung, another Centaline agent.

He said the Palm Springs vendor originally listed the house at HK$6.3 million, before slashing the price to HK$5.3 million, then further reducing it to HK$4.8 million.

"The struggle between the buyers and sellers changes everyday, because of the uncertainties of the global economy, due to the volatility in the equity markets," said Lawrence Poon Wing- cheung, a specialist in real estate development at City University.

"When we see that the United States is unlikely to lift its interest rate before 2013, the homeowners' worries may ease, and they may refuse to slash more prices.

"The struggle between the two sides will not end until the uncertainties of the global economy are cleared."


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## hkskyline

*Market jitters, Sha Tin gloom weigh on plots*
The Standard
Monday, August 15, 2011

Economic uncertainties and last week's lackluster Sha Tin land auction have spurred surveyors to cut their estimates by up to 20 percent for three government plots to go on the block next month.

The plots - one each in Tseung Kwan O, Yuen Long and Sai Kung - are now expected to fetch a total of HK$3.95 billion to HK$4.99 billion.

All three sites have building restrictions and are expected to provide a total of at least l,130 units.

Cushman & Wakefield director Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho said: "Under the current market sentiment, the plots are expected to fetch 10-20 percent less than initially expected." 

The largest of the three is a 144,161 square foot site at Tseung Kwan O Area 66A, with a plot ratio of 5.5 times and 792,891 sq ft maximum gross floor area.

The site has caps on both residential and commercial space, with building height limited to 100 meters. This site can house 1,010 units at most.

The 120,474 sq ft Yuen Long site has a gfa of the same amount and is expected to be developed into a low density residential project with at least 170 units.

Knight Frank executive director Alnwick Chan Chi-hing revised the site's price down by 15 percent, from HK$600 million to HK$510 million.

The 25,833 sq ft Sai Kung plot at the Pak Shek Wo San Tsuen Road-Clear Water Bay Road junction has a gfa of 12,100 sq ft, with building height limited to nine meters. It is tipped to fetch HK$109 million-HK$133 million.


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## hkskyline

*`Street kings' hit on big spenders*
The Standard
Thursday, August 18, 2011

It has been common practice in recent years for developers to commission property agencies to market their new projects.

To get results, the agencies have to be aggressive.

Besides making cold calls, their agents also look for potential purchasers on the streets.

Such agents, dubbed "street kings" in the trade, can earn up to HK$1 million a year.

However, life for the street kings has been difficult lately, as the seller's market turned sluggish, with would-be buyers taking a wait-and-see attitude.

And in their eagerness to drum up business in the tough times, agents sometimes clash with security guards at shopping malls, where they accost potential clients, and the incidents have been reported in the news.

The manageress of a brand-name shop told me she did occasionally notice real estate agents distributing pamphlets to mainland visitors lined up outside luxury retail outlets on Canton Road.

The agents' tactic makes perfect sense - wealthy mainlanders are a leading source of buyers for luxury residential property here, and they're often found standing in line outside brand-name shops.

Being in a queue, they're a captive audience for hard selling, so the agents stand a better chance of success.

But the shop manageress said agents working in that Tsim Sha Tsui area are finding it hard to operate because of the tight security imposed by the Harbour City landlord to prevent customers from being harassed.

Security guards jump into action whenever the agents' selling activities become blatant or annoying.

But security outside the Canton Road shopping malls has always been tight.

Therefore, it's both curious and impressive that the agents even manage to get to approach the big-spending potential customers at all in recent days. Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## hkskyline

*Prospects high for Oil Street*
The Standard
Thursday, August 18, 2011

Despite global economic uncertainties, surveyors remain optimistic about the Oil Street plot, for which tenders close tomorrow. The 84,897-square-foot property at 12 Oil Street - the site of the former Government Supplies Depot in North Point - is highly coveted, being a rare large site situated in a prime area.

It will be the first to be sold by public tender on the heels of Standard & Poor's downgrading of the US sovereign debt, and the disappointing government auction for the Kau To Shan plot earlier.

The 248,100-sq-ft Sha Tin site sold to the only bidder for HK$5.5 billion - 16 percent below the lowest market estimate.

Meanwhile, the Oil Street site is valued at between HK$6.47 billion and HK$9 billion, according to eight surveyors polled by The Standard.

The consortium developing the Kau To Shan site must build at least 970 homes, with maximum gross floor area of 1.03 million sq ft.

The restriction was regarded as one that may affect future flat prices.

The Oil Street plot has different restrictions. It is designated for hotel and residential/commercial use, with gross floor area of 755,647 sq ft, of which at least 322,926 sq ft, or about 43 percent of the space, must be for hotel use.

The future developer can also include maximum commercial space of 195,000 sq ft, or at most, 527,000 sq ft of residential space.

Building height is capped at 110 meters.

Surveyor Pang Siu-kei said the two plots are not comparable.

"They are very different from each other. The Kau To Shan plot sale did not turn out well because of the series of development conditions and limitations," Pang said. "The market may have slumped lately, but the developers have been eyeing the Oil Street plot since it was put on the application list in 1997.

"Their desire for the plot is very unlikely to be dampened by the current economic downturn."

Pang pointed out the coveted site is located in North Point - a developed district where there is huge demand for both office and residential space.

Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat concurred. "This plot at Oil Street is more ideal in terms of its location and its development conditions than the Kau To Shan plot," he said.

"Developers were not so active at the last auction, possibly partly because they wanted to conserve capital to spend on the Oil Street plot."

Since the government announced in June that it would sell the site by tender, leading developers - including Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), Henderson Land (0012), Wheelock Properties (0020), K Wah International (0173) and Nan Fung Group - have all expressed interest.

The value range of HK$6.47 billion to HK$9 billion would translate to HK$8,600 to HK$12,000 per buildable sq ft.

The lower end of the range is less than the previous estimate of HK$7.5 billion, or HK$9,926 per buildable sq ft. But the higher end remains unchanged.

None of the surveyors have revised their estimation downwards, but two said they are not so optimistic on the land sale.

"The global economy is still not looking good, and the market is still unclear whether there will be a double dip in the European and US economies," said Ringo Lam Chun-chiu, a director in the valuation department at AG Wilkinson & Associates.

Lam expects the Oil Street site to fetch HK$6.47 billion, or HK$8,600 per buildable sq ft - the lowest end of market estimation.

"If I did my valuations before the last auction, it could be around 10 percent higher," Lam said.

Cushman & Wakefield's Greater China national director Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho noted: "Credit risks and the downfall of the equity market dampened market sentiment, which could lead to more worries for the developers."

Cheung did not revise his Oil Street forecast - at HK$8.38 billion, or HK$11,091 per buildable sq ft - due to the lack of comparables in the neighborhood. But he expects the selling price to be 10 to 15 percent below his estimation.


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## hkskyline

*Market awaits 5,470 new flats*
The Standard
Friday, January 27, 2012

As many as 5,470 new units from a dozen property projects will likely come on the market following next week's budget.

The 12 developments are in Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Che Kung Temple, Ma On Shan, Fan Ling, Discovery Bay, Sai Wan, Hung Hom, Tai Hang Road, Ma Wan and Kowloon Shing.

The highest number of flats, 1,720, will come from the TW7 development near Tsuen Wan West MTR station, jointly developed by Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001), Nan Fung Development, and MTR Corp (0066). These will be two-to-four bedroom units sized between 660 and 2,000 square feet.

Cheung Kong has hinted prices will be comparable to those at Festival City in Tai Wai - now costing between HK$7,900 and HK$8,300 psf.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and MTRC are also expected to release flats from the project atop Tuen Mun MTR station, providing 1,100 units. A market source expects the flats to be priced between HK$6,000 and HK$8,000 psf.

SHKP is also set to launch phase six of Park Island in Ma Wan soon, as presale consent has been received. It will provide 65 three-to-four bedroom units, sized between 1,200 and 2,200 sq ft.

New World Development (0017), Wheelock & Co (0020) and Sino Land (0083) will also launch new homes.

Meanwhile, Kerry Properties (0683) said it has pocketed HK$70.06 million by selling two flats at The Altitude in Happy Valley.

The buyers are Dragon Era Holdings and Soaring Dragon Holdings owned by brother and sister-in-law of Kerry Properties' chairman Kuok Khoon Chen.

Last month, the developer sold two flats and two parking spaces at The Altitude to its sister firm, Kerry Trading Co, for HK$94.83 million. Kerry shares rose 3.81 percent to HK$30 yesterday.


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## hkskyline

*Stance softens on sites for small flats*
The Standard
Thursday, February 09, 2012

The government may have softened its approach to boosting the supply of small and medium flats.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in a radio interview that the government may release fewer residential sites with stipulations on the size and number of flats to be built.

"The Home Ownership Scheme as well as projects along the MTR stations and redevelopment projects by the Urban Renewal Authority will provide small and medium flats in the near term," Lam said.

"As these flats will help meet the demand, it may not be necessary to attach flat-size stipulations for the sites meant for private development projects."

But, she added, flat-number stipulations will still be attached to some plots, such as four of the five sites to be sold from April to June this year.

Her remarks were in contrast to those made by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in his budget.

He said the government will "follow the practice of announcing land sale programs in advance on a quarterly basis, and stipulate flat-number or flat-size restrictions in land sales in the light of market conditions and the characteristics of individual sites."

Last month, the Bayside project near the Tsuen Wan MTR station was withdrawn from sale by the MTRC.

The project could have provided 2,384 units in nine buildings. But the conditions required that 52 percent of the flats must have a salable area of less than 538 square feet.

Developers have criticized conditions relating to the size or flat numbers.

Victor Cha Mou-zing, managing director of HKR International, described the conditions as "over-interference."

He added: "The government already has the tools to regulate home supply... and these restrictions hinder developers from using their experience to release the potential of the land parcels."


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## hkskyline

*Central drawcard*
The Standard

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Developers' confidence in the property market does not appear to have been affected by new land supply announced by the government last week. Many of the firms are keen to shore up their land bank judging by the interest in an Urban Renewal Authority development in an area near the Central district where historical features abound.

By Friday, 18 developers had expressed interest in a site on Peel Street and Graham Street in Sheung Wan. Seven developers also submitted tenders for a site at So Kwun Wat in Tuen Mun.

Both plots were released a day after the government revealed 47 sites on the application list for fiscal year 2012-13.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001), Kerry Properties (0638), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), Henderson Land (0012), Emperor International (0163), New World Development (0017), China Overseas Land and Development (0688) and Asia Standard International (0129) all expressed interest in the URA site.

Kerry Properties and Emperor International said they plan to develop the site by themselves.

The authority will invite tenders from developers once a short list has been drawn.

The site is one of three pieces of land forming a bigger redevelopment masterplan along Gage Street.

The 18,191-square-foot site - the middle one of the three - is the first to be put to market.

It has a gross floor area of 191,492 sq ft and could provide 177 flats and 32,000 sq ft of retail space for fresh food.

Unlike at previous authority projects, there are no conditions attached to the site.

Old buildings on the site have been demolished. The other two sites in the plan are likely to be completed by 2021.

The entire development - with a site area of more than 57,000 sq ft and estimated to provide 737,683 sq ft of gross floor area - will have a mix of residential, commercial, office, hotel and community space.

It will be able to provide 300 homes.

The project involves 37 existing old buildings, four of which are prewar structures.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said the site offered new residential supply near the core business district in Central. "Plus, there are quite a lot of shops and restaurants nearby, which would add high value to the retail space."

Lam estimates the plot will fetch HK$1.72 billion, or HK$9,000 per buildable sq ft.

The market expects between HK$1.53 billion and HK$2.87 billion, or HK$8,010-HK$15,000 per buildable sq ft.

There are few residential units in the area. The closest new project on the market is CentrePoint at Staunton Street and Chung Wo Lane, which is two blocks from the URA project.

Some flats at CentrePoint have yet to be sold by the developer, Henderson Land. New units cost HK$19,758 per sq ft on average. Buyers have put some flats on the secondary market.

The owner of a 486-sq-ft flat on an upper floor intends to sell for HK$9.3 million, or HK$19,136 psf.

The same owner is also interested in leasing the apartment for HK$51 psf per month.

Century 21 chief operating officer Chan Tung-ngok believes the site will attract "conservative" tenders from developers. He predicts bids ranging from HK$1.53 billion to HK$1.91 billion, or HK$8,000 to HK$9,000 per buildable sq ft.

Chan Cheung-kit, a director at Lanbase Surveyors, said some small and medium-sized developers would be attracted because of the site area and absence of any conditions related to flats that may be built.


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## hkskyline

*Rich flats look inviting to migrants*
The Standard
Monday, February 13, 2012

About 100 seniors, mainly professionals and some migrants, have expressed a wish to retire at luxury homes provided by the Housing Society.

The new "Joyous Living" projects at Tanner Hill in North Point and Wetland Park Road in Tin Shui Wai provide a viable option for the more affluent of the territory's 1.5 million seniors despite criticism about their prices, chairman Yeung Ka-sing said.

Michael Cheng, now living in Santa Barbara, California, told The Standard he is interested in the scheme.

"My wife and I have been living in the United States for the past 40 years and are approaching retirement age," he said. "We would like to retire in Hong Kong, and we have recently received our Hong Kong residency cards." 

Cheng said he is keen to proceed with the application procedure.

"Please advise on how we may be able to resolve our housing needs without having to pay tens of millions in the open market."

Yeung said the society has yet to decide on the eligibility criteria for such homes, which do not receive subsidy from public funds.

But there will be no restriction on Hong Kong migrants returning home from overseas.

"Those who decide to return to spend a happier retirement here may, of course, prefer to hire suitable private accommodation and get a domestic helper to look after them," Yeung said.

"But I can assure you that domestic helpers alone will not be able to provide what we can, such as a well set up medical center with professional nursing care workers, nutritionists and more."

He said rents are not that expensive - averaging HK$10,000 a month for a period of 20-25 years.

Joyous Living projects will offer 1,538 homes with demonstration units and price lists open in 2014.

The society will also utilize the refund mechanism of the Senior Citizen Residences Scheme so that those who want to move out halfway through their contract will receive a lump sum refund of between 10-70 percent, Yeung said.


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## hkskyline

*Hospitals in makeover line*
The Standard
Thursday, February 02, 2012

Kwong Wah Hospital is to have a new day-care center and non-radioactive cancer treatment facilities under an HK$8 billion redevelopment project to be completed over the next eight years, a top executive said.

Tung Wah Group chairman Charles Chang Juo-hwa also said the redevelopment will strengthen the hospital's Chinese and Western medicine shared- care services, including the Chinese medicine in-patient service.

This came as John Tsang announced funding of HK$2.2 billion for clinic and hospital projects in the next fiscal year.

The two-phase Kwong Wah project will involve reconstruction of six of its seven buildings and a new 20-story block to house the new services. Only the Tsui Tsin Tong Outpatient Building, built in the late 1990s, will remain untouched. 

Hospital chief executive Nelson Wat Ming-sun said adequate measures will be taken to avoid inconvenience to patients during the redevelopment.

"We will endeavor to communicate well with the district council, community and the other hospitals in the Kowloon West Cluster to rearrange and reallocate the patients we serve," he said.

Accident and emergency services will not be affected, Wat added.

The Kowloon West Cluster serves 1.9 million people and also includes the Princess Margaret and Yan Chai hospitals.

Meanwhile, Queen Mary Hospital will offer beefed-up emergency and cardiac services at the end of a HK$7 billion expansion plan to be completed in 2025.

Construction will take place in four phases, the first of which will involve demolishing the auxiliary medical warehouse and widening roads.

Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk welcomed the budget and the funding for reconstructing the two hospitals, but estimated the makeover to take 10 years.

"The two hospitals have their own construction obstacles," Wu said.

"Queen Mary is located in a hilly area and many of its buildings are under statutory protection, while Kwong Wah has to ensure its services are not affected, considering its large flow of patients." The HK$2.2 billion pledged to the health sector by Tsang includes the expansion of the United Christian Hospital and the redevelopment of the Yan Chai, Kwong Wah and Queen Mary hospitals.


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## hkskyline

*Developers rushing fresh supply to primary market*
The Standard
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

At least 56 new homes will be available for sale on Friday at the earliest.

Wheelock & Co (0020) released 51 of 103 flats at Lexington Hill in Sai Wan yesterday. The first batch of 30, sized between 785 and 1,004 square feet, will be priced at about HK$11,039 per square foot.

This is closer to the lower end of the range of HK$11,000-HK$15,000 that the developer hinted at earlier.

The second and third batches - a total of 21 flats - will cost HK$11,688 psf and HK$14,697 psf, respectively. Flat sizes of these two batches also range from 785 to 1,004 sq ft.

Wheelock is targeting HK$1.4 billion to HK$1.5 billion from the sale of all 103 homes.

Neighboring homes are priced at between HK$6,500 and HK$8,600 psf.

Henderson Land (0012) also priced five of its detached houses at La Verte in Fan Ling at an average HK$8,888 per sq ft. That is 11 percent lower than HK$10,000 psf the developer hinted at earlier. The project provides 16 detached houses. Similar houses in the area sell for between HK$4,000 and HK$14,000 psf.

As for the secondary market, buyers are becoming more aggressive.

More than 60 potential buyers lined up to view a flat at Telford Gardens in Kowloon Bay yesterday. The 418-sq-ft flat was sold for HK$2.7 million, or HK$6,459 psf, within an hour of being viewed.

As sentiment improved in the market, shares of sector heavyweights surged.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) gained 3.31 percent to HK$109.10, while Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) rose 3.55 percent to HK$113.8. Henderson Land was also up 6 percent to HK$45.4. In other action, the Urban Renewal Authority said it plans to make acquisition offers to the 108 properties that will be affected by the redevelopment projects at Pak Tai Street and San Shan Road in To Kwa Wan.

The owners or occupiers will be offered HK$8,939 psf for saleable area. They will have 60 days to decide whether to accept the offer.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ15: Treatment of sewage and rainwater*
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, in the Legislative Council today (February 15):

Question:

At present, the Drainage Services Department is responsible for the sewage and stormwater treatment and drainage systems in Hong Kong. The stormwater drainage system is mainly used for flood prevention and for coping with floods caused by heavy rainstorms, and stormwater is basically untreated before it is discharged into the sea directly. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number and contents of the complaints received by the authorities in the past three years about the hygiene problems brought by the outfalls and gullies of the stormwater collection system, as well as the solutions provided by the authorities; whether the authorities have conducted any study or used any new technology to improve the relevant hygienic conditions;

(b) given that it is possible that the sewage produced in our daily lives may be discharged into the stormwater collection system directly (e.g. the sewage produced from street cleaning, especially during the dry seasons when there is not enough rainwater to dilute the sewage before it is discharged into the sea directly), thereby polluting the coastal water in the vicinity of outfalls and giving out foul odour, whether the authorities have, in the past, conducted water quality tests on the sewage discharged through the stormwater collection system or the coastal water in the vicinity of the outfalls at different times in each year; if they have, of the test results in the past three years (including the impacts of seasonal factors, etc.); if not, the reasons for that;

(c) whether the authorities have examined or considered applying the technologies (including connecting all or some of the stormwater drains to the sewage drainage system and putting in place a switching system that allows the connection of stormwater drains to the sewage drainage system) used in the stormwater collection systems in other places, so as to reduce water pollution caused by the direct discharge of stormwater; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(d) whether the authorities have, in the past, conducted any study on stormwater collection systems with a view to utilising stormwater resources in a more effective way to reduce the consumption of potable water, e.g. building large-scale or regional stormwater harvesting systems and secondary water supply systems (i.e. systems other than the existing plumbing systems for fresh water supply at the taps) for the purpose of utilising stormwater for various non-potable uses (e.g. toilet flushing, landscape irrigation and cooling air-conditioning systems, etc.); if they have, of the findings?

Reply:

President,

In Hong Kong, the sewerage system and the stormwater collection system operate independently to enable the separate treatment of sewage and rainwater. In general, stormwater is directly discharged into the sea. To prevent polluted water from entering the stormwater collection system due to various reasons thus polluting the environment, we have implemented a handful of measures to reduce the discharge of polluted water into the stormwater collection system, such as tackling the problem at source by rectifying misconnections to stormwater drains; installing dry weather flow interceptors at suitable locations; and regulating improper discharge of polluted water at roadside. Moreover, we would carry out regular cleansing work to remove sludge at the stormwater collection system so as to reduce nuisance to the public arising from the odour generated by the accumulated sludge.

My reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:

(a) From 2009 to 2011, the Highways Department and the Drainage Services Department received a total of 563 complaints about foul odour from drains and gullies of the stormwater collection system. However, we have no further breakdown of the complaints into different problems, such as hygiene problem. On receipt of a complaint about foul odour, the departments concerned would immediately arrange contractor to carry out cleansing work. Generally, the main causes of foul odour are misconnection of sewers to the stormwater collection system and improper discharge of polluted water into stormwater drains. Apart from rectifying the misconnections to resolve the problem at source, enforcement departments concerned would also conduct regular inspections to deal with any illegal discharge of polluted water into roadside drains on the spot. Appropriate enforcement actions would also be considered when breaches of relevant legislations (such as the Water Pollution Control Ordinance) are found. On the technical front, the Highways Department would install gully traps at roadside gullies at black spots of foul odour to reduce odour releasing from the drains. In addition, a local university is conducting a study on reducing foul odour arising from sludge in box culverts. The study is expected to complete in 2013.

(b) The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has set up a total of 94 monitoring stations in Hong Kong waters, inner bays, typhoon shelters and anchorages to monitor marine water quality on a regular basis. The selection of sites for these stations and the monitoring methodologies are set in accordance with internationally recognised scientific practices of the relevant disciplines, including oceanography and statistics. As the collected water quality data are mainly used for studying the long-term trend of variations in marine water quality, the monitoring stations are generally located offshore instead of near-shore areas to avoid recording widely divergent data arising from abrupt pollutant sources near the shore. Otherwise, the data may lead to over- or under-estimation of the water quality of the receiving waters concerned. As such, the Marine Water Quality Monitoring Programme of the EPD would not conduct water quality tests at near-shore areas, particularly at stormwater outfalls or their nearby waters where there may be pollutant discharges.

Apart from EPD's regular water quality monitoring as mentioned above, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) has also conducted baseline water quality monitoring at the waterways adjacent to Kai Tak Development (including To Kwa Wan Typhoon Shelter) since December 2009, in connection with the planning and design of the Kai Tak Development. The CEDD collects water samples every three months to analyse a number of physical, chemical and microbiological parameters, including dissolved oxygen and coliform count. The monitoring results are available for public viewing on the website of Kai Tak Development (www.ktd.gov.hk).

Regarding the monitoring of inflow of polluted water into the stormwater collection system, we consider that regular inspections and immediate tackling of pollution at source are more effective in preventing the polluted water from entering stormwater drains.

(c) As far as practicable, we would incorporate sewage collection installations, such as dry weather flow interceptors, into stormwater collection systems. These installations can intercept and divert polluted water flow to sewerage system for treatment during dry seasons.

Hong Kong is located in the subtropical region with high annual rainfall. Connecting all or some of the stormwater drains directly or via a switching system to the sewerage system would lead to huge volume of stormwater entering the sewerage system. Coping with the large amount of additional stormwater flow would require many-fold enlargement in the size of the existing sewer pipes and substantial expansion in the capacity of the sewage treatment works. As a matter of fact, most of our urban underground spaces are already congested with various kinds of pipes and ducts. It is not practical to lay larger sewers in these areas. Besides, it is not cost-effective to enlarge the sewers and expand the capacity of sewage treatment works to deal with the additional rainwater inflow.

(d) We have been undertaking studies on the more effective use of rainwater resources and reduction of potable water for non-potable uses. At present, we have selected some parks and public housing development projects for trial schemes on harvesting rainwater via rainwater harvesting systems for toilet flushing and irrigation purposes. Findings from these schemes will serve as references for setting the future standards of rainwater harvesting system. Besides, the Water Supplies Department has commissioned a consultancy study on the development of design guidelines and water quality standards for rainwater harvesting system. The study is scheduled to be completed in 2012.


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## hkskyline

*Closed area starts to shrink in size*
The Standard
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The restricted zone separating Hong Kong from the mainland will be reduced from today - allowing the public to enter certain boundary locations without a closed area permit.

The move, which opens 740 hectares of land in Sha Tau Kok and Lok Ma Chau to the public, is the first of three stages that cuts the Frontier Closed Area, or FCA, from 2,800 hectares to 400 hectares.

Deputy Secretary for Security Carol Yip Man-kuen said Shek Chung Au checkpoint in Sha Tau Kok will close for good and a new Gate One checkpoint in the area starts operating today.

Construction of new patrol roads from Mai Po to the Lok Ma Chau control point section, and Lin Ma Hang to Sha Tau Kok section, is completed.

Work on the second section involves erecting a secondary boundary fence from the entrance of Sha Tau Kok town, where the Gate One checkpoint is located, to the Sha Tau Kok control point, a distance of about 500 meters.

"The reduced FCA now comprises a narrow strip of land covering the realigned boundary patrol road and areas to its north, together with crossing points along the boundary, that is the boundary control points and Sha Tau Kok town," Yip said.

"Upon reduction, about 3,300 local residents in eight villages and workers in the areas concerned will have more access. Outsiders do not have to apply for a closed area permit to enter or leave the areas to be released from the FCA."

Chung Ying Street and Sha Tau Kok town are still under FCA restrictions to combat illegal immigration and other cross-boundary criminal activities.

Kenneth Chan Kwok-wah, divisional commander (Sha Tau Kok) of the Customs and Excise Department, said: "The operation of the Gate One checkpoint in Sha Tau Kok will remain the same as Shek Chung Au checkpoint.

"The facilities for the new checkpoint will also include a minor building structure and a covered vehicle inspection area spanning road for the inspection of vehicles."


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## hkskyline

*First stage of reduction of Frontier Closed Area implemented*
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Government Press Release










The Under Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, officiated at a ceremony at the Shek Chung Au Check Point at midnight yesterday (February 14), signifying that a total of more than 740 hectares of land was excised from the Frontier Closed Area (FCA) for public use in the first stage of the reduction of the FCA.

The Shek Chung Au Check Point operated by the Police and the Customs and Excise Department was closed officially right after the ceremony while the Sha Tau Kok Check Point started to operate simultaneously.

The Security Bureau announced in January 2008 that the coverage of the FCA would be substantially reduced from about 2,800 hectares to about 400 hectares. In order to implement the reduced coverage of the FCA while maintaining the integrity of the boundary, the Government needs to construct a secondary boundary fence along the boundary patrol road.

The construction works have been divided into four sections, namely the "Mai Po to Lok Ma Chau Control Point Section", the "Lok Ma Chau Control Point to Ng Tung River Section", the "Ng Tung River to Lin Ma Hang Section" and the "Lin Ma Hang to Sha Tau Kok Section". The Government implements the reduction of the FCA by amending the Frontier Closed Area Order in stages to tie in with the completion of the construction works for the four sections. The "Mai Po to Lok Ma Chau Control Point Section" and the "Lin Ma Hang to Sha Tau Kok Section" are covered in this first stage reduction.

The construction works for the "Lok Ma Chau Control Point to Ng Tung River Section" are expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2012. The Government aims to further reduce the FCA by introducing another amendment to the Frontier Closed Area Order in early 2013. As for the "Ng Tung River to Lin Ma Hang Section", the construction works will start in the first quarter of 2012 and are expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2015.


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## hkskyline

*Callers raise roof over flats for rich*
The Standard
Thursday, February 09, 2012

Housing Society chairman Yeung Ka-sing has defended a luxury homes plan for the elderly against criticism it is a waste of public funds.

The "Joyous Living" scheme, involving a total of 1,538 homes, is based around two projects at Tanner Hill in North Point and Wetland Park Road in Tin Shui Wai.

Units will be between 500 and 1,000 square foot in size.

Affluent senior citizens will have to pay a lump sum upfront to live at the developments.

Callers to an RTHK phone-in show slammed the scheme.

"If I pay more than HK$100,000 each year to rent a residential unit in the new projects, I don't see any difference from paying for a nursing home, which even provides food and domestic services for 24 hours, seven days a week," one caller said.

Another said: "The Housing Society receives subsidies from public funds. If I'm so rich, why would I prefer to rent an apartment managed by the society?"

Yeung told RTHK that the scheme would not receive a subsidy from public funds, and would be self- financed.

He added that rents are essentially set according to construction and operational costs, instead of rises or falls in the property market.

Yeung said yesterday he does not expect to see profits from the scheme, and will be happy if costs are covered.

"The Joyous Living projects are tailor-made to meet the special needs of affluent senior citizens, instead of all of the seven million Hongkongers," he said.

"The society is simply offering one more housing solution to those with greater affordability.

"The public shouldn't be confused about the concept."

For empty residential units, the Housing Society would in future adjust the price range according to the inflation rate.


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## hkskyline

Looks like both the Shanghai Commercial Bank and CNAC Buildings on Queen's Road Central are being demolished. They're steps away from the Landmark.


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## pookgai

hkskyline said:


> Looks like both the Shanghai Commercial Bank and CNAC Buildings on Queen's Road Central are being demolished. They're steps away from the Landmark.


Is there a proposal out there for what they are replacing this with? Think this is the first I have heard of this building going down. 

There is so much activity in Central at the minute. It's really exciting!


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## hkskyline

pookgai said:


> Is there a proposal out there for what they are replacing this with? Think this is the first I have heard of this building going down.
> 
> There is so much activity in Central at the minute. It's really exciting!


I have no idea what the replacement will be yet. I was a bit surprised the two were being demolished as well.


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## hkskyline

*Root of all evil lies in bad planning*
The Standard
Monday, February 20, 2012

Illegal construction has become a heated topic, from extension structures in the New Territories, to top Hong Kong officials building additions to their homes.

The recent controversy illustrates the notion of inequality and unfairness in modern society.

It is common knowledge that space in the SAR is limited and scarce, so land is more valuable than gold.

Therefore, Hongkongers - given their urge to maximize all commercial value - tend to cross the line and build more than the allowable area.

Every piece of land is associated with a preset potential for development, meaning the size of the site, amount of area that is allowed to be built on it, height limit, and so on, are all determined by the government's planning department. 

There are certain cases in which these parameters may be changed - if the appropriate proposal and documentation have been approved, along with a fee.

The value of a site hinges heavily on the amount of area the owner can build on it, and that will determine the return estimation. If the land is sold at a well-traded price range with the potential development of the site known, this will bring about the most efficient and fair price.

But if an owner decides to violate regulations after purchasing the property by creating additional space, this will dramatically increase the allowable finished area on the site, leading to an unfair condition among most of the public.

Hong Kong is very different from the rest of the world. Unlike in the West, where open space is more abundant, the need to exploit every last square inch of developable area is minimal, since there is incentive for people to live in the suburbs with a convenient transportation network.

But here, where transportation may be extremely poor once you get into the rural districts, there is a strong urgency for planners to create more density within the urban areas.

The only logical remedy starts with planning. The urban planning here has always failed to keep up with the city's rapid growth, lacking flexibility or adaptability.

The problem with illegal construction stems not only from regulations, the root of all evil lies with the poor urban planning dating back more than 30 years.

It is high time for us to realize that what we are seeing now is only the tip of the iceberg - a ticking time bomb waiting to explode - with a housing shortage looming in the face of population growth among expatriates and Hong Kong-born mainlanders. Architect Nicholas Ho and art historian Stephanie Poon don't always see eye to eye.


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## hkskyline

*Developers bank on low-density home schemes*
The Standard
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) plans to put to market two low-density projects next week.

The sixth phase of Park Island Oceancrest, also called AnaCapri, will offer luxury flats sized between 1,200 and 2,000 square feet.

A unit at the 65-unit project will cost HK$10,000 psf on average, putting AnaCapri on course to generating HK$1 billion in sales.

Also being released is another four-unit detached house project in Tuen Mun. The houses are sized between 3,700 and 4,500 sq ft each, and will cost an average of HK$20,000 psf, putting SHKP on course for another HK$400 million.

SHKP also plans to start selling, from late next month, flats atop the Tuen Mun MTR station - which are now awaiting presale consent.

Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency executive director Victor Lui Ting said property prices are likely to see moderate rises this year. "Surging household incomes and low mortgage rates are fueling demand and support prices this year," he said.

Paliburg Holdings (0617) director Donald Fan Tung also said there are favorable factors.

"The poor sentiment seen last year was due to the European sovereign debt crisis. But now I wouldn't worry even if the crisis cannot be settled, as the market is supported by the influx of buyers from the mainland and low interest rates."

Paliburg said it plans to buy more land this year, including the 32,830 sq ft Ap Lei Chau site, which may fetch between HK$1.15 billion and HK$2.7 billion, or HK$5,000 to HK$12,000 per buildable sq ft. About 200 to 300 units could be built on the site, the tender for which closes on March 16.

The developer also plans to launch two hotels in Sheung Wan, one hotel in Tin Hau, and a residential project in Yuen Long.

Meanwhile, two low-density residential sites are to be sold through public tender.

A 45,747-sq-ft site near Repulse Bay, with a gross floor area of 41,172 sq ft, is likely to fetch between HK$11.65 billion and HK$18.9 billion.

The other - a 97,091-sq-ft site in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun with a GFA of 38,836 sq ft - is expected to cost between HK$117 million and HK$194 million.


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## hkskyline

*Proposed institutional changes to upgrade the construction industry*
Friday, February 24, 2012
Government Press Release

The proposed amalgamation of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Construction Workers Registration Authority (CWRA) will enhance the institutional arrangements related to the construction industry in Hong Kong. This will be another milestone in strengthening Hong Kong's construction industry further, after the amalgamation of the CIC and the then Construction Industry Training Authority in 2008.

The Construction Industry Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2012, which proposed the amalgamation and other measures to further streamline the CIC's institutional operation to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the construction industry as a whole, was gazetted today (February 24).

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said that in its report "Construct for Excellence", published in January 2001, the Construction Industry Review Committee (CIRC) recommended the establishment of an industry co-ordinating body to provide a focus for the construction industry's reform efforts and to foster better co-ordination within the industry. The CIRC also supported in principle the implementation of a worker registration scheme through legislative means. When the CIC Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council (LegCo) in February 2004, it was the policy intent for the CIC to ultimately undertake both training and registration of construction workers.

The CWRA was established in September 2004 and commenced the registration of construction workers in December 2005. The CIC was established in February 2007 and amalgamated with the former Construction Industry Training Authority in January 2008 to take over the training functions and powers discharged by the latter.

"To meet the legislative intent for the establishment of the CIC, there is a present and pressing need to amalgamate the CIC and the CWRA to achieve synergy and support the Government's massive infrastructure programme at the earliest opportunity.

"After due consultation with the LegCo Panel on Development, trade associations and labour unions of the construction industry on the proposed amalgamation and amendments to the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (CICO) and the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance (CWRO), we have drawn up the proposals which are now contained in the Bill," the spokesman said.

The Bill also includes an amendment to the CICO to provide flexibility for the Council to finance educational, publicity, research or other programmes relating to occupational safety and health, environmental protection or sustainable development in the construction industry.

The Bill seeks to introduce amendments to the CWRO to extend the period for the renewal of worker registration from three months to six months and to allow extension of the period for provisional registration under circumstances beyond the control of the workers concerned to assist workers in the registration process.

A new provision is included in the CWRO to pave the way for the workers registration card issued under the CWRO to store and display information of other construction-related cards/certificates in order to reduce the number of cards that a worker needs to carry while at work.

The Secretary for Development will introduce the Bill into the LegCo on February 29. The LegCo Brief on the Bill is available at the Development Bureau's website:
www.devb.gov.hk/en/legco_matters/legislative_council_papers/index.html.


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## hkskyline

*New home prices raised after sentiment improves*
The Standard
Monday, February 27, 2012

Some developers are raising the prices of new homes as buyer sentiment continues to improve.

China Overseas Land and Investment (0688) sold 41 flats at The Green in Fan Ling over the weekend.

The developer has released another batch of 14 flats sized between 2,720 and 2,912 square feet, priced at an average of HK$11,520 psf. These will be available for sale on Wednesday.

The average per square foot price of this batch of flats is 3.6 percent less than those in the previous batch at HK$11,945 psf. But this is still 37 percent higher than prices in the first batch of 75 flats at HK$8,411 psf. In all, 75 units will be on the market in the next few days.

According to agents, 20 flats had been reserved at the weekend. The Green offers 254 detached houses ranging in size from 2,032 to 4,025 sq ft.

Also, Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) sold 40 flats at Festival City stage three in Tai Wai. The developer said earlier that it will withdraw the remaining flats from the market for three weeks, as it prepares for the launch of the next batch.

Meanwhile, sales in the secondary home market - both mass-market and luxury segments - continued apace with transactions for the former reaching a one-year high.

Centaline said it recorded 76 sales in the 10 major housing estates at the weekend, up from 70 a week ago. In City One in Sha Tin, 12 flats changed hands, or twice the number sold a week ago.

Louis Chan Wing-kit, Centaline's chief executive for residential sales, said confidence has been boosted by market sentiment.

In addition, two detached houses at Residence Bel-Air in Cyberport were sold for more than HK$150 million each. A 6,000-sq-ft house was sold for HK$158 million, or HK$26,333 psf, while another 5,232-sq-ft house fetched HK$170 million, or HK$32,492 psf.

Some homeowners, too, are asking higher prices.

In Discovery Park in Tsuen Wan, a 610-sq-ft two-bedroom flat was sold after the homeowner raised the price by HK$30,000, according to agents. The homeowner sold the flat for HK$3.58 million, representing HK$5,869 psf.


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## hkskyline

*To Kwa Wan flat owners get the option to swap *
The Standard
Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Urban Renewal Authority has introduced a flat-swap program for a redevelopment project in To Kwa Wan under the new Urban Renewal Strategy.

Flat owners of the Pak Tai Street/Sun San Road redevelopment project who live in the homes now have an option to swap for a flat in the redeveloped project at the original site, or a new project in the Kai Tak area.

The choices are in addition to the usual cash compensation announced earlier this month of HK$8,939 per square foot of saleable area.

Managing director Quinn Law Yee- kwan said this will give affected families more choices.

The Kai Tak project, to be completed in 2016-2017, will consist of 323 sq ft to 692 sq ft flats. It will be a "no- extragavance" design such as a hotel- style lobby, executive director Iris Tam Siu-ying said, with 30 percent of the site area to be green-covered.

The Urban Renewal Authority has reserved 99 units for the 40-odd flat owners to choose from - 49 units in the original project and 50 units in the Kai Tak project.

The owners have been given 60 days to consider the offer starting from yesterday.

The 50 Kai Tak homes will be priced between HK$9,045 and HK$10,358 psf on a saleable area basis.

But Law said because the Kai Tak flats will be in general slightly smaller than the old flats, two thirds of the 99 flats cost less than the compensation, meaning most do not need to pay extra for a new home.

Meanwhile, a consortium consisting of Chevalier International Holdings and Golden Code Development has outbid nine others for the authority's redevelopment at Chi Kiang Street/Ha Heung Road in To Kwa Wan.

The project site is about 930 square meters and upon completion is expected to deliver a total gross floor area of about 8,380 square meters for an estimated total of 116 residential units, together with the provision of commercial space of about 1,400 square meters.

Half of the flats are to be about 500 sq ft, the authority said. The market has estimated that the land is worth between HK$450 million and HK$550 million, but the authority would not disclose the financial terms of the contract.

Separately, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the authority will carry out a pilot scheme to redevelop industrial buildings.

She said the government will make a contribution to the authority if there are additional resources and staffing involved in the new scheme.


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## hkskyline

*At a low point*
The Standard
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Residential transactions may have rebounded in recent weeks, but the morale of property agents is at a low ebb. Displeasure has bubbled over on occasion and last week agents even agitated against their employer.

Agents are also facing new challenges in the form of proposed legislation that aims to regulate primary market sales. The adoption of "saleable area" in secondhand sales and leases is also being discussed.

In the meantime, two bribery convictions came to light, though the offenses were committed a couple of years ago. The offenders were charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In two separate cases, one agent was found to have pocketed an extra HK$10,000 from a client without his agency's permission, while the other solicited a HK$2,000 commission from a subordinate. Both were found guilty and got jail terms.

"Everybody became desperate for some extra cash, which makes sense in a sluggish market," said an agent who declined to be named. "During good times when everyone is earning big, HK$2,000 is too little for us to care about. Even if we were asked for cash, we would just pay to get it over with."

The agent added that it is the juniors who will normally be tempted because they do not get the chance to handle many transactions.

"But with the current poor market sentiment, it's likely that some third parties were jealous of the person getting the illegal extra cash, and so reported the incidents to the ICAC."

Occasionally, property developers also offer higher commissions to agents as an incentive to sell new homes. But many hands stretch out to grab those incentives.

A senior agent at a small property agency said such commissions attract those selling secondary homes into the fray.

"How many of us can actually get the higher commission? Not to mention the split with the agency," the agent said. "Even when transactions are improving as they are now, the larger firms grab them all. Barely anything is left for us."

Compared with the usual commissions of 2 to 2.5 percent, developers of some new projects have offered commissions of up to 5 percent.

For a secondary home deal, agencies get a commission equivalent to 2 percent of the property's price. This means 1 percent from the buyer and 1percent from the seller.

When more than one agency is involved in a deal, the commission is usually split.

As the market goes into slow growth mode, few people are entering the industry.

In the February round of qualifying examinations, the number of registered candidates fell 45 percent from a year ago, according to the Estate Agents Authority. At the peak, 4,887 registered for the exam in August last year.

Those in the business are not entirely efficient either. The authority has reported receiving 590 complaints against agents last year, down 5 percent from 2010. The industry body revoked nine licenses last year.

Meanwhile, about 100 property agents of Midland Realty - angered by suggestions that extra commissions were being cut - took their grievance to the boss.

Last Thursday they gathered on the 25th floor of World-Wide House in Central, asking to meet with chairman Freddie Wong Kin-yip.

Later that day, the firm issued a press release saying that it settled a dispute, while also denying that it was about extra commissions.

The protest lasted three to four hours. But it was a rare agitation in the history of Hong Kong real estate agents.


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## hkskyline

49 King Yip Street, Kwun Tong 
Website : http://www.49kingyipst.com.hk

Rendering










2/19


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## hkskyline

*SEN to attend launch ceremony for construction of HK gas pipeline in Beijing *
Government Press Release
Friday, March 2, 2012

The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, departed for Beijing this morning (March 2) to attend the launch ceremony for the construction of the Hong Kong branch line of the Second West-East Natural Gas Pipeline. Mr Yau was invited by the National Energy Administration.

The ceremony, organised by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the National Energy Administration and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), will be held at the China National Convention Centre this afternoon.

Also present will be the Administrator of the National Energy Administration, Mr Liu Tienan, senior officials of NDRC, Guangdong and Shenzhen, as well as CNPC representatives. Mr Yau and senior officials of the Mainland will address the ceremony.

The Central Government earlier announced that construction work on the Second Pipeline of the West-East Gas Transmission Project will be accelerated with the aim of bringing forward the supply of natural gas to Hong Kong to the second half of 2012.

Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (March 3).


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## hkskyline

*Opening remarks by STH on transport issues at LegCo Finance Committee Special Meeting*
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Government Press Release

Following is the English translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, on transport issues at the Finance Committee Special Meeting of the Legislative Council today (March 6):

Honourable Chairperson,

Today, I would like to brief Members on the part of the Estimates and our priority areas under the transport portfolio in the new financial year.

The allocation for the transport portfolio in the new financial year is $35.5 billion, which includes the estimated expenditure of a number of cross-boundary and domestic transport infrastructure projects.

Firstly, let me report the latest update of the major transport infrastructure projects. We commenced the construction works of the West Island Line, the South Island Line (East), the Kwun Tong Line Extension and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and expect them to be completed accordingly in 2014 and 2015.

On the other hand, the detailed planning and design of Shatin to Central Link is almost completed, and the necessary statutory procedures are now at the final stage. We will strive to apply for funding approval within this legislative session, with a view to commencing construction this year.

As regards another cross-boundary transport infrastructure project the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), works in respect of the Main Bridge, Immersed Tube Tunnel and the Artificial Islands commenced and have been progressing well. These works are expected to complete in 2016. For the local projects of the HZMB, the Finance Committee approved the funding for the related works last year, and the reclamation works for the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities commenced immediately in late 2011. The tendering work for the Hong Kong Link Road is still ongoing. The local projects have been affected for about one year because of a judicial review case; we are now compressing the works programme and are confident that the various local works can be completed to dovetail with the target of commissioning the HZMB Main Bridge in 2016.

Further, we are also pressing ahead with our local road infrastructure projects, including Stage 1 of the Tolo Highway and Fanling Highway widening works, the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link and the widening of Tuen Mun Road. We are also pushing ahead with the planning and design of a number of projects including the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link, the Tuen Mun Western Bypass, the Central Kowloon Route, the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel and Stage 2 of the Tolo Highway and Fanling Highway widening works.

At the same time, we secured funding approval from the Legislative Council for taking forward the design of the barrier-free access facilities retrofitting works at about 180 existing footbridges, elevated walkways and subways and the phase 1 retrofitting of barrier-free access facilities. The first phase of the retrofitting works has commenced. We plan to apply funding approval for Phase 2 retrofitting works this year, and hope to complete the bulk of the retrofitting works by 2016-17.

On civil aviation, we will strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international and regional aviation centre. We will continue to proactively pursue expansion in the bilateral air services arrangements. Regarding the proposals arising from the review of the Air Transport Licensing Authority's regulatory regime, the relevant legislative amendments have been passed by the Legislative Council and will be implemented this year. In terms of hardware, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will continue to implement a midfield expansion project to increase the handling capacity with air traffic demand up to 2020. For the long-term development of the airport, AAHK launched a public consultation in mid-2011 on the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030. AAHK recommended to the Government at the end of 2011 that the three-runway system should be adopted as the blueprint for development. The Government is carefully considering AAHK's recommendation with a view to making an early decision for the commencement of the next stage of work, which includes the environmental impact assessment, the associated detailed design and the financing arrangements.

On maritime and logistics development, we will continue to assist the industry to take advantage of opportunities arising from vibrant shipping and logistics development in Asia, as well as the positioning of Hong Kong as set out in the National 12th Five-Year Plan. For example, we will reinforce the local maritime cluster by supporting manpower development and undertaking promotional activities. In terms of hardware, both the preliminary feasibility study of developing Container Terminal 10 (CT10) at southwest Tsing Yi and the Study on the Strategic Development Plan for Hong Kong Port 2030 are under way and are expected to be completed by the end of the year. We will carefully consider the study results, the global and local economic situation, the performance of the port sector, and the views of stakeholders to decide on the need for CT10 development. Separately, we are proceeding with the dredging of the Kwai Tsing container basin and its approach channel to enable the new generation of ultra-large container ships to visit Hong Kong Port.

On the logistics front, Hong Kong has the advantages for development into a high value goods inventory management and regional distribution centre. To support the industry, we have already made available two logistics sites for the industry to construct modern logistics facilities. We will continue to identify suitable land for logistics and port backup uses for meeting development needs. Separately, we shall continue to work with the industry to promote e-logistics, as well as to implement measures which would help enhance the operating efficiency of the sector. 

On road safety, we will continue to enhance road safety through legislation and enforcement, as well as publicity and education. Last year we introduced legislative amendment proposals to combat drug driving. The new legislation will be enacted for implementation in mid-March.

We have also introduced legislative amendments to the Road Traffic Ordinance to deter speeding behaviour among public light bus drivers and to enhance the safety of public light bus operation. The proposed measures include imposing a maximum speed limit for light buses, mandating that all light buses install speed limiters, and requiring applicants for public light bus driving licences to attend a mandatory pre-service training course.

As to the measures of traffic management, cross-boundary transport and the long-term railway development study, I do not intend to go into details here.

My colleagues and I would be pleased to answer questions from Members. Thank you, Chairperson.


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## hkskyline

*敬業街寫字樓貴絕東九龍*
2012年03月06日(二)


















_Brief Synopsis : Sun Hung Kai Properties has sold the 33/F of their 49 King Yip Street commercial development for 50 million HKD, or about 10,000 HKD per square foot. This is a new high for Kowloon East, exceeding the price of Grade A offices in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

The floor has a floor area of 4974 square feet and was sold for $49.74 million HKD. _

起動九龍東效應下，買家都願以進取價購入區內商廈特色單位，新地的觀塘敬業街49號商廈樓花項目，其中33樓頂層行政樓層，剛以近半億元售出，呎價達1萬元，創東九龍新高外，亦媲美尖東康宏廣場目前做價水平。

上述敬業街49號33樓全層，中原（工商舖）麥偉嫦稱，面積4,974方呎，連一個面積1,103方呎平台，獲實業家以4,974萬元購入，呎價1萬元。據悉，上址呎價超尖東好時中心及港晶中心等甲級商廈。

傳彌敦道商廈售5.5億

另據土地註冊處資料，尖東東海商業中心地下G16號舖及地庫一籃子物業以1.0486億元售，買家為YEUNG WAI。另灣仔譚臣道93至103號地下部分及有關樓面以6,880萬元易手。市傳旺角彌敦道單號數一幢銀座式商廈以約5.5億元售；市傳投資者黎永滔的灣仔「皇后100」全幢服務式住宅，獲買家以3億元洽購。

另銅鑼灣堅拿道東一組舖位獲出價共約1.8億元洽購。此外，有投資者擬以6,000萬元，洽購中環畢打街一個現由找換店租用地舖。


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## hkskyline

*High call in Causeway Bay*
The Standard
Thursday, March 08, 2012

Several leading developers are eyeing a large commercial site in Causeway Bay.

Phoenix Property Investors plans to sell its wholly owned President Shopping Centre and the Central Mansion above it on Jaffe Road. The tender for the sale closes tomorrow.

Chinese Estates Holdings (0127), KWah International (0173), Emperor International (0163) and Wheelock (0020) have indicated they could be among bidders.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), owner of the nearby World Trade Centre, is also believed to be interested.

A market insider said one bid already submitted was for HK$5 billion, or more than HK$20,000 per buildable square foot, and a 31-story commercial building with a gross floor area of 228,000 sq ft was a good bet for the site.

But another market source said the seller was seeking at least HK$6 billion, which would be equivalent to HK$26,316 per buildable sq ft.

And Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, the director for valuation at Cushman & Wakefield, said the successful buyer would need to come to terms with height restrictions in the district, which would rule out a 31-story tower.

It was in 2010 that the Town Planning Board put a 110-meter cap on the height of buildings in Causeway Bay - a restriction that met immediately with objections from developers.

As matters stand, Cheung said, a building on the site would have "at most 27-28 stories, assuming around four meters per floor." He also said the construction cost would be "about HK$912 million, or HK$4,000 per square foot."

Average monthly rentals of shops in a mall that could feature in a new development would amount to HK$400 psf, though some ground-floor sites could go for more than HK$1,000 psf a month.

Eric Lau Man-ho, leasing manager at Sun Hung Kai Property Agency, said in January that rents at the WTC Mall ranged from HK$255 to HK$300 psf.

Retails shops are presently on the two bottom floors of the President Shopping Centre, while the 11 floors above is Central Mansion.

The block beside the World Trade Centre Mall, the WTC office tower and the Excelsior Hotel was built in 1964.


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## hkskyline

*Tenant forces delay at illegal industrial units*
The Standard
Thursday, March 08, 2012

A Buildings Department bid for court permission to demolish illegal subdivided flats at an industrial building in Tai Kok Tsui has been put off until next week.

The District Court adjournment came after principal tenant Kan San-pui filed an objection saying he needs more time.

Judge Stephen Chow Siu-hung will hear the case again on Monday to decide whether the court order should be issued.

Kan told the court that since the warning letter from the department does not clearly state the details of the demolition, he has the right to oppose its application.

The furniture-store owner said he rents the fourth and fifth floors, as well as the rooftop, for storage.

This is the first action by the government against illegally partitioned flats amid growing public safety concerns.

A chronically ill tenant named Ng is the last person to still remain in the partitioned cubicles at the industrial building on 78 and 78A Larch Street - as he has failed so far to find alternative housing.

The government has arranged for him to stay three months at the Tuen Mun Temporary Accommodation Centre before he can move into interim housing.

"I feel secure that a shelter has been arranged for me for three months." Ng said. "My worries have been temporarily eased."

Ng also said it would be irresponsible of the government to not offer alternative accommodation to affected tenants.

The past two months saw social workers from the department and nongovernmental organizations help tenants apply for government subsidies and find alternative housing. Most of the elderly households in the building moved out weeks ago.

The department said the court action is a public-interest move over land use, and reassured affected tenants they will be taken care of and not left homeless.

At a special meeting of the Legislative Council Finance Committee, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet- ngor said the building's landlord is dead and it would be difficult to initiate prosecution without clarifying the ownership issue.

A department order in September told the owner to stop renting out the industrial building for residential use.


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## hkskyline

*'Grossly unfair'*
The Standard
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Property developers are crying foul after the Executive Council yesterday approved new regulations to govern home sales.

The Residential Properties (First- hand Sales) Bill, which faced strong objections from developers, will be presented to the Legislative Council for approval next week.

It proposes to make developers quote prices of flats based on saleable, rather than gross, area - with big fines and lengthy jail terms for those who fail to comply.

The maximum penalty for breaching the regulation will be a HK$5 million fine and up to seven years' imprisonment.

The Real Estate Developers Association had earlier urged the government to also include gross floor area - for which there is no uniform definition - in sales documents.

REDA executive committee chairman Stewart Leung Chi-kin said the new regulation is unacceptable.

"Real estate agents are allowed to quote their prices of secondary homes in GFA, with which the average price per square foot would be lower.

"But developers are not allowed to give our prices in GFA. Is that fair?"

The first reading of the bill in Legco will be next Wednesday.

Under the regulation, saleable area will be adopted as the sole measurement in quoting the size of a property and the price per square foot in sales brochures, price lists and advertisements.

But property developers want gross floor area to be included in sales materials.

Following Exco's approval, Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Yu-wah said: "Having a unified definition to calculate the area of a unit is the basis for the legislation.

"Some suggested including the gross floor area as a reference. But it is ridiculous to have some parts of the price list as references, while the real information is stated already."

Centaline managing director Louis Chan Wing-kit welcomed the new measures.

He said agencies will have to be more cautious with small details, but in the long run "buyers' confidence and transactions will be boosted as the penalties are now more harsh than many places in the world."

Lawrence Poon Wing-cheung, a specialist in real estate development at City University of Hong Kong said: "Secondary homeowners will have no option but to adapt by giving saleable area."

Cheng said the proposed legislation also requires developers to disclose the distance between the lowest residential floor and the street next to it.

This was brought in following a complaint from the buyer of a flat at Oceanaire in Ma On Shan built by Cheung Kong Holdings (0001).

The flat, said to be on the podium floor, was actually at ground level.

It was presold for HK$7 million after the sales brochure had claimed it was below "the fifth floor."

Two sites to be sold through public tender in May could fetch between HK$1.33 billion and HK$1.38 billion.

A 46,845-square-foot site in Tseung Kwan O area 56A is likely to sell for between HK$979 million and HK$1.03 billion, representing between HK$3,800 and HK$4,000 per buildable sq ft.

It offers a GFA of 257,647 sq ft, which means only 310 to 326 units can be built.

A 50,473-sq-ft plot in Kau To, Sha Tin, could sell for between HK$300 million and HK$403 million, or HK$6,000-HK$8,000 per buildable sq ft. It offers GFA of 50,375 sq ft.

Tenders close on May 18.


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## hkskyline

*Buildings Department takes enforcement action against illegal sub-divided domestic cubicles in industrial buildings*
Monday, March 12, 2012
Government Press Release

In order to step up enforcement action against illegal sub-divided domestic cubicles in industrial buildings to protect public safety, the Buildings Department (BD) was granted a closure order, applied for by the BD on March 7, by the District Court today (March 12) to close down certain floors of 78 and 78A Larch Street, Kowloon, in order to facilitate the BD's arrangement to clear the unauthorised building works (UBWs) on the floors concerned by government contractors. After receiving the closure order, the BD closed the floors concerned with the assistance of police officers. The closure operation was carried out smoothly as all the occupants of the subject premises had already moved out on or before March 7. The BD will make arrangements for government contractors to demolish the UBWs on the floors concerned shortly.

"Changing industrial premises to domestic use poses a serious fire risk to the occupants, while the erection of partition walls may render the fire escape route in the premises inadequate. To ensure public safety, the BD needs and is determined to take stringent enforcement action against such irregularities. To this end, the BD will carry out large-scale enforcement action against sub-divided domestic cubicles in 30 industrial buildings each year starting from April 2012. Such enforcement action includes issuing orders to the owners requiring removal of UBWs and/or discontinuing the present domestic use, as well as instigating prosecution actions more readily against owners who contravene the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123)," the spokesman stressed.

The building located at 78 and 78A Larch Street was issued with an occupation permit in July 1962. According to the approved building plans, the design and construction of the building was intended for industrial use. However, earlier inspections carried out by BD staff revealed that UBWs had been erected on the podium flat roof and rooftop of the building. The floor space within these UBWs and certain floors of the building had also been partitioned into some 60 sub-divided cubicles used for domestic purposes. As the owner failed to comply with the statutory orders served by the BD in April 2009, April 2011 and September 2011, the BD decided to apply for a closure order from the court to close down the floors concerned and to arrange for its contractors to demolish the UBWs so as to protect the safety of the occupants and the public. The BD will also recover from the owner the cost of the works and the supervision charge.

"In order to allow more time for those affected to relocate, the BD notified the occupants of the arrangements and posted 'notices of intention to apply for closure orders' (NOI) at conspicuous locations at the building on December 29 last year. It has always been the Government's policy to ensure that no one will be rendered homeless due to its enforcement action. As such, over the past two months, the BD has made arrangements in collaboration with the Housing Department, the Social Welfare Department and the Home Affairs Department to offer appropriate financial, rehousing and social assistance to the affected occupants based on their eligibility," the spokesman said.

The spokesman added that the BD has so far granted the relocation allowance of the Community Care Fund to 37 eligible occupants. Social workers from the BD have also assisted the affected occupants in applying for allowances offered by other organisations and seeking alternative accommodation, such as hostels managed by voluntary organisations and domestic units in private buildings. In fact, with the assistance from the BD's social workers, over 60 households from the floors concerned at the building were able to move out smoothly earlier on.

In view of the fact that some vacated cubicles had been reoccupied in early 2012, the BD has already taken a series of measures to remind occupants who have newly moved in, as well as prospective tenants, of the BD's enforcement action. In particular, after the first posting of the NOI on December 29, 2011, the notice was reposted on the floors concerned again by BD staff on February 3 and February 22, 2012. Moreover, social workers from the BD have carried out three day visits and 17 night visits since December 29, 2011, to explain to the occupants the details of the BD's enforcement action.

The spokesman once again reminded owners of industrial buildings not to change their units to domestic use, and warned that owners who contravene the relevant legislation or fail to comply with statutory orders can be prosecuted. Furthermore, for their own safety, occupants of such sub-divided units should move out of the units as soon as possible, while others should refrain from living in industrial buildings. Any person who makes rental arrangements should also enquire about the approved intended use of the unit and avoid renting and living in premises only intended for industrial use. To ascertain the approved intended use of the premises, prospective tenants should pay attention to the name and location of the building, the interior design of the premises and, where necessary, check the occupation permit, approved building plans and other relevant information about a building through the search services of the Land Registry or the BRAVO system of the BD if they are in doubt. To dispel any rumours, the spokesman added that no one displaced by such enforcement actions, including households that have already applied for public rental housing (PRH) via the General Waiting List, would be given an earlier allocation of PRH.

Finally, the spokesman said the BD is extremely grateful to all government departments and voluntary organisations for their efforts, without which the operation could not have been carried out smoothly.


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## hkskyline

*Agents strike it rich in sale*
The Standard
Monday, March 19, 2012

Many aging buildings will have a chance of being redeveloped when the government lowers the compulsory sale threshold.

A forced sale may take place if 80percent of the owners agree, making it difficult for the remaining owners to hold out for a higher selling price.

A case in point is the Central Mansion in Causeway Bay, which has been acquired by an investment fund for redevelopment.

Some owners had tried to sell the building by tender, but they did not get the required number of owners to agree.

They avoided compulsory sale and tried another round of persuasion, which fortunately worked.

Located in a prime district, Central Mansion is suitable for commercial redevelopment.

The developer, Phoenix Property Investors, is not one of the biggest players in the field.

Many were amazed at its HK$2 billion acquisition involving more than 300 individual units.

The project was well-executed. Once 90 percent of the owners signed up, the developer submitted plans for redevelopment. It did not wait till it acquired the remaining units, which would have involved a forced sale.

Now the project is proceeding at full speed and likely to be completed in 2014.

Built in 1964 and located at the junction of King Lung Street and Jaffe Road, Central Mansion sits on the President Shopping Centre, which takes up the basement and ground floor.

According to the floor plans, there will be more shops on the future building's lower floors.

Such an urban site is rare and valuable. There are reports that the property is up for sale at HK$6 billion. Such large-scale acquisition is hard to pull off. It takes hard work, good planning and a bit of luck too.

They said the sale of Central Mansion was completed by three agents, each receiving a commission of close to HK$2 million in the end. Their success has become legendary in the property market. 

Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## hkskyline

*Government to sell two sites by public tender*
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Government Press Release

The Lands Department announced today (March 13) that two residential sites in the 2012-13 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender.

The two sites are Sha Tin Town Lot No. 562 in Area 56A, Kau To, Sha Tin, New Territories, and Tseung Kwan O Town Lot No. 114 in Area 66C1, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. The tender invitation for both lots will commence on April 13 and will close on May 18.

Sha Tin Town Lot No. 562 has a site area of about 4,680 square metres and is designated for private residential purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 2,808 square metres and 4,680 square metres respectively.

Tseung Kwan O Town Lot No. 114 has a site area of about 4,352 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding godown, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 14,362 square metres and 23,936 square metres respectively. The total number of residential units to be built shall not be less than 310 and shall not exceed 326.

The final Conditions of Sale for both lots will be available for distribution and uploaded to the Lands Department's website (www.landsd.gov.hk) by April 13, when the particulars of the tender will also be gazetted.


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## hkskyline

*Officials seek $100m for dig into cave use *
The Standard
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Close to HK$100 million has been earmarked for feasibility studies on using natural caverns to house public facilities.

The sum includes HK$57.9 million for a feasibility study on the relocation of Sha Tin sewage treatment works to caverns and another HK$40.4 million for caverns spread around the territory.

The Sha Tin installation is the largest secondary sewage treatment works in the territory.

It will release about 28 hectares of land, equivalent to 1.5 Victoria Parks.

Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Enoch Lam Tin-sing said the installation will be relocated underneath Nui Po Shan, opposite the existing Sha Tin treatment works. 

"It is an ideal area as it is not only situated near the treatment works across the Shing Mun River, the effluent export tunnel of sewage water also passes across the study site toward Kai Tak River," he said.

The study will begin in June if the Legislative Council's Finance Committee approves the funding.

"If everything goes well, construction will begin in 2017 and be completed in 10 years," Lam said.

Sha Tin District Council's health and environment committee welcomed the proposal but voiced concern over its possible environmental consequences.

Another study is to explore the use of underground space in rock caverns across the territory.

"It has been found that 64 percent of the land area of Hong Kong is suitable for rock-cavern developments," Lam said.

"They are certainly worthy of consideration and could form part of our efforts at sustainable development."

The government will also consider using caverns at five other sites - Kennedy Town Fresh Water Services Reservoir, Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island, Lam Tei in Tuen Mun, Mount Davis and Lion Rock Hill.

"The second study on the long-term strategy for cavern development will look for more possible locations across the city," Lam said.

He said the study will be completed in October 2015 if everything goes smoothly.

Successful examples of facilities housed in rock caverns include the Stanley sewage treatment works, Island West refuse transfer station and Kau Shat Wan explosives depot.

Using caverns is among six strategies to meet the government's target of providing land for 40,000 flats a year.

Other proposals for land supply include rezoning, redevelopment, reuse of old quarry sites and reclamation outside Victoria Harbour.


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## hkskyline

*Officials seek $100m for dig into cave use*
The Standard
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Close to HK$100 million has been earmarked for feasibility studies on using natural caverns to house public facilities.

The sum includes HK$57.9 million for a feasibility study on the relocation of Sha Tin sewage treatment works to caverns and another HK$40.4 million for caverns spread around the territory.

The Sha Tin installation is the largest secondary sewage treatment works in the territory.

It will release about 28 hectares of land, equivalent to 1.5 Victoria Parks.

Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Enoch Lam Tin-sing said the installation will be relocated underneath Nui Po Shan, opposite the existing Sha Tin treatment works. 

"It is an ideal area as it is not only situated near the treatment works across the Shing Mun River, the effluent export tunnel of sewage water also passes across the study site toward Kai Tak River," he said.

The study will begin in June if the Legislative Council's Finance Committee approves the funding.

"If everything goes well, construction will begin in 2017 and be completed in 10 years," Lam said.

Sha Tin District Council's health and environment committee welcomed the proposal but voiced concern over its possible environmental consequences.

Another study is to explore the use of underground space in rock caverns across the territory.

"It has been found that 64 percent of the land area of Hong Kong is suitable for rock-cavern developments," Lam said.

"They are certainly worthy of consideration and could form part of our efforts at sustainable development."

The government will also consider using caverns at five other sites - Kennedy Town Fresh Water Services Reservoir, Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island, Lam Tei in Tuen Mun, Mount Davis and Lion Rock Hill.

"The second study on the long-term strategy for cavern development will look for more possible locations across the city," Lam said.

He said the study will be completed in October 2015 if everything goes smoothly.

Successful examples of facilities housed in rock caverns include the Stanley sewage treatment works, Island West refuse transfer station and Kau Shat Wan explosives depot.

Using caverns is among six strategies to meet the government's target of providing land for 40,000 flats a year.

Other proposals for land supply include rezoning, redevelopment, reuse of old quarry sites and reclamation outside Victoria Harbour.


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## hkskyline

Kwun Tong Recreation Ground
3/4


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## LondonFox

Someone give me the money for a ticket to go to Hong Kong


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## hkskyline

*Villagers boycott order on homes*
The Standard
Monday, April 02, 2012










All 27 rural committees in the New Territories have reached a consensus not to declare any illegal structures.

This was in defiance of Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who earlier urged New Territories residents to register their illegal structures.

Wong Wing-sang, a village representative of Fuk Hing Tsuen in Yuen Long, called on residents to ignore the government order.

Cheung Hok-ming, vice chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk, said he would not tell villagers whether they should declare any illegal structures on their properties.

The Buildings Department received the highest number of complaints over illegal structures against Tung Tau Wai and Fuk Hing Tsuen in Yuen Long among the nine villages initially targeted.

Cheung said the kuk threatened to seek a judicial review when villagers received the first demolition order. He urged the government to exempt illegal structures on old houses built without a height limit.

"Some New Territories village houses were built on government leases in the early 1900s in which the height limit was not stipulated," Cheung said.

"We hope that the government will exempt those houses and allow the owners to keep illegal structures that pose no danger to the public."

He said it is up to the villagers to determine if they have illegal structures and if they should register them.

Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, chairman of the Tuen Mun Rural Committee, urged residents to boycott the registration exercise as the govern
ment had taken a "heavy-handed approach." Registering would mean they admit violating the buildings ordinance.

Choi Kin-sun, a representative of Tung Tau Wai, said they wished the government had given them more time to handle the properties in question before issuing demolition orders.

Elderly homeowners will face a heavy financial burden if they are forced to demolish the structures, he said.

The government has offered a building safety loan of up to HK$1 million per house to those who have financial difficulties. Those who pass the means test will receive interest-free aid.

According to government regulations, a village house that exceeds the three-storey standard and has glass enclosures that cover more than half the rooftop are severe breaches that must be cleared immediately.

Lesser breaches will be tolerated for a few years.


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## hkskyline

By *Car L* :

Lions Rise 現崇山


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## hkskyline

*Tenders invited for Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme*
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Government Press Release

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (April 5) invited tenders for the contract for the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme. The works under the contract are scheduled to commence in July this year for completion in February 2018.

The works mainly comprise:

* construction of an underground stormwater storage tank with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres and a pump house with a pumping rate of 1.5 cubic metres per second at Happy Valley Recreation Ground;

* construction of a twin-cell box culvert about 400 metres long and with internal cell dimensions of 2m high by 4m wide;

* associated works including modification of an existing box culvert, construction of a stilling basin, a fan room and an access manhole, and drainage and sewer diversion works;

* electrical and mechanical works; and

* reprovision of the sport pitch surface and landscaping works.

Interested contractors can obtain the tender forms from the Drainage Projects Division, Drainage Services Department, 45/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai.

The invitation to tender was gazetted today and the closing time for the tender will be noon on May 18, 2012. Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box at G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar.

This contract will adopt the New Engineering Contract (NEC) with Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option C as the form of contract. For enquiries, please call 2594 7401.


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## hkskyline

Lions Rise
http://www.lionsrise.com.hk/en/about/










Address : 8 Muk Lun Street, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon
No. of Towers : 5
No. of Units : 968 units
No. of Storeys : 31 residential storeys – from 8/F to 42/F
*(there is no designation of 13th, 14th, 24th and 34th floor)
Typical Unit Size : approx. 680s.f. to 1,470s.f.
Typical Unit Layout : 2 bedrooms to 4 bedrooms (ensuite) with store room
Clubhouse Facilities : Ballroom In The Park, 50M Outdoor Pool, Indoor Pool, Kid's Pools, Spa World, Multi-Purpose Sports Hall, Children Playground and Gym Room etc.


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## hkskyline

*Henderson buys Ap Lei Chau site*
The Standard
Friday, April 13, 2012

Henderson Land (0012) spent HK$72.70 million acquiring a site in Ap Lei Chau yesterday after a near-three-year tussle gaining the consent of disparate owners.

Henderson plans to spend HK$400 million to develop the 1,980-square-foot site at 70 and 72 Main Street in Ap Lei Chau after buying it under the law on compulsory sale for redevelopment.

With a plot ratio of 8.4 times, the buildable price per square foot amounts to HK$4,371 psf. At present, a six-story, 46-year-old commercial and residential building is on the site.

"It took us two to three years to prepare for the purchase," said Henderson general manager Augustine Wong Ho-ming. "It will be developed together with the neighboring site at 62-68 Main Street in Ap Lei Chau. The project will provide around 60 small and medium-sized flats."

Henderson has also applied to acquire six sites on Ka Shin Street in Tai Kok Tsui.

Meanwhile, Midland Realty (1200) said new flat supply on Hong Kong Island this year will amount to 1,628 units, provided by 20 projects. The agency said secondary market deals dominated the market in the first quarter, while new home transactions fell by nearly 30 percent.

A total of 3,251 secondary homes changed hands in the first three months, up 45 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The value of the deals hit HK$22.6 billion, up 40 percent in the same period.


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## hkskyline

*Tenders invited on sale of land for private hospital development*
Friday, April 13, 2012
Government Press Release

The Government today (April 13) invited tenders from local and overseas parties for developing private hospitals at sites in Wong Chuk Hang and Tai Po. The deadline for submitting tenders is July 27, 2012.

A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said, "It is our policy to facilitate private hospital development to address the imbalance between the public and private sectors in hospital services. Increasing the overall capacity of the health-care systems in Hong Kong can help in coping with the increasing service demand and provide the public with more choices and affordable high-quality private hospital services."

The spokesman added, "Hong Kong is also renowned for its high standard of professional health care as well as its advanced medical technology and equipment. Coupled with our excellent communication facilities and marketing skills, we have the advantages and potential in further developing our medical services, in particular in the provision of highly specialised services that require technology and multi-disciplinary skills."

To facilitate private hospital development, the Government has reserved four pieces of land at Wong Chuk Hang, Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, and Lantau for sale for this purpose.

An Expression of Interest exercise was launched in December 2009 to solicit market interest in the four reserved sites. Subsequently, the detailed land disposal arrangement has been formulated.

The first two sites now put to open tender are Aberdeen Inland Lot No. 458 (about 27,500 square metres) at Wong Chuk Hang and Tai Po Town Lot No. 207 (about 54,851 square metres) in Tai Po. 

To ensure the two new private hospitals will provide services of good quality and cater for the needs of the general public, the Government has included a set of special requirements for hospital development at the sites. The requirements include aspects of restriction on land use, timing of commencement of hospital operations, bed capacity, scope of services, price transparency and service standards.

Tenderers should refer to the tender documents for the requirement details. The Explanatory Statement, Form of Tender, Tender Notice and Conditions of Sale for the tenders are available for distribution and uploaded to the Lands Department's website at www.landsd.gov.hk and the Food and Health Bureau's website at www.fhb.gov.hk starting from today.

The Government will adopt a two-envelope tender approach, with 70 per cent weighting to be given to the service quality aspect and 30 per cent to the premium aspect in the assessment of the tenders. The assessment criteria are set out in the tender documents.

To facilitate monitoring of the operations of the new private hospitals, each successful tenderer will be required to enter into a service deed with the Government. The service deeds, which will be coterminous with the land leases, will incorporate the successful tenderers' proposals for operation of the private hospitals. 

The spokesman noted that both local and overseas tenderers who possessed relevant experience in hospital operation are welcome to bid for the sites. Interested parties should submit the tenders in accordance with the requirements given in the tender documents no later than noon on July 27, 2012, Hong Kong time (GMT +8 hours). 

For enquiries on the invitation to tenders, please email [email protected] or fax to (852) 2116 0764.


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## hkskyline

*Out and about*
The Standard
Thursday, April 12, 2012

Outlying islands have recently again become the stomping ground of a few developers which see great potential in luxury residential developments that leverage nature's gifts.

Several sites on islands including Lantau and Peng Chau have been sold over the past four months and some have fetched prices way below market expectations. Last month, a 49,127-square-foot residential site on Peng Chau was sold to Sino Land (0083) for HK$19 million, or HK$514 per buildable square foot - much lower than estimates of between HK$37 million and HK$150 million.

"The price was quite surprising. There were only two tenders for the site, which reflected weak interest among the developers," said Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat.

The site provides a gross floor area of 36,800 sq ft. Cheung added that factoring in construction and development costs future projects on the site will sell for between HK$2,000 and HK$2,500 psf. Neighboring properties now sell for between HK$2,300 and HK$3,000 psf.

Another 12,280-sq-ft site on Peng Chau was also triggered for sale earlier this month. The site - with gross floor area of 9,223 sq ft - was triggered for HK$5.5 million, or HK$596 per buildable sq ft. Industry sources said developers would build two- to three- story detached houses.

"Detached houses will provide expansive sea views, which adds a lot to the development potential," said Kenneth Cheung Chor-yin, executive director of Citiland Surveyors. Edward Yiu Chung-yim, assistant professor of the department of real estate and construction at the University of Hong Kong, said developers may be eyeing outlying islands to build luxury residences.

"From 1997, luxury property prices have outperformed the general property market. But since there is not much land supply in the traditional luxury [residential] areas, many developers started to upgrade some other areas into luxury property districts too," Yiu said.

Over the past decade, more luxury homes have cropped up in West Kowloon as well as in Shum Wan in the south of Hong Kong Island.

"Government measures in the past year limited the development of many new sites in urban areas, such as the stipulation of flat size and the number of flats. This prompted developers to look for areas with more developmental flexibility, and hence greater margins. These are some of the advantages that developers saw on outlying islands," he added.

For the Peng Chau site Sino Land bought last month, the price of future flats - HK$2,000 psf - could be at least two times more than the land cost - at HK$514 per buildable sq ft. Such high profit margin would be unlikely in urban projects.

The emergence of large property projects on outlying islands is not of recent origin. HKR International (0480) developed Discovery Bay on Lantau back in the 1970s. The low-density area was later shaped into a project that mainly attracted expatriates. However, there are disadvantages too, such as the distance and time for travel to work locations such as Central and Wan Chai. This has prompted developers also to build transport infrastructure and provide transport services.

Back in 2002, to attract homebuyers to Park Island on Ma Wan, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) launched ferries to and from Central, and buses to and from Tseung Wan, Tsing Yi and Kwai Fong.

Another challenge would be the acquisition of sites on islands.

"Most sites on islands, especially Cheung Chau and Lamma, had been passed on to descendants of island natives. There is a lot of legal work involved if developers want to buy sites. The process could take years," Yiu said.

There are four outlying islands sites on the application list.


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## hkskyline

*Building checks to fail on a lack of inspectors*
The Standard
Monday, April 16, 2012

The effective date of a mandatory building inspection scheme is likely to be delayed because there is not enough time for flat owners to locate and hire inspectors.

The government had claimed there would be 300 firms listed for flat owners to hire, but up to yesterday only 69 were on the Building Department's website. A main reason for the cold response from companies is the low government subsidies - HK$500 for each window and HK$800 for each flat.

According to a survey of 850 homeowners by political party Kowloon West New Dynamic, 70 percent are unaware that mandatory inspections start in the second quarter of this year.

The department will notify flat owners who need to hire listed companies from this month until June. After receiving a notice, flat owners are supposed to hire companies to make an inspection within six months. "The government should notify owners a year in advance so they have enough time to discuss and oganize matters," said Yau Tsim Mong district councillor Rowena Wong Shu-ming.

She also said it was unreasonable for authorities to start notifying flat owners in the second quarter of this year bearing in mind the Legislative Council had passed the Buildings Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2011 last June.

"There aren't enough details for flat owners, and the elderly have no way to know about the scheme," she added.

The Buildings Department consulted the public in 2003 and 2005 to reach a consensus that flat owners should be responsible for maintenance and repair and shoulder costs.

Owners of buildings that went up more than 30 years ago must carry out inspections and repair common parts, external walls and projections once every decade. And owners of buildings aged 10 years or more are required to carry out inspections and repair work of all windows once every five years.

Li Kim-wah, chairman of the owners' corporation at Kam Kee Building on Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, said many flat owners refuse to share the cost of repairs, and so he worries it might be hard to hire listed companies to do work.

Kowloon West New Dynamic hopes the government can clarify whether the names of flat owners who are willing to shoulder the costs will be published along with those who refuse to pay.


----------



## hkskyline

*Changes rekindle project hopes *
The Standard
Friday, April 13, 2012

The next Hong Kong government is expected to usher in new policies, and one of the obvious areas for change is in land and housing.

Since the colonial days, the territory has been steadfastly adhering to the so-called high land price policy.

Under this concept, land is considered a scarce resource that should only be used sparingly, and vast rural areas are zoned for conservation accordingly.

And those people in related professions who have been advocating policy adjustments have become supporters of the incoming administration by default - for it shares their thinking.

Chief Executive-designate Leung Chun-ying is a surveyor by profession, and many of his backers are from the same field.

One of them is Wan Man-yee, who has been running his own firm for many years after working for the government and large consortiums.

Wan has worked on many cases involving change of land use, and a few of these became frustrating, such as the Nam Sang Wai project proposed by the Fu family.

The site concerned was acquired along with a development blueprint drawn up decades ago, but the project has been blocked by conservation groups as it involves wetland.

In the intervening years, buildings have sprung up in the surrounding area.

But the many development proposals with conservation measures put forward by the land owner have failed to break the stalemate.

To increase housing supply, land in the New Territories would have to be released, and this is bringing new hope in controversial projects.

But wetland conservation is particularly sensitive.

To have a chance of getting the green light, large-scale projects like Nam Sang Wai would first have to allay conservationists' concerns.

Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


----------



## hkskyline

*Hang Lung boss eases fears on Leung policies*
The Standard
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Hang Lung Properties (0101) chairman Ronnie Chan Chi-chung thinks the local residential market will remain stable after Chief Executive-designate Leung Chun-ying assumes office on July 1.

"Hong Kong's land policy is very important and determines both the success and the failure of the city. I believe Leung, when he starts his job as chief executive, will release more sites," said Chan, a long-time supporter of Leung. But developers may not be able to make as much money as before, he added.

Meanwhile, realty firm Cushman & Wakefield expects office rents in Central and Admiralty to fall by 5-10 percent this year, while those in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay may dip by 2 percent. The milder decline in the latter two districts - considered to be extensions of the core business district - is due to the vibrant retail sector.

"Landlords have cut rents as leasing activity has slowed due to weaknesses in the global economy and difficulties facing the banking and finance industry," executive director John Siu said.

Landlords have also slashed rents to secure and retain tenants, he added

In the first quarter, overall office rents in the SAR dropped 5.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011 to HK$66 per square foot per month.

Prime office rents in Central fell by 13.3 percent to HK$123.30 psf per month, while those in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay were down by 3.3 percent to HK$62.20 psf per month.


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## hkskyline

*Lam lays down law on illegal structures*
The Standard
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is adamant there will be no amnesty for unauthorized structures on village houses.

She also stressed that the government will not legalize those structures by receiving a so-called "tolerance fee."

Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat fears this will give rise to a "war of resistance" and said the government should allow the houses to stay the way they are.

Lam stressed yesterday that she has never considered granting an amnesty.

"If we back down today and say there is no need to enforce the law when there is no legal ground to support an amnesty, this will be a blow to the spirit of the law in Hong Kong," she said.

But the Buildings Department will use its expertise to decide what to do if demolishing upper floors poses a threat to the lower floors, Lam said.

"If the Heung Yee Kuk has persuasive reasons, it can apply for a judicial review. We do not have an issue with that, and we will then let the courts handle it," Lam said.

She also said the government has issued 85,000 letters telling homeowners that they should report illegal structures.

She said it would be unacceptable to leave the issue to the next administration to handle.

Lam also said she received a letter from Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member Lew Mon-hung yesterday on the issue. Lew has called for an amnesty.

She said it is wrong for Lew to claim that New Territories village homeowners cannot apply for public housing or join the Home Ownership Scheme queue.

She said that all Hong Kong residents can apply for subsidized housing if they meet the criteria.

At a kuk meeting yesterday, Lau made it clear that the houses should be allowed to stay the way they are unless the illegal structures are an immediate danger.

Vice chairman Cheung Hok- ming said the government may have a definition of "unauthorized structures" that is different from the kuk's.

The kuk will assist villagers who wish to file for judicial review, Cheung said.


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## hkskyline

*Hospital block slammed over traffic fears*
The Standard
Friday, April 20, 2012

A Happy Valley residents' group has cited traffic concerns in renewing opposition to an expansion plan by the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

Jeff Ho Yip-chor, co-founder of the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital Redevelopment Concern Group, said the expansion plan includes a new entrance on Wong Nai Chung Road.

The increased traffic on the already congested road would be a disaster for residents, Ho said.

He also said the hospital rejected his earlier proposal that the expansion be carried out on its Wong Chuk Hang plot, as that area is less congested.

"Traffic congestion is a growing problem, and having more rooms in the hospital may worsen the situation," Ho said.

"There are days when we're simply frustrated by the traffic. Put that together with this upcoming monster of a building, and I think we've got a pretty nasty estate."

Two 20-story blocks are being planned as part of the development. Residents also fear a drop in property values as racecourse views will be blocked.


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## hkskyline

*Leung won't let us down, says property developer*
The Standard
Friday, April 20, 2012

A property developer yesterday expressed confidence in the incoming administration amid worries that Hong Kong's new chief executive will boost land supply, dragging home prices lower.

New World Development (0017) executive director Gary Chen Guanzhan said he expects the team of Chief Executive-elect Leung Chun-ying to continue supporting the property market.

"I think the government will learn a lesson from history when it plans new housing policies," Chen said.

"Home prices may be vulnerable to the external environment, but I expect a stable market this year supported by loads of end-users. I don't think he [Leung] will make the market collapse."

New World Development and MTR Corp (0066) plan to put The Riverpark on the market this June - at the latest. It is located at Ma On Shan.

The project has 980 units, most of which measure 670-1,850 sq ft.

They are likely to be priced like other homes in the neighborhood at HK$9,000-HK$12,000 per sq ft. The project is expected to be completed by May next year. It is now awaiting presale approval from the government.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Yu-wah said public housing serves a group that is different from the private market.

"The two have their own role and should not contradict each other," Cheng said.

For the rest of its term, the present government will continue to watch out for risk of asset bubbles and ensure the healthy development of the property market, she said.

Midland Realty executive director Vincent Chan Kwan-hing said he expects the property market to remain stable. He is not worried that Leung's policies will affect the livelihood of property agents. "The meal may not be as good as before but it is still good."


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## hkskyline

*CLP gets $400m super-typhoon armor *
The Standard
Friday, April 20, 2012

Nearly HK$400 million will be spent on protecting power grids against the rising threat of super typhoons that pack wind speeds of over 185 kilometers an hour.

Plans are to plow up to HK$390 million into a three-year project to strengthen physical and technological infrastructure including transmission towers, substations, power poles and intelligent switches, CLP Power said.

The large-scale initiative will help ensure power supply even during violent storms and improve public safety by lowering the odds of accidents caused by falling lines and poles.

"The measures are designed to boost the capability of our grid system from an increasing trend of severe storms with strong winds, in order to give our customers a reliable power supply and ensure public safety," power systems director Chow Tang-fai said.

The project will specifically address super typhoons with central wind speeds above 185 kph.

Powerful cyclones like the deadly Typhoon Megi, which struck the Philippines in 2010, could easily knock down transmission towers, he said.

Hong Kong Observatory senior scientific officer Mok Hing-yin said super typhoons will likely become more frequent as global warming intensifies.

Five super typhoons have struck the SAR since 1950, accounting for 10 percent of the total.

CLP noted that Typhoon Wanda in 1962 disrupted power supplies, affecting thousands, while two towers in Tuen Mun were damaged by Typhoon Ellen in 1983. Both were Signal 10 storms.

Most of the cash will go into improving the wind resistance of 151 transmission towers, from the current 240 kph to 300 kph, at HK$1 million per tower.

Work will also be carried out on 74 slopes to prevent landslides from toppling towers. Tree and bush planting and insertion of steel pillars will cost another HK$200 million to HK$250 million.

Also on the cards is an emergency control team to carry out immediate repair work on broken poles and overhanging power lines amid a typhoon strike.

However, the added safeguards will likely cost consumers, as CLP said the expensive operation might lead to a "marginal increase" in charges.


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## LCIII

This thread would be 100x better with renderings...


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## hkskyline

Grand Metro near Prince Edward MTR has just been completed (green building)
_Website : http://www.grandmetro.com.hk/_



















- 123 Prince Edward Road West
- 30 storeys (goes up to 39/F)
- residences start on 5/F, skipping 13,14,24,34/F
- refuge floor on 17/F
- 60 residential units


----------



## hkskyline

*Tenders invited for Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme*
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Government Press Release

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (April 5) invited tenders for the contract for the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme. The works under the contract are scheduled to commence in July this year for completion in February 2018.

The works mainly comprise:

* construction of an underground stormwater storage tank with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres and a pump house with a pumping rate of 1.5 cubic metres per second at Happy Valley Recreation Ground;

* construction of a twin-cell box culvert about 400 metres long and with internal cell dimensions of 2m high by 4m wide;

* associated works including modification of an existing box culvert, construction of a stilling basin, a fan room and an access manhole, and drainage and sewer diversion works;

* electrical and mechanical works; and

* reprovision of the sport pitch surface and landscaping works.

Interested contractors can obtain the tender forms from the Drainage Projects Division, Drainage Services Department, 45/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai.

The invitation to tender was gazetted today and the closing time for the tender will be noon on May 18, 2012. Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box at G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar.

This contract will adopt the New Engineering Contract (NEC) with Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option C as the form of contract. For enquiries, please call 2594 7401.


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## hkskyline

A new construction next to APM in Kwun Tong (3/4) :


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## hkskyline

*Repulse Bay plot fails to meet hype*
The Standard
Thursday, May 03, 2012

A Repulse Bay residential site belied forecasts of a new SAR record for price per buildable square foot, settling for the lower end of market estimates instead.

The 46,700-square-foot plot near 110 Repulse Bay Road was sold for HK$1.67 billion, or HK$39,672 per buildable sq ft.

That is at the lower end of estimates, which stood between HK$39,300 and HK$45,400 per buildable sq ft.

The winning tender came from a subsidiary of Tai Cheung Holdings (0088).

The price failed to beat the record set by a 79,148 sq ft plot on 12 Mount Kellett Road in 2006. Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) had bought the site on The Peak for HK$42,196 per buildable sq ft.

"The Repulse Bay site went to Tai Cheung, which had stopped adding sites to its land bank for quite some time," Cushman & Wakefield's national director of valuation, Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, said.

"Big developers were not very aggressive [on this site], as many of them may be looking for a higher profit margin from non- luxury projects."

A 38,837 sq ft site at Tuen Mun, however, performed in line with expectations, being snapped up by Emperor International (0163) for HK$180 million, or HK$4,635 per buildable sq ft.

Estimates had put the price between HK$117 million and HK$250 million.

"It can be built into low-density detached houses of about three stories each, for which there is some demand," Midland surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said.

Meanwhile, Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung said the developer does not plan to step up new-flat launches in the second-half.

"Our plan is to put 3,500-4,000 units on the market per year, and we will follow that," Chiu said.

Cheung Kong plans to put The Beaumont on the market by the end of June.

The 1,777-unit Tseung Kwan O project, awaiting government pre-sale approval, consists mainly of two- and three-bedroom units sized between 650 and 1,000 sq ft.

Prices will be in the same range as secondary market homes nearby.


----------



## Minsk

*A new hotel in the hip and trendy area of town incorporates cool colours*

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19667


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## el palmesano

wowo, beautiful hotel!


----------



## hkskyline

*Tenders open for MTR homes site*
The Standard
Wednesday, May 30, 2012

MTR Corporation (0066) has started to take tenders from developers for the housing project at Tai Wai Station.

The 521,107-square-foot site is designated for non-industrial use and has a total gross floor area of 2.88 million sq ft. Of that, 2.05 million sq ft must be used for residences that could provide about 2,900 homes.

Another 667,360 sq ft will be designated for commercial use, while the remaining 161,458 sq ft will house a post- secondary college. Earlier this month, at least 15 developers expressed interest in the project site, which is expected to fetch between HK$10.9 billion and HK$14.4 billion, or HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 per buildable sq ft.

"The project does not carry any stipulations on flat size or flat numbers, which makes it more flexible," said Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz- pun.

Dennis Lam Wai-keung, assistant district director of Centaline Property Agency, said the transportation network is likely to be attractive to future buyers. "Future flats can cost up to HK$12,000 per square foot," he said.

Lam added many homeowners in the area have become aggressive after seeing overwhelming interest from developers for the site. Some have even withdrawn flats to wait for the tender result.

Secondary flats at Festival City 1 are now being quoted at HK$7,636 psf.

Tenders must be submitted for the Tai Wai site by June 22.

Several developers are gearing up to launch more units. Emperor International (0163) said yesterday it plans to put The Prince Place in Prince Edward on the market by next week.

The 36 units of between 543 and 1,248 square feet are expected to generate more than HK$300 million.

Specialty flats will cost an average HK$17,000 psf.

Kowloon Development (0034) will also put another 18 units at Gardenia in Shum Shui Po on the market soon. The units - sized 370 sq ft and 665 sq ft - are priced at HK$10,203 psf.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ1: Manpower supply and demand in construction industry*
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Li Fung-ying and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

With the commencement of the 10 major infrastructure projects (MIPs) one after another, the manpower demand in the construction industry will rise continuously. Some contractors are eager to put forward requests for importation of foreign labour, and some members of the labour sector are gravely concerned that the Government will ultimately give green light to the importation of foreign labour. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) apart from the studies commissioned by the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in 2007 and 2008 respectively on manpower supply and demand in the construction industry in the next few years, whether the authorities have specifically assessed the trades and skills required by the 10 MIPs in order to organise as early as possible the relevant training courses for the construction industry; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) whether the authorities have any mechanism in place to coordinate the progress of the works of the 10 MIPs so as to avoid contractors of various works projects commencing similar works at the same time and competing for the employment of labourers of the trades concerned, thus creating a man-made manpower shortage; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether the authorities have a set of objective criteria for assessing the manpower supply and demand in respect of the various trades required by the 10 MIPs; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

With the commencement of the 10 MIPs and other construction works, the demand for construction manpower will indeed continue to increase. In the past few years, the DEVB, in collaboration with the CIC and other stakeholders including contractors, trade associations, labour unions, has adopted a multi-pronged approach in meeting the manpower needs with a view to ensuring adequate and stable supply of local manpower resources and to nurturing a high quality construction workforce. Importation of labour will not be considered lightly.

My reply to the three parts of Hon Li's question is as follows:

(a) To prepare for the rolling out of various construction projects including the 10 MIPs, the DEVB and the CIC have, in the past few years, conducted a number of manpower studies. Apart from the studies in 2007 and 2008 mentioned in the question, the DEVB conducted, with industry major stakeholders, a manpower workshop in June last year to comprehensively review the results of the 2007 and 2008 studies and to further assess the construction manpower situation. At the end of last year, the CIC also updated the study on construction workers and supervisors / technicians taking into account the latest economic and manpower situation. In the middle of this year, the CIC will also engage consultants to assess the supply and demand situation of local professionals, workers and supervisors / technicians in the coming 10 years. As the 10 MIPs only constitute part of the public works projects and they are not launched concurrently, these manpower studies would not only assess the manpower demands for the 10 MIPs but also for the overall construction industry including both the public and private sectors.

In brief, the results of the above completed or commenced studies all indicate that there is an adequate overall supply of workers in the coming five years but individual trades would face manpower shortage or ageing problem. As for the following five-year period (between 2015 and 2020), it is projected that there would be manpower shortage.

In this connection, the CIC has been, over the past few years, launching new training courses from time to time to cater for the latest manpower demand for different trades and new skills in the industry e.g. for Tower Crane Worker's Assistant and Ground Investigation Operator's Assistant etc. Moreover, considering that the CIC may not be able to provide training for some trades that involve specialised construction methods, require special site conditions or large scale machines, the CIC has launched since 2009 the "Contractor Cooperative Training Scheme" whereby participating contractors will employ trainees on a "first-hire-then-train" basis and arrange them to receive relevant skill training on site. Such an arrangement not only offers more training opportunities but also provides training courses with the above-mentioned special requirements. To date, the Scheme has successfully equipped local workers with the requisite skills for specific trades, such as shotfirers and tunnel boring machine operators, to meet the manpower demand arising from various works projects including the 10 MIPs.

(b) The 10 MIPs by no means constitute all of the public works projects. Nor are they all in construction stage at the same time. Among them, the Kai Tak Development, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the South Island Line, the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and the Shatin to Central Link projects are either under construction or would shortly commence. As regards the rest of the 10 MIPs, they are currently still at different planning stages with their construction timeframe still under review.

The HKSAR Government appreciates the importance of implementing public works projects in an evenly and orderly manner. Since the Administration of the current term announced the 10 MIPs in 2007, it has closely monitored the construction industry's delivery capacity to avoid bunching of projects. To this end, we have adopted many measures, which include ensuring that the capital works expenditure is maintained at a reasonable but affordable level in the medium term from a macro public finance management perspective; and implementing major projects in stages. For example, we have implemented the Kai Tak Development project in stages of priority. The first stage is anticipated to be completed by 2013 with the whole project scheduled for completion by 2021. The Administration and the CIC will from time to time keep in view the progress of the various works projects and their impact on the manpower demand of the construction industry. Appropriate measures will be taken and necessary training will be provided in good time to ensure that there is an adequate supply of manpower resources to meet the latest demand of the works projects.

(c) In the consultancy studies on the manpower supply and demand of the construction industry commissioned by the Administration and the CIC respectively, the projected manpower demand is evaluated based on the forecast construction outputs of various types of public and private works projects that are underway or in the pipeline; and the manpower information of the relevant types of previous works projects. The projected manpower supply is derived from the information provided by the Construction Workers Registration Authority, the Census and Statistics Department, training institutes and manpower surveys. The projected manpower supply and demand of different trades can then be assessed. The CIC also maintains close liaison with the construction industry and regularly updates the manpower situation in the light of periodic reviews on the latest economic condition and manpower market, with a view to adjusting its initiatives and training programmes timely to better meet the manpower demand of the construction industry.


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## hkskyline

*Safe harbor for Wharf*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Wharf Holdings' (0004) ship is going to continue to come home at Ocean Terminal.

For the firm has finally struck a deal with the government to pay a lower-than-estimated land premium of HK$7.9 billion to renew the lease on the property for another 21 years.

The developer said it accepted the terms of the renewal on Monday - the previous lease was due to expire on June 16.

The lease covers No83 Kowloon Permanent Pier and the Ocean Terminal Lot, which houses Harbour City.

Opened in 1966, the warehouse-turned-shopping mall is the biggest of its kind in Asia.

Many who work at one of Hong Kong's iconic retail spots said they are happy to see Wharf gain a fresh lease on the property.

"I've been working in a beauty parlor in Ocean Terminal for 20 years. I'm afraid I will lose the job should it close down," said Joyce Wong, 63.

Under the new lease agreement, the maximum gross floor of the area is 85,572 square meters or 922,165 square feet, compared with 658,000 sq ft under the old one.

Wharf is also allowed to develop a four-story building adjacent to the terminal for cruises and commercial facilities under the new contract.

The HK$7.9 billion premium means Wharf pays HK$376.19 million each year or HK$408 psf, which is about 40 percent lower than its neighbors.

After-tax net rental income from the terminal was HK$587 million last year.

Therefore, the land premium is lower than expected as earlier Credit Suisse expected Wharf to pay the government about HK$9 billion for renewing the lease while CLSA estimated the figure would even be higher, HK$12.5 billion.

Citi, Nomura and Credit Suisse were among the brokerages that raised net asset value per share of Wharf by HK$3-HK$5 on news of the renewal.

But lawmaker James To Kun-sun criticized the renewal as yet another example of collusion between the government and the business sector.

"How was that HK$7.9 billion figure reached without a tender process? It's not a market price and is much cheaper than neighboring premises."

To said he will force the next administration to provide more details on operational costs.

Wharf's shares rose as much as 4.8 percent during morning trading yesterday before closing 1.5 percent higher at HK$39.80.


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## italiano_pellicano

wow amazing


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## italiano_pellicano

thanks for all the updates


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## hkskyline

*Building on the future*
The Standard
Monday, June 11, 2012

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun- wah is urging more young people to join the construction industry.

Of course, detractors will say Tsang is a fine one to talk, having studied architecture in the United States before switching to public administration and joining the civil service.

But Tsang, who was checking on progress made on the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, remains a planner. Latest figures are worrying. Of Hong Kong's 300,000 construction workers, less than 40 percent are registered, 40 percent are aged over 50, while only 6 percent are younger than 25. And that adds up to trouble for HK$62.3 billion worth of projects that the sector will see during the upcoming fiscal year.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ20: Demand for public medical services*
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Government Press Release 

Following is a question by the Hon James To Kun-sun and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 30):

Question:

The statistics of the 2011 Population Census reveal that the population of Hong Kong continued to grow older during the last 10 years, and the number of people aged 65 and over had exceeded 940 000, representing approximately 13% of Hong Kong's total population. With a growing elderly population, the demand for healthcare services will increase. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) given that in reply to a question from a Member of this Council on January 11, this year, the authorities indicated that having considered the information submitted by the Hospital Authority (HA), the Government had accepted in principle the proposals on the redevelopment of Kwong Wah Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital, and the redevelopment plans of Yan Chai Hospital and Caritas Medial Centre had also been initiated, whether the authorities have any plan at present to redevelop other hospitals; if so, of the plan;

(b) given that the Chief Executive announced in the 2008-2009 Policy Address that the Government would explore the concept of Community Health Centres (CHCs) as one of the policy initiatives on enhancing primary care, and the first CHC was set up in Tin Shui Wai in the first half of 2012, when the Government will review this policy initiative and set up CHCs in other districts; of the relevant details;

(c) whether the Government will, in the coming five years, construct additional general or specialist outpatient clinics for use by the grassroots; if so, of the breakdown by year and district;

(d) given that the public housing estates in the Kai Tak Development Area are expected to accommodate approximately 34 000 residents, and the first batch of units will be available for occupation in 2013, whether the Government will, in response to the growing population of the district, establish additional public clinics or public hospitals in the district, or strengthen the connections between hospital clusters, so as to cater for the healthcare needs of additional residents in Kowloon East; if so, of the details;

(e) given that there will be an upsurge in the demand for healthcare personnel, the Chief Executive stated in the 2011-2012 Policy Address that $200 million would be allocated to increase the number of first-year first-degree places in medicine by 100, nursing by 40 and allied health professions by 146, but, with the redevelopment of the hospitals referred to in (a), whether the Government needs to train additional healthcare personnel, so as to meet the manpower needs after the completion of redevelopment; if so, of the details; and

(f) given that the Chief Executive-elect stated in his policy platform that in order to respond to changes in society such as an expected ageing population, HA should embark on an overall review of its management and staff systems, working hours, cost benefits and service levels in accordance with its own positioning, whether it knows if HA is conducting similar studies at present, so as to enhance the cost-effectiveness in using resources; if HA is conducting such studies, of the details?

Reply:

President,

(a) The Hospital Authority (HA) reviews the conditions of the structures and facilities of its 41 public hospitals annually in order to prioritise and allocate resources for the implementation of various maintenance and improvement works. In planning for the redevelopment of existing hospitals as necessary, HA will take into account the future population growth and demographic changes in different regions, the demand for healthcare services, the overall provision of healthcare services in the various clusters under HA, the conditions of the hospitals' structures and facilities, HA's long-term objectives and strategies for its overall service development, as well as the development of public and private healthcare services. Before the implementation of any redevelopment project, HA has to carry out preliminary planning work, including various preliminary technical assessments to ascertain the project's technical feasibility.

In the past years, we have obtained funding approval from the Legislative Council (LegCo) for various capital works projects, including expansion, redevelopment, relocation and renovation of existing hospitals, improvement of various hospital facilities and equipment, and constructions of new hospitals. For the existing term of the Government, the LegCo Finance Committee has approved a funding of over $9.7 billion for implementation of seven capital works projects on hospital facilities. The capital works projects which will be completed in the next five years include Phase I of the North Lantau Hospital, the Redevelopment of Caritas Medical Centre Phase 2, the Redevelopment of Yan Chai Hospital and the Tin Shui Wai Hospital. Moreover, HA will soon commence the necessary detailed planning and design for taking forward the redevelopment of Kwong Wah Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital and the expansion of United Christian Hospital.

(b) In the face of challenges posed by ageing population, rising medical costs and increasing demand for healthcare services, the Government is now making efforts to take forward the healthcare reform with enhancement of primary care being the first and foremost task. We have formulated a development strategy for implementation through various fronts to enhance the primary care in Hong Kong, including exploration of different feasible models for delivery of primary care services as well as devising and launching appropriate pilot projects such as setting up of community health centre (CHC) and networks to promote the provision of community-based primary care services through collaboration among various sectors. The first CHC in Hong Kong based on this model will commence operation in Tin Shui Wai in June 2012. We will review the effectiveness of this service delivery model with reference to the operational experience of the CHC in Tin Shui Wai and further explore ways to extend similar services to other districts in need of enhanced primary care services having regard to the planning of other services.

(c) Public general out-patient (GOP) services mainly target at low-income individuals, the elders and chronic disease patients. Patients taken care of by GOP clinics can be mainly divided into chronic disease patients with stable conditions and episodic disease patients with relatively mild symptoms. In order to improve public primary care services, to provide enhanced support to chronic disease patients and to raise the public's awareness about their health, the Government has rolled out a series of chronic diseases management programmes through HA. These include the provision of health risk assessments and specific care for patients with diabetes mellitus or hypertension by multi-disciplinary teams of healthcare professionals so as to reduce the risk of complications among these patients and the number of their attendances at clinics so that more quota can be made available in GOP clinics for episodic disease patients. Besides, HA is also implementing a series of measures, including renovation and facilities upgrading at existing GOP clinics, actively hiring more staff and improving the workflow in the clinics etc., in order to enhance its services and service capability.

In addition, a number of HA hospital construction/redevelopment projects are now underway for provision of additional/enhanced specialist out-patient services in the next five years. These include the North Lantau Hospital Phase 1, the Redevelopment of Caritas Medical Centre Phase 2, the Redevelopment of Yan Chai Hospital and the Tin Shui Wai Hospital. We will continue to monitor the demand for primary care services in each district and make flexible deployment of manpower and other resources having regard to the relevant factors, so as to provide the local community with appropriate public primary care services.

(d) In planning for provision of public healthcare services, HA takes into account a number of factors, including the projected demand for healthcare services having regard to population growth and demographic changes, the growth rate of services of individual specialties and the possible changes in healthcare services utilisation pattern etc. To cope with the increasing service demand in the Kai Tak Development Area, HA has allocated additional resources to the Kowloon East (KE) Cluster and Kowloon Central (KC) Cluster for provision of additional services in the past few years.

For KE Cluster, the expansion of Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH) will be completed in 2013. By then, 178 additional beds will be provided and the number of consultation rooms in the specialist out-patient department will increase to 70. Other services and facilities of TKOH will also be expanded accordingly to meet its increased service capacity. The United Christian Hospital will also be expanded. Its expansion is expected to be completed in 2021. New facilities and services to be provided under the expansion project include a cancer centre for the KE Cluster, an ambulatory centre and rehabilitation/convalescent beds. Facilities such as the accident and emergency department, intensive care unit, operation theatres and specialist out-patient clinic will also be expanded. Other additional or enhanced services provided in the past few years include setting up a new cataract centre in TKOH, enhancement of clinical oncology services, and introduction of palliative care for patients with end stage renal disease etc.

Services of various departments will also be strengthened under HA's KC Cluster, including more long-term dialysis treatment for end-stage nephrosis patients, extension of the service hours of the primary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions service, enhancement of the service of the diabetic care centre, implementation of a new mode of service delivery for positive emission tomography scan and computerised tomography scan services etc. HA will also open additional beds in the cardiac care unit and the neonatal intensive care unit and establish a new adult blood donor centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), and plan for the reprovisioning of Yaumatei Specialist Clinic at QEH so as to meet the growing demand.

(e) In view of the manpower requirements for healthcare professionals, for the three years starting from 2012, the Government will allocate an addition of $200 million to increase the number of first-year first degree places in medicine by 100 to 420 per year, nursing by 40 and allied health professional by 146.

In addition, based on the outcome of the Second Stage Public Consultation on Healthcare Reform, the Government has set up a high-level steering committee, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, to conduct a strategic review on healthcare manpower planning and professional development in Hong Kong. It has also invited the University of Hong Kong to conduct, by scientific and objective methods, a comprehensive manpower projection for healthcare professions covered in the strategic review. In making the projection, we will take into account the increase in demand for healthcare arising from the ageing population, changes in the delivery model of healthcare services, and the new and the additional demand brought by the service reform in the healthcare sector etc.

(f) HA constantly keeps its management structure under review in an effort to ensure that overall it can provide quality healthcare services to the public in a more effective manner.

In 2007, HA conducted a review on the cluster management structure which was formally implemented in 2001. In early 2011, HA further followed up on the cluster structure review conducted in 2007. After thorough consultation, HA made further improvements on the cluster management structure by streamlining and standardising the existing roles of the management positions in all clusters, service re-engineering, as well as appointment of Deputy Hospital Chief Executives and designated Specialist Clinical Co-ordinators and Cluster Service Directors in order to define more clearly the powers and responsibilities of all hospitals and departments under each cluster and facilitate efficient delivery of appropriate and holistic services to the public.

The HA Head Office also conducts review on its structure and related issues from time to time. After a review on its structure in 2006, the HA Head Office re-shuffled the business areas of its various divisions and established a Quality and Safety Division, a Strategy and Planning Division, and a Cluster Services Division. In 2011, HA commissioned a consultant to conduct a follow-up review on the structure of the HA Head Office which was reorganised in 2006. HA is now implementing the consultant's recommendations step by step to further strengthen the HA Head Office's functions in cluster co-ordination, corporate communications, staff communications and grade management. In addition, subsequent to the review, HA has proceeded to set up a consolidated corporate risk management framework to identify and handle the potential risks faced by HA in its various business areas.

To ensure the best use of resources for delivery of quality services to the public, HA has been adopting an approach that integrates its service planning and resource allocation through a structured framework and defined process. As for service planning, the drawing up of the annual plans at hospital and cluster levels is guided by the overall direction and priority service planning at the corporate level. Both the HA budget and the resource allocation among hospital clusters are put to the Finance Committee and the Administrative and Operational Meeting of the HA Board for consideration and endorsement. The allocation of resources within each cluster is essentially based on the service programmes and targets as defined in the process of drawing up the annual plan.

HA has also put in place a resource management framework, under which resource inputs are linked up with service outputs, targets and quality standard, enabling the HA Head Office to monitor and evaluate the use of resources at cluster level in an objective manner through a financial and performance reporting system. The clusters are requested to submit regular reports to the HA Head Office to show its performance indicators in regard to its service activities, manpower and financial situation, clinical outcome and progress of its annual plan. HA will examine closely any variations from the pre-determined targets and where appropriate, take remedial actions with corresponding adjustment in resource allocation.

Generally speaking, HA will continue to keep its structure and operation under review taking into account such relevant factors as demographic changes, the trend of diseases and public expectations. It will also keep abreast of the latest developments to enable appropriate adjustments to be made in an effort to provide quality services to the community.

As a matter of fact, HA has already implemented an array of new services in New Territories West and Kowloon East in response to changes in service demand. For example, the New Territories West Cluster has increased 150 beds since 2010, opened additional beds in the neonatal intensive care unit and an Autologous Haemopoietic Stem Cell Transplant centre in the Tuen Mun Hospital; and newly opened a CHC in Tin Shui Wai for provision of primary care services. For Kowloon East Cluster, apart from the expansion on TKOH and United Christian Hospital, other additional or enhanced services provided in the past few years include the addition of about 100 beds, setting up a new cataract centre in TKOH, opening of blood transfusion centre for adult thalassaemia patients in UCH, enhancement of clinical oncology services, and introduction of palliative care for patients with end stage renal disease etc. This demonstrates that HA has the determination and ability to advance with the times and provide the public with quality services.


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## hkskyline

*Live shell drama on building site*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 20, 2012














































Police yesterday evacuated more than 200 people from their homes and offices after a World War II artillery shell was discovered at a Causeway Bay construction site.

Workers came across the Japanese shell near a busy road in the neighborhood.

After the Island Eastern Corridor was closed and the people evacuated, the shell was safely detonated, sending debris, shell fragments and smoke into the air.

"I believe that if it actually had exploded accidentally, people nearby would have been injured," police chief inspector Peter Ip said. "The shell had been fired so it was very unstable."

It was unearthed at a Highways Department site on King Ming Road around 11am.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ip added that the corridor had to be closed as there was a danger the shell could explode when moved from the site to a trench where it was to be detonated.

The corridor, from Victoria Park Road to Man Hong Street, was closed for an hour.

Around 60 residents from Victoria Centre, 160 workers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department transport section, and the construction site were evacuated.

A Victoria Centre resident surnamed Cheng said a security guard came to the flat and asked them to leave.

She, her helper and a baby girl then went to a nearby restaurant.

An advertising agency worker surnamed Leung said there were about 30 people evacuated from their first-floor office.

Some residents said they did not know why they were being evacuated.

Ip said a number of wartime explosives have been discovered in North Point in the past.


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## hkskyline

*$1b Tseung Kwan O plot up for grabs*
The Standard
Thursday, June 21, 2012

A plot in Tseung Kwan O, on which more than 300 residential units can be built, opens for tender tomorrow carrying a price tag of HK$1.19 billion.

The site of 54,099.41 square feet, or 297,550 sqft in gross floor area, must provide between 360-378 units. The accommodation value is estimated at HK$4,000 psf. The tender closes on July 27.

Meanwhile, hotel operator and property developer Emperor International Holdings (0163) and New World Development (0017) have expressed interest in forming a consortium to bid for MTR Corp's (0066) Tsuen Wan West Bayside residential development. Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) is also considering a bid.

The large lot area of about 4.29 hectares is meant for 2,384 flats, of which 1,235 may not exceed 538 sq ft. The site is estimated to be worth between HK$7.3 billion and HK$9.5 billion, or an accommodation value of HK$3,300 to HK$4,250 psf.

The MTCR revived the tender, which will close on Wednesday, after having withdrawn it in January.

Meanwhile, three developers - SHKP, Kerry Properties (0683) and Paliburg Holdings (0617) - denied reports that they have taken possession of shipyards near a project in Ap Lei Chau that they co-developed.

The site is opposite Larvotto, a high-end residential project co-developed by the three developers.


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## hkskyline

*Measures to encourage data centre development in industrial buildings open for application*
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Government Press Release

The Financial Secretary announced in the 2012-13 Budget two measures to encourage data centre development through optimisation of industrial buildings or industrial lots. The two measures will be open for application tomorrow (June 25).

The two measures are:

(1) the Government will exempt the waiver fee for applications approved for changing parts of an industrial building into data centre use submitted by owners of industrial buildings located in "Industrial", "Commercial" or "Other Specified Uses (Business)" zones aged 15 years or above; and

(2) for development of high-tier data centres involving lease modification on industrial lots, the Government will assess the premium for the lease modification on the basis of high-tier data centre use for the data centre part of the proposed development.

"Interested parties may refer to the Lands Department LAO Practice Note No. 3/2012 (www.landsd.gov.hk/en/legco/lpn.htm) for details on the application criteria and the necessary supporting documents. They are also advised to engage competent professionals to assist them in submitting applications," a spokesman for the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) said.

All applications must be submitted to the Lands Department by March 31, 2016. For more information on government initiatives to facilitate development of data centres, please visit the thematic portal of the Data Centre Facilitation Unit of OGCIO (www.datacentre.gov.hk).


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## hkskyline

*Red carpet for Beaumount*
The Standard
Monday, June 25, 2012

Web : http://www.thebeaumount.com.hk/

The latest Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) project - The Beaumount in Tseung Kwan O - was well received with up to 1,100 parties placing checks to reserve flats since Friday.

Cheung Kong will release its first price list on the scheme today. Some flats are expected to cost around HK$6 million, or about HK$7,000 per square foot.

More than 100 units, mostly three- bedrooms, will be ready for sale at the earliest from Thursday. On their second day of opening, the showflats attracted 10,000 visitors on Saturday.

In view of the favorable market reaction, Cheung Kong has extended the 2percent discount offer on the price for the first 100 buyers to the first 200. The 1,777-unit project is comprised of two- and three-bedroom flats ranging from 650 to 1,000 square feet.

Separately, Henderson Land (0012) has received 50 checks from prospective buyers to reserve flats at its High West project at Sai Wan.

Meanwhile, secondary home transactions slowed over the weekend. Centaline recorded 12 transactions at the 10 benchmark projects, down from 13 last week.

Three housing estates saw no deals including Taikoo Shing, Laguna City and City One Sha Tin.

"As more developers are releasing new homes close to the market price, many secondary home buyers are turning to the primary market," said Louis Chan Wing- kit, Centaline managing director for residential sales.

Prospective buyers are also taking a wait- and-see attitude as the new government is likely to implement more housing policies.


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## hkskyline

*Cheung Kong sets low flats price*
The Standard
Tuesday, June 26, 2012










In a sales ploy aimed at attracting secondary market buyers Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) priced 446 units of The Beaumount in Tseung Kwan O at HK$5,617 per square foot yesterday, which is below second-hand flat prices in the district.

Among the units priced yesterday were three-room flats of between 915 and 1,001 sq ft.

The cheapest flat costs HK$4.81 million. When sales start Thursday, buyers paying cash are being offered a 5 percent discount. "The price is about 4.3 percent lower compared to projects in the secondary market nearby. The project could lure buyers from the secondary market," Cheung Kong executive director Justin Chiu Kwok- hung said.

Over the next few days more units will be released at prices between HK$7,000 and HK$8,000 psf, Chiu added.

Responding to reports that there was no mention of an industrial facility in front of the property, Chiu suggested that potential buyers read the sales brochure carefully. According to real estate agents 500 checks had been received yesterday to reserve units, bringing the number to 2,000 since last week.

The 1,777-unit project provides two- and three-bedroom flats sized between 650 and 1,001 sq ft.

Three-room flats in The Capitol - the first phase of Cheung Kong's Lohas Park development, are selling at HK$5,600 psf in the secondary market.

The Capitol, first sold in 2008, is just a few blocks away from The Beaumount. The average price of flats in Lohas Park stood at HK$5,670 psf, Midland Realty said in a research note issued yesterday.

Centaline Property Agency director for New Territories Chris Wong Ho- chung said the incentives offered by Cheung Kong may drag down prices of secondary apartments by up to 10 percent.

Chiu said Cheung Kong sold 1,400 flats so far this year, booking HK$12 billion.

Sales consent is pending on four projects, including a 200-unit project on Lai Chi Kok Road.


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## hkskyline

*Developer puts prices up 10pc *
The Standard
Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) plans to increase prices of the next batch of The Beaumount units it will release to the market by as much as 10 percent.

The Tseung Kwan O project has already recorded more than 500 transactions since sales started on Friday, generating HK$2.7 billion.

The prices for 136 three-room units were released on Monday night. Each unit is seeking an average of HK$5,614 per square foot, up 1 to 3 percent from previous batches. They will be available for sale by tomorrow at the earliest.

"More three-room units will probably be released next week, with a 5 to 10 percent price increase. Two- room units will be released in the next quarter," Cheung Kong Real Estate director William Kwok Chi-wai said. 

More than 90 percent of the buyers are local, while the remaining are from the mainland including Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Twenty percent of the flats were bought for long-term investment.

The project consists of a total of 1,777 units, ranging from 650 to 1,000 square feet.

The latest data show that during the first half of the year, 37,587 new mortgage loans were drawn down - 24.50 percent lower than the second half of 2011.

The number of new mortgage loans in June dropped 2.3 percent from May to 9,384.

"Such downward adjustment will continue into July as the new government has not announced its concrete housing policies and more new properties are yet to come to the market," mReferral Mortgage Brokerage Services said in a note.

"As mortgage rates and market share of small- to medium-sized banks and large banks are becoming similar, more attractive mortgage plans may be introduced by large banks in the second half of the year."

The number of equitable mortgages - loans obtained for uncompleted property in the first half of the year - jumped 42.4 percent to 2,403 from the second half of 2011.

The number of equitable mortgages drawn down for June is 512, up by 57.1 percent from May.

Bank of China (3988) obtained the largest market share for both mortgage loans and equitable mortgages in the first half of the year, capturing more than 20 percent of each segment.


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## Minsk

*New public facility mediates tradition and the contemporary*

The design for this civic leisure & library complex signifies the idea of a civic building with a piazza as a place for gathering. The building accommodates two main functions, which are a public library and an indoor recreation centre (IRC). The 10-storey library block, which is mainly outwardly orientated with glass façade to maximise its view and to benefit from the intake of natural daylight, locates at the south side of the site.

The 8-storey public library includes children’s library, adult library, multi-media library, reference library, students’ study room, computer centre, activity room and newspaper & periodicals reading area with an outside extension to the courtyard.

The 5-storey indoor recreation centre, which is more inward looking, comprises one 25x25m indoor swimming pool, one main games arena with 2 basketball courts, four multi-function rooms and a childrens' play room. The architectural language takes its DNA from the nearby Chinese vernacular tradition of Ping Shan Heritage Trail.

The concept is inspired by the Chinese traditional cabinet, a kind of multipurpose storage space for books, as well as open shelves to display porcelain and bonsai. By incorporating terraces that mediate the outdoor and indoor environments, the design re-interprets these traditional elements in a contemporary way.

With the use of brick walls, timber and metal screens; it establishes a connection with its roots yet modern at the same time. The spatial concept of the Library is to carve out the building mass to create inter-connected atrium, courtyard and roof terrace at various levels to allow natural light to reach the lower floors of the 10-storeys building. Readers can step out of the indoor space into these outdoor rooms to enjoy their reading with cups of tea.

worldarchitecturenews


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## hkskyline

*North Point site could fetch $10b*
The Standard
Thursday, July 05, 2012

The tender for the former North Point Estate site closes tomorrow and is expected to fetch as much as HK$10 billion.

At least six developers have expressed interest in the plot, including Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), New World Development (0017), Henderson Land Development (0012) and Wheelock Properties (0020).

The 251,875-square-foot site is the largest government plot on Hong Kong Island to be tendered in recent years. It is estimated to be worth between HK$7.21 billion and HK$10 billion, or between HK$8,000 and HK$11,103 per sq ft.

The plot has a residential floor area of around 577,812 sq ft and commercial space of 322,866 sq ft.

It will provide at least 700 units as well as community facilities.

Meanwhile, Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) yesterday released a new price list for 84 low-level flats at The Beaumount in Tseung Kwan O.

The three-room flats are sized from 915 to 1,001 sq ft, commanding an average price of HK$5,462 psf - even lower than those launched earlier.

The 136 medium-level units released on Monday night were priced at HK$5,614 psf.

The 1,777-unit project has put about 804 flats on the market and around 580 have been sold.

Separately, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has sent out proposals to property owners of one of its three redevelopment sites in Sham Shui Po.

The asking price is HK$8,830 psf, similar to prices of seven-year-old flats in the same district.


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## el palmesano

great building!!


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## hkskyline

*Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex officially opens *
Friday, July 6, 2012
Government Press Release










The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex today (July 6), an event that signifies the provision of more recreational, cultural and community facilities and services for residents in the district.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Tsang said this innovative and chic government complex was proof of the effective implementation of district administration. He thanked the Sai Kung District Council (DC) for its strong support for the building's construction, as well as its invaluable suggestions on the development scope and layout plan.

He said, "The SAR Government has always attached great importance to district administration. The Home Affairs Bureau, Home Affairs Department and district offices have been in close contact with the district councils, making every effort to co-ordinate various government departments to actively respond to residents' needs and encourage more people to take part in district affairs with a view to fostering a caring community."

Mr Tsang said the new-term administration would strengthen district administration to enhance governance and to get a better grasp of social sentiments and public opinions. "We hope to have the continued support of the district councils and community groups so that we can work together for the well-being of people, conveying public opinions to the administration, and promoting effective governance and social harmony."

Occupying an area of about 6,000 square metres, the Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex is situated at 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O, and adjacent to the MTR station and bus terminus. In addition to the Sai Kung District Office, the Sai Kung DC Secretariat, the Sai Kung District Leisure Services Office and the Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office, the complex also houses the Hang Hau Sports Centre, the Hang Hau Community Hall and the Public Enquiry Service Centre. These facilities have been gradually opened to the public since last December.

Among the facilities, the Hang Hau Sports Centre is the largest sports complex in Sai Kung. It is well equipped with a wide range of leisure and sports facilities, including a gymnasium, a children's playroom, a fitness corner, table-tennis rooms, activity rooms and a multi-purpose arena with 1,200 spectator seats.

The sports centre also features the only indoor jogging track in the district. Members of the public can enjoy the fun of jogging on the 150 metre-long jogging track in all weathers. Fitted out with 37 advanced exercise machines, the gymnasium is the largest in Sai Kung district and is popular among local residents.

Located on the ground floor of the complex, the Hang Hau Community Hall is equipped with a 400-square-metre hall with a stage, a meeting room, a conference room and dressing rooms. Barrier-free access facilities are also available. Following today's opening ceremony, there are now six community halls, one community centre and four sports centres in the district.

With an environmentally friendly design, the complex uses natural lighting and energy saving features to good effect, thus reducing the impact of solar heat on the indoor temperature. Moreover, the sports centre has a green rooftop. The vertical greening design used for the external walls of the building also compliments with the design of the adjacent Pui Shing Garden.

Also attending today's opening ceremony were the Chairman of Sai Kung District Council, Mr George Ng; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung, the Acting Director of Architectural Services, Mr Stephen Tang, and the Deputy Director of Home Affairs, Ms Mimi Lee.


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## hkskyline

The Beaumont, LOHAS Park 
6 July 


Hong Kong Tseung Kwan O by Johnny__Ko, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

Rosedale Hotel's new Kowloon location is almost complete (bottom left brown building with long black glass sections) :


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## hkskyline

*SHKP in easy North Point win*
The Standard
Thursday, July 12, 2012



















Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) beat six other developers to win the former North Point Estate site for a lower-than-estimated HK$6.91 billion yesterday, as prospects dim for the local property sector.

Several restrictions placed on the plot also discouraged bidding for the tender.

The 251,876 square foot Java Road waterfront plot is the biggest tendered in the past 15 years and had been tipped to fetch HK$7.4 billion to HK$9 billion. The maximum gross floor area of 900,677 square feet translates to a price of HK$7,672 per square foot.

The price offered is about 7.5 percent lower than the HK$8,300 psf that Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) paid for a site on nearby Oil Street last year.

"Developers have become cautious when filling up their land banks as global economic uncertainties prevail," Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat said. "Restrictions on height, number of units and noise levels also tempered the plot's appeal."

As much as 64 percent of the gfa, or 577,807 sq ft, will house 700 residential units. And 18 percent, or 162,122 sq ft, will be taken up by mall and office space. The rest will be used for public facilities including an elderly day care center and a traffic interchange.

SHKP executive director Victor Lui Ting said the total investment cost will be HK$15 billion. "The site faces the sea and has a convenient traffic location. The scale of development is not too big nor too small. We are happy to have won the tender," Lui said.

Cheung at Centaline expects the completed flats to be priced at about HK$15,000 psf - higher than secondary flats nearby.

But he said the lower-than-expected premium paid for the site by SHKP would add pressure to the North Point secondary market.


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## hkskyline

Tuen Mun Station Development


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## little universe

*Kennedy Town Swimming Pool, Sai Wan/西环*

From Achdaily.com



> *Architects:* TFP Farrells
> *Location:* Kennedy Town Praya, Sai Wan, Hong Kong
> *Photographs: *TFP Farrells, Marcel Lam
> *Project Area:* 11782.0 sqm
> *Structural Engineer: *AECOM (C&S) Ltd
> 
> Occupying an area of approximately 0.8 hectare, the construction of the new swimming pool complex involves two phases. The first phase of the works – the construction of an outdoor secondary pool and leisure pool – has been completed and opened to the publicin May 2011. The second phase of the works, scheduled to be completed in 2016, will include the provision of a multi-purpose pool, a teaching pool and a jacuzzi.
> 
> The site of the new swimming pool complex is located at the junction of Kennedy Town Praya and Shing Sai Road and bounded at the western end by Sai Cheung Street North. The site marks the entrance to Kennedy Town when approached by car or tram from Central via Connaught Road West and Queen’s Road West.
> 
> Neighbouring buildings are predominantly residential towers of up to 35 storey height. Towards the west of the Site is Belcher Bay Park which extends over one city block and provides substantial landscaped open space for the community. To the north, across Shing Sai Road is the Western District Public Cargo Working Area and Victoria Harbour beyond.
> 
> A new swimming pool complex designed to enrich the local community by providing a public facility that is easily accessible, complementary to existing public amenities and will contribute to the character of Kennedy Town; which is currently defined by the historic tram line that terminates in the heart of the community. The design brief was for an iconic structure, housing both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzis, changing facilities and associated management and plant rooms. Some of the key design considerations include the building’s transparency, response to existing view corridors, sensitivity to adjacent residential towers, the relationship to Victoria Harbour and an environmentally sustainable design solution.


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## hkskyline

^ The pool was rebuilt here as the previous one had to be demolished for the MTR Island Line extension.


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## hkskyline

Gardenia 景怡峯 
Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon


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## hkskyline

*Cheung Kong well on target*
The Standard
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) has already met more than half its sales target for the year, having sold HK$17 billion worth of new homes so far.

The developer has sold 2,700 new residential units since January, executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung said.

*"If the 400 remaining units at The Beaumount [are sold], altogether we could be cashing in HK$20 billion," Chiu said.*

That will cover two-thirds of the 2012 sales target of HK$30 billion, which the company is confident of reaching.

*It raised prices by about 5 percent for the 87 two-bedroom units of the Tseung Kwan O project, which go on sale from tomorrow. "Those flats are of better quality and are located on higher levels," Chiu explained.*

Meanwhile, Wheelock Properties (0020) cashed in HK$4.5 billion from new flat sales and non-core projects in the first six months.

"[We] will focus on the Kadoorie Hill project in the second half and units will be available for sale in September," assistant general manager Ho Wing-yee said.

Units at the HK$2 billion Ho Man Tin project will likely be priced at about HK$20,000 per square foot, Ho said.

And executive director Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu said Wheelock may submit tenders for plots at Tseung Kwan O Area 66D1 and Tsuen Wan West.

Separately, the Lands Department received a total land premium of about HK$152 million from 15 lease modifications and one land exchange from April to June. Two of the modifications were of a technical nature and did not involve any land premium. Of the 16 transactions, six were on Hong Kong Island, three in Kowloon and the rest in the New Territories.

Meanwhile, a survey found that about 35 percent of private housing tenants fear home prices will fall under the new administration.

But overall, 58 percent of the 1,000 respondents polled by online property platform GoHome voiced optimism about the market and expect prices to rise steadily.


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## little universe

:applause: 4 Cheung Kong/长江实业


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## hkskyline

*Tender awarded for site in North Point*
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Government Press Release

The Lands Department today (July 11) announced that the tender for a site, Inland Lot No. 9027 at Java Road and Tin Chiu Street, North Point, Hong Kong, has been awarded to Choice Win (H.K.) Limited on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $6,910 million.

"Authority from the Central Tender Board was given to the Lands Department to award the site to the highest tenderer," a Government spokesman said.

The other tenderers in alphabetical order were:

(1) Able Brilliant Limited
(2) Crown Treasure Investments Limited
(3) Ever Merits Investments Limited
(4) HLP Asia Limited
(5) iCare.com Limited
(6) United Best Hong Kong Limited

　　Inland Lot No. 9027 has a site area of about 23,400 square metres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding godown, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 56,203 square metres and 83,675 square metres respectively, of which not less than 32,208 square metres and not exceeding 53,680 square metres are for private residential purposes. The total number of residential units to be built shall not be less than 700.


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## melrocks50

HONG KONG IS MY FAVORITE CITY EVER <3


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## hkskyline

*Award winners in our urban jungle*
The Standard
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Few cities have an urban landscape like Hong Kong's. For better or worse, the densely packed box-shaped towers and crowded streets affect how we live and work and influence our culture as a city.

Increasingly, people are determined to improve on this environment and better their quality of life.

One effort in this direction is the Quality Building Award, which recognizes outstanding work by architects, contractors and engineers.

Some of this year's winners were the International Commerce Centre, a new clinical and trauma block at Prince of Wales Hospital and Tung Chung swimming pool.

The redevelopment of Pak Sui Yuen, formerly staff apartments of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Tsim Sha Tsui East, was also given a prize.

The new building, while retaining units for staff, also includes a teaching hotel, the Icon (the university is famous for its hotel and tourism management school).

It is a good example of a modern Hong Kong building design at its best. As is often the case in our space-short city, the new structure combines two quite different functions - staff housing and rooms for tourists - and meets the needs of both well.

The site has been opened up physically and visually, with open space at several levels around the block and a public area to one side. Some of these areas have green roofs and walls.

In short, Poly U has given Hong Kong a new building that improves our overall urban environment.

Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, sees culture from all perspectives.


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## hkskyline

*Two land sites coming on the market*
The Standard
Thursday, July 19, 2012



















Land in Tseung Kwan O and on Peng Chau opens for sale by tender next month, with experts expecting them to fetch a total of nearly HK$2.5 billion.

The gross floor area for the Tseung Kwan O site, Plot 66C2, can provide a gross floor area of just over 486,000. That would be good for 520 to 546 flats, and the land is expected to fetch about HK$2.2 billion, or HK$4,500 per square foot.

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, director for valuations at Cushman & Wakefield, believes the plot, which has a sea view, will attract big developers.

Most nearby plots have already been bought by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), so it is seen as almost certain to be chasing the site.

Cheung estimates that five blocks of 19-story buildings can be built on the site, with a height cap of 65 meters.

Victor Lai Kin-fai, managing director of Centaline Surveyors, said flats sized between 700 and 800 sq ft could be priced at HK$7,000 to HK$8,000 psf. Asking prices for flats in nearby Park Central are currently at around HK$6,500 psf.

The plot on Peng Chau is pegged for a gross floor area of up to 14,370 square feet and should fetch HK$22 million, or HK$1,600 psf. An adjacent site went in May for HK$15.01 million, or HK$1,628 psf. Cheung expects it to be taken for nine or 10 villas priced at HK$6.3 million each.

Findings on new flat inventories for the second quarter were also revealed by Centaline Property senior associate research director Wong Leung-sing.

The unsold inventory for Sino Land (0083) rose to 941, while for New Wold Development (0017) the figure went up to 833.

Others saw decreases on unsold lists. Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) fell to 105, Henderson Land (0012) to 125 and SHKP to 424.


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## hkskyline

*Eyes on hotel conversion*
The Standard
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Bolstered by the sustained increase in visitor arrivals to Hong Kong, the demand for hotel rooms continues to outstrip supply - prompting owners to convert industrial buildings for hotel use.

With a 19.4 percent year-on-year growth in the number of mainland tourists, total arrivals climbed 12.7 percent in May over the previous year.

This high traffic boosts demand for hotel rooms, given that the overall occupancy rate was 87 percent for the first five months, close to the average level of 86 percent since January 2004.

However, the occupancy rate for medium-tariff hotels hit 91 percent during the same period.

The robust demand in the hotel sector has pushed up overall room rates by 12.2 percent in the first five months, year-on- year, to HK$1,475 per night.

Therefore, in line with buoyant inbound tourism and rental difference between hotel and industrial properties, more property owners are applying for a nil waiver fee to convert their eligible industrial building for hotel use.

In March, the first case was recorded since implementation of the revitalizing industrial building scheme - the conversion of the Tak Sing Industrial Building, at 28A Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, into a hotel, providing up to 98 rooms.

Recognizing the hotel potential, investors are also actively seeking en bloc industrial buildings for conversion purposes.

For example, in February, Far East Consortium and Kosmopolito Hotels jointly acquired the Big Orange-Kwai Chung self-storage facility, at 119 Wo Yi Hop Road, that includes total gross floor area of 157,000 square feet, paying HK$210 million.

The consortium then applied a month later to convert the existing industrial building into a 427-room hotel - at an estimated cost of between HK$100 million and HK$150 million.

Lured by prospective rental growth after wholesale conversions, more owners are expected to jump on the bandwagon to provide more hotel rooms.

Cynthy Tang is a research and advisory analyst at Colliers International. The real estate consultancy has integrated teams of specialists to speed up success for institutional and private clients by developing solutions to give their properties a competitive business advantage.


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## hkskyline

*Rising costs eat into flats profit, moans Uncle Four*
The Standard
Friday, July 20, 2012

It is unlikely Hong Kong home prices will fall much from current levels amid rising construction costs, Henderson Land Development (0012) chairman Lee Shau- kee believes.

"A decade ago, it cost HK$600 per square foot to construct The Sherwood in Tuen Mun [one of Henderson's mass market projects completed in 2006]. But it would cost up to HK$3,000 psf now," Lee said yesterday.

Also, the supply of construction workers is stretched due to several ongoing infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and Macau, he said, echoing the views Li Ka-shing, chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001).

Lee stressed that local property development is less profitable than before.

"We work like an ox ... we are not a [oligopoly]. We are just powerless."

But analysts noted while construction expenses have risen in recent years, they are manageable.

Eva Lee, from UBS, said it could cost as much as HK$3,500 psf to build individual houses, but HK$1,500 to HK$2,000 psf would suffice for more modest apartments.

Developer Lee said new flat prices would also be tempered by an expected hike in land supply by the government.

"Developers are less tempted to put up high prices in land tenders," he said.

Known as "Uncle Four," Lee still prefers stocks over property to ensure capital appreciation of his investments.

Meanwhile, Wang On Group (1222) will launch at least 30 of the 97 units at The Met Sublime in Sai Ying Pun early next month.

Most of the flats are one-bedroom units, ranging from 400 to 500 square feet, said sales director Gary Wong Yiu-hung.

Nearby units at Henderson's High West are listed at about HK$14,000 psf.

Yesterday, Cheung Kong launched another 72 two-bedroom units of The Beaumount in Tseung Kwan O at HK$5,945 psf - less than 1percent higher than the 87 similar-sized units launched the previous day.

As for upmarket developments, Knight Frank expects luxury home prices to fall by up to 10percent in the next 12 months, while mass market prices may fall 15 percent at most due to increased land supply.

Thomas Lam Ho-man, head of research for Greater China, said Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has not introduced any radical policy changes.

"Home prices are unlikely to fall dramatically in the next few years - unless there is a serious downturn in demand," Lam said.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ1: The Government's new housing policy*
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Miriam Lau and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (July 11):

Question:

The Chief Executive (CE) mentioned time and again before his assumption of office that the prime task after his assumption of office would be to take forward a new housing policy, whilst his governing team also advocates that the new Government should promote a "supply-led" strategy and increase the supply of public rental housing flats and Home Ownership Scheme flats, so as to cope with the shortfall of supply in private housing flats. The former Secretary for Transport and Housing also advised the new Government before her departure from office that it might be very risky for the new Government to enhance its intervention in property prices, and it should do so according to its ability. Regarding how a balance can be struck between providing members of the public opportunities of home ownership and avoiding drastic fluctuations in property prices, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the annual housing construction target of the new Government during its term of administration in the next five years; whether it has any concrete construction programme; of the ratio between public and private housing flats; whether public housing flats will be put on sale on the market; if so, of the details and the quantity of such flats; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) whether the new Government will change the plan of selling sites with restrictions on flat number and flat size which has already been implemented by the Government of the last term; if so, of the details; and

(c) regarding the introduction of a "Hong Kong property for Hong Kong residents" policy put forward by CE in his election platform, of the circumstances based on which the Government decides when such policy should be introduced, and of the types of housing to which such policy will apply?

Reply:

President,

Members of the community wish to have a happy home and housing currently tops the list of livelihood issues of public concern. The present Administration has listed housing as one of its key tasks. We are aware that there are a number of housing issues of general concern to the public which require careful and pragmatic handling. These include the housing needs of the grass roots and non-elderly singletons; and the difficulty faced by the lower- and middle-income families in home purchase.

Housing is not simply meeting the basic needs of the public. It also affects the economy. Hence the Government will adopt a balanced approach to increase the supply of public housing on the one hand, and maintain the stability of the private market on the other. The key rests with increasing land supply for public and private housing as appropriate to provide sufficient flats to meet the public demand for housing.

I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that we will handle the issue of housing which is of wide public concern in a prudent manner. We will strive to increase the overall supply of housing and facilitate the stable and healthy development of the property market through increasing land supply so as to avoid high volatility in the market. Only when people are living in contentment will the society be stable and harmonious. We will adopt a realistic and pragmatic approach in handling housing matters and will reach out to the districts to listen broadly to the views of the public in a humble manner.

My reply to the question raised by the Hon Miriam Lau in three-part is as follows:

(a) We consider that the provision of public and private residential flats should dovetail with the prevailing trend of housing demand. Hence we will reactivate the long-term study on housing and, based on our past experience, formulate a long-term housing strategy. We will conduct a comprehensive assessment of housing demand so as to gain a better understanding of the public's demand for different types of housing.

On the public rental housing (PRH) side, we will start with improving the land planning process and increasing PRH supply to meet the growing demand. The current annual average PRH production of 15 000 units is not a fixed target, and we will increase the supply having regard to the circumstances and subject to the land situation.

On the New Home Ownership Scheme (New HOS), our current plan is to provide some 17 000 flats over the four years from 2016/17 onwards. When more sites are identified in future, our target is to provide some 5 000 flats on average per year.

On the private housing side, making land available for an annual production of 20 000 flats on average over the next few years is not a fixed target. Our aim is to allow the Government to build up land reserve in a certain period of time so as to ensure steady land supply for the property market.

There is no fixed ratio between the supply of public and private flats as mentioned above. The housing supply of these flats can be adjusted according to the supply and demand conditions under the prevailing circumstances.

We will continue to increase land supply by adopting a multi-pronged approach, including releasing industrial land, exploring the options of reclamation on an appropriate scale outside the Victoria Harbour and development of caverns; looking into the use of green belt areas that are devegetated, deserted or formed; examining the uses of "Government, Institution or Community" sites; and exploring the possibility of converting into housing land those sites in the North District and Yuen Long currently used mainly for industrial purposes or temporary storage, or which is deserted, so as to open up land resources and actively build up land reserve. This will help enable the Government to meet the demand for housing during different times and to resolve the problem at source.

(b) The Government announced for the first time in 2010 that it would specify in the land sale conditions the minimum number of residential flats to be built and restrictions on the flat size. This measure aimed to increase the supply of small and medium-sized flats in the market. In addition, the Government introduced a measure in 2011/12 to impose restrictions on certain residential sites requiring developers concerned to provide no less than a certain number of flats on the sites in order to ensure the supply of residential flats.

Owing to the resumption of the HOS and the launch of the West Rail property development projects, which include the successfully tendered Nam Cheong Station project and Tsuen Wan West Station TW5 (Cityside) project, the Tsuen Wan West Station TW5 (Bayside) project which just started to invite tender yesterday, as well as the proposed development at Long Ping Station (North) which is scheduled for tender in the second quarter of 2012/13, the supply of small and medium-sized flats in the market will increase notably in the coming years.

President, land is a precious resource in Hong Kong and the development of land requires much effort in planning and the support of infrastructure. We have to ensure that the land so developed could supply a good number of flats. We will continue to monitor closely the development of the property market and, may consider specifying in the land sale conditions such requirements as the number of flats to be built having regard to the prevailing circumstances to meet market needs.

(c) The rationale of the policy of "Hong Kong property for Hong Kong residents" put forward by the Chief Executive is to accord priority to cater for the housing needs of local residents.

Local public housing providers including the Housing Authority (HA) and the Housing Society (HS) have been catering for the needs of Hong Kong residents on home ownership at different times from various angles and levels. The Home Ownership Scheme launched by the HA in the 1970s last century; the Flat-For-Sale Scheme and the Sandwich Class Housing Scheme launched by the HS in the 1980s and 1990s, and the newly introduced My Home Purchase Plan undertaken by the HS are all mainly targeted at Hong Kong residents.

We will ascertain the public policy objectives of the relevant public housing providers, and will explore with them on ways to better meet the home ownership needs of Hong Kong residents with different affordability through their subsidised housing projects. We will also continue to closely monitor the development of the property market. If necessary, we will take appropriate measures to ensure a stable and healthy development of the property market and to strive to safeguard the opportunity for Hong Kong residents to purchase their own homes.


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## hkskyline

*High praise for green effort*
The Standard
Monday, July 23, 2012









_Government news photograph : Financial Secretary John Tsang (second right) tours an exhibition at the Zero-Carbon Building. _

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah recommends the Zero-Carbon Building in Kowloon Bay.

And as one who studied architecture in university, he knows what he is talking about.

The project, backed by the Construction Industry Council and Development Bureau, was completed in just 18 months.

Adopting pioneering environment-friendly design and technology, Hong Kong's first zero-carbon building embodies the coordination between nature and architecture, Tsang wrote in his weekly blog yesterday. It is not without reason that Tsang recommends the Kowloon Bay building, as it has garnered a BEAM Plus Platinum rating, the highest for excellent environmental performance.

The project includes Hong Kong's first urban native woodland, which improves the local microclimate by reducing the heat island effect.

It also generates ample on-site renewable energy, with the surplus transferred to the public electricity supply system.


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## hkskyline

*Park Island*'s new lowrise mansions are still under scaffolding :


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Gardenia 景怡峯
> Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon


7/8


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## Dallas star

Hong Kong, a city I can't finish living until I visit.


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## hkskyline

*New lease of life for tired buildings*
The Standard
Thursday, July 26, 2012










Since the government suggested revitalizing old industrial buildings in 2009, many have been successfully converted for commercial use.

Even before then, the apm mall - originally an industrial building called Kowloon East Plaza - has become a landmark in Kwun Tong since it opened in 2005. It is located within Millennium City 5, part of a commercial cluster along Kwun Tong Road owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016).

With a gross floor area of more than 600,000 square feet, the mall houses more than 170 shops spread over 11 floors.

Another example is MegaBox on Wang Chiu Road in Kowloon Bay, which opened in 2007 as part of Kerry Properties' (0683) Enterprise Square Five shopping and commercial complex in the new industrial area. The 19-story shopping block is the largest shopping center in East Kowloon with a gross floor area of 1.1 million sq ft, housing around 240 shops. Such large malls attract customers and stimulate the office market in their areas, driving up office rentals.

Office rentals in Kowloon East rose 33 percent year-on-year in June to HK$27.10 psf.


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## hkskyline

*LCQ14: Energizing Kowloon East Office*
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Government Press Release









_A section of revitalized waterfront under the Kwun Tong Bypass._

Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Mak Chai-kwong, in the Legislative Council today (July 4):

Question:

It has been reported that the Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) plans to transform the 200,000 feet derelict land under an elevated section of the Kwun Tong Bypass and the Tsun Yip Street Playground into music performance area and public space, so as to vitalise the industrial zone which falls silent at night time. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) apart from the development of outdoor performance area/public space, and in view of the insufficient timeslots for performances in the Hong Kong Coliseum (HKC), whether it has considered converting the two soccer pitches and two basketball courts in the Tsun Yip Street Playground into an indoor venue which can accommodate both cultural performances (e.g. concerts and visual arts displays) and ball games, so as to add cultural and recreational elements to the Kowloon East core business district project, as well as meet part of the demands for using HKC; if it has, of the outcome; if not, whether it can assess the feasibility of the aforesaid recommendation; and

(b) of a comparison of the level of satisfaction in usage and construction costs between EKEO, which was built with recyclable steel structures and old containers as its essential construction materials and embodies a number of energy-conservation concepts, and traditional office buildings, which are built with materials such as steel, concrete and glasses, etc.; if the outcome of the comparison proves that the former brings about better results on land utilisation and office uses, as well as being more cost effective, whether the authorities will consider constructing more government offices similar to EKEO in other areas in Kowloon East, and relocating some government departments to the redevelopment area to foster regional development and compensate for the deficiency of the recently commissioned new Central Government Complex at Tamar which has already been criticised for not having sufficient office space?

Reply:

President,

In his 2011-12 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced that we would adopt a visionary, co-ordinated and integrated approach to transform Kowloon East, comprising the Kai Tak Development Area (KTDA), the former industrial areas of Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay, into an attractive central business district (CBD) to sustain Hong Kong's long-term economic development. In just a few months' time since its establishment in February this year, the Pre-Kowloon East Development Office has organised various briefings, seminars and workshops to engage the public and relevant stakeholders and draw on their ideas and insights. The views collected had been consolidated to form the Conceptual Master Plan of Kowloon East 2.0 (CMP 2.0), which was announced on June 7,2012 when the Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) was established officially. The CMP 2.0 embraces the grand vision of promoting our long-term economic growth and global competitiveness by transforming Kowloon East into another premier CBD. It also spells out the ten main tasks that need to be accomplished in achieving the vision. They include exploring the possibilities to develop the vacant lot of about 10,000 square metres under the Kwun Tong Bypass into a public space for staging arts and cultural performances and to transform Tsun Yip Street Playground into an inviting and vibrant place. It is to integrate arts and cultural activities into city life and create a unique atmosphere to set the scene for the transformation of Kowloon East.

My reply to the two parts of the question is as follows:

(a) The Tsun Yip Street Playground (TYS Playground) lies at the heart of the Kwun Tong Business Area where buildings are densely packed. According to the Draft Kwun Tong (South) Outline Zoning Plan (S/K14S/17), the TYS Playground is zoned as 'Open Space'. It is an invaluable 'city lung'. We therefore should strive to preserve and transform this urban space into a place where people would like to work, to do business, to walk, to stay and to play. To this end, we will enhance tree planting and greening works and consider introducing new design elements for transforming the TYS Playground into Kwun Tong Industrial Heritage Park. The Park will be a testament to the transformation of Kowloon East from an old industrial area into a new business centre as well as a link for the past, present and future. The TYS Playground can also be used to stage various arts performances or carnivals in future, turning this rare open space in the heart of Kwun Tong into a dynamic and vibrant public space within the business area.

(b) The office building of the EKEO commenced operation in early June. Apart from basic office facilities, it also houses an information kiosk. Apart from serving as a venue for hosting public engagement activities and receiving visitors, the kiosk also accommodates exhibition panels, models and video programmes about Energizing Kowloon East and KTDA. In addition to providing an efficient workspace for the professional EKEO team in Kowloon East, the office building of the EKEO is a pilot project that showcases a new sustainable design concept with low carbon footprint. The building itself serves as a demonstration model for other temporary buildings in Hong Kong in the future, including construction site offices. As the office building is a temporary structure made of recyclable freight containers and other steel works, its size and height are restricted by the container module, making it only suitable for short and medium term use by small to medium sized teams. Given that the office building is a temporary structure and its design, materials and building services facilities are intended for short-term use only, its construction cost is lower than that of a general permanent government office building. That said, as the design concepts and standards for temporary structures and general government buildings are different, we should not draw a direct comparison between their construction unit costs.

On relocating government departments to new development areas, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council has approved funding for the construction of Trade and Industry Tower in the KTDA in January 2012. The Tower will provide 33,000 square metre net operating floor area and will mainly be used for accommodating the government offices currently housed in the Trade and Industry Department Tower in Mong Kok as well as other leased private premises. Moreover, the three existing office buildings near the Wan Chai waterfront will also be relocated to the two reserved sites for new government office buildings at the KTDA. Moving government offices from prime locations to government office buildings in the KTDA will not only optimise use of land resources but also boost the development of Kowloon East.


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## hkskyline

*Link hunting factory bargains*
The Standard
Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Link Real Estate Investment Trust (0823) is set to diversify, buying up industrial buildings and converting them into shopping malls as the outcry over high rents at its existing properties grows louder every day.

More than 98 percent of shareholders backed the REIT's diversification strategy at its annual general meeting yesterday.

"The Link is in talks to buy some factory buildings. The acquisition will depend on the properties' cost, return and synergy effect to the company," said spokesman Poon Kai-tik, without disclosing details.

The REIT - which operates 180 malls and car parks owned by the Housing Authority - is not allowed to buy land.

It is known for renovating premises for rent. But shop operators at its malls have been complaining of steep rental hikes. Owning shopping centers outside the realm of the Housing Authority is seen as key to boosting future revenue.

More than 40 percent of households in the territory live near a mall owned by The Link. Chief executive George Hongchoy Kwok-lung has said the firm is keen on buying industrial buildings and overseas assets.

"The number of local malls, being limited, cannot catch up with consumption growth. Revamping industrial buildings can boost supply," said Hongchoy.

Experts worry that The Link's capital needs may soar if it tries to buy factory buildings.

"It needs lots of money to buy industrial buildings and even more to renovate them. It can either borrow from banks or increase rents at existing malls," said Terence Chong Tai-leung, executive director at The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Institute of Global Economics and Finance.

The Link is in danger of becoming a monopoly as it expands its network and gains more influence, said Chong.

"The reason why people rent space in industrial buildings for use as offices or homes is because rates are cheap," said Sze Lai-shan of the Society for Community Organization, adding that rents in industrial estates may increase when The Link starts snapping up buildings.

Putting the screws on The Link, a group of protesters demanded the government buy back the 25 percent stake of The Link it previously held.

Poon stressed tenants' means are taken into account when considering rental hikes.

"We have clear ideas of how much revenue tenants have to put into rents, and we will not raise them too high as we do not want to drive them away," he said, adding that rents at The Link's properties have gone up 7 percent every year on average.

Earlier reports have claimed that The Link has leased more than 50 percent of its malls to large chain stores, forcing smaller tenants to leave.

"It is so unfair that around 80 percent of small tenants have to shut down their business in these malls because they cannot afford the high rents," one of the protesters said.

Poon said the firm is open to the government's buyback proposal.

The Link Reit gained 1.5 percent to close at HK$33.25 yesterday.


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## hkskyline

*Architects drafting new roles*
The Standard
Monday, July 30, 2012

Some may say the golden age of being an architect is over.

An architect's role has been increasingly declining in the past decades, from the master of the universe, down to a glorified draftsman.

The phenomenon is attributable to the growth in the contractor's power within a project, and the less experienced project managers hired by the client.

Although the architect is still the person overseeing the project, the actual decisions and day-to-day operations are very much influenced by outside parties, building up to a drop in professional pride and respect.

Therefore, some architects around the world have been undergoing two new waves of restructuring in the past decades: specialization and diversification.

For specialization, some architects choose to establish themselves as specialists in certain building types - for example, as skyscraper or retail experts.

When clients have a project in hand, they would consider finding the specialist due to their job references on the building type and their resources and staff experience in handling such projects.

In medicine, you would look for a specialized heart surgeon when you encounter cardiac problems.

Although it might limit the type of projects coming in, by being a relatively authoritative figure in the specialized field, the architect would be able to leverage a large role in managing the project.

However, unlike medicine, in architecture there is always a danger in specialization since each building type has a cycle.

So, at times, some might suffer from a shortage of projects.

Hence, others pursue diversification.

By definition, diversification means architects not only engage within the architectural field, but also peruse other industries such as urban planning, landscape, interior, product, furniture, jewelry and even fashion design.

By doing so, they establish themselves as a one-stop shop for a client. From inception to completion, they are fully capable of handling issues, ranging from large scale down to the minute detail setting.

Also, by diversifying their income, they successfully shield themselves from any project type's recessional cycle.

With their credibility in certain fields - by way of the halo effect - they can often market themselves as all-around experts.

However, there is also a downside, which is the risk of managing and recruiting an all- around office, with sufficient essential resources and staff to handle the complex and diverse projects.

Lately, there is an increasing trend moving toward both extremes.

Whichever direction an architectural firm chooses to pursue, it must be one that goes parallel with the office's vision and resources. Architect Nicholas Ho and art historian Stephanie Poon don't always see eye to eye.


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## hkskyline

*SDEV's speaking notes (works policy areas) tabled at LegCo Finance Committee Special Meeting*
Government Press Release _Excerpt_
Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Following is the English translation of the speaking notes (works policy areas) of the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, tabled at the Finance Committee Special Meeting in the Legislative Council today (March 7):

Chairman,

Water Supply and Water Leakage

Surface water collected locally from water gathering grounds provides 20 per cent to 30 per cent of water supply to Hong Kong at present. About 70 per cent to 80 per cent of water is imported from Dongjiang (DJ) to make up the shortfall. In last December, we signed a new agreement worth $11,241.34 million with the Guangdong side for the supply of DJ water to Hong Kong between 2012 and 2014. This can ensure a reliable and flexible supply of DJ water to Hong Kong, based on actual needs, up to 2014, even under extreme drought conditions with a return period of one in 100 years.

To facilitate formulation of effective water conservation measures, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) commenced in September last year a survey to collect information on general water consumption patterns and habits of domestic household users. Over 1 000 households have taken part in it and the information collected is being analysed by the department. Furthermore, to develop new water sources, we plan to explore the feasibility and cost effectiveness of constructing a desalination plant in Tseung Kwan O. We plan to consult the Panel on Development in April, and seek funding approval from the Finance Committee in June for engaging consultants to conduct detailed studies and site investigation, which are expected to commence by the end of this year.

Hong Kong enjoys one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world. WSD has been following the World Health Organization (WHO)'s "Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality" as the standard for the quality of drinking water in Hong Kong. The water quality of the entire water supply system is continuously monitored by WSD and samples are regularly taken from catchments, impounding reservoirs, water treatment works, service reservoirs and the water distribution network for testing to ensure compliance of the water quality with the relevant standards in WHO's "Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality". The number of samples taken every year by WSD exceeds 100 000.

We are continuing with our efforts to reduce water main bursts and leaks. The water mains replacement and rehabilitation programme is making good progress and has entered Stage 4. Under the programme, some 3 000 kilometres of aged water mains will be replaced and rehabilitated. As at December 2011, a total of 1 710km of water mains have been replaced or rehabilitated. The water main leakage rate has also reduced from 25 per cent in 2001 to 19 per cent in 2011. It is anticipated that the leakage rate will be further decreased to 15 per cent upon completion of the programme in 2015.

Flooding

On improvement against the risk of flooding, we are now implementing three drainage tunnel projects: Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel, Tsuen Wan Drainage Tunnel and Lai Chi Kok Drainage Tunnel at a total cost of about $6.5 billion. These projects are expected to be completed progressively from 2012 to 2013. We have also obtained funding of $1,065.8 million from the Finance Committee for the construction of an underground storm water storage tank at Happy Valley Recreation Ground to relieve the flooding problem in Happy Valley and upgrade the system so that it can withstand rainstorms with a return period of one in 50 years. The works have commenced in late 2011 and are expected to be completed in phases by early 2018.

We are now reviewing the Drainage Master Plan in East Kowloon and West Kowloon to assess the flooding risks of these districts and propose improvement measures. We are also conducting studies to identify rivers with flooding risks and devise a warning system for residents living in adjacent areas.


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## hkskyline

Construction scaffolding falls apart along the hillsides - taken on 24 July 


危棚之下3 by johnlsl, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*K Wah finds footing in SHKP stronghold*
The Standard
Thursday, August 02, 2012

Midsize developer K Wah International Holdings (0173) has gained a foothold in Tseung Kwan O after outbidding bigger competitors and buying a plot for HK$1.17 billion - in line with market estimates.

Plot 66D1 is near the Tseung Kwan O MTR station and stands in the middle of three parcels of land owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016).

With a maximum floor area of 297,456 square feet, the land premium translatesto an average of HK$3,929 per buildable square foot. At most, 270,497 sq ft can be allocated for residential use while the rest is meant for commercial development.

A neighboring plot, coded 66B2, was sold to Wheelock & Co (0020) in January for around HK$3,800 per buildable square foot, while SHKP bought site 66C1 for about HK$4,100 psf in May. Both developers also bid for 66D1.

The site carries flat volume stipulations - a minimum of 360 and not more than 378 units must be built. Each flat will be around 715 to 734 sqft.

K Wah, controlled by Macau gaming tycoon Lui Che-woo, said it will develop the plot on its own.

A nearby plot, 66C2, will invite tenders on August 17.


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## hkskyline

*Cheung Kong sales ride high*
The Standard
Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) is poised to hit its second-highest sales volume - after already selling 2,800 units so far this year for nearly HK$20 billion.

"Total sales this year could exceed 4,000 units, allowing us to record the second-highest yearly sales volume ever," executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung said.

*He expects total units sold to reach 3,000 by the end of the month, including remaining flats at The Beaumount in Tseung Kwan O* and the villas at Uptown, Yuen Long. Four more projects are due to launch this year.

The developer's all-time high for annual sales was 6,600 units in 2003.

Senior sales manager Allen Fong Chun said the 14 Uptown villas of 2,154 square feet each will bear price tags of HK$7,100 to HK$7,800 per square foot.

Separately, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) sold 638 of 650 units at Imperial Cullinan for HK$13 billion in all.

A three-story unit with a pool and a 3,005-sq-ft indoor area was put on the market yesterday for HK$50,000 psf, or over HK$150 million.

"It may be the highest per-square- foot price in Kowloon district apart from Kowloon Station," SHKP executive director Victor Lui Ting said.

Another unit with a swimming pool was earlier sold for HK$43,000 psf.

Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency assistant general manager Allen Woo Chi-yuen said 30 percent of the buyers are mainlanders and businessmen from both sides of the border.


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## hkskyline

*Emperor to go it alone in Tseung Kwan O*
The Standard
Thursday, August 09, 2012

Emperor International Holdings (0163) said it may submit a tender on its own for a site in Tseung Kwan O that is estimated to be worth at least HK$2.2 billion.

"We are considering tendering for plot 66C2 in Tseung Kwan O by ourselves," Emperor executive director Donald Cheung Ping-keung said yesterday.

The site- with a gross floor area of 139,019 square feet, is expected to cost HK$2.2 billion, or HK$4,521 psf.

The government will invite tenders from August 17 to September 21.

K Wah International Holdings (0173) secured a smaller plot nearby last week with a bid of HK$1.16 billion that bought entry into a district where big developers dominate.

Midland Realty director Angela Kwok Yuk-moon said new home prices in Tseung Kwan O would continue soaring, supported by mature infrastructure facilities in the area.

Emperor, meanwhile, has already generated HK$3 billion from pre-sales of its three residential properties, including Harbour One in Sai Wan, 18 Upper East in Sai Wan Ho, and The Prince Place in Prince Edward.

More than 90 percent of the 108-unit 18 Upper East project has been sold.

The flats are expected to be delivered in September and October, Cheung said.


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## hkskyline

*Homes action*
The Standard
Friday, August 31, 2012

New steps to cool the red-hot housing market were announced yesterday as Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying presented a package of 10 short and medium-term measures.

In the longer term, Leung said, the Lands Department and Department of Justice are looking into formulating the legal framework for the "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" policy which he pledged during the chief executive election.

Initially, there will be five short-term measures:

The sale of 830 Home Ownership Scheme surplus flats, 825 of which are at Tin Chung Court in Tin Shui Wai. Applications will begin early next year.

The 1,000 units in Tsing Yi originally planned for the "rent-to-buy" program - also known as My Home Purchase Plan - by the Hong Kong Housing Society will be sold to buyers earning HK$40,000 or less a month at a discount to the market price. Details will be given later.

Applications for pre-sale consent will be speeded up to release 65,000 flats in the private market over the next three to four years.

*Sites providing 2,650 flats will be included in the land sale program for October to December. About 1,760 of the flats are from six sites and no fewer than 894 are from the MTR's residential project at the Tsuen Wan West station on the West Rail Line.

A Chai Wan industrial building will be converted into a public rental block of 180 units next year. The Urban Renewal Authority will launch two pilot schemes next year to redevelop industrial buildings into flats and commercial offices.*

Leung said the government is concerned about the heated property market, given the sluggish global economy and high liquidity in international markets.

"We will closely monitor the property market and at an appropriate time we will launch more initiatives" to meet citizens' housing needs, he said.

The government has decided to sell the flats under "a rent-to-buy" scheme to address housing needs immediately.

Housing minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said people who want to buy the surplus HOS flats in Tin Chung Court will not be affected by management fee disputes between the incumbent owners' committee and the Housing Authority. The authority will take responsibility if the case goes to court.

Five medium-term steps are:

The government wants to sell the remaining 4,000 "rent-to-buy" scheme units planned by the previous administration.

The URA's Kai Tak sites marked for flat swaps in redevelopment projects will be handed over to Housing Authority for HOS projects.

A leisure site in Cheung Sha Wan will be used for 2,300 public rental homes so the provision of such units can be put forward two years.

*A total of 36 sites, zoned for "government, institution and community" uses, will be used for private and public housing projects to provide about 11,900 units.

Town planning procedures will be streamlined to speed up Housing Authority and URA projects to rejuvenate industrial buildings for homes.*

Leung said the the legal framework for a "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" policy, under which developers can sell flats only to Hongkongers, is being examined.

Leung said a new steering committee led by Cheung will look into housing needs of different sectors.


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## hkskyline

*Dorms test for students*
The Standard
Thursday, August 30, 2012 

As the three-year tertiary education system switches to a four-year one, the chronic shortage of university student accommodation will intensify. The Education Bureau estimates there will be a shortfall of 13,600 housing units in the 2014-15 academic year - up from a shortage of 2,883 units for 2012-13.

Every summer, students scramble to rent flats near universities. "There are quite a lot of student tenants looking for flats in single towers or even old buildings near Hong Kong Polytechnic University's halls of residence," said Sunrise Property branch manager Man Siu-chun.

At the United Building, in the vicinity of PolyU's student hostel in Hung Hom, a furnished 600-square-foot three- bedroom flat is leased at HK$12,500 per month to mainland students, Man said.

Students only need to pay about HK$1,000 a month at PolyU's halls. In the New Territories, two-bedroom flats close to the Sha Tin MTR station are popular with students, as the location is just two stops away the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is also convenient for those studying at Hong Kong Baptist University and City University of Hong Kong, both in Kowloon Tong, and PolyU.

"Flats in the Wai Wah Centre are all two-bedroom units and more functional than two-bedroom flats split from one- bedroom ones, so they are rather popular among mainland students. But they will be snapped up very quickly," said Midland Realty assistant district manager Patrick Ng Chi-fung.

A middle-level 483-sq-ft unit at the Sha Tin town center estate was recently leased to mainland students for HK$11,800 a month.

CUHK dormitory space costs about HK$955 to HK$2,756 per month, while Baptist charges about HK$890 to HK$1,233. Rents at CityU range from HK$1,140, based on double occupancy, to HK$1,740 for single occupancy.

In Tuen Mun, Parkland Villas is a popular choice among Lingnan University students. "Rents for a 500-sq-ft unit rose from HK$6,700 a month last year to HK$7,500 now," a property agent said.

Some students seeking cheaper flats will go to The Sherwood, one Light Rail stop away from Lingnan U. Recently, two foreign students jointly leased a 531-sq-ft unit for HK$7,200 a month. Dorm fees at Lingnan range from about HK$900 to HK$1,125 per month.

Amid rising rents, some mainland students have been finding ways to reduce their financial burden, such as subleasing part of their rental units to others. But such practices contravene the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, and three mainland post-graduate students were recently fined HK$3,000 each, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

The three had advertised via the internet, offering accommodation at their flat to individuals at HK$150 per night.

One of the possible causes for the subleasing trend is that most universities are admitting 30 percent of their students from the mainland - the upper limit allowed by the government - leading to the rise in the number from across the border.

Baptist, PolyU, Lingnan, and the Open University of Hong Kong received a total of about 10,900 mainland student applications for the coming academic year - a 21 percent jump year- on-year.

Due to the change in the tertiary education system, there will be an estimated 15,000 students each year looking at entering university. Institutions are actively looking for solutions to the student housing shortage.

"Six university dormitory projects will be completed before September, providing a few thousand places," said University Grants Committee chairman Edward Cheng Wai-sun.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Clear Water Bay even invites property agencies on campus to serve students looking to rent flats.

"The university has been providing interest-free loans for students to pay agency fees and rental deposits since May. Students in need can apply once only, and repay the loan before graduation in installments," said HKUST associate provost Tam Kar-yan, who urged other universities to offer similar loans.

Meanwhile, Wong Chun-pong, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Education's student union, criticized the Education Bureau for not providing enough land and funding to build more university dormitories. He hopes Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim will deal with the issue.

*In fact, the government already reserved one plot each at Tseung Kwan O and Ma On Shan several years ago to build residences for students attending various universities. The plots will provide 520 and 2,160 places, respectively.

"The University Grants Committee is discussing with the Education Bureau a proposal to apply six to seven sites to building university dormitories," Cheng said. "Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, Sai Ying Pun and Shau Kei Wan have suitable plots."

He hopes to get land and funding from the government to provide 6,000 more places by 2018.*


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## hkskyline

*Hospitals for middle class in the offing *
The Standard
Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Two "middle-class private hospitals" are expected to be built in Wong Chuk Hang and Tai Po.

The news came as Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said that public and private hospital systems must develop hand in hand, and not compete at the expense of each other.

Tenders for the Wong Chuk Hang and Tai Po facilities - part of four earmarked for the development of private hospitals - closed in July, Ko said, and their results will be known by the end of the year or early next year.

Ko said he is keeping an open mind on possible changes to the "strict" tender criteria depending on how it goes with the first two projects.

He said standards used in the process "reflect the administration's intention of having these new private hospitals as middle-class private hospitals, not luxury ones."

Land premiums only account for 30 percent of the assessment, with Ko conceding that "the 70 percent set aside for technical criteria has been criticized as being too stringent."

The way forward is to have a "balanced and sustainable development of the dual-track hospital system."

Ko also admitted the brain drain of medical staff is partly due to misapprehensions that the government favors the development of the private sector.

Ko said an important plank in the dual-track system is the proposed voluntary Health Protection Scheme, details of which are being worked out by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Key features of the scheme and the critical volume that it needswill be in the PwC report.

The latter, he said, will be the number of people needed for the scheme to have an impact, which means convincing a significant number of people to go from the public to the private sector.

Ko is confident of the scheme's passage through the Legislative Council even if the economy sees a downturn.

"It's more important for Hong Kong people to see that there is a need to take care of their own future medical care because by 2030 we will have one quarter of people in the elderly range," he said.

The turnover rate for doctors in the year ending March was 4.8 percent, compared to 5.2 percent previously.


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## hkskyline

*Bigwigs among 16 keen on - $1.9b Long Ping MTR site*
The Standard
Thursday, September 06, 2012










A site atop the Long Ping MTR West Rail station - with an estimated price tag of up to HK$1.9 billion - has drawn the interest of 16 developers.

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and Henderson Land Development (0012) are among heavyweight firms that submitted letters of intent for the 106,564 square foot Yuen Long site yesterday.

The site, on the northern end of the MTR station, is estimated to be worth between HK$1.57 billion and HK$1.89 billion, or HK$3,000 to HK$3,600 per square foot.

The price is similar to that of a 132,827 sq ft nearby site snapped up by Cheung Kong in March last year for HK$2.41 billion, or HK$3,629 psf.

"It is within our expectation to see so many developers including some mid- size firms being drawn to bid for the site as the land price is moderate and the project does not require a huge investment," Centaline Surveyors managing director Victor Lai Kin-fai said.

Mid-size developers including Paliburg (0617), Wing Tai Properties (0369) and Wheelock (0020) have also expressed interest in the site, which will yield a gross floor area of 523,938 sq ft and accommodate four towers providing up to 832 flats in all. The average size of units is expected to be about 630 sq ft.

Up to 75 percent of the flats cannot have a net floor area of more than 538 sq ft and the winning developer must also build an elderly care center over a total of 18,665 sq ft.

The site is expected to be sold by next month. Another nearby plot - Long Ping south - will open for tender next quarter and could yield up to 720 flats. Jones Lang LaSalle Greater Pearl River Delta research head Marcos Chan Kam- ping said he does not think new government housing measures due will affect developer interest in Long Ping south.

But managing director Joseph Tsang Hon-ping said the "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" policy, which will bar mainlanders from buying units in certain projects, could temper the interest of developers at future land auctions.


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## hkskyline

Gardenia 景怡峯
Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon

7/14


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## hkskyline

*Government awards largest New Engineering Contract for major works of DSD's Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme *
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Government Press Release



















The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (September 5) signed an agreement with the contractor for the major works of the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme (HVUSSS), marking a new milestone in the development of the flood prevention project for the Wan Chai and Happy Valley districts. Involving various innovative and eco-friendly features, the $678 million scheme is also the biggest New Engineering Contract (NEC) project ever awarded by the Government. It is scheduled for completion in early 2018.

The Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Wai Chi-sing, and the Director of Drainage Services, Mr Chan Chi-chiu, witnessed the signing of the contract by the Deputy Director of Drainage Services, Mr Tsui Wai, and the President of Chun Wo Construction and Engineering Co Ltd, Mr Derrick Pang.

The HVUSSS mainly includes the construction of an underground stormwater storage tank at the Happy Valley Recreation Ground with a capacity of 60,000 cubic metres, which is equivalent to the total volume of about 24 standard swimming pools, as a temporary storage tank for stormwater runoff collected during heavy rainstorms in a bid to substantially reduce the flow to the downstream drainage system and thereby alleviate flooding risk.

The HVUSSS sees the first application of an automated monitoring system for controlling the stormwater flow diverted from the upstream drainage system to the storage tank, which results in the use of a smaller storage tank. The shallow tank design also enables the water pump to consume less energy and reduces construction time and costs in addressing the needs for both flood prevention and environmental protection. The design won the 2012 International Water Association Project Innovation Awards (East Asia Regional Awards) in the Planning Category in July.

Mr Wai said, "The HVUSSS is the largest NEC project awarded by the Government so far. The NEC emphasises mutual trust and co-operation between the contracting parties and has provisions that increase cost-effectiveness and reduce risk. In drafting the NEC contract for the HVUSSS, the DSD duly expanded the authority of the project manager for handling more flexibly any risks that may arise from the scheme. The HVUSSS project has also adopted the use of tailor-made computer software to upgrade management efficiency."

He added, "The Development Bureau and the works departments are actively planning more than 20 NEC construction and consultancy contracts with a total value of over $8 billion to be commenced in the coming three years in phases. In the years ahead, the volume of public works will remain at a high level and the construction costs will keep growing. We expect to further increase efficiency and reduce the costs of our projects through the NEC mode."


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## hkskyline

*No foreigners allowed*
The Standard
Friday, September 07, 2012

The resale of flats under the "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" policy will be restricted to permanent residents for 30 years - and they cannot be resold to companies.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying spelled out the rules yesterday as he revealed 1,100 flats on two plots totaling 1.6 hectares on the old Kai Tak airport site in Kowloon City will be the first to be sold.

The policy aims to rein in exuberant mainland buyers who have helped drive up property prices.

But property experts said the move is unlikely to cool down the property market yet.

"Hong Kong's land for property is a rare and precious resource," Leung said after visiting the Kowloon East site. "When using this land, we must make it a priority to fulfill the housing needs of Hong Kong permanent residents."

The sites will be on sale in an open tender in the first quarter of next year. The terms will stipulate that homes "will be only sold to Hong Kong permanent residents for the first 30 years," Leung said.

There will be no other restrictions and it will be up to the developers to decide when the flats may be sold.

If the buyers are a married couple, both must be permanent residents.

Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said the government will continue to roll out more land for sale under the policy, based on the situation in the property market.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the Housing Society and Urban Renewal Authority are expected to follow the policy. Leung proposed "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" in his election manifesto after mainlanders snapped up flats, driving up property prices.

But Leung denied the government has rushed out the policy, saying "citizens have given positive responses to the policy manifesto."

A member of the Housing Authority's subsidized housing committee, Michael Choi Ngai-min, said: "If the restriction period is too long, or even if the flats are not allowed for resale, it will turn those flats into another type of property. It is not ideal for the entire market and will also label the flats."

Surveyor Tony Chan Dung-ngok estimates the two Kai Tak plots of 880,388 square feet will be worth HK$4.4 billion, with an accommodation value of about HK$5,000 per square foot.

"The cost would be 40 percent higher if they were not under the scheme," Chan said.

Cushman & Wakefield valuation advisory services Greater China national director Vincent Cheung Kiu- cho said the measures will not help cool the property market in the short-term.

As the sites are in a prime area, "developers may be conservative and will bid with a price 10-15 percent below market value," Cheung said.

Nan Fung Development managing director Donald Choi Wun-hing said: "Developers' interests will be affected as government restrictions may incur more risks."

But Emperor International Holdings executive director Donald Cheung Ping-keung said property developers are used to government land restrictions.

"Developers will consider all other factors," Cheung said.

Henderson Land general manager of sales Thomas Lam Tat-man said the government should not intervene too much in the free market.


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## hkskyline

Taken on 3 September - note _The Beaumont_ in scaffolding :


DSC_6930 by jackychongtsz, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Waves of cash at Double Cove flats *
The Standard
Tuesday, September 11, 2012










Primary property market sentiment remains positive as Henderson Land (0012) received 700 checks for the 260 units it launched at its Double Cove project in Wu Kai Sha.

Henderson initially launched 210 units over the weekend and a further 50 flats yesterday. Flat sizes range from 638 to 710 square feet.

The units were priced at an average of HK$8,951 psf - 2percent higher than the 210 flats that were launched earlier.

Double Cove has a total of 928 units and sales will commence on Friday.

Meanwhile, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) priced two of the largest units at its Century Gateway project in Tuen Mun at HK$17,453 per sq ft. 

This is 55percent higher than the previous 107 units for which a price list was issued on September 8.

One of the two units, which was launched yesterday, has an area of 1,855 sq ft. It is priced at HK$33.95 million, or HK$18,300 psf - the most expensive among the 109 flats up for sale so far.

The 107 units that were launched earlier have gross floor areas ranging from 982 sq ft to 1,128 sq ft, and are priced at an average of HK$11,264 psf, double those of similar-sized apartments in Tuen Mun. Sales commence today.

Meanwhile, the value of a residential-cum- commercial project in Sai Yee Street in Mong Kok, has been slashed by agents due to strict conditions imposed by the Urban Renewal Authority.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-bun cut the valuation by 44 percent to HK$2.5 billion, because the URA will own 50percent of the commercial portion and ban developers from selling the shops within the first five years.


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## hkskyline

*Robust start to sales at Gateway project*
The Standard
Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Thirty out of the 107 units at Century Gateway project in Tuen Mun were sold within hours of sales starting yesterday.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) expects to cash in HK$1.2 billion from all 107 flats put on the market.

Prices of the flats available for sale averaged about HK$12,246 per square foot.

"Buyers were mainly from northwest New Territories, constituting 60 percent, while 20 percent were from Kowloon and 10 percent from Hong Kong Island," said Allen Woo Chi- yuen, Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency's assistant general manager. The remaining 10 percent were frequent commuters between the mainland and Hong Kong.

A high-level special unit of 1,777 square feet with an additional rooftop was launched yesterday for HK$31.1 million, or HK$17,501 psf.

The project provides 1,075 units sized between 550 and 1,200 sq ft in the first phase. Over half are three- or four-bedroom units.

Separately, Cheung Kong Holdings' (0001) Kowloon Tong project Le Chateau is expected to cost at least HK$40 million per unit.

"The project will be launched this month with an asking price of HK$25,000 psf," Cheung Kong sales manager Helen Fung Hoi- lun said. Show flats will be open by next week at the earliest.

Meanwhile, CLSA's head of property research Nicole Wong said property prices have risen by 12 percent in the first seven months, higher than the original forecast of 8 percent. She expects a 14 percent increase for the whole year from 2011.

But prices are expected to rise by just 1.5 percent next year due to a 15 percent increase in supply. Also, the gloomy outlook of the global and mainland economy will slow price rises.


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## hkskyline

*NT gets piece of the action*
The Standard
Thursday, September 13, 2012









_Source : http://www.centurygateway.com.hk/flash/index.html _

Home prices in the New Territories soared this week with the launch of two benchmark projects, where flats are being sold at nearly twice the price of local secondary market units.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) kicked off sales at its upscale Century Gateway in Tuen Mun, pricing its first batch of 107 flats at an average of about HK$11,000 per square foot. About 60 units were snapped up on the first day of sale on Tuesday.

Secondary market apartments in the area have generally been selling at HK$4,000 to HK$6,000 psf, but homeowners are expected to jack up their asking prices.

"Century Gateway has set a benchmark in the area," said surveyor Tony Chan Tung-ngok, adding he can see typical secondary prices rising from the current HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 psf to the HK$7,000-HK$8,000 psf range in the future.

Similar effects are forecast for Ma On Shan, in anticipation of Henderson Land's (0012) launch of Double Cove as early as today. The first batch is priced at HK$8,304 to HK$11,369 psf - substantially above nearby secondary homes.

At the 1,075-flat Century Gateway the most expensive unit is a 1,855-sq- ft apartment, complete with rooftop and swimming pool, listed at HK$33.94 million, or HK$18,300 psf.

Secondary flat prices at nearby Tuen Mun Town Plaza have jumped 13 percent to an average of HK$5,200 psf within the past two months, while homes at Trend Plaza cost HK$5,600 psf on average, up 10 percent.

Those finding Century Gateway beyond their reach may want
to invest in the secondary market, Chan said, which would boost demand in that sector.

The Century Gateway effect has spread to secondary homes in nearby areas, said Richard Lee Chi-shing, chief executive of Hong Kong Property.

In Tin Shui Wai, flats at Kingswood Villa are now listed at HK$4,100 psf on average, up 5.1 percent in a week. One 578-sq-ft flat at Maywood Court fetched HK$2.7 million, or HK$4,671 psf - the first unit to surpass the 1997 peak at the estate - said Centaline Property Agency sales manager Victor Ng Yiu-cho.

Midland Realty director Sammy Po Siu-ming said Century Gateway is attractive to mainlanders and foreigners because of its geographical location along the MTR and different highways.

More than 10 secondary home transactions were recorded over the past weekend in Tuen Mun, boosted by the new project optimism, said Centaline branch manager Jacky Lau Fat-lee.

A 901-sq-ft three-bedroom unit at Villa Athena sold for HK$5.98 million, or HK$6,637 psf - the highest among similar flats.

Meanwhile, the "panic buying" sentiment has spread to the land market, as both developers and speculators are snapping up land around the northern New Territories earmarked for development by the government.

Under the government's new plan, a 787-hectare site in the region would provide more than 54,000 public and private flats. The proposal has created intense farmland speculation in that area.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, chairman of Kampery Group, who owns an organic farm, said as developers started to hoard farmland in Kwu Tung North, Fan Ling North, Ping Che and Ta Kwu Ling, they are willing to pay HK$500 psf and even HK$1,000 psf. Some speculators assemble land at about HK$300 to HK$400 psf and resell in bulk to large developers for windfall profits, Wong said.

Agents said the same land changed hands at just HK$100 to HK$200 psf a few years ago.

Speculators also target warehouses at Kwu Tung in the northeast New Territories, flipping them to developers for a quick 20 percent gain, an agent said.

Prices for village houses in Ta Kwu Ling and Heung Yuen Wai near the Shenzhen border that will attract demand from mainlanders are also expected to jump in the near future, said Ted Wong, manager of Wealthy Property Agency's Regentville branch.

"Some potential village house sellers put up 'not for sale' signs, waiting for price increases," he said.

Farmland near Hung Shui Kiu in Tuen Mun, and Kam Sheung Road West Rail Station have also become the focus of developers' land lust, agents said. This has caused prices to more than quadruple to HK$500 psf, compared with about HK$100 psf two to three years ago, they added.

Particularly, investors and mainland buyers are hoping to get better deals from reselling to developers, or under government development.

Surveyor Chan said Hong Kong's high property prices are due to "nonlocal" buyers.

"As these nonlocals have strong purchasing power, they can afford quality housing like Century Gateway," he said, adding that imposing certain restrictions on foreign buyers might soften soaring property prices.


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## hkskyline

*More Double Cove flats released for sale*
The Standard
Friday, September 14, 2012

Henderson Land (0012) and New World Development (0017) put an additional 38 Double Cove flats on the market yesterday at an average HK$9,719 per square foot - up 10 percent from the price of 330 units launched earlier.

The latest flats measure 706 to 1,194 square feet and are priced from HK$6.34 million to HK$12.39 million.

Double Cove, in Wu Kai Sha, has a total of 928 units. Sales will commence today.

Separately, the Lands Tribunal has accepted the land compulsory sale application for 196-202 Mau Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan.

Henderson Land already owns 90 percent of the properties under that address. The 4,905 sq ft site with a reserve price of HK$239 million is expected to be available for public auction within the fourth quarter. The built structure can have a gross floor area of about 35,000 sq ft, containing both commercial and residential portions. 

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) yesterday put a 1,777 sq ft high-level special unit of its 1,075-unit Century Gateway project on the market, priced at HK$31.4 million or HK$17,680 psf.

So far 111 units have been launched, with nearly 70 sold.

Meanwhile, SHKP deputy managing director Victor Lui Ting apologized to reporters who were prevented on Tuesday by the firm's security guards from attending the launch of the first units at the Tuen Mun project.

Later in the evening, the developer allowed the press to enter the Century Gateway's sales lounge.


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## hkskyline

*New mortgage rules hit Double Cove sales*
The Standard
Monday, September 17, 2012

New mortgage-tightening measures from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority somewhat tempered weekend sentiment on the primary market.

Henderson Land (0012) sold just 30 units at its Double Cove project in Wu Kai Sha over the past two days, after a robust launch on Friday when 261 of the 430 units launched were snapped up.

However, buyer interest was steady at the upscale Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) project in Tuen Mun, Century Gateway. Seventy of the 200 flats put on the market were sold, including a special unit priced at HK$18,000 per square foot.

New units will launch tomorrow at both projects. Henderson will release 100 at its 928-flat Double Cove at an average price of HK$8,618 psf, while the 1,075-unit Century Gateway will see SHKP put up 91 at an average price of HK$8,200 psf.

"More special units will be put on the market in the coming few days," SHKP executive director Victor Lui Ting said.

In response to the US Federal Reserve's announcement of a fresh round of quantitative easing, HKMA chief executive Norman Chan Tak-lam on Friday outlined four measures for bank mortgages.

Locals seeking second mortgages may now borrow only up to 40percent of their monthly income, down from 50percent, while others will be subject to a loan-to-value ratio of 20 percentage points lower than the typical local loan ratio, instead of 10 percentage points as now. Also, the maximum mortgage period was cut to 30 years from 40.

Secondary home prices, however, soared over the weekend. Tai Koo Shing recorded five transactions, with average sales price jumping 11.3 percent from a week back to HK$10,800 psf.

Centaline sales manager Kenneth Chiu Hung-wan sees minimal impact of the tightening measures on long-term investors "as they have sufficient capital."

Centaline recorded 32 weekend transactions at the 10 top housing estates it tracks - one more than last week, with six estates seeing a rise in prices.


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## Minsk

*Hong Kong's first pre-certified LEED Platinum building opens in Causeway Bay*

International architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), has recently announced the opening of Hysan Place, a LEED Platinum-certified landmark located in the heart of Hong Kong’s prime shopping mecca, Causeway Bay.

It is the first building in Hong Kong to be pre-certified at the highest Platinum level by the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard (LEED). Developed by the area’s largest commercial landlord, Hysan, the project is the first Grade-A office building introduced to Causeway Bay in 15 years, and is situated above 17 floors of retail space in a vibrant mixed-use development.

Construction was carried out in an environmentally responsible manner, particularly with respect to resource waste management. The building design intends to enhance occupier health and productivity by introducing enhanced day lighting, individual occupant control of natural ventilation, and public access to sky gardens into its design approach. Environmentally-considerate features have been incorporated, including reduced operational CO2 emissions, and the provision of more choice in creating a suitable working environment for occupiers.

“Consistent with Hysan’s longstanding reputation for delivering pioneering developments, and guided by the late Chairman Peter Lee, our aim was to design a building that was not only progressive in terms of its sustainable specifications, but one that would remain competitive for many years to come through planning flexibility,” said Robert Whitlock, KPF Design Principal. “We are confident that the design and architecture of the building will lend itself to be commercially successful, in addition to being environmentally responsible.”

The 36-storey, mixed-use office and retail building, with four additional levels of basement and a gross floor area totalling around 710,000 sq ft, is also the northern gateway to the Hysan portfolio in Causeway Bay.

The project is developed as a series of shifting forms, each designed to optimise the internal planning of the functions within. These forms are arranged to project the vertical gardens over the height of the building – Peter Lee’s concept to provide multi story rooftop retreats for users and openings for the breeze to pass through the building.

Sustainable Design has been fundamental to both the brief and the resultant concept of the scheme, resulting in the region’s first LEED Platinum pre-certified commercial project. Hysan Development Company Limited is a leading property investment, management and development company in Hong Kong with an investment property portfolio of over 4 million square feet of high quality office, retail and residential space. With much of their portfolio residing in Causeway Bay, this is their first foray into highly-sustainability projects.

*Source: *www.worldarchitecturenews.com


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## hkskyline

*Flag up to start rolling on project*
The Standard
Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tenders for a site atop the West Rail's Long Ping station that has been eyed keenly by developers are now being sought by the MTR Corp (0066), with submissions needed by October 15.

Sixteen developers had expressed interest in the site earlier this month.

They included majors Cheung Kong Holdings (0001), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and Henderson Land Development (0012). And mid-sized Paliburg (0617), Wing Tai Properties (0369) and Wheelock (0020) have submitted letters of intent.

The 106,564-square-foot plot is expected to fetch from HK$1.57 billion to HK$1.89 billion, or HK$3,000 to HK$3,600 per square foot.

The developer must share 5 percent of profit with the MTR Corp.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun says interest has been sharpened with the third round of quantitative easing announced by the US Federal Reserve last week.

The relatively modest size of the project is also seen as attractive to certain developers.

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, director for valuations at Cushman & Wakefield, said a gross floor area of 523,938 sq ft can see up to 832 flats in four towers. Prices should average HK$6,900 psf.

The winning developer must build facilities, including a home for the elderly and an elderly care center in a project to be completed by 2017.


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## hkskyline

By *Car L*

*Le Chateau 珏堡 (8 Alnwick Road) 九龍塘安域道8號
~~ previously 福景苑 (Fortune Villa)*

*2011 Nov*









*2012 Sept*
































































__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## hkskyline

*DSD's nullah improvement creates new Tai Hang landmark: Fire Dragon Path*
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Government Press Release

Before










Now










The smooth completion of the nullah improvement project in Tai Hang has not only eradicated the smell of the nullah but also created a new Tai Hang landmark - the Fire Dragon Path - adding unique leisure space to the area, said the Deputy Director of Drainage Services, Mr Tsui Wai, today (September 13).

Mr Tsui was officiating at the "Ceremony for the Improvement Works of the Nullah at Tai Hang and the Completion of Fire Dragon Path in Celebration of the 63rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" in Tai Hang. He said, "To improve the living quality of the residents, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) embarked on the improvement project in 2009. This included decking the nullah between Causeway Road and Tung Lo Wan Road adjacent to Queen's College, utilising the new land to widen the old footpath as well as greening and landscape works along the widened footpath. The project not only eliminates the smell problem arising from the nullah, but also provides a comfortable walking environment for the public.

"The Fire Dragon Dance of Tai Hang at Mid-Autumn Festival is a local tradition and became part of the national intangible cultural heritage last year. In recognition of this unique cultural activity, the new footpath was specially named the Fire Dragon Path, creating a landmark with local characteristics for Tai Hang," Mr Tsui said.

The Tai Hang nullah improvement works mainly involved construction of a 250-metre-long twin-cell box culvert and widening of a footpath at a total cost of about $24 million.

Today's ceremony was jointly organised by the DSD and the Wan Chai District Council. Other officiating guests included the Chairman of the Wan Chai District Council, Mr Suen Kai-cheong; Principal Assistant Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Liu Chun-san; Wan Chai District Officer, Miss Angela Luk; and President of the Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Association, Mr Ho Choi-chiu.


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## hkskyline

*Developers keep raising prices in latest launches*
The Standard
Thursday, September 20, 2012

Kerry Properties (0683) yesterday priced two of its special units at Lions Rise, Wong Tai Sin, at more than HK$22,000 per square foot.

The two of 24 special units are sized at 1,790 square feet and 1,625 sq ft and priced at HK$27,933 psf and HK$22,646 psf respectively. They also include a 1,300 sq ft balcony.

"At least three of the special units will be priced at more than HK$30,000 psf," Semy Ng Mai-shan, general manager for marketing at Kerry Properties, said.

If units priced above HK$30,000 psf are sold, they will set a new record for the West Kowloon district.

Eighty percent of the flats, or 780 units have been sold so far, generating HK$7 billion.

Another HK$2 billion is expected to come from sales of the remaining 180 flats.

Also yesterday, Henderson Land (0012) released 44 units at its Double Cove project in Wu Kai Sha. They are expected to be put on the market Sunday.

Of the 44 flats, 32 two-bedroom units are priced 2.5percent higher at HK$8,797 psf from the previous batch.

Another 12 special units are priced at HK$9,281 psf to HK$11,123 psf. Currently, a total of 370 units have been sold.

Separately, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) priced another 85 units at its Century Gateway project in Tuen Mun at an average HK$8,514 psf, up 3.6percent from the previous batch.

Approximately 170 units have been sold so far.

Speaking about the home market, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Ceajer Chan Ka-keung said he does not think the latest round of quantitative easing in the United States will have any impact on the local property sector.

"Capital from the States is unlikely to flow into the market as property purchase is a local investment." Chan said.


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## shree711

I REMEMBER THAT! Isn't it in Tin Hau opposite the victoria park football courts and close the the Central Library?


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## hkskyline

*Road ahead splits property experts*
The Standard
Thursday, September 20, 2012

The government has been introducing measures to cool the homes market, and some say the effect must not be underestimated.

If the authorities are determined, they warn, home prices will come down sooner or later.

But others believe the property market will continue to go up once the initial shock of the measures wears off. For underlying this market vitality is stubbornly low interest rates.

It is hard to say which school of thought is right. After all, real estate is like any other market: there will always be optimists and pessimists.

Recently, I spoke to two financial experts about the market, and their ideas reflect these opposing views.

A financial veteran who has reservations about the market said he would rather buy cheaper properties elsewhere.

His reason: interest rates cannot stay down forever. The luxury segment has already started to sag and speculators are moving into lower-end properties.

That was what happened just before the market reached its peak in 1997, he said. His philosophy is to buy low.

In third- or fourth-tier markets such as Zhongshan, homes of reasonable quality are selling for only 600 yuan (HK$736) to 700 yuan per square foot, he said. There is no room for prices to fall, so why should one insist on buying an expensive property in Hong Kong?

But a talk show host who is a deft investor holding many properties worth tens of millions of dollars took another view.

With annual new home supply set at 75,000 units for the next
five years, he said, there is no way the Hong Kong market will fall. So he is buying properties.

He is particularly bullish about Tung Chung as the chief executive is committed to speeding up development of the new town and the population will expand.

Construction of a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport will also boost home demand there, he said.

Prices there are now between HK$5,000 and HK$6,000 a square foot, which is relatively cheap when one considers the town is on the MTR line. He is buying now, even if he has no plans to move in. For now, he is using the properties to generate rental income. 

Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## kreeves1

Thanks for this thread as I learn more about Hongkong. I love to travel and know the facts about every country.


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## hkskyline

One West Kowloon
http://www.onewestkowloon.com.hk/
873 Lai Chi Kok Road
2 Towers of 36 storeys each (labelled to 45/F)


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## Minsk

*Hong Kong-born architects to partner on first building in the West Kowloon Cultural District*

West Kowloon Cultural District is soon to blossom into life with the announcement of two partnering architects who will collaborate to realise the first of 17 core arts and cultural venues at this exciting new development in Hong Kong. Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects will work with Ronald Lu & Partners of Hong Kong on this significant scheme which will set the benchmark for the next 16 cultural buildings destined for the District.

Speaking on the announcement, Hong Kong-born Thom stated: “The commission for Hong Kong holds a special place in my heart, a true homecoming for me - my first building in my birthplace. It is an honour to return to design a home for this most authentic Chinese performing art, the first building for the West Kowloon Cultural District.”

The Xiqu Centre on the eastern edge of the District boundaries will be a base for this traditional form of Chinese opera, creating a new home from which these talented professionals can perform, educate, collaborate and attract new audiences. The volume will encompass 2,000 sq m of training and education facilities, two auditoria with 1,100 and 400 seats (the second to be completed in phase II) and a traditional Tea House with capacity for 280-strong audiences. All of this will be supported by ample public leisure space and framed by a flowing entranceway which drapes like the opening in stage curtains.

Thom continues: “The world is fast becoming a blend of Eastern and Western cultures and Hong Kong captures this magic by nurturing and celebrating Xiqu tradition. The Xiqu Centre design is a contemporary expression of a traditional Chinese opera building to show our wonderful art form to the world. The West Kowloon Cultural District gives Hong Kong talent its world stage!”

The design team was picked unanimously by a Jury Panel made up of prominent leaders in the relevant professional and cultural sectors in Hong Kong, China and internationally: Mr. Cui Kai, Architect, China; Prof. Odile Decq, Architect/ Urbanist, France; Mr. Jordi Farrando, Architect, Spain; Mr. Lee Shing See, WKCDA Development Committee member and Chairman of the Steering Committee and Engineer, Hong Kong, China; Mr. Mao Chun Fai, Fredric, Theatre Director, Hong Kong, China; Mr. Pau Shiu Hung, Architect, Hong Kong, China and; Mr. Yuen Siu Fai, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong.

*Source: *www.worldarchitecturenews.com


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## hkskyline

*Would you pay $3m for this?*
The Standard
Thursday, December 13, 2012

A deedless fire-damaged loft apartment in Sham Shui Po has sold at auction for HK$3 million - three times the opening bid.

The popularity of the 55-year-old seven-story building at 20 Pei Ho Street is attributable to its affordable price and good redevelopment potential, as it is located in the vicinity of several large- scale acquisition projects undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority.

Alger Cheng Sai-kit, a general manager at CS Auctioneers Ltd, said the loft - one of eight units in the building - drew substantial interest from investors at last Thursday's auction.

"We received registrations from 50 groups of potential buyers before the auction," he said.

After fierce bidding, the repossessed loft with 654 square feet of saleable area was snapped up for HK$3 million by Peter Au, son of "distressed property king" Au Bo-wor.

"Au Bo-wor has not participated in investment for a long time," one investor commented. "He invested in old buildings in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po, and he has never made wrong calculations."

Other interested parties included veteran real estate investors such as "King of haunted homes" Ng Koon-lau, Chan Ying-kai and Yu Yiu-lau.

"Apart from residential purposes, the loft can be altered and turned into popular upstairs shops, which can be leased to businesses like barbers, for more than HK$10,000 per month," Ng said.

Chan suggested the flat could be subdivided in four units and rented out at a total of HK$12
,000 monthly, translating into a return of 4 percent.

There had obviously been a fire in the building, but it was uncertain where it broke out. A photograph displayed by the auctioneer showed the loft with smoke-damaged walls.

"At least HK$400,000 is needed for renovations. The walls of the flat are all blackened, and steel reinforcement bars are exposed due to the fire damage," said Chan, who had viewed the unit.

As the loft was sold under court order, the vendor cannot provide title documents, so the purchaser may be unable to obtain a mortgage.

As well, restrictions may also have been placed in the Land Registry by the Buildings Department, and the new owner would be responsible for all repairs, illegal structures, additions or alterations.

"When developers put a whole building for compulsory auction, repossessed flats can also share in the value. But in the private market, it is hard to get a mortgage on those flats, so the price is usually lower than the market level," said Charles Chan Chiu- kwok, managing director of Greater China at Savills Valuation and Professional Services.

Bidding for the loft opened at HK$1 million, rising in increments of HK$100,000.

The auction ended in five minutes, with paddles raised 22 times.

"I stopped bidding at HK$2 million," Ng said. "I didn't calculate the possible acquisition price beforehand. Otherwise, I would have been prepared to pay HK$3 million."

Chan Ying-kai said his ceiling price was HK$2.95 million.

Meanwhile, one street away from the Pei Ho Street site is the first demand- led acquisition project by the Urban Renewal Authority - a plot at 205-211A Hai Tan Street.

The acquisition price announced is HK$9,197 per square foot, based on saleable area - nearly double the HK$4,587 psf of the Pei Ho Street loft.

Early this year, the URA sent letters to residents in old buildings on Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, asking them if they were interested in selling or relocating.

At the time, the acquisition price for self-occupied flats was HK$8,398 psf - similar to the market value of a seven- year-old unit in the district.

Private developers are also actively acquiring old buildings as part of their own land banks, as well as bidding on URA redevelopment projects.

Wang On Group (1222), for example, announced in June that the company bought up old buildings at 140-142 Camp Street in Sham Shui Po.

However, media reports indicate that the uncertainty over whether the acquisition of old buildings will be exempted from the government's new buyer's stamp duty has already dampened developers' enthusiasm.


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## hkskyline

*Homes, poverty top Leung challenges*
The Standard
Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has vowed to overcome challenges to governance and said his administration is dedicated to improving citizens' livelihoods, including increasing land supply and providing more new homes.

On his blog, Leung also speaks of hopes that the SAR will see rapid economic development in the new year and that social problems such as housing and poverty will be resolved.

"Citizens may have different memories of the past year, but 2012 is over. Just like every Hong Kong citizen, I have new expectations for the new year," Leung wrote.

"I hope Hong Kong will see rapid economic development so that the community can better cope with housing, poverty, aging and environmental problems.

"I strongly hope that citizens can stay united, and support and coordinate with government policies so that the government can alleviate and resolve problems faster."

*Leung said the government will continue to launch policies to improve livelihoods, including "increasing housing and land supply in the short, medium and long-terms, and better management of demand with a view to prioritizing the housing needs of permanent residents and maintaining the stable development of the housing market."*

The needs of residents will also come first in terms of birth services in hospitals, he said, promising to "overcome challenges and push forward policies to improve livelihoods."

Leung also believes the Commission on Poverty will continue to help the government to set up a scientific poverty line, an important step toward resolving the problem.

Noting that the government's work in the new year will remain tough, Leung stressed that principal officials and civil servants will join hands to resolve deep-rooted social problems.


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## hkskyline

*Residential use a better option for ex-army camp site*
The Standard
Friday, January 04, 2013










Extra conditions are apparently being shaped for those wishing to tender for a Fan Ling site intended for private university development.

Yet a report of additional terms for the former Queen's Hill military camp comes amid claims that some government officials have actually changed their overall thinking on the 16.4-hectare site.

They now want to reserve it for residential use in light of the soaring demands for homes, according to word received by Sing Tao Daily, sister newspaper of The Standard.

Yet another source claimed that the private university plan will proceed in tandem with the extra conditions, and only if they cannot be met will there be second thoughts on the use of the site.

One of the conditions, this person said, is that the university to be set up must shoulder the costs of roads, electricity and water rather than the government facing the overheads.

The costs must be weighed along with a demand that the university's fees are reasonable for high quality courses that match the needs of Hong Kong.

Officials are said to be awaiting the full list of conditions before they turn to a final drafting of the tender.

As the source pointed out, "if universities applying for the site fail to meet the conditions, there is no guarantee that the scheme will be approved."

Plans to develop higher education include six sites being reserved for developing private universities.

The site at Queen's Hill was revealed in the 2010 budget and is the biggest plot of land among the six, with space for a campus good for 8,000 students.

The government invited expressions of interest for development and received nine applications in 2011. Among them were the Society of Jesus and Edinburgh Napier University.


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## hkskyline

*Stage 1 Public Engagement for "Feasibility study on relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to caverns" to launch soon *
Date: 8/11/2012
Press Release









_Mr Lai Cheuk-ho presents the feasibility study on the relocation of the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to caverns.









Mr Lai introduces the operation of the Stanley Sewage Treatment Works, Hong Kong's first sewage treatment works built in caverns._

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) is conducting a feasibility study on the relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works (STW) to caverns. It will launch the Stage 1 Public Engagement soon to work with the public on refining the relocation proposal, the Chief Engineer (Sewerage Projects) of the DSD, Mr Lai Cheuk-ho, said today (November 8).

At a media briefing on the development of STWs in caverns today, Mr Lai said the study, which commenced at the end of May this year, comprises preliminary technical and impact assessments, ground investigation, preparation of an outline design for the engineering works, formulation of implementation strategies and programmes, a review of the suitability of Nui Po Shan of A Kung Kok as the cavern site, and an initial plan of the future land use of the existing Sha Tin STW site with a view to establishing a business case for the relocation project.

Mr Lai said, "We will make reference to successful experiences of the Stanley STW, Hong Kong's first STW built in caverns, as well as cavern STWs in Nordic countries. We will also introduce enhanced and innovative elements into the relocation proposal. We are actively exploring advanced sewage treatment technologies to reduce the required cavern space and shorten the construction period." The Chief Engineer (Sewage Treatment) of the DSD, Mr Lo Kin-hung, added, "A key feature of the Stanley STW is that the caverns serve as natural barriers and completely enclose the STW, thereby integrating the STW with the surrounding community and environment."

The Stage 1 Public Engagement for the feasibility study including roving exhibitions and community group meetings will start on November 10. Members of the public are invited to participate in the activities and provide their comments.

Please click on www.dsd.gov.hk/EN/Our_Projects/4379DS.html and the study website www.STSTWinCaverns.hk for details of the study.


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## hkskyline

*Kwun Tong sites set to provide 2,500 homes *
The Standard
Friday, January 04, 2013

The government is planning to convert several urban land plots into residential sites, providing some 2,500 private apartments that might be worth some HK$16 billion, plus public housing units.

The largest parcel recommended to be converted is a former quarry in Cha Kwo Ling, southeast of Laguna City in Lam Tin.

On the 18-hectare site, 3.21 hectares would provide private housing, with a gross floor area of 1.4 million square feet.

The Planning Department recommends that 15 private apartment towers be built - 16 to 22 stories each with no podiums - according to a consultation paper to Kwun Tong District Council.

They would provide about 2,200 homes and accommodate 6,000 people. The estate would be about a quarter of the size of Laguna City.

A primary school of 30 classrooms is planned in the area. There will also be 5.25 hectares of land left for green space. The planning will not affect the existing Cha Kwo Ling village.

The land is expected to be ready for development in the fiscal year 2018-19, as site leveling work needs to be done beforehand.

Meanwhile, the department also proposed a temporary car park at Lei Yue Mun be turned into residential use.

The 35,683-sq-ft site on Shung Shun Street, located between Lei Yue Mun Municipal Building and private housing estate Ocean One, had been planned for a multistory car park for years, but would be turned to another residential project to provide 195,366 sq ft of homes. The number of flats, however, has not been specified.

The department said it will provide 100 public car parking spaces as the site is close to the renowned seafood bazaar.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-bun said future residents on the Lam Tin site will enjoy sea views, and the homes should be worth more than HK$10,000 per sq ft if they were to be sold today.

He put the land value at more than HK$5,000 psf at present.

For the Lei Yue Mun site, a comparable development will be the newly completed Ocean One, which has been fetching HK$9,700 psf.

Meanwhile, the department is also considering two sites in Ngau Tau Kok and Yau Tong to be turned into public housing.

The 93,647-sq-ft Ngau Tau Kok site on Choi Hing Road had been planned for a secondary school, while the Yau Tong site at Pik Wan Road and Ko Chiu Road was a government-use plot left vacant.

The two plots will be handed over to the Housing Authority.


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## hkskyline

*Gas surges through world's longest pipeline*

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's second west-to-east gas pipeline, the world's longest line, became fully operational when the last section of the line opened on Sunday, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) announced.

The 8,704-kilometer pipeline, including one trunk line and 8 regional lines, will carry natural gas from central Asia to as far afield as Shanghai in east China and Guangzhou and Hong Kong in south China.

The 142.2 billion-yuan (22.57 billion U.S. dollars) pipeline traverses 15 provincial regions and will benefit about 500 million people, according to the CNPC.

The pipeline's annual natural gas transportation capacity is 30 billion cubic meters. It runs from Huoerguosi, located on the China-Kazakhstan border in northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to Hong Kong.


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## hkskyline

*Sites grabbed as developers remain bullish*
The Standard
Thursday, January 10, 2013

Two residential plots fetched nearly HK$3 billion, underscoring the confidence of developers ahead of next week's policy address, which is expected to be heavy with land-supply measures.










Wing Tai Properties (0369) and Manhattan Properties outbid nine other contenders to buy a 92,463-square-foot site at Kau To Shan, Sha Tin, at a higher-than-expected HK$1.47 billion.

With a gross floor area of 142,386 sq ft, the site costs HK$10,302 psf - higher than the HK$9,551 psf in the neighboring site that the consortium also won in August.

A Wing Tai spokeswoman said low-rise residential properties will be built on both sites.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun predicted that future apartments there could cost more than HK$20,000 psf.










A rare Sai Kung offering - a 166,089 sq ft plot in Sha Kok Mei, attracting 14 tenders - went to Sino Land (0083) for HK$1.46 billion, in line with market estimates.

The site, with a gross floor area of 249,133 sq ft, cost HK$5,840 psf. It carries a flat stipulation, in which 240 units have to be built.

"The aggressive bids and competition for both plots reflect the optimism of unfazed property developers amid the cooling measures," Lam said.

The results came as government sources said there is a wide range of short and long-term measures to be announced to boost the land supply.

They said public or subsidized housing will be built in 18 districts, including a 30-story public housing project with 690 flats in Tuen Mun.

More than 500 hectares will be provided through reclamation - including at Lung Kwu Tan in Tuen Mun and Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island.

And more plots meant for government, institution or community uses will be turned into home developments, while plot ratios of undeveloped land, especially in the Northeastern New Territories, will be raised, the sources added.


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## hkskyline

*New private hospitals told to think local *
The Standard
Friday, January 11, 2013

New private hospitals will be required to provide at least 300 beds, with 50 to 70percent earmarked for local residents.

Services offered should include general medicine, surgery, orthopedics, and gynecology, and only up to 20percent of beds ought be set aside for the highly lucrative obstetrics wards, the government said.

This comes as the results of the tender exercise for two private hospital sites in Wong Chuk Hang and Tai Po, which closed last July, will be announced within a couple of months.

It has been said that the tender exercise has attracted little interest, but Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said he would let the process continue and its results will determine whether the government will release two other plots for private hospitals - in Tseung Kwan O and Tung Chung.

Executive councillor Bernard Charnwut Chan said his company had considered bidding for the Wong Chuk Hang project, but balked after finding the terms "quite challenging," and that his firm might not be able to meet the requirements.

The 2.9-hectare plot at Nam Fung Path is adjacent to Wong Chuk Hang Hospital, an infirmary for the elderly.

The 4.8-hectare plot at Tai Po Area 9 is behind the public Tai Po Hospital, which provides extended care for elderly, chronically ill and psychiatric patients.

"The new hospitals will be required to provide at least 50 percent of inpatient bed days taken up in a year for services to local residents, with additional score given for a higher percentage commitment of up to 70 percent, to ensure that the priority of the hospital is to meet local demand," the Food and Health Bureau said.

Lawmakers will be briefed on the development of private hospitals at the Legislative Council health panel subcommittee on Monday.

At present, 11 private hospitals provide about 4,000 beds and, in 2011, treated 401,500 patients.

Meanwhile, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, hired to plan the future Health Protection Scheme, will conduct a consumer survey of households to test market response to scheme plans.

Survey findings will be used to refine the design of the standard plans and provide a basis for projecting take-up of the scheme.


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## hkskyline

*Accountants back Lee land scheme*
The Standard
Friday, January 11, 2013









_Source : http://www.pbase.com/jonathanwg/kamtin2_

The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants supports Henderson Land (0012) chairman Lee Shau-kee's idea of converting agricultural sites into homes without paying any land premium.

"Many developers have farmland as land reserves. The government should actively consider various feasible ways to increase land supply to satisfy the housing needs of the public," said Florence Chan Yuen-fan, HKICPA's chairman of taxation faculty executive committee.

The institute is predicting a budget surplus of HK$25.6 billion and a healthy fiscal reserve of HK$694.7 billion by March this year.

It suggests widening marginal tax bands from HK$40,000 to HK$50,000, increasing child allowances from HK$63,000 to HK$70,000 and expanding home loan interest deduction into rental payment deduction.

It also recommends voluntary MPF deductions with an annual cap of HK$60,000.

"This will encourage people to save and reduce government's expenditure in the long term," said Wilson Cheng Kit-sun, HKICPA's convenor of 2013-14 budget proposals subcommittee.

Tax deduction for private health care insurance premiums with an annual cap of HK$12,000 is proposed.

To help SMEs, HKICPA suggests a reduction of corporate profits tax rate to 15 percent for companies with gross income not exceeding HK$2 million, a waiver of business registration fee, an extension of profits tax exemption for offshore funds and exemptions for onshore funds meeting specific criteria.

Such measures will reduce government income by about 4.5 billion, the institute estimates.

A higher first registration tax and annual license renewal fee for polluting vehiclesis also proposed.


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## hkskyline

*Homes for just $1m ...*
The Standard
Monday, January 07, 2013

Tycoon Lee Shau-kee threw down the gauntlet to the government yesterday, saying he should be allowed to build 300-square-foot homes on vast agricultural lands held by his firm without having to paying any extra land premium.

The feisty billionaire and chairman of Henderson Land Development is proposing selling the units at HK$1 million each to ease Hong Kong's growing housing shortage.

Lee said social conflicts would ease if more people were able to buy homes.

Henderson is the biggest holder of agricultural land among local developers, with most of the 42.4 million sq ft over which it holds sway as of June located mostly in the northeast New Territories.

Negotiations over the extra land premium - what Henderson has to pay authorities to convert its farmland to residential or commercial use has dragged on for years.

For some sites, talks have apparently continued for decades, and last year other developers urged the government to speed up such negotiations.

The proposed HK$1 million price tag or HK$3,333 per square feet, is considerably modest compared with flats at Henderson's latest scheme, High Place in Kowloon City. There, a unit with a 182 sq ft saleable area, is selling for as much as HK$4.32 million, or HK$23,736 psf.

Michael Choi Ngai-min, a member of the government's long-term housing strategy steering committee, said Lee's proposal merits a serious consideration, but that the administration has to ensure the developer does not reap extra benefit from such projects.

Alnwick Chan Chi-hing, head of valuation and professional services at Knight Frank, said assuming a construction cost of HK$2,000 psf and the expenses acquiring the land, Henderson would reap very modest profits.

"But these homes can be built alongside private buildings, where other facilities such as a shopping mall can bring extra benefits," Chan said.

But Lawrence Poon Wing-cheung, senior lecturer at City University's building science and technology division, said the HK$1 million price tag looked promising as most of the sites were acquired at about HK$100 psf many years back.

Poon said if the low-cost home project is approved, the government should require homeowners to pay back the premium when they resell their apartments.

As for the general picture of the sector, Lee believes home prices will remain stable, following the imposition of an extra stamp duty to curb housing demand.

"They [ the measures] are focused on eliminating speculation, which is good for society ... some speculators have really pushed up home prices to unreasonable levels, and this is really outrageous."

Lee expects home prices to rise in a stable manner - by 5-10 percent annually for the next two years.

Lee said he hopes Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying can do more. "Anybody can do the job well as Hong Kong is a place where golden eggs are laid."

But he added, "I'm not saying I don't support him [Leung]."

Leung is set to deliver his inaugural policy address next Wednesday.

Lee, a frequent stock market player who is also dubbed Asia's Warren Buffet, forecast the Hang Seng Index would rise to 26,000 by the middle of this year and 28,000 by the year-end.


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## hkskyline

*Tags reach High Place as developer runs with bulls*
The Standard
Monday, January 07, 2013


















_Photo source : http://eng.28hse.com_

Riding on the return of bullish sentiment, Henderson Land (0012) launched its latest project, High Place, at more than HK$22,000 per salable square foot, making it the most expensive residential scheme in Kowloon City.

Around 27 units at the 76-unit development were sold over the weekend.

They are among 46 flats sized from 286 to 433 square feet and bearing price tags of HK$3.95 million to HK$6.28 million, or an average of HK$14,079 psf.

With salable areas of 182-282 sq ft, the price translates to HK$22,032 per salable sq ft on average.

Units at The Opulence, another new Kowloon City project, are on the market for an average of HK$11,000 psf.

Flats at High Place have also been priced higher than the first units on offer at the second phase of The Wings in Tseung Kwan O.

The 780-unit Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) project will put the first 50 units on the market this week at HK$9,537 psf on average.

A parking space at the project now fetches HK$1.38 million.

The past two days saw about 36 units sold in the primary market, with Henderson taking the lead and selling around 30 at The Reach, Yuen Long.

A mainlander bought a 603 sq ft unit for HK$4.23 million, or HK$7,027 psf, plus another HK$635,000 in Buyer's Stamp Duty.

Meanwhile, the weekend secondary market improved, with 22 deals recorded by Centaline Property Agency at the 10 major estates tracked, up from 17.

This is despite the rule taking effect last Tuesday on disclosure of salable area, under which agents must inform buyers of the net and gross floor areas.

Midland Realty also saw an uptick in secondary sales, with 25 homes changing hands at 10 major estates compared to 21 a week earlier. Both agencies saw the largest number of home sales at City One Shatin.

Separately, Estate Agents Authority chief executive Augustine Ng Wah- keung said most agents are following the new requirements in providing the salable area during flat sales.

But it will take the watchdog four years to check whether all 6,000 property agencies in the territory have amended their promotional materials.


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## hkskyline

*CE uses Policy Address to detail housing policies*
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Government Press Release Excerpt

The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, today (January 16) used his inaugural Policy Address to lay out the short, medium and long term strategy for dealing with Hong Kong's housing and land problems.

"In recent years, our urban development has taken a disturbing turn," Mr Leung said.

"All too often, there are wrangles over land use and infrastructure projects, leading to sluggish land development and housing shortage."

Mr Leung announced a multi-pronged approach to dealing with the shortage of land and accommodation and he urged the community to show resolve and work in a pragmatic and proactive manner in solving the problems.

The Chief Executive laid out a seven-point plan for increasing the supply of subsidised housing in the short and medium term, including

* Setting a production target to supply a total of at least 100,000 Public Rental Housing (PRH) units over the five years starting from 2018;

* Reviewing and expediting the construction of public housing flats without compromising quality;

* Inviting the Hong Kong Housing Society to build more subsidised housing similar to the Greenview Villa Project;

* Examining projects in the pipeline with a view to increasing their plot ratio;

********************

"To respond more flexibly to society's needs for land, the Government is determined to develop new land extensively and build up an abundant 'land reserve' that can more than meet the short-term demand," Mr Leung said.

"That way, the reserve can be used to meet future demand in a timely manner."

********************

To boost the supply of land for housing, the Chief Executive outlined 10 priority areas:

* Rezone 36 sites, including Government, Institution or Community (GIC) sites and other Government sites, with an area measuring 27 hectares in total, for housing development to provide about 11 900 residential flats;

* Commence the town planning process and rezone 13 sites in Green Belt areas, measuring 57 hectares in total, which are devegetated, deserted or formed for residential use;

* Rezone industrial land for non-industrial uses including a total of 16 sites measuring 30 hectares considered suitable for residential use and providing a total of about 20 400 units;

* Increase the development density of unleased or unallocated residential sites as far as allowable in planning terms;

* Optimise the use of land and, where the original intended use is not required anymore, to convert the land for housing development or other uses that meet the more pressing needs in the community as soon as possible;

* Consider relaxing or lifting a moratorium, which is an administrative measure, currently in force to restrict the sale of new land or modification to lease in Pok Fu Lam and the Mid-Levels, so as to lift development restrictions in these two areas;

* Increase efforts to put into full play the integrated development of mass transportation and residential property, explore vigorously the residential development potential of land along existing and planned railways, and take forward the planning for residential development on land of about 33 hectares in total estimated to provide about 8700 flats;

* Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to supply approximately 4.9 hectares of land in total under its property development projects in the coming four years, estimated to provide about 4700 flats;

* Expedite administrative approval procedures of the Town Planning Board and take other corresponding measures so that land is made available as soon as possible; and

* Develop the former Diamond Hill Squatter Areas (Tai Hom Village), former Cha Kwo Ling Kaolin Mine, former Lamma Quarry and Anderson Road Quarry, which do not involve land resumption, to provide a total of around 15 000 units.

"The 10 measures just mentioned will increase and accelerate housing land supply," Mr Leung said.

"Seven of these measures already will make available over 300 hectares of land for housing, providing about 128 700 units in the short to medium term based on known developments."

For long term supply of housing land, the Chief Executive identified a number of areas for possible development. These include New Development Areas (NDAs) in the North East New Territories and the use of underdeveloped areas in the New Territories North.

Also, the Planning Department will review agricultural land in North District and Yuen Long currently used mainly for industrial purposes or temporary storage, or which is deserted.

The Chief Executive also highlighted the advantages of Lantau Island for development due to its proximity to the west bank of the Pearl River Delta, Qianhai, Nansha and Hengqin, coupled with the availability of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

He added that reclamation outside Victoria Harbour could yield about 2 000 to 3 000 hectares of land for development.

"Extensive land development takes 10 to 20 years," the Chief Executive said.

"Our young people should recognise that the planning proposals and development options under discussion today are intended to address their future needs.

"It is all too easy for the Government to side-step the problem, but it is today's young people who will have to bear the adverse consequences in future."


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## hkskyline

*Commercial sites supply to surge*
The Standard
Thursday, January 17, 2013

To address the shortage of commercial land supply, the government aims to accelerate the development of the North Commercial District near Chek Lap Kok.

CY Leung said that, with the rapid development of the west bank of the Pearl River Delta coupled with the availability of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and other infrastructure, Tung Chung will have a geographical advantage for logistics, tourism and other industries.

Kowloon East is also seen as having the potential to be another core business district with its 43 million square feet of additional office space.

To expedite the plan, the government will relocate its facilities into two action areas of Kowloon East, which are together expected to provide another 5.38 million sq ft of commercial space.

To energize the potential of Kowloon East, the district will be developed into a low-carbon community and a green belt area, including the waterfront along Hoi Bun Road.

Meanwhile, the first berth and terminal building of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal will come into operation by the middle of this year.

Leung said the government will review the planning of the Kai Tak Development Area and possibly increase office and housing supply, without compromising the land supply from the area in the next five years.

Up to 14.4 million sq ft has been designated for retail and commercial usage.

Plans are also in the pipeline to convert existing sites of government office buildings and land in Central and Wan Chai into commercial property for development.

In the plan to revitalize industrial buildings, further relaxing of certain restrictions on wholesale conversion may be given.

These include allowing owners to recover the loss in the gross floor area due to alterations in the building structure by making minor changes to the outside of the existing building frame.


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## hkskyline

*Change coming to Mid-Levels with ban ending*
The Standard
Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tranquil Pok Fu Lam on Hong Kong Island's southwest side could see a facelift in upcoming years with many more apartment towers erected, as the government is looking at relaxing decades-old building restrictions.

As part of efforts to boost home supply after a decade of shortages, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said in his inaugural policy address yesterday: "We are actively considering relaxing or lifting a moratorium - which is an administrative measure - currently in force to restrict the sale of new land or modification to leases in Pok Fu Lam and Mid-Levels, so as to lift development restrictions in these two areas."

The so-called Pok Fu Lam Moratorium is a rare town planning measure implemented in the 1970s, although the measure was supposedly temporary.

In view of the poor traffic infrastructure in Pok Fu Lam and Western Mid- Levels, the government would turn down applications for planning changes if they worsened the traffic situation.

As well, the government was barred from selling its land unless approved by the governor or chief executive of the day.

Explaining the intention to relax restrictions, a government source said traffic is expected to improve in the near future, as a number of transport accommodations, such as the MTR West Island and South Island lines, and Central-Wan Chai Bypass, are due to be completed.

Even before the recent infrastructure projects, the district's two major roads - Pok Fu Lam Road and Victoria Road - had undergone numer 
ous improvement works, but authorities had not considered abolishing relevant restrictions.

The source added that there are various government land plots, both large and small, in the area that have not yet been fully utilized.

Alnwick Chan Chi-hing, head of valuation and professional services at property consultancy Knight Frank, said the average plot ratio in Pok Fu Lam residential buildings (gross floor area over site area) is about 2.1 times, compared with the five times set out in the district's outline zoning plan.

"It could represent a considerable increase in building density if private homeowners are then allowed to redevelop," Chan added. 

One of them would be the redevelopment of the Ebenezer School for the Visually Impaired, he said.

Hang Lung Properties (0101) won redevelopment rights for the land and submitted plans back in 2008, but was rejected by the Town Planning Board.

Paul Zimmerman, a Southern District Council member, complained about the unfair treatment of private land and property the government wants to make use of.

"It should have been removed ages ago. Instead, it was kept and the [University of Hong Kong] expansion and Cyberport development were permitted by various means, while other private owners' land was frozen," he said. 

"The application of the moratorium has been inequitable and arbitrary."

Indeed, the government made several exceptions. In 1985, governor Edward Youde partially lifted the moratorium for Kellett Bay in the district to allow building of public rental estates. This became Wah Kwai Estate, completed in 1990. The more recent notable waiver was for Cyberport, situated in Telegraph Bay just below Baguio Villa. 

Amid controversy, then-chief executive Tung Chee-hwa approved lifting the moratorium in 2000, and contracted Richard Li Tzar-kai's Pacific Century Cyberworks to develop the area.

The result was more than one million square feet of Grade A office space for information technology-related companies, and the large-scale Residence Bel-Air development with some 2,800 apartments and houses.

Zimmerman suspects the idea for lifting the moratorium is related to plans to redevelop the Wah Fu housing estate, and the judicial review involving 2 Mount Davis Road. 

The owners of the latter took the case to court after being barred from redeveloping the property higher than three stories, while the nearby 4 Mount Davis Road is permitted to build up to 160 meters.

However, Zimmerman argues that the new development density should reflect the limitation of transport and traffic between Southern District and the north shore of Hong Kong Island.

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, director for valuation at Cushman & Wakefield, said in addition to using government land for homes, the administration may also convert certain green belts into residential land.

"If so, it could have a negative impact on home prices of the nearby low-rise buildings."


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## hkskyline

*University faces site challenge*
The Standard
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The latest development regarding the plan to build a private university on the Queen's Hill site in Fan Ling is causing concerns.

As the property is large, there are views within top government echelons that its future use must maximize the site's value.

Therefore, any proposed tertiary institution must be of high standard, and the successful applicant will have to meet more stringent requirements.

Observers said many signs suggest the administration is rethinking its policy on private universities.

Regardless of whether the site will be used for educational or residential purposes, related infrastructure development is a challenge.

For one thing, the narrow road providing the only access to the site now must be widened and upgraded, and that calls for substantial resources - not to mention time.

And as it is a condition that such development costs be borne by the university, it would put a heavy financial burden on the institution.

Even if the operator is able to absorb the costs, there would be implications for the level of tuition fees. Furthermore, private universities have to build their own campuses, so the risk involved could be considerable.

Chu Hai College of Higher Education encountered complications with the construction of its new campus at Castle Peak Bay in Tuen Mun, which is now nearing completion.

I heard that after work had started, the government took back part of the original site for infrastructure development.

While an alternative
plot was provided to compensate for the lost area, the architectural plan had to be amended, which cost money.

The change also delayed work progress, which caused overall construction expenses to escalate as general costs inflated.

But such complications were just considered a hiccup, and Chu Hai's new campus will soon open its doors and help boost student enrollment.

However, construction and financial risks for the larger Queen's Hill project are seen to be substantially higher.

Someone familiar with development pointed out if residential use is added to the site, transportation infrastructure would be a concern.

As the site is remote, such a development isn't expected to happen anytime soon. Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## hkskyline

*Past brings home realities today*
The Standard
Thursday, January 24, 2013

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying pledged in his policy address to increase housing supply as part of his attempt to reach the administration's target in a few years.

There will be the usual skeptics, of course, but I remember a top official cautioning people at one stage against underestimating the efficiency of the administration.

He said that while the bureaucratic machinery may appear to be sluggish most of the time, it can be rather powerful once the main direction is set.

Measures to cool runaway property prices, for example, were not very successful before 1997, as the hands of the government were tied on land supply.

Then-housing secretary Dominic Wong Shing-wah also lacked the clout to get other departments to fall in line, and felt helpless to stop incessant criticism.

But the situation subsequently turned around completely, once the administration made up its mind to boost land supply.

That increase came at the direction of then- financial secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, while the Housing Authority was also given more power.

As a result, the target of putting 85,000 new housing units a year on the market was reached, with supply even exceeding 100,000 at its peak.

With the market flooded by new public housing as well as sandwich-class flats, private developers moaned, saying it felt as if they were under siege.

But, some people argue, the situation is different now as land supply is limited, while a labor shortage has boosted construction costs.

An old hand in the trade expects the cost of construction to soar to HK$4,000 per square foot by the end of the year.

Coupled with high land prices, he said, there is no risk for those buying homes at HK$10,000 psf.

Listening to such bold assertions, one can only quietly wonder whether the residential market is really as bullish as portrayed. 

Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
*Developers wary after slow response to One West Kowloon launch*
*After a slow response by buyers to One West Kowloon, larger projects are likely to be delayed*
Wednesday, 12 December, 2012, 12:00am

Hong Kong developers are expected to delay launching new projects offering larger and pricier flats in response to the slowdown in sales caused by the latest measures aimed at cooling down the property market.

"Developers will rather try to offer projects that have flats that sell for smaller lump-sum prices," said Patrick Wong Chi-leung, an analyst at BNP Paribas Securities .

The rethink on new releases is expected following a poor response from the market to last week's launch by Cheung Kong of flats in its One West Kowloon in Lai Chi Kok that it priced from above HK$11 million. Sales were slow at the first residential project to release a price list after the government imposed a series of housing restrictions in late October - including a 15 per cent buyer's stamp duty - with only about 40 of the 286 flats on offer sold so far, according to property agents.

"Sales weren't very good mainly because of the large lump sum price," Wong said. He added that pricier flats attracted mainlanders, before the latest measures, as well as local buyers looking to upgrade, and both groups now needed time to re-evaluate their mortgage plans.

"So developers may wait two to three months for the market to accumulate some purchasing power before it offers larger units again," said Wong.

Wong said Sun Hung Kai Properties might choose to launch its Residence 88 project in Yuen Long ahead of its The Wings 11 project in Tseung Kwan O. More than half of the 352 apartments in Residence 88 were two-bedroom, he pointed out, compared with the three- and four-bedroom flats in the 782-unit The Wings II.

Henderson Land Development is set to launch its single-block development High Place in Kai Tak this month at the earliest. The project provides 76 flats sized from 330 square feet.

"I think in the present market environment, developers will tend to launch more single-block or small projects with smaller flats, sized no more than 700 sq ft and priced at HK$6 million or below," said Sammy Po Siu-ming, a director at Midland Realty.

"It's easier to sell about 100 units, than hundreds of flats in a huge project," he said, adding that SHKP had already indicated it would release its Residence 88 project once it obtained the government's pre-sale approval.

Another property agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the slow sales at One West Kowloon would put the brakes on the launch of new projects by developers.

"We haven't seen any signs that developers may respond by cutting prices of new flats, given that both land prices and construction costs are still high."

Home sales in the primary and secondary markets, meanwhile, rebounded slightly from their ultra-low levels last weekend. Around 44 flats were sold in the first-hand market over the period December 8-9, up from 15 units over the previous weekend.

In the secondary market, according to Centaline Property Agency, 22 homes were sold at the weekend in the 10 largest housing estates it tracks, up from nine flats the previous weekend.


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## skanny

You rape my eyes with each long Article without photos you post in this theard , I'm beginning to hate HK because of you !


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## kubachrick

HAHAHA nice one skanny!
it's the same acute with Taipei and Taichung.he also does it with Chinese cities until minsk and julito-dubai brought some relief to our eyes.
no offense hkskyline,but your articles doesn't seem to be interesting very much.


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## hkskyline

Projects are projects after all. If you want a picture book you can go to the kids' section.


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## kubachrick

projects are projects,but this is world section projects,and for me that live in israel,nothing of your book report draw any picture cuz i don't live in taipei or hong kong or any other city that you make your bunch of empty words,for me at least.


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## hkskyline

I'm sure the words in those articles speak volumes. You just need to re-read and think.


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## cfredo

Guys, no one is forcing you to read all the articles.


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## hkskyline

I'll definitely post photos or renderings if they are available, but they're not a given. A lot of times I can't see anything until very late in construction, but then any updates prior to that are still good game here.


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## skanny

HkSkyline , thank you for your comprehension .
Hong Kong is an eye catching City , and people from the whole world want to see little and efficient updates with tall and Slim buildings rising in it's famous and luminary Forest of Skycrapers , people want to see Towers and big developements wich will catch their attention , and the big majority of people here aren't from Kowloon or new territories or the HK Island to be interested by these accurate Articles and these regional informations about the city ...
Thank you


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## hkskyline

*紅隧變殘隧安全成疑*
2013年01月28日(一)









_Synopsis : After some 40 years. the Cross Harbour Tunnel is showing signs of aging. Reporters have found structural problems in the city's 2nd busiest tunnel, such as water seepage along the ceiling panels and even a missing 40cmx30cm chunk of concrete, which has exposed rusted structural components underneath.

The tunnel is used by some 110,000 vehicles, significantly more than the 78,000 it was designed to handle. Engine exhaust, warm air release, and vibrations from vehicular use add to the structure's wear and tear.

The government notes they have identified soem seepage areas and are scheduling maintenance, and reiterates high moisture levels are normal for a tunnel that runs under the harbour._














































【專案組報道】紅隧變殘隧！早前日本隧道塌天花事件，引起大眾關注隧道安全。本報記者發現，每日車流量達十二萬架次、逾四十年歷史的紅磡海底隧道管道，出現多處疑似滲水痕迹，天花及牆身亦有石屎剝落，露出生銹鋼筋。有熟悉隧道學者直指頻繁車流、廢氣及空氣潮濕均會縮短隧道壽命，一旦發現海底隧道滲水及石屎剝落，應立即修補，否則小滲水隨時變成大災難，塌天花危機更是一觸即發。 

「日日都行紅隧，有日見到個天花露出生銹鋼筋，真係好得人驚。」每天穿梭沙田與中環上下班的周先生對紅隧的安全感到憂慮。事實上，本港多條隧道已踏入「中年」，其中以紅隧最為殘舊。

繼獅子山隧道後，紅隧為全港第二高齡隧道，雖於二○○八年，時任運輸及房屋局局長鄭汝樺曾表示紅隧結構狀況良好，應可繼續使用超過七十年。但記者日前巡查，卻發現管道內天花板多處剝落，香港往九龍方向的管道已有三處明顯剝落，面積約四十乘五十厘米大，其中一處更露出生銹鋼筋；九龍往香港方向的天花板，亦有一幅面積約四十乘三十厘米的剝落，兩條管道內多處牆壁有疑似滲水痕迹。

「小滲水不管變大滲水」

為了解紅隧的滲水情況，記者日前聯同香港驗樓及結構診斷有限公司技術顧問賴達明，利用高清紅外線掃描儀檢測隧道管壁，在儀器測量下，發現管道內多處天花板銜接位均呈現藍色標示，代表可能有滲水情況，其中一處疑似滲漏的裂縫更長達一米。賴指隧道滲水未必能從常規肉眼檢測察覺，檢查人員宜定期以儀器詳細檢測。

「小滲水不管，很容易變成大滲水！」理大土木及結構工程學系教授殷建華看過紅隧內石屎剝落及高清紅外線掃描儀的照片，他直指，由於海底水壓大、水源多，海水可從裂縫滲入。他續指若紅隧出現滲水，應立即找出原因及即時修補。

超流量廢氣加速老化

殷建華認為日行十二萬架次的紅隧屬超標，汽車廢氣及行車時產生的高溫均會腐蝕管道內的建築材料，尤其使用含硫量高作燃料的汽車，所排出的廢氣更會加速隧道老化，加上行車時產生的震動亦會損耗材料的壽命。殷補充，地震及火警等因素亦不能忽視，一旦隧道發生火災，便會破壞管道內混凝土甚至鋼筋，影響結構安全。

此外，香港營造師學會會長鍾冠文亦指出，紅隧部分牆身發霉變黑，顯示管內空氣潮濕，令石屎容易老化，而石屎鋼筋屬結構建築，如保養不善，有機會影響隧道整體結構。


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## hkskyline

High Place Rendering


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## el palmesano

^^ very nice


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## hkskyline

*Move jails to make way for housing, architects say*
Institutes back government's vision but say it's a mistake to get rid of community spaces - and suggest four facilities be vacated instead
Wednesday, 30 January, 2013, 12:00am
SCMP

Architects have proposed moving two jails, the police training school and a barracks and using the land to build flats instead of rezoning community sites, as the government has suggested.

Their idea is part of a rare joint statement issued by six professional institutes yesterday, commenting on the chief executive's maiden policy address.

The institutes, covering architects, planners, engineers and surveyors, said they supported Leung Chun-ying's land and housing visions but warned that delivering on those ideas would require extra efforts by government departments.

The architects suggested that the Wong Chuk Hang police training school, Kowloon East Barracks in Kowloon Tong and the Pik Uk and Stanley prisons should be moved further out so as to vacate more sites for flats. They did not say where the facilities should be moved to.

"We float this proposal because we want the government to think twice about substituting GIC [government, institution or community] sites with flats," Institute of Urban Design vice-president Vincent Ng Wing-shun said. "We are very concerned about that."

GIC sites are land used for community and educational purposes, including open space.

The jails at Pik Uk and Stanley cover four hectares and 35 hectares, respectively - the latter comparable to the size of the West Kowloon arts hub site - while the police school and the barracks take up 18 and 10 hectares. Ng said it was illogical to raise the population in some districts by increasing the number of flats while taking away their community facilities and open space.

"The number of these facilities should be in proportion to the population," he said.

Many of the GIC sites offered people living in densely populated areas a place to go, a ventilation expert said earlier.

Institute of Architects spokesman Dominic Lam Kwong-ki said the jails and training school were originally in suburbs that had become part of the urban area. "The government should better utilise sites closer to urban areas instead of picking GIC sites in a piecemeal approach," he said.

The Correctional Services Department said it always reviewed and explored possible and practical redevelopment projects and improvement works. The police had not responded last night.

Engineers, surveyors and landscape architects all said they expected a shortage of labour and professionals in their fields in the face of the government's pressing land and housing programmes.

But Lam said a lack of co-ordination among government departments and the prolonged approval process involving at least five departments would be stumbling blocks. The institutes urged the government to streamline the process with a one-stop approval system.


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## hkskyline

*Little confidence over CY housing promise *
The Standard
Thursday, January 31, 2013

Half the population believe new housing promised in the policy address will not be enough to meet demand, whether at the grassroots level or higher.
That is according to a survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which also found nearly 40 percent are not confident that the government will be able to implement the housing policy set out by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in his maiden policy address on January 16.

The promised supply of 15,000 public housing flats each year until 2017 will not close the housing gap, half the 780 respondents said, while only 15 percent believed it would.

Just one in five was confident that the policy on public housing could be implemented.

Half of those polled also said that the promised addition of 1,000 Home Ownership Scheme flats each year until 2017 and 5,000 flats from 2018 to 2020 will fall short of demand. 

On public housing, only one in five believed the government will be able to reach the HOS goals stated in the address. Moreover, half of those surveyed also doubted whether housing problems can indeed be solved by giving over industrial and community areas as well as green zones for residential use in the short term. 

Nearly 40 percent were not confident that developing new towns and reclamation outside Victoria Harbour would serve long-term housing needs.

Victor Zheng Wan-tai, associate director of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at Chinese University, said housing and land supply policies are complicated as they involve the interests of different parties.

"The results [of the survey] show that residents still have little confidence although the chief executive has made efforts toward solving housing problems in his address," Zheng said.

"It shows the chief executive lacks public support and that residents are aware that housing problems are too complicated to be easily solved." 

Housing problems have been a difficult issue that will not be solved within a short period of time, Zheng added. 

He said the government has failed to win public confidence in housing policies it has generally been highly focused on.


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## hkskyline

*Wheelock right on target after cornering plot*
The Standard
Thursday, January 31, 2013










Wheelock (0020) outbid eight rivals to clinch a residential site in Tuen Mun for HK$1.39 billion - a price near the upper end of market estimates.

Earlier expectations had put the price of the 289,918-square-foot plot in So Kwun Wat between HK$1.1 billion to HK$1.5 billion.

With a gross floor area of 376,891 sq ft, Tuen Mun Town Lot No427 in Area 56 fetched HK$3,683 per buildable square foot.

Kerry Properties (0683) bought a nearby plot in February last year for HK$2,915 per buildable sq ft.

The purchase comes just more than a month since Wheelock, chaired by Peter Woo Kwong-ching, bought a 171,890 sq ft residential plot at Area 68A in Tseung Kwan O for HK$1.97 billion.

That leaves Stewart Leung Chi-kin, vice chairman of Wheelock, saying he is confident the group's annual target of snapping up a million square feet of gross floor area will be achieved.

About 460 to 480 units have to be built on the Tuen Mun plot, for which Wheelock outbid big rivals Cheung Kong Holdings (0001), Sino Land (0083), New World Development (0017) and K Wah International Holdings (0173).

It plans to invest HK$3.5 billion to develop the site into town houses and luxury apartments, meaning a cost of HK$9,300 per buildable sq ft.

But Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat, who expected the plot to go for about HK$1.5 billion, said Wheelock could turn a profit by pricing units from HK$7,000 to HK$8,000 per buildable sq ft.

He also said the price was unlikely to have any impact on the home market in Tuen Mun as it was within forecasts.

Units at Avignon, a 459-apartment project in So Kwun Wat that has been developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), have been sold from HK$7,885 to HK$9,495 per buildable sq ft in the past three months.

Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, a director at Midland Surveyors, sees solid potential for the development of sites in So Kwun Wat.

Major infrastructure - including the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor and Harrow International School - are located in the area, Lam noted.

Elsewhere, Kowloon Development (0034) has put prices on 20 apartments at its 104-flat Upper West project in Tai Kok Tsui.

About 10 four-bedroom flats are priced at an average HK$19,282 per salable sq ft, which is 7-10 percent higher than on secondary homes in the district.

Another 10 three-bedroom flats are priced at an average HK$18,798 per salable sq ft.

And SHKP priced 50 units at the second phase of The Wings in Tseung Kwan O at an average of HK$12,418 per salable sq ft.


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## hkskyline

*ESF backs down on school site*
The Standard
Friday, February 01, 2013

The English Schools Foundation will no longer pursue a Quarry Bay site for a relocated Island School.

The ESF board of governors made the decision on Tuesday.

Residents have opposed relocation to the Mount Parker site.

The board will now ask the Education Bureau and Legislative Council for support in searching for an alternative.

The Quarry Bay site is listed as one of "government, organization or community usage."

The ESF was looking at it as a possible location for the 43-year-old Island School, which is in urgent need of redevelopment.

The ESF said an investigation into possible sites has been going on since September 2011.

Last year, those living near the Quarry Bay site started a group on Facebook complaining of insufficient consultation. They feared noise pollution and damage to the environment.

According to the group, residents collected 23,000 signatures against the construction and staged a "one-people-one- letter" campaign to the Town Planning Board in the middle of last month, demanding a change of land usage designation to greenbelt.

On January 21, a meeting was held between the ESF and Island School representatives with lawmakers, district councillors and residents.

"Many residents were sympathetic to the need for Island School to be rebuilt and to the importance of making more English-medium school places available in Hong Kong," a statement from the ESF said.

"However, they had great concerns about the likely increase in traffic in the local area, about noise and the impact on the environment," it said, adding that the board understood the residents' concerns and their interest in preserving the green environment in Quarry Bay.

Democratic Party lawmaker Sin Chung-kai, who assisted in arranging the meeting, said he appreciates the ESF decision, adding that it heard the voices of residents and took responsible action.


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## hkskyline

*Easyknit plans hotel*
The Standard
Friday, February 01, 2013









_Source : http://www.oneday.hk _

Easyknit International (1218) plans to spend about HK$100 million converting its commercial property, Easy Tower in Cheung Sha Wan, into a hotel.

"The hotel [will be] located near the MTR station, and there are trading companies in the area, which will attract Individual Visit Scheme visitors and commercial users," Easyknit executive director Candy Koon Ho-yan said yesterday. The company will continue to look for suitable locations to build boutique hotels in the urban areas.

Also, its luxury home project on 313 Prince Edward Road West is under construction and will be put on the market in the third quarter, with price tags on average exceeding HK$20,000 per square foot .

Another 63-apartment project, Victory 1 at Ho Man Tin, has only seven flats left unsold. Another luxury project is planned in Kowloon Tong.

Koon expects the property market to develop steadily this year.


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## hkskyline

*Pediatrics center gets go-ahead at Kai Tak*
The Standard
Thursday, January 17, 2013

A pediatrics center in the Kai Tak development area will go up for tender soon as the first project under a scheme aimed to develop centers of medical excellence.

And the government will seek HK$3.9 billion funding approval to build a 300-bed hospital in the so- called "City of Tears" in the depressed Tin Shui Wai district.

In an address skewed toward developing the mammoth Hospital Authority, which receives a hefty HK$40.4 billion a year from the government, CY Leung said a steering committee will be set up to conduct a comprehensive review of the authority to enhance its cost- effectiveness and quality of services.

If necessary, a government source said, the administration will "expedite the development" of the hospital site in the Kai Tak area, depending on whether it could be supported by its future population.

About 150 beds will be added in Tseung Kwan O, Tuen Mun and Pok Oi hospitals.

The Wong Chuk Hang Hospital will be redeveloped to support convalescence needs for infirm elderly, while 130 convalescent beds will be added in four hospitals.

"Wong Chuk Hang has been running a daytime elderly medical clinic for a long time, and the government plans to expand it for chronically ill elderly who persistently rely on medical support," a source said.

In addition, the city's largest psychiatric hospital, Kwai Chung Hospital, will be redeveloped "to render more targeted care and support to mental patients."

A design project will be put out for tender in the first quarter of this year.

The authority's drug formulary will add three new drugs. Patients could receive cancer drugs for just HK$10 per item.

Medical-sector lawmaker Leung Ka-lau criticized the government for not having solutions to long waiting times.

"If a blueprint for the next five years could not be set, I worry these problems would last for a decade and disrupt people's lives," he said.

Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk said the policy address has responded to many of its demands and the needs of society.

Meanwhile, Leung reiterated non-local mothers without Hong Kong husbands cannot deliver babies in public and private hospitals. The issue of mainland mothers will be dealt with by legal means. A proposed health protection scheme will be put for public consultation this year.


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## hkskyline

*Property market in 'dangerous situation', warns Lam Woon-kwong*
Tuesday, 05 February, 2013, 12:00am
South China Morning Post 

A "knee-jerk" approach to building more housing and creating a land reserve may permanently damage the efforts of town planners, Executive Council convenor Lam Woon-kwong cautions.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Lam also warned that speculative buying had put the property market in a "very dangerous" situation, and the government must watch for the downside while trying to alleviate the land shortage.

In his policy address last month, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government would rezone 36 government, institution and community sites to relieve the acute demand for housing.

Without referring specifically to Leung's speech, Lam cautioned that "some knee-jerk reactions could in due course do permanent damage".

He cited Tseung Kwan O as an example, noting that the town was originally planned to have a pleasant living environment.

Instead, the plot ratio was raised under former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's policy of building 85,000 flats a year. Tseung Kwan O developed into a forest of high-rises that block the sunlight and darken the streets.

"I am old enough to say, we have made a lot of mistakes in our town planning and housing construction; most were because of knee-jerk reactions," Lam said.

He stressed the necessity of the government creating a land bank, or land reserve. It was "lamentable" that the biggest land bank was not owned by the government, but was in the hands of property tycoons, he said.

"Building up a land reserve is not done by finding a piece of land in Causeway Bay and inserting a toothpick-like building on it," Lam said. He was referring to recent proposals to build new public housing developments so small that they would hold only a few hundred flats.

Instead, the government must take the long view, reclaim land outside Victoria Harbour and develop new towns, Lam said.

He said he broke into "a cold sweat" recently when he saw a report on global property statistics ranking Hong Kong at the top, with its 90 per cent surge in prices over the past five years.

Singapore, which came second, saw only a 24 per cent surge.

"Buyers have to think about this - what is so special in Hong Kong that could support this unreasonable surge?

"I believe it is speculation," Lam said. "When property prices increase even for small homes and peripheral areas in the New Territories, almost always in the previous decades this has signalled the end of the cycle."

While the final stage of the cycle could last for a long time, he said, the risks were obvious because interest rates could go up in the coming years.

"When [the administration] implements policies to make up for a shortage, you have to watch for the downside," Lam said.


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## hkskyline

Lomo Belari 6x6 Rollei 100 Hong Kong by icy5816, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*10-year wait on harbourside homes to end*
Project to build 5,200 small to medium-sized flats on old docks in East Kowloon bay goes before planning board after decade of revisions
Friday, 08 February, 2013, 12:00am
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

**********************

The board today will also look at the MTR Corporation's project atop the future railway station at Wong Chuk Hang, which aims to construct 4,700 flats by 2024.

The project has received a total of 328 comments from residents and green groups, with 311 objecting on the grounds of traffic congestion, insufficient provision of public open space and excessive building bulk.

The Planning Department, again, shows no objection.

Meanwhile, the Housing Authority's subsidised housing committee yesterday decided to modify the mechanism for deciding who qualifies for its rental homes. The new system will help low-earners who suddenly found themselves ineligible following the minimum wage law.

The authority also confirmed that a largely vacant public rental housing block in Tai O will be converted to homes for sale. The block was originally planned for conversion into a youth hostel as part of a project to revitalise the old fishing village in Lantau.

Separately, former lawmaker Lee Wing-tat of the Democratic Party yesterday announced the formation of a think tank comprising a group of professionals who would monitor government land and housing policies.

The Land Watch has already proposed a basket of measures to prevent developers holding back flats from the market, including a rule requiring developers to disclose construction progress and sales data of their new flats.


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## hkskyline

One West Kowloon
Bottom centre construction under scaffolding (2 towers visible with cranes on top), to the left of a cluster of white towers :










Source : http://www.jeffreypoonphotography.com


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## hkskyline

*Interest still strong in Yuen Long units*
The Standard
Friday, February 15, 2013









_Photo source : http://news.gohome.com.hk/new-development-tc/ad-13728/ _

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) has managed to sell about 100 units at Residence 88 in Yuen Long in the past two days.

The developer offloaded nearly 20 units yesterday after 78 flats were snapped up on Wednesday - the first day of sales.

Residence 88, which consists of 352 units, is the first project to be launched in the Year of the Snake.

Many of the units sold are among the 276 two- to-three-bedroom flats that were priced last weekend between HK$4.81 million and HK$10.95 million or an average of HK$10,550 per sellable square foot.

Average prices of these 375-934 sq ft units are slightly higher than the HK$9,476 per sellable sq ft of the 100 units released at The Reach - a nearby development owned by Henderson Land (0012).

Two special units were priced on Wednesday. The 930-sq-ft unit costs HK$16 million or HK$17,204 per sellable square foot. If sold, it would set a record for Yuen Long. Another 1,248 sq ft flat is set at HK$26 million or HK$16,425 psf.

Agents said the two special units, one with a swimming pool and another with a rooftop, have already been reserved. Around 10 units were sold at The Reach yesterday. So far, 1,130 units, or 44 percent of the total, have gone since October 26.

Meanwhile, Sino Land (0083) will also launch The Avery in Kowloon City next week. The secondary market also saw high prices.

A 674 sq ft unit at Manhattan Hill in Lai Chi Kok was sold for HK$10.18 million.

Separately, transactions of retail shops rose nearly a fifth to HK$9.36 billion last month.


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## hkskyline

*CY 'pushing reclamation against public will', says WWF *
Chief executive backed method on day report revealed it to be least popular with voters
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013, 12:00am
South China Morning Post 

The government has been accused of trying to ram through land reclamation by burying a consultation which revealed serious public concern about this method of boosting land supply.

On January 16, the Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, pledged in his policy address to press ahead with reclamation outside the Victoria Harbour.

On the same day, the findings of a consultation, which revealed public distaste for land reclamation, were quietly released on a government website.

Samantha Lee Mei-wah, of WWF Hong Kong, claimed the timing of the publication of the consultation's findings showed a disregard for public opinion.

Lee said: "The chief executive should have known the findings as he delivered his policy address. But the government is ramming through reclamation no matter what the public's views are.

"We need a thorough public debate about these findings before we sit down to talk about whether we need to reclaim, how much is needed and where."

The report, posted on the Civil Engineering and Development Department website, found redeveloping older urban sites to be the most popular of six options for boosting land supply, with an 83 per cent approval rating and less than 5 per cent opposition.

Pollsters found reclamation to be the most unpopular option, with just 33 per cent of respondents in a telephone survey supporting the method, against 46 per cent who were opposed.

Another survey, also conducted as part of the same consultation in March last year, found 48 per cent support for land reclamation and 38 per cent opposition, making it the second least popular option behind land resumption in that poll.

Other options included the use of former quarry sites or rock caverns, land rezoning and land resumption.

Lee noted that the report failed to draw any overall conclusions, perhaps to avoid bringing attention to land reclamation's poor showing in the polls.

Lee added that the engagement exercise was also supposed to help formulate criteria in selecting reclamation sites. But she could not find any concrete ideas on the issue in the report.

"[It] gives only vague and ambiguous principles the public can hardly understand," she said.

Lee also questioned whether an engagement exercise planned for the second stage, which proposed specific sites, should go ahead given the public feeling.

Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said the government would consult the public next month on five shortlisted reclamation sites.


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## hkskyline

*First failure for MTR as Tin Wing tender falls flat*
The Standard
Thursday, February 21, 2013



















A large site close to the Light Rail's Tin Wing Stop has failed to net any tenders, with even the two biggest local developers finding the likely price tag of close to HK$3.5 billion too steep.

This comes despite the fact that local developers are keen to replenish their land banks this year.

Development Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the failure of the tender for the 196,231-square-foot plot will impact the government's target of supplying 20,000 private homes this financial year.

The failed tender, a first for site owners MTR Corp (0066), saw secondary homeowners in Tin Shui Wai immediately lower their asking prices.

A 498 sq ft flat at Central Park Towers is now seeking HK$3.3 million, down from HK$3.5 million.

MTR admitted that even though representatives of Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) and Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) came to its offices today, neither firm submitted a tender.

SHKP said in the afternoon it had submitted an application but a spokeswoman later clarified that the developer only handed in "a letter of opinion about the site."

With a maximum gross floor area of 979,982 sq ft, the plot carries a land premium of HK$2.68 billion or HK$2,735 per buildable sq ft.

A source at a large developer said the conditions imposed on the site by MTR would pose difficulties for builders, while the general belief is that the high price tag made the plot unattractive.

Extra costs such as leveling the plot would have pushed total land cost to HK$3.43 billion, or HK$3,500 per square foot, according to surveyor Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho at Cushman & Wakefield.

Any developer will also have to share the revenue from flat sales with MTR, and Cheung said units will have to be priced at a minimum of HK$7,000 per sq ft just to break even.

Developers may find this an unreasonable ask as secondary homes in the area now cost HK$5,000 psf at most, he added. Average selling prices at the benchmark Kingswood Villas stand at HK$4,443 psf.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun also said the failure of the Tin Shui Wai plot to secure a bid does not reflect the general market condition as the site was too costly. A spokesman for MTR said the group has yet to decide on a tender relaunch.


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## hkskyline

*China builders are homing in*
The Standard
Friday, February 22, 2013

Mainland people and capital are flowing to Hong Kong, so are its property developers - including China Vanke, the country's biggest.

The company is converting its Shenzhen- listed B shares into Hong Kong-listed H shares and has acquired listed local developer Winsor Properties Holdings, which has since been renamed Vanke Properties (Overseas).

China Vanke has quickly paired up with New World Development to win a tender for the development of West Rail's Tsuen Wan West Station for HK$3.4 billion late last month.

When the company that fronted the bidding was set up last November, China Vanke's top management had already indicated its intention to go beyond the mainland.

The company is also reported to have sought advice from Sun Hung Kai Properties on property management and clubhouse operations.

China Vanke's move will also allow it to leverage on Hong Kong's financial market to raise capital.

Another big mainland player, China Overseas Land and Investment, has been actively bidding for land in Hong Kong, acquiring five plots for a total of HK$3.4 billion in the past couple of years. It is therefore logical that China Vanke, as the market leader by revenue, also expands outside of the mainland for its long-term development.

To developers, the Hong Kong market is more attractive as it is less regulated compared with the mainland, where there are higher policy risks.

In addition, coming to Hong Kong would help raise the company's profile and open a window for i
t to seek international funding.

More abundant capital supply would, in turn, lower operational risks. With China Vanke taking the lead, we can expect other mainland developers to follow suit. 

Siu Sai-wo is chief editor of Sing Tao Daily


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## italiano_pellicano

Great Updates :cheers2:


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Ma Wan - Park Island Phase 6



Noah's Ark (Park Island) - New Territories - Hong Kong - IMG_7878 by PM Cheung, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong to get mega court to pack in the masses*
New facility in Sham Shui Po will be double the normal size to cater for the most high-profile cases, but its location is criticised as inconvenient
Monday, 25 February, 2013, 12:00am
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong is to get a mega court with space for 100 members of the public and dozens of litigants and lawyers, to be used for high-profile cases that are subject to intense media attention.

It will be inside the HK$2.7 billion West Kowloon Law Courts Building, which is under construction at the junction of Tung Chau Street and Tonkin Street West in Sham Shui Po. The site faces the Vegetable Marketing Organisation packaging centre.

But Law Society vice-president Stephen Hung Wan-shun said he worried that the building would become a white elephant if higher court judges were unwilling to travel from the prime court sites of Central and Admiralty to Sham Shui Po to hear cases which could take weeks to finish.

The construction floor area of the West Kowloon development is about 60,000 square metres.

It will have 32 courts - including a magistrates' court, small claims tribunal, coroner's court, obscene articles tribunal and other facilities.

They will be located on the middle to upper floors of the development's two towers, according to the Architectural Services Department.

Construction began in April last year and it is due to be completed by the end of 2015. Piling work is now under way, the department said.

Hung said that the Law Society was told by the government that the mega court would be used for any cases at any court level that were expected to attract dozens of journalists or more, and that would require teams of lawyers in attendance.

It is expected to be at least double the size of a standard court.

**************************


----------



## hkskyline

PLA HQ  under scaffolding :


Hong Kong Island and Convention Centre by dean_rivett, on Flickr


----------



## FM 2258

hkskyline said:


> *Property market in 'dangerous situation', warns Lam Woon-kwong*
> Tuesday, 05 February, 2013, 12:00am
> South China Morning Post
> 
> A "knee-jerk" approach to building more housing and creating a land reserve may permanently damage the efforts of town planners, Executive Council convenor Lam Woon-kwong cautions.
> 
> In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Lam also warned that speculative buying had put the property market in a "very dangerous" situation, and the government must watch for the downside while trying to alleviate the land shortage.
> 
> In his policy address last month, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government would rezone 36 government, institution and community sites to relieve the acute demand for housing.
> 
> Without referring specifically to Leung's speech, Lam cautioned that "some knee-jerk reactions could in due course do permanent damage".
> 
> He cited Tseung Kwan O as an example, noting that the town was originally planned to have a pleasant living environment.
> 
> Instead, the plot ratio was raised under former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's policy of building 85,000 flats a year. Tseung Kwan O developed into a forest of high-rises that block the sunlight and darken the streets.
> 
> "I am old enough to say, we have made a lot of mistakes in our town planning and housing construction; most were because of knee-jerk reactions," Lam said.
> 
> He stressed the necessity of the government creating a land bank, or land reserve. It was "lamentable" that the biggest land bank was not owned by the government, but was in the hands of property tycoons, he said.
> 
> "Building up a land reserve is not done by finding a piece of land in Causeway Bay and inserting a toothpick-like building on it," Lam said. He was referring to recent proposals to build new public housing developments so small that they would hold only a few hundred flats.
> 
> Instead, the government must take the long view, reclaim land outside Victoria Harbour and develop new towns, Lam said.
> 
> He said he broke into "a cold sweat" recently when he saw a report on global property statistics ranking Hong Kong at the top, with its 90 per cent surge in prices over the past five years.
> 
> Singapore, which came second, saw only a 24 per cent surge.
> 
> "Buyers have to think about this - what is so special in Hong Kong that could support this unreasonable surge?
> 
> "I believe it is speculation," Lam said. "When property prices increase even for small homes and peripheral areas in the New Territories, almost always in the previous decades this has signalled the end of the cycle."
> 
> While the final stage of the cycle could last for a long time, he said, the risks were obvious because interest rates could go up in the coming years.
> 
> "When [the administration] implements policies to make up for a shortage, you have to watch for the downside," Lam said.


It might be better to live in Shenzhen and commute to Hong Kong once the CRH line opens up from Futian to Kowloon. I wonder why more skyscrapers aren't being built like the rest of China.


----------



## hkskyline

FM 2258 said:


> It might be better to live in Shenzhen and commute to Hong Kong once the CRH line opens up from Futian to Kowloon. I wonder why more skyscrapers aren't being built like the rest of China.


Prices in Chinese cities have also risen significantly in the past few years. Shenzhen is no longer a cheap place to live, although using the CRH to commute to Hong Kong is an intriguing idea.


----------



## FM 2258

hkskyline said:


> Prices in Chinese cities have also risen significantly in the past few years. Shenzhen is no longer a cheap place to live, although using the CRH to commute to Hong Kong is an intriguing idea.


From what I felt back in 2010 when I visited was that Guangzhou and Shenzhen felt just as clean, organized and vibrant as Hong Kong. Since it's estimated that travel time between Futian and Kowloon station will take 14 minutes on the CRH, it seems like a completely viable commute option. I'm not sure how many people commute between Hong Kong and Shenzhen today but I'm sure the CRH line will open up a lot of opportunities not realized before the opening of the high speed line.


----------



## hkskyline

FM 2258 said:


> From what I felt back in 2010 when I visited was that Guangzhou and Shenzhen felt just as clean, organized and vibrant as Hong Kong. Since it's estimated that travel time between Futian and Kowloon station will take 14 minutes on the CRH, it seems like a completely viable commute option. I'm not sure how many people commute between Hong Kong and Shenzhen today but I'm sure the CRH line will open up a lot of opportunities not realized before the opening of the high speed line.


The cost differential for housing has narrowed quite a lot. In fact, with the soaring RMB, Hong Kong properties are cheap and many mainlanders have bought in Hong Kong with the 15% exchange rate discount.

The border crossing formality is also a pain. Cross-border commutes are not common at the moment.


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## hkskyline

*港第二大屏山圖書館周四啟用*
2013年02月26日(二)









_Highlights : Hong Kong's 2nd largest public library opens in Tin Shui Wai on Thursday. The design mimicks a traditional courtyard house, with plenty of windows to allow natural light through._




























【本報訊】首創讀者可攜書在戶外庭園閱讀、全港第二大的屏山天水圍公共圖書館於周四（二月二十八日）開放給市民使用。圖書館以高低錯落的中庭及庭園設計，配合玻璃幕牆的透光，讀者無論在室內或庭園戶外，均能享受在自然光下的閱讀樂趣。

樓高八層的新圖書館坐落於天水圍聚星樓路一號，面積六千一百平方米，其中三樓及六樓書庫外，分別設有中庭及空中花園，讓讀者可以攜書在戶外閱讀。

建築署高級建築師溫灼均介紹，圖書館毗連屏山文物徑及不少歷史建築物，考慮圖書館與文物徑之間有直接關係及和諧，故設計及建築材料融入不少傳統元素，例如外形用了大量的青石磚、木材及耐銹鋼等，館內的中庭和前庭採光概念來自屏山鄧氏的書室。

他說，大樓的外牆立面設計靈感來自中國傳統的「百寶格」形式，立面凹凸處理緊扣大樓內部不同的功能，配合成為室內緩衝的休憩平台，保持視覺上的和諧；而大樓的頂部通天設計，讓自然光線直達大樓底層，讀者可以走出圖書庫，踏進中庭花園，在文化的氛圍下享受閱讀。


----------



## hkskyline

*Land policy dumped*
The Standard
Friday, March 01, 2013

The government is dumping the land application system in use for 14 years in favor of regular site tenders as its tries regain control of local land supply.

Secretary for development Paul Chan Mo-po yesterday said land sales from April will be conducted only through regular tenders, organized into quarterly schedules.

The schedule for each quarter will be revealed ahead of time, similar to the practice in place before 1999.

Chan's radical revelation was unexpected yesterday as he was only supposed to give details on the sites coming for sale in the current financial year.

He stressed the government has been taking initiative to put land from the application list on the market while only few sites have been triggered for sale by developers.

"We don't want to give a wrong impression to the public that [land] supply is determined by developers' triggering the sale. Thus, we will abolish this system."

Chan reiterated the government will continue to put more land on the market to stabilize the currently red-hot residential property sector.

During the 2013-2014 financial year, the government will launch 46 residential sites - of which 28 are new - to accommodate 13,600 private homes.

They include three plots in the Kai Tak Development area, and one at Renfrew Road in Kowloon Tong which the Baptist University fought to be used as its Chinese Medicine School.

Chief executive Leung Chun-ying said the regular tendering system may allow small and medium-sized p
roperty developers to enter the market.

Under the legacy application system, a developer could apply to trigger a sale of a site from the site list by paying a deposit.

The scheme was launched in 1999 alongside regular land sales, in order to give developers flexibility following the Asian Financial Crisis, when the local property bubble burst. Land sales totally stopped in 2002 and a year later, the government resumed sales only through the application list, surrendering the land supply schedule to the market.

The system fared relatively well until 2005, when an increasing number of developers publicly warned of a "supply cliff" as high land prices were discouraging them from triggering sites for sale.

Less land supply has caused local home prices to rise 1.2 times in less than five years.

Since 1999, property developers have triggered a total of 58 sites from the application list - of which 49 were residential sites. But in the current 2012-13 fiscal year, only two plots have been triggered.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) co- chairman Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong said the scrapping of the application scheme "will have little impact" for the housing market, but agreed that government controlled mechanism will boost stability.

Stewart Leung Chi-kin, Real Estate Developers Association executive committee chairman, said the government will always consider market demand while it takes total control of land supply.

Cheung Kong (0001) executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung said the move reflects the government has understood the situation facing both the residential and commercial property markets.

Analysts have said the application system was flawed as the developer who triggered the site had no advantage in the auction room.

Lau Chun-kong, head of valuation advisory services at Jones Lang LaSalle, pointed out the application system is part of the reason why land has been under supplied for the past decade.

He believed the most important thing needed to stabilize the housing market was sufficient supply of land sites.


----------



## hkskyline

*Farmland flats proposal wins NWD backing*
The Standard
Thursday, February 28, 2013

Property tycoon Henry Cheng Kar-shun of New World Development (0017) has echoed Henderson Land (0012) boss Lee Shau-kee's proposal to donate farmland reserves in the New Territories for building affordable homes.

"It's a good idea," said Cheng, chairman of New World, following the developer's results announcement yesterday.

"It highlights how the government and the public can cooperate with an aim to improving people's living conditions."

NWD is the territory's third- largest hoarder of agricultural land with an attributable 18.7 million square feet, mostly concentrated in Yuen Long. "We will look at which part of our land is suitable for this purpose."

Cheng's comments came after the government confirmed it is "actively considering" Lee's farmland proposal. The Henderson boss said the land could be used for cheap homes that would sell for HK$1 million, which young people could afford.

Analysts pointed out that Lee floated the proposal just when the government has been pushing the North East New Territories New Development Areas program.

The government has yet to decide whether it should adopt the "new town model" as that would enable it to retain control of all land in the area.

This model is not favored by developers.

They are likely to prefer the government-private cooperation model allowing the developer to pay a premium to convert agricultural land into housing estates.

Meanwhile, New World's underlying net profit in the second half of last year was HK$4.1 billion, up 45 percent from the same period in 2011 and higher than market estimates.

Cheng said New World aims for double-digit growth in sales every year for the next five years.

The developer intends to launch a couple of projects later this year. In particular, presale consent applications have been submitted for the 1,620-unit Park Signature and 236-unit The Woodsville schemes - both in Yuen Long - plus the luxury Austin Station project.

It will pay 12 HK cents interim dividend. Shares jumped almost 4 percent to HK$13.76 after the results were announced midday.

Its subsidiary, New World China Land (0917), posted a 29 percent rise in net profit in the second half of last year to HK$2.32 billion.


----------



## hkskyline

*You choose*
The Standard
Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Tycoon Lee Shau-kee has compiled a "basket" of sites from his vast farmland holdings to help the government build up to 10,000 affordable homes for young people.

Representatives of the tycoon and the administration have been holding talks for the past two-three months.

Sources said the government is looking at the land list - all believed to be mostly owned by Henderson Land (0012) - which are rather "fragmented" and distributed in various districts.

It is understood that Lee - dubbed "Uncle Four" - will first buy out the land from the listed firm at a fair price before donating in his personal capacity.

The number of homes that can be built may take up almost 40 percent of the expected land supply in the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Lee, 84, started the engine of the unprecedented government-business collaboration late last year when he urged authorities to waive the land premium for some of Henderson's vast agricultural land holdings in the New Territories.

This would allow him to build cheap homes to help solve the housing problem of the younger generation.

"If we supply 300 sq ft homes worth HK$1 million, everyone can own a home," he said earlier.

In a bid to avoid allegations of collusion, it was proposed that Lee donate the land.

Since the idea of land donation emerged, analysts have pointed out that Henderson stands to benefit from such a move. Donating some plots would speed up the conversion of nearby sites owned by the firm to residential use from a
gricultural purpose.

Such a process can otherwise take years - if not decades. Henderson could also benefit from the infrastructure the government will build in the area where the cheap homes are located.

However, a government source said more building limits may be imposed on sites near the cheap homes.

One of the ideas being discussed is that downpayments will be waived for buyers of the special-purpose homes. A fixed interest rate on mortgages may be offered to owners, The Standard has learned.

But market watchers doubt if banks will be able to offer full mortgages due to the strict lending regime imposed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

The sources said potential buyers of the homes may be subject to certain means tests, while these homes should come with a lock-up period and owners would need to pay a land premium before selling them.

Analysts reckon the donation could also mean the government giving up the "new town model" for the North East New Territories New Development Areas program.

Under this model, the administration draws up the master plan and controls all land in the area.

Henderson is the largest hoarder of agricultural land with 42.4 million square feet of reserves, of which 5.1 million sq ft is within the North East New Territories New Development Areas.


----------



## FM 2258

hkskyline said:


> The cost differential for housing has narrowed quite a lot. In fact, with the soaring RMB, Hong Kong properties are cheap and many mainlanders have bought in Hong Kong with the 15% exchange rate discount.
> 
> The border crossing formality is also a pain. Cross-border commutes are not common at the moment.


That's interesting. So it looks like financially things are equalizing across the border? I wonder when the border crossing formalities will the eased or even eliminated. I guess if it the formalities were eliminated Hong Kong would have to adopt China's visa policies which are more restrictive than Hong Kong or Macau at least for a U.S. Citizen. I didn't need a visa for Hong Kong but paid something like $150 for a Chinese visa back in 2010.


----------



## hkskyline

FM 2258 said:


> That's interesting. So it looks like financially things are equalizing across the border? I wonder when the border crossing formalities will the eased or even eliminated. I guess if it the formalities were eliminated Hong Kong would have to adopt China's visa policies which are more restrictive than Hong Kong or Macau at least for a U.S. Citizen. I didn't need a visa for Hong Kong but paid something like $150 for a Chinese visa back in 2010.


We're not at the point of equalization, and will not be for quite some time. There are a lot of uncertainties of living in China and commuting to Hong Kong that far outweight the narrowing cost savings. The biggest concerns are medical care and food safety.

The border crossing will not be eliminated. However, for Hong Kong citizens carrying our ID cards to enter China, we can use automated kiosks on both sides of the border to make the crossing in minutes.


----------



## hkskyline

*Residents welcome URA plan to rip down Sham Shui Po block*
Urban Renewal Authority will move tenants to public housing if eligible, or compensate them, to make way for a new 25-storey development
Mar 09, 2013
South China Morning Post














































A crumbling, heavily subdivided corner block in Sham Shui Po, built more than 50 years ago, will be replaced with a 25-storey development by 2021 under plans announced by the Urban Renewal Authority yesterday.

The proposal was welcomed by residents of the block on the corner of Tonkin and Fuk Wing Streets, who said the environment was "terrible".

It will be the authority's 15th project in the district, one of Hong Kong's most decrepit.

"It's an old building. It's time for it to be taken down," said Cheng Lung-ming, 70, who has lived in the same subdivided flat at 38 Tonkin Street for 20 years and applied for public housing just a few days ago. "I live alone, so it doesn't matter too much where I go. Of course, it would be best to stay [in Sham Shui Po]."
It's an old building. It's time for it to be taken down

Another tenant of a subdivided flat, Lau Kai-hiu, 57, welcomed the move, as long as he could get public housing. Lau had a stroke a few years ago, so using the stairs of his decrepit building has become difficult.

"The environment around here is terrible. There are leaks everywhere, and cement chunks falling off," he said.

The buildings the URA hopes to acquire were built between 1955 and 1958, span 13 street numbers and are five to seven storeys high. The 1,270-square-metre site shelters an estimated 110 households and 27 businesses, but the URA said the exact number of residents had yet to be determined because of widespread illegal subdivision.

The proposed new development will provide 7,460 square metres of residential area - some 145 small- to mid-sized flats - and 1,490 square metres of commercial floor area. The estimated cost is HK$1.03 billion.

An authority spokesman said it was believed some flats in the buildings were divided into "coffin-sized units" stacked on three levels, as advertisements displaying "TV rooms for rent" - a euphemism for the tiny units - were put up on the staircase walls.

Eligible tenants will be moved to public housing or compensated, URA director of acquisition and clearance, Ian Wong, said. But some residents said private agencies had been snapping up flats in recent months, which might affect the authority's acquisition plans.

If there are no objections to the project and approval is granted by the Development Bureau, the structure should be completed by 2020-21.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hospital backers protest at homes decision*
The Standard
Friday, March 08, 2013



















More than 100 Baptist University students and teaching staff protested outside the offices of Kowloon City District Council against a government decision to rezone the former Lee Wai Lee Institute site for residential use.

Dressed in black and carrying black banners, the demonstrators chanted slogans accusing the government of rushing into a decision even before a two-month consultation period ends next month.

The university wants to acquire the site in order to build a hospital specializing in Chinese medicine.

The council yesterday discussed the rezoning of the site but many of its members were against the idea.

One councillor accused the government of bypassing the Town Planning Board while others suggested the site should be reserved for community facilities.

Judy Chung Sui-kei, principal assistant secretary for development, made it clear the site will only be sold after the board has passed the rezoning proposal.

Kowloon District planning officer Fiona Lung Siu-yuk said: "Mainly medium or low-density residential estates are built in Kowloon Tong so we think a residential development is not inappropriate."

Estrella Cheung King-sing, principal assistant secretary for food and health, said the bureau has no authority to approve sites for the construction of a private hospital specializing in Chinese medicine.

However, she said she personally supports the university's proposal to build such a hospital.


----------



## hkskyline

*Ho Man Tin site tipped at over $10b *
The Standard
Friday, March 08, 2013










The long-awaited tender for a plot in Ho Man Tin designated for luxury residences closes today.

It is expected to fetch more than HK$10 billion, which would make the site one of the costliest in recent years.

Surveyors said the 259,185 square foot plot along Sheung Lok and Sheung Shing streets will generate between HK$9.55 billion and HK$11 billion for the government.

That would translate to around HK$8,361 to HK$9,631 per buildable square foot, with the plot expected to yield a maximum gross floor area of about 1.14 million sq ft.

This is the first site being tendered after the latest property sector curbs imposed on February 22, with stamp duties now doubled for second homes. Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun expects the plot to now fetch about HK$11 billion, down from an earlier estimate of HK$12.6 billion as the curbs have begun to bite.

The high price could be compared to the winning bid in 2010 by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) for a site at Fat Kwong Street, in the same district, which was HK$10.9 billion.

"The latest cooling measures have had a direct impact on the luxury property market," Lam stressed.

Transactions have fallen significantly in the two weeks since February 22. But developers are still keen on such plots amid high demand for luxury homes.

Cheung Kong (0001), Henderson Land (0012) and Nan Fung Group have shown interest in the Ho Man Tin plot. Agents said secondary home prices in the district will likely rise after the tender.

Units at the flagship luxury estate in the district, Celestial Heights, now fetch HK$12,000 per square foot.

Meanwhile, tenders also close today for a Tung Chung commercial plot, with the 107,920 sq ft site along Tat Tung Road and Mei Tung Street expected to fetch about HK$1.02 billion.

With a maximum GFA of 539,599 sq ft, that translates to a price of HK$1,890 per buildable sq ft.


----------



## hkskyline

*New sites mean business*
The Standard
Thursday, March 14, 2013

Responding to a perennial supply shortage of commercial property and hotels, the government is set to launch more land for business use in the coming fiscal year and which could reap HK$28 billion.

The Development Bureau earlier announced that it is tendering nine land parcels for commercial use in 2013-14.

These sites have a total gross floor area of 4.62 million square feet, comprising six new plots and three from the former application list.

That represents a 14-fold jump in land supply compared with the 2012-13 financial year.

While the majority of the commercial space will be in Kowloon East, surveyors said the most attractive site will be the one next to the Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. A multistory car park sits on it at present. The 28,310-sq-ft site - which is earmarked for a 300-room hotel - on Middle Road is expected to fetch HK$3.4 billion, or HK$10,000 per buildable sq ft.

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, national director for valuation at Cushman & Wakefield, said there has not been any new land supply in the district for years and believes the site, which is close to the MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, will prove to be a big draw for developers.

Meanwhile, Kwun Tong and neighboring Kowloon Bay - areas the government is planning to turn into the new Kowloon East commercial hub - will offer the maximum amount of office supply in the coming year. Three sites will provide as much as 2.32 million sq ft of commercial property space.

The largest site is on Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong. It is adjacent to a plot Wheelock (0020) bought two years ago for HK$3.5 billion, a record for Kowloon East. Occupying 84,499 sq ft, the site can provide more than one million sq ft of space and is expected to fetch HK$5.5 billion.

Surveyors said most of the plots scheduled for tender are large sites, with some exceeding 30,000 sq ft - an industrial minimum standard for Grade A office towers.

In last month's budget, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said the government will "expedite the development of the Kowloon East core business district" in the long term, providing land that will accomodate 43 million sq ft of office floor area when completed.

Across Victoria Harbour, two plots on Hong Kong Island have been put up for sale.

One is the former Wan Chai Police Station, sandwiched between Lockhart Road and Gloucester Road, which will be developed into a 641,145-sq-ft office tower. However, the winning bidder will have to preserve and revitalize the facade of the Grade II listed police station, built in 1932 and which closed its doors in late 2010.

The other plot is the Murray Building on Cotton Tree Drive in Central. This former government office building will be redeveloped into a 300-room hotel, and the tender for operational rights will be launched by June at the earliest.

For this site too, the winning bidder will have to preserve the facade of the 44-year-old tower and also the surrounding trees. The government will retain ownership of the property. Market watchers said its premium location should see the site attract hot bids.

In the longer term, Tsang said the government will continue to provide office space in business areas by decentralizing government departments.

"The completion of the new Trade and Industry Tower at the Kai Tak Development Area by end-2014 will release more than [193,752 sq ft] of floor area in the Trade and Industry Department Tower in Mong Kok for commercial use," Tsang said.

While moving the Department of Justice to the old Central Government Offices in 2015 will free up 26,587 sq ft of leased office space in Central and Admiralty, Tsang said a larger project is being planned - the relocation of 29 departments and more than 10,000 staff from three government office buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront.

When completed, it is expected to provide some 1.88 million sq ft of office space.


----------



## hkskyline

_Synopsis : Ming Wah Dai Ha, the 50-year old public housing estate in Shau Kei Wan, will be redeveloped but planners had hoped to save 1 block. However, another proposal has arisen to raze the block for a park instead. The entire redevelopment plan is expected to finish in 2018. _

*明華大廈建公園 保留集體回憶*
2013年03月16日(六)


















房屋協會重建有五十年歷史的筲箕灣明華大廈，城市規劃委員會提出保留其中一座作為紀念，但房協認為不可行，反建議設立保育公園，盛載居民集體回憶。城規會昨終收貨，明華大廈將分批重建，首批新單位二○一八年落成。有東區區議員表示，居民不太關注保育問題，只想盡快重建。

城規會都會規劃小組委員會去年九月審議明華大廈重建計劃時，要求房協研究保育M座，房協提出三個保育方案回應，第一個方案是保育M座，但指該座在交通繁忙的柴灣道旁，日後不宜再作住宅，而作社區用途也不適合，因會犧牲興建一座新住宅，損失四百八十個單位來安置居民。

首批新單位2018年落成

方案二是利用明華大廈部分拆建物料來複製一座新大廈，但房協亦稱，明華大廈經過多年洗禮，外牆建築特色已失，而且新大廈用途成疑。最後一個方案是在新樓之間空地設「明華公園」，利用舊磚牆及歷史圖片，盛載居民集體回憶。

房協形容，「明華公園」保育方案最能平衡社會需要，亦不會影響重建計劃。城規會都會規劃小組委員會昨早會議亦認同房協說法，通過方案三。

房協發言人昨回應指，去年開始搬遷明華大廈居民，根據計劃，明華大廈將分兩期重建，第一期拆六座，預計首批新單位二○一八年落成，之後清拆餘下七座，重建後九座新樓提供四千個單位，比現時多一千個。

東區區議員勞鍱珍質疑：「甚麼都保育，是否將來連劏房也要保育？很多人輪候公屋多年還未上樓，政府又話無地，我不贊成為保育而阻礙重建，若在兩座樓之間起個公園仔做紀念，則無可厚非。」

勞鍱珍指出，明華大廈重建第一期先拆其中三座，現時只剩下五戶未搬，而保育並非居民關注，他們最關注住屋問題，不希望拖慢重建計劃。


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## hkskyline

*Staff join forces with students in site battle*
The Standard
Monday, March 18, 2013

Teaching staff of Hong Kong Baptist University have expressed support for a plan by students to take strike action over the rezoning of a nearby plot of land.

This came after the government decided to rezone the former Lee Wai Lee Institute site in Kowloon Tong for residential use. Baptist University had eyed part of the site for a Chinese medicine teaching hospital.

Education-sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, Hong Kong Baptist University Faculty and Staff Union, HKBU Students' Union, the Land Justice League and Hong Kong Critical Geography Group signed a joint statement on the issue.

They urged the government to reveal the details of its plan, launch a "real" consultation and keep the land for government, institute and community use.

They also asked that the future use of the site be decided in a transparent and fair way.

A two-month consultation runs until mid-April. The Town Planning Board will then make a decision.

The Students' Union reiterated its threat to go on strike if the board endorses the housing plan. Students' Union president Michelle Fung Ching-ki said there is a campaign to write to the board. So far, more than 2,000 letters have been received.

The union is planning a protest and may even boycott lessons if the rezoning gets the green light. "But we have no concrete plans for [a strike] and will further consider it after looking at the results," Fung said.

Chan Sze-chi of the staff union said he supports the planned strike of the students and teachers.

Ip said he is concerned the government may have neglected the need for land in the education sector, and may turn more sites meant for educational use, such as Queen's Hill in Fan Ling, into residential use. He hopes to meet with Secretary for development Paul Chan Mo-po and other parties before the consultation ends.

Meanwhile, the teaching staff association said the university is seeking legal advice and looking into the possibility of getting a judicial review.


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## hkskyline

*Kuk under fire as poles block road to village*
The Standard
Thursday, March 14, 2013



















Choi Yuen Tsuen activists have accused the Heung Yee Kuk of reneging on a promise to grant them road access when they were relocated to a village in Shek Kong.

Several metal traffic stoppers have been erected in the middle of the road, preventing lorries carrying construction material from reaching the site.

Signs attached to some of the poles say "Private land, no occupancy."

In February 2011, kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat revealed that the ownership of the road was resolved as "a kind donor" had bought the passage.

"I don't know why the situation has changed suddenly," said a villager surnamed Lo. "I thought Lau had already promised us that the question of ownership was resolved."

For his part, Lau admitted that negotiations have bogged down as new parties are involved.

He hopes talks can resume soon. "It is getting more and more messy," Lau said.

The villagers were forced to leave their homes in 2010 because of the construction of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. With the compensation they received, the villagers bought a site in Yuen Long to relocate the village and have been living in temporary tenant houses since May 2011.

But ownership of the roads has been a niggling problem despite Lau's pledge to help the villagers.

Choi Yuen Village Support Group member Chu Hoi-dick said contractors have been told to leave at least four times since villagers started building their new homes last year.

"The most recent case happened on Tuesday," Chu said. "Some men asked the operator of our excavator to leave as it was private land.

"Unlike urban areas, roads in the New Territories can be owned by private owners. Despite Lau's pledge, clearly someone is ignoring what he said."

Chu said three landlords held the ownership of roads closest to Choi Yuen Tsuen.

"The living conditions in the tenant houses are not ideal, with water leaking in kitchens and toilets," Chu said.

"I feel sorry for them and I really fear they may not be able to complete building their homes even after the railway construction is finished [in 2015]."

According to the Lands Registry, the roads closest to the village are spread out and owned by three landlords - Glory Sea Investment, Charming Star Properties and a group of three individual owners.

A man named Kwan said he was ordered to set up the stoppers. "It was outsourced work and I know nothing about it," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Lucky escape for worker*
The Standard
Thursday, March 21, 2013










A construction worker had a lucky escape yesterday when a wooden ladder caught an 8.5-meter concrete beam that toppled over - preventing him from getting crushed - at a site in Yau Ma Tei.

Tsang Hing-chung, 36, still suffered fractures to his left arm and facial injuries after being struck and buried by broken-off chunks from the beam and other debris.

Three other workers and the operator of a nearby shop rushed to his aid, though they had to wait for firemen to free Tsang.

He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a conscious state, saying he was very grateful the ladder was there at the time.

Tsang remained in a critical condition last night. The three other workers were not injured.

The workers were carrying out renovation work on the ground floor of a six-story building at the junction of Temple Street and Kansu Street when the incident occurred at around 11am.

The shop operator, named Wong, said he heard a loud sound when chunks from the beam crashed. He said he turned around and saw the workers using their hands to remove the debris, "so I went over to help them."

He added: "The worker was trapped for about 20 minutes before he was freed by firemen."

The tenement, which has been under renovation for the past seven months, and the area nearby was temporarily cordoned off by police.

Inspectors from the Buildings Department also arrived to check the safety of the building and confirmed that the tenement is structurally safe. The beam was not an illegal structure, they added.

Independent engineer Chan Chi-ming, head of the construction department at the Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi), said if the beam was not part of the original structure of the tenement, the incident will not affect its structural safety.

The dangers of renovation work on old buildings became a matter of public concern when a 55-year-old Ma Tau Wai building under repair collapsed and killed four people in 2010.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kuk under fire as poles block road to village*
> The Standard
> Thursday, March 14, 2013


*An unnecessary rural row*
The Standard
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The quarrel over Choi Yuen Village should have been over many months ago, after the village was cleared to give way to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

But it's not. Instead, the former residents accuse the Heung Yee Kuk of reneging on a promise to grant them road access to a new village that they are going to build in Shek Kong.

Some even broke down in tears while complaining someone had put up poles to block the road owned by others.

It's a total mess. The situation shouldn't have deteriorated like that.

All those who have played a role in the matter deserve strong rebukes. First up is Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat, who had implied a kind- hearted rural leader had solved the road access problem by donating a crucial 150-meter section to the Kuk for the villagers' use.

Who was that kindly benefactor? Lau never said - but gossip in political circles all suggested it was him.

The Kuk chief sounded very confident in the past, but he should at least speak up now to warn people if he can't the persuade the other landlords owning the remaining 350-meter section to allow access to the new village site.

If Lau's failure to mediate isn't a sign he's losing influence in his territory, it would be because of what he calls the arrogance of the newcomers that local villagers find hard to swallow, despite the HK$500,000 offer in exchange for access.

The government compensation for the Choi Yuen villagers was exceptionally generous. While it's still doubtful whether all of them will ultimately settle and resume farming in Yuen Kong, time doesn't really seem to be pressing.

Had it been so - as they claimed at a press conference - they should have sounded it out much earlier.

Two years have passed, during which Choi Yuen concern group chairwoman Ko Chun-heung and others should have been well aware of the complicated issues involved. They couldn't say they knew nothing about it, having lived in the New Territories for years.

Prior to cutting a deal to buy the current 180,000-square-foot Yuen Kong site for farming, the Choi Yuen residents and their lawyers should have clarify all the legal implications involved in the purchase, with road access being an indispensable part of the land document.

So, why did they allow the omission in the first place?

Government officials should be given a strong slap too. An astronomical sum of HK$2 billion has been paid to compensate the Choi Yuen villagers and, at the height of the row two years ago, efforts were also made to involve the Kuk in helping to find a suitable site for the villagers to rebuild their homes.

But had the question of road access ever occurred to the government officials? They should be blamed if it had not, after having spent so much money.

Nevertheless, private property ownership must be respected as this is a cornerstone of Hong Kong's values.

It made sense for Lau and Pat Heung Rural Committee chairman Tsang Hin- keung to call on Ko to treat the road owners with respect. Splashing out HK$500,000 and pounding the table won't solve the problem.


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## hkskyline

Park Ivy 
25 Floors
8 Ivy Street


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## hkskyline

*Fierce bidding set for luxury site*
The Standard
Friday, March 22, 2013

One residential site and another plot allocated for building a hotel, on which the deadline for tender bids expires today, may generate up to HK$4.33 billion.

The 86,973-square-foot residential site at Kau To Shan, Sha Tin, is expected to cost between HK$1.11 billion and HK$1.44 billion. This translates into HK$8,508-HK$11,038 per buildable square foot for a plot that yields a maximum gross floor area of 130,460 sq ft.

Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, director at Midland Surveyors, said even small to mid- sized developers will be interested in bidding for the plot on which luxury flats can be built. He expects up to 10 developers to submit tenders.

Tang Shouchun, executive director at mainland-based Yuexiu Property (0123), said the firm plans to submit a tender on its own for the residential plot.

The firm now has two projects in the SAR - one along Prince Edward Road and another in Yau Tong.

Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat said a consortium consisting of Wing Tai Properties (0369) and Manhattan Properties - which own two neighboring plots - will submit an aggressive bid.

As for the 57,792 sq ft plot designated for hotel development, it is in North Point. The plot is expected to cost between HK$1.86 billion and HK$2.89 billion.

With a maximum GFA of 387,504 sq ft, the plot will fetch between HK$4,800 and HK$7,458 per buildable sq ft.

Separately, Centaline Property Agency said it is opening new branches in Tseung Kwan O where new projects will be launched. It is also boosting the number of agents in Tin Shui Wai, where home prices are relatively cheaper than other districts.

This is in contrast with rival Midland Realty, which warned on Wednesday that it may lay off staff under current lackluster home market conditions.


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## hkskyline

*New leak plays havoc with traffic at Kai Tak Tunnel*
The Standard
Monday, April 08, 2013










For the second time in two days, the Drainage Services Department was forced to close the Kai Tak Tunnel yesterday when water started leaking.

All lanes were closed at 8:36am but two were reopened half an hour later.

The tunnel was back in full operations by last night.

The department said it is still investigating the source of the leak, but suspects drains at the junction of Kowloon City Road and Mo Cheong Street, which were recently repaired.

During the amber rainstorm warning signal on Friday, water leaked into the tunnel, forcing the closure of all lanes for almost 50 minutes.

Some cars stalled in the tunnel, with a few drivers reportedly seeing "waterfalls."

Kai Tak Tunnel, formerly known as the airport tunnel, connects the Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan areas by passing beneath the site of the former airport at Kai Tak.

Completed in 1982, it was then called the Kowloon Bay tunnel and was the first toll-free tunnel in Hong Kong.

A department spokesman said a report was received on April 5 and a preliminary investigation suggested that a stormwater drain, with a diameter of just over a meter, at Mok Cheong Street, which crossed the top of the tunnel, had leaked.

It asked a contractor to repair the leakage, and work is expected to be completed by Wednesday.

Ray Su Kai-leung, associate professor of structural engineering at the University of Hong Kong, said leakages in a tunnel are a big problem.

"It can be a threat to the tunnel's structural integrity if lots of soil is washed away," Su said.

However, there is no evidence yet to suggest this has happened.

"It may be a leaky water pipe. There may also be risks that cars and people could be trapped inside the tunnel," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Estimates vary for 'poor' Tseung Kwan O land plot*
The Standard
Friday, April 05, 2013

Due to poor location, a Tseung Kwan O site is not expected to fetch a high price similar to that of neighboring plots.

The tender on the site - known as Area 65C1 near Bauhinia Garden - closes today, with market estimates putting the price between HK$1.81 billion and HK$2.8 billion.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said the lot is not ideal for private housing, and expects it to fetch HK$2.28 billion or HK$4,003 per buildable square foot.

"Public housing is situated behind and subsidized housing will be built in front of it - on the 65C2 site," Lam explained. Also, the site has very little seaview.

But Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, national director of Greater China at Cushman & Wakefield, estimates the cost at HK$5,000 per buildable sq ft, or HK$2.8 billion.

It is one of the sites where the plot ratio was raised by the Town Planning Board at the start of the year to a gross floor area of 569,459 sq ft. It carries a stipulation requiring the developer to build at least 655 private units. Up to 86 percent of the site should be allocated for residential development.

Eight residential sites in the southern part of Tseung Kwan O have been sold through tender in the past three years, ranging from HK$3,810 to HK$4,929 per buildable sq ft.

Meanwhile, tender for a 34,154 sq ft residential site at Fu Tei in Tuen Mun will close today.

The Area 52 plot, located along Fu Shing Street, is designated for low-rise development with a GFA of 13,666 sq ft.


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## hkskyline

*Healthy victory*
The Standard
Thursday, March 14, 2013

















A HK$1.7 billion bid involving the University of Hong Kong's medical school has won the site near Aberdeen to build a 500-bed private hospital.

The university clinched the deal in a joint venture with local property developer New World Services Holdings and Singapore-based health-care operator Parkway Pantai.

But the government withdrew another site designated for a hospital, in Tai Po, after the only tender failed to meet requirements.

NWS Holdings has a 40 percent stake in the winning consortium and Parkway Pantai 60 percent.

The university's Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine will be a clinical partner, overseeing governance, professional standards and appointment of doctors, nurses and health-care staff of the hospital.

Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man, who announced the winning bid yesterday, said GHK Hospital Ltd offered a bidding price of HK$1.688 billion for the Aberdeen site. Two other bidders lost out.

The Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital in Wong Chuk Hang will have capital investment of HK$5 billion.

It will open in 2017 and its beds will be increased steadily to 500. It will give priority to Hong Kong residents, with at least 70 percent of the beds reserved for locals.

At least 51 percent of inpatient bed days taken up in a year will be used for local residents at packaged charges through standard beds.

Comprehensive charging information for its services will be available to the public.

The dean of the medical faculty, professor Lee Sum-ping, said the hospital is expected to be an affiliated teaching hospital of the university in addition to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.

Parkway Pantai's group chief executive and managing director, Tan See Leng said: "With over 30 years of experience in managing world-class hospitals, together with HKU's established reputation for medical excellence and NWS Holdings' local expertise in both construction and facilities management, we are confident that the hospital will provide the best health-care services for the residents of Hong Kong."

NWS Holdings, through its subsidiary, has designed and built hospitals, including Tseung Kwan O Hospital.

"We are pleased to be involved in the health-care industry, which aligns with our long-term strategy of strengthening our service portfolio in Hong Kong," said NWS executive director Patrick Lam Wai-hon.

Ko said the government will decide on the future of the Tai Po lot and two other sites set aside for private hospitals in Tseung Kwan O and on Lantau.

"We will respond to the bidding experience this time to review the current situation of the Hong Kong hospital market, and the whole situation of medical services in Hong Kong, before we make a decision," Ko said.

Tim Pang Hung-cheong, community organizer of the Society for Community Organization, said he was not surprised that bidding for the Tai Po land failed, adding the government should maintain the service quality of the private sector.


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## hkskyline

*Two new plots underline resolve to boost supply*
The Standard
Friday, April 12, 2013









_68B1_

Two more residential plots in Tseung Kwan O and Tuen Mun open for tender next month, pointing to the government's determination to boost land supply.

The 283,115 square foot seaview plot at Area 68B1 in Tseung Kwan O is expected to bring in between HK$3.53 billion and HK$3.78 billion.

With a gross floor area of 821,035 sq ft, the site is estimated to cost HK$4,300-HK$4,600 per buildable square foot. At least 840 flats have to be built on it.

And the 37,211 sq ft site at So Kwun Wat in Tuen Mun is tipped to fetch between HK$1.45 billion and HK$1.94 billion, with projects restricted to six stories.

Tenders for both plots start on May 10 and close on June 21.

This comes after Wheelock (0020) won site 65C1 in Tseung Kwan O for HK$2.45 billion, or HK$4,301 per buildable sq ft, and a plot allocated for low-rise developments in Fu Tei, Tuen Mun, fetched HK$53.2 million from Smart Touch Investments.

The Rating and Valuation Department, meanwhile, forecasts that a total of 13,550 private flats will be built this year - 33 percent more than in 2012 - with the number hitting 15,820 units next year.

About 83 percent of completions will come from the New Territories this year, but the proportion will fall to 56 percent in 2014, department data shows.

Last year, a total of 10,150 private flats were built, up 7 percent from 2011.

Meanwhile, Hang Seng Bank (0011) has joined Bank of China Hong Kong (2388) to offer fixed-rate mortgage plans.

Hang Seng will offer an annual rate of between 1.8 percent and 2.4 percent for the first four years, and prime rate minus 2.6 percent from then on.


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## hkskyline

*Wheels turn on $300m NT cycle tracks*
The Standard
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Cycling enthusiasts should be able to ride from Tuen Mun to Sheung Shui within three years.

The 30-kilometer link is part of a HK$300 million plan by the Development Bureau to build a cycle path across the northern New Territories.

The plan involves the construction of a 1km cycle track along the Kam Tin River and a 1.5km path by the Sheung Yue and Shek Sheung rivers. 

It also includes improvement work to about 4.5km of cycle track in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long. 

Furthermore, three entry or exit hubs and five rest stations will be built.

Construction is expected to commence in September and end in 2016.

Martin Turner, the chairman of Hong Kong Cycling Alliance, welcomes the news as he believes the project will mean an easier, comfortable and safer experience for riders.

The government should see cycling as more than a recreational pursuit, Turner said.

It is the main mode of transport for many in society. 

Separately, the government has identified a strip of land in Yuen Long that is about five times the size of West Kowloon and is suitable for housing development. 

The bureau has begun a two-month public consultation on land for housing in Yuen Long South. 

The area covers around 200 hectares, of which 85percent is privately owned, and could accommodate 2,400 residents. It is located to the south of Yuen Long New Town and bounded by Yuen Long Highway, Kung Um Road and Tai Lam Country Park. 

According to a bureau spokesman, the land does not include areas set aside for indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories or for Tai Lam Country Park.

The government expects to face great requisition difficulties during its talks with private owners.

Large-scale land resumption will not be used to recover the land for housing, the spokesman added. 

A 30-month study stretching into 2015 will be performed to map out the plan for the target area.

The spokesman refused to estimate the future population for the area, saying there will be a preliminary proposal during stage two of the study.


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## hkskyline

*Call for Yuen Long site interest*
The Standard
Thursday, April 18, 2013



















Developers have been invited to submit interest from today for a residential plot valued at more than HK$1 billion near the Long Ping South MTR West Rail station.

The 90,396-square-foot site in Yuen Long is expected to fetch between HK$1.45 billion and HK$1.63 billion. Submissions are due next Thursday. 

With a maximum gross floor area of 451,980 sq ft, the site is estimated to be worth HK$3,200-HK$3,600 per buildable square foot. 

The forecasts are similar to the land prices of two plots sold earlier in Long Ping North. The 106,564 sq ft site atop the station was sold to the consortium of K Wah International (0173) and Sino Land (0083) for HK$3,260 per buildable sq ft. Another nearby site was acquired by Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) for HK$3,629 per sq ft.

A total of 720 flats can be built at the Long Ping South development, and the size of 59 percent of the units cannot exceed 538 sq ft. 

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said the project is attractive to developers as there is a huge demand for small and medium-sized units in the district. He expected the plot to fetch around HK$3,300 per square foot. The whole project is scheduled to be complete by 2019. 

In the primary property market, meanwhile, developers continued to slash prices before the implementation of the regulations on new flat sales from April 29. 

Cheung Kong cut prices of its last 14 flats at One West Kowloon in Cheung Sha Wan by offering a rebate of HK$500,000 on top of the 11 percent discount given last month. 

About six units were sold yesterday. They included a 962 sq ft flat offloaded for HK$12.51 million, originally priced HK$13.92 million in December.


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## hkskyline

*Lawmakers slam plan to house Yau Ma Tei homeless with rubbish*
Tuesday, 16 April, 2013, 4:38am 


Fruit Market Yau Ma Tei Hong Kong 2012-02-02 油麻地果欄 by richardwonghk6, on Flickr

Officials seeking to redevelop the Yau Ma Tei Theatre came under fire yesterday for proposing to keep a rubbish collection point next to a street sleepers' shelter when the two are moved.

Both facilities share a building next to the theatre on Shanghai Street and current plans are to move them together to a new site in 2016.

But lawmakers, describing the plan as inhumane and unacceptable, voted down a request from the Home Affairs Bureau to pass the plan to the Legislative Council's works and finance subcommittees for discussion.

Undersecretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui Hiu-fai, said it was a "historical coincidence" that the shelter and the rubbish point were put together.

Questioned by education constituency lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, Hui acknowledged the difficulty in finding an alternate site for the street sleepers.

She also said removing the two facilities would help "create a better cultural ambience" for the theatre - a remark that brought on swift criticism.

"I can't see how a refuse collection point created ambience for the street sleepers," Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said.

Hui said the new rubbish site would have better air-purifying equipment.

But super seat lawmaker Chan Yuen-han, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said it was still "a very wrong decision".

"However beautiful a refuse point might be, it's still a refuse point," she said.

Tang Moon-yiu of the Street Sleepers' Shelter Society, which operates the 70-bed shelter, said the new site, while not the best, was "acceptable in principle".

"After all, ours is an unwelcome facility," he told the South China Morning Post.


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## hkskyline

*Henderson's Lee to revise $1m flat plan*
The Standard
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Henderson Land (0012) chairman Lee Shau-kee's plan to donate some of his vast New Territories land holdings for the building of affordable homes is being revised, according to East Week magazine, a sister publication of The Standard.

Under the initial proposal, the government was to have built small homes priced around HK$1 million on farmland donated by Lee, with the price tag derived from the estimated construction cost.

Now it is being said that the pricing mechanism of the units would be similar to those sold under the Home Ownership Scheme, which is to offer buyers a discount to the market price.

Prices under this scheme are probably higher than HK$1 million. The cheapest flat in Tin Chung Court in Tin Shui Wai, which was part of a short piling scandal, is now selling for HK$1.28 million.

Lee had said the affordable homes would be sold to young people as local flat prices are too high for them to afford.

The government believes Lee's original idea is not feasible as it goes against the current policy on subsidized housing, East Week reported.

Lee told the weekly that the government had reservations about his original plan as it could be unfair to the grass roots. Therefore, both parties are now exploring other possibilities.

Up to 10,000 homes could be built on the seven land parcels Lee had originally proposed to give to the government.

But Lee conceded that some of the sites face several planning issues such as a lack of transport links and geographical constraints.

Under the new proposal, Lee said he may first give away one or two small sites that could accommodate up to 1,000 homes.

"Some of them [currently] lack power and water supply connections, so we'll try with one or two sites," he said.

He added: "It will take at least one more month to finalize the details."


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## hkskyline

*Errant builders will not face instant sales bar *
The Standard
Tuesday, April 30, 2013










Sales of new units would not be suspended immediately even if projects are found to violate the related ordinance. 

The Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance, which came into effect yesterday, does not require developers to halt sales in case of violation of its requirements. 

That is according to the newly set up Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority, which said the rules aim to enhance transparency as developers can now only advertise sellable area for flats, instead of gross floor area as well. 

Authority director Eugene Fung Kin-yip said: "It is not a penalty under the ordinance ... to impose stoppage of sale for non- compliance."

The 32-member body will refer a case to the Department of Justice for action if its own probe reveals likely breaches. 

However, "serious" breaches will be disclosed for the sake of "consumer protection," Fung said. 

He said fresh documents submitted by Hong Kong Ferry (0050) and Swire Properties (1972) are so far more or less in line with the rules. 

Hong Kong Ferry handed in new sales brochures, price lists and promotional materials for Green Code, in Fan Ling, while Swire Properties' papers were for Dunbar Place, Ho Man Tin.

Both were asked last week to amend their new sales brochures, including revising flat dimensions in the floor plan.

But authority representatives sent to check Green Code show flats yesterday said there is room for improvement. 

There was a slight difference between dimensions in the show flat and those described in the sales brochure due to the application of paint, the authority said, adding this should be explained to buyers via notices in the show flat. Sales at the 728-unit project were launched early last month.

Also, property agents suspect that undercover Estate Agents Authority representatives visited the Dunbar Place sales office at Cityplaza in Tai Koo, after some were asked how many new flats had been reserved. Pre-sale reservation of flats is not allowed under the new law. 

A spokeswoman declined to comment, but told The Standard that the watchdog will always use the most effective way to run checks. 

The 53-unit Dunbar Place starts sales at 11am today on a first-come, first-served basis. Thirty flats priced at an average of HK$20,869 per sellable square foot will be available.


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## hkskyline

_PLA headquarters is under wraps : _

Source : http://pic.feeyo.com/posts/584/5843843.html


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## Jaroslaw

Does anyone know what is going up near the Sun Yat Sen museum on Caine Road, just W of the Midlevels escalators? It looks like a huge project, but I wasn't able to find any info online... 

I will post some pics later, when I get the dust out of my camera. :bash:


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## hkskyline

*MTRC seeks extra in Yuen Long*
The Standard
Tuesday, May 07, 2013










MTR Corp (0066) is asking for an extra HK$193 million in addition to the bidding price for the right to build flats atop the West Rail Long Ping South station in Yuen Long.

The railway operator yesterday invited tenders for the site, the first to be sold since the sale of another MTR plot, at Tin Wing Light Rail station, fell through in February.

The 90,396-square-foot site in Yuen Long is expected to fetch between HK$1.45 billion and HK$1.63 billion.

With gross floor area of 451,980 sq ft, the site is estimated to be worth HK$3,200-3,600 per sq ft. Three-fifths of the 720 units, or 432 flats, to be built on the site cannot exceed 538 sq ft.

The forecasts are similar to the land prices of two plots sold earlier in Long Ping North. MTRC received an overwhelming 20 expressions of interest for the Long Ping South site. 

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) deputy managing director Victor Lui Ting said the firm is keen to develop the site alone. K Wah and Lai Sun Development (0488) said they are interested.

Meanwhile, Henderson Land (0012) yesterday applied for compulsory auction for the titles of two old buildings at 1-3 Yuet Yuen Street, North Point, for redevelopment. 

The developer now holds 87.5 percent of the titles. The two buildings are expected to cost HK$48.18 million. A third building is still being acquired.


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## hkskyline

*Ecologists voice fears over planned housing in Tai Po*
*Green groups say Henderson's plan to rezone Tai Po area and use dump site for homes could harm wildlife and lead to loss of arable land*
Monday, 13 May, 2013 
South China Morning Post 

A major property developer is planning to turn Tai Po farmland, including a notorious dumping spot for construction waste, into a housing estate and calling it an ecological enhancement area.

The plan to build 267 three-storey houses met with opposition from green groups that said about five hectares of the site in She Shan Village in Lam Tsuen was buried under waste. They feared approval of the plan would encourage a "destroy first and build later" approach.

They were also concerned the development was too close to ecologically sensitive areas, including a fung shui wood and the home of a rare dragonfly, and that it would destroy arable areas.

The developer, Henderson Land, said it had no connection with the dumping. It added that it would be removing a third of the dumped material later this year to meet slope maintenance requirements. It also stressed it would strike a balance between ecology and housing, with up to 35 per cent of the site devoted to conservation.

A spokeswoman said the company would be consulting the public about the proposal, which it began working on in 2010. "But our plan is still at a conceptual stage," she added.

Henderson is the main landlord of the 19-hectare site. The previous owner bought the land from relatives of New Territories strongman Lau Wong-fat for HK$90 million in 2005. Wheelock Properties owns part of the site.

The developer has asked the Town Planning Board to rezone the site from agricultural use.

The ecological enhancement area covers seven hectares and includes a woodland corridor, a butterfly garden, organic farms and a dragonfly pond. There will also be a visitor centre providing guided tours. The scheduled completion date is 2019.

A land-use loophole saw part of the site used as a dumping ground back in 2004. "The development will indirectly encourage the malpractice of destroying first and building later," said Peter Li Siu-man, senior campaign manager of Conservancy Association.

Li said the proposed rezoning also meant some precious farmland would be gone forever.

Captain Wong Lun-cheong, Henderson's ecologist, said about four hectares of active farmland would be lost.

He also said the surrounding area was already densely developed with village houses, and a study had indicated the area was of low ecological value.


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## hkskyline

*Giants take new swing at eyesore boatyard*
The Standard
Wednesday, May 15, 2013










An industrial boatyard in Ap Lei Chau, located next to a luxury residential project, may be converted into a mixed-development facility that features a yacht center. 

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), Kerry Properties (0683), and Paliburg (0617), which developed Larvotto, facing the Aberdeen Harbour, have applied to the Town Planning Board to transform the 256,775-square-foot government site. 

It is located in the east of Praya Road and is used as an industrial boatyard and for engineering workshops that serve the local fishing fleet. 

"The visual dilapidation of the industrial buildings in the area contrasts with the modern residential facade of Larvotto," the developers noted in the application. 

They believe the industrial nature of the site is a constant cause of visual, air and noise pollution along with being a potential safety hazard. 

If approved, the yacht center will yield a gross floor area of 146,505 sq ft. It will include an exhibition and convention hall for the marine industry. Around 57,998 sq ft of the area will be allocated for recreational facilities. 

More than one third of the area will be reserved for boatyards, where boats can be built and repaired. 

In August, the developers sought to rezone the area but the Town Planning Board rejected their idea. The Southern District Council had told the board there is no harm in having boatyards next to a luxury residential project.


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## hkskyline

*MTR puts noise fears to rest *
The Standard
Wednesday, May 29, 2013










An innovative approach to building a viaduct section at night will mean fewer sleepless nights for residents along the MTR's South Island Line (East), the rail operator said. 

For beam-and-winch viaduct erection equipment, being used for the first time in Hong Kong, is likely to cut down on construction time.

Traditional equipment takes one to two months to set up and needs significant road closures all day long.

The new equipment takes about two weeks to set up and roads can remain open in the daytime. 

The line's lead project manager, Mark Cuzner, said the new machines take less time to deliver as well. 

The two-kilometer viaduct section will run from the Aberdeen Tunnel toll plaza to Ap Lei Chau, taking in the Ocean Park and Wong Chuk Hang stations.

The precast concrete viaduct deck sections involve 628 segments and are fitted into place using equipment from Italy, which is one-tenth the size of a typical viaduct launching gantry.

Though the total construction time of the viaduct remains the same for both new and old methods, the new equipment negates the need for large-scale or long-term road closures.

"In terms of advantages, I think fundamentally it minimizes destruction. It also takes account of the size and condition we have, particularly the limited work in the area and also offers the flexibility in terms of how we do the work," said Cuzner.

The seven-kilometer line will connect the southern part of Hong Kong Island to the existing MTR network.

A five-kilometer stretch is being built underground and a two-kilometer span on the viaduct. 

Construction, which began in May 2011, is expected to be completed in 2015.

Currently, about 35 percent of the civil engineering work has been completed. 

Cuzner also said MTR Corp will complete the project within the budget of HK$12.6 billion. 

He added that the MTRC will consider using the new technique in other projects, particularly if conditions are similar.


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## davidwilliam7854

After standing sentinel at one of Tsim Sha Tsui's busiest intersections for 39 years, the Tung Ying Building at Nathan Road is set to be bulldozed for a flashy new shopping centre.
A source at Chinese Estates Holdings, which bought the 17-storey property from the Hotung family in 2002, said the decision to demolish the building was prompted by the consumer spending boom and the revival of the retail property market.


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## hkskyline

*Just $1m - and no cash down*
The Standard
Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Nothing to pay upfront, and just HK$5,000 a month mortgage. That's the bottom line for 1,000 "starter homes" in a groundbreaking plan by tycoon Lee Shau-kee.

The chairman of Henderson Land Development (0012) - popularly known as Uncle Four - said the government will consider his proposal to donate a plot in Fan Ling that could accommodate the 300-square-foot flats.

Lee has proposed donating land he owns in the New Territories for building homes to be priced at about HK$1 million and sold to the younger generation without the need for any downpayment and monthly installments of just HK$5,000.

But the government, in turn, would have to waive the land premium on the plot and develop infrastructure in the area under Lee's original proposal, details of which were revealed in The Standard in early March. 

Responding to Lee yesterday, the Development Bureau said it will proactively consider any suggestion to solve Hong Kong's housing needs. 

The Fan Ling site is personally owned by Lee and is valued at between HK$200 and HK$300 million, he told reporters following Henderson's annual general meeting yesterday. It is understood that the site is located in Ma Shi Po village, which falls under areas in the northeast New Territories that the government has said it will develop.

Henderson holds the largest tract - 42.8 million square feet of agricultural land - in the SAR, including 5.4 million sq ft in the northeast New Territories. 

Lee said he offered the government seven sites to consider which, if approved, could accommodate a total of 10,000 homes. 

Total cost of buying the seven sites could reach HK$1 billion, Lee estimated.

But there are many issues to be solved including planning, transportation and infrastructure, he said, so he would not be surprised if the full extent of the donation cannot be realized. 

He denied the donation would be advantageous to Henderson-owned developments in the area. But he spoke favorably about the government, saying it was no longer adhering to the so- called "new town model" which called for reclaiming all land in an area before selling the plots, according to a master plan.

Such a plan was strongly opposed by developers. "I believe [the donation] is a good thing to do. I would only spend HK$1 billion and thousands of people stand to benefit."

Michael Choi Ngai-min, a member of the Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee, said Lee's idea of donating land would help relieve social discord and could serve as a model for other developers. But surveyors said even if the government waived the land premium for turning farmland into residential projects, the plan would still have to go through town planning procedures.

As for the property market, Lee said it would remain lackluster and prices would rise by 10 percent at most in the next two years. But he is still bullish on property stocks, having spent HK$2.2 billion in the past year to buy Henderson shares, exchange disclosures show.


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## hkskyline

*Tycoon hints at flats first for Yuen Long*
The Standard
Thursday, June 06, 2013

A site in Yuen Long, rather than Fan Ling, is likely to kick-start tycoon Lee Shau-kee's proposed joint program with the government to build affordable homes for young people.

Up to 1,000 units, measuring 300 square feet that cost HK$1 million each and require no downpayment, could be built on a site Lee owns in Fan Ling, he said on Monday. 

But the chairman of Henderson Land (0012) said yesterday the first set of cheap homes that will require a monthly mortgage installment of just HK$5,000 may be built on a plot he also owns in Yuen Long that could contain in 1,000 units. The Fan Ling site could eventually contain 2,000 to 3,000 units at a later stage, he said.

Lee believes the government will allow either the Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society to handle the program.

"Whether we can make it or not ultimately depends on consensus from the community," said Lee, following the annual general meeting of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company (0003), of which he is also chairman.

"These two plots [in Yuen long and Fan Ling] are relatively suitable for housing and could be developed and handled easily." 

They are part of the seven sites he has offered to donate to the government. But before doing so, he wants to make sure that at a cost of HK$1 billion, he, and not any listed firm linked to him, entirely owns all the plots.

This is to ensure that no part of the housing program requires any shareholder approval. 

Housing Authority and Housing Society spokesmen said they were not involved in discussions concerning the plan, which would allow Lee to convert some of his vast holdings of farmland into residential use without paying any land premium.

Lui Che-woo, chairman of real estate developer K. Wah International Holdings (0173), declined to comment on the plan. Lui said home price gains will slow this year amid cooling efforts.


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## hkskyline

*High hopes after Lantau zipline group tries again*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 05, 2013

A British tour group is proposing new locations for a zipline tour on Lantau in its latest attempt to gain approval for the project. 

The group, Flying Fox, is a commercial partner of popular cable car attraction Ngong Ping 360. 

An advisory committee of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department successfully opposed the proposal last year.

The Country and Marine Parks Board claimed the Flying Fox proposal to promote an "ecological tour" was only a gimmick and the project just an exciting amusement park game. 

The group had proposed a zipline tour near Ngong Ping 360, involving the construction of four new stations for customers.

Ngong Ping 360 managing director Wilson Shao Shing-ming said the latest plan will include locations that are different from the ones rejected earlier by the board.

"Three new sites will be in the plan, one of which will be located at the Ngong Ping market, as it is well-equipped with facilities such as a ticket office, restrooms and restaurants." 

Ziplines are cables suspended above slopes to which a pulley and harness are attached. They will be built at a height of 404 to 432 meters with a suspension bridge 15 to 20m above ground.

Flying Fox earlier proposed charging about HK$150 for each customer, and Shao said this is still the case. 

Meanwhile, the cable car attraction will be down for three weeks in September to allow for regular maintenance.

A 12m-track rope in the system will be moved from one section to another to prevent it coming under strain from parts that are in contact with the arms of cable cars.

"This is the first time for this to be done since the system began operating in 2006," Weller Chan Kwok-wai, head of cable car operations, said. 

The cable car manufacturer in Italy will assist in the work.

Chan also dismissed a report in a Chinese language newspaper that rust was found on cables and parts of cars, saying it was only dirt.

"Our cable cars and the entire system are made from aluminum alloy and have an anti-rust coating. It is very unlikely to be affected by rust," he said.

"Lubricant oil is applied on the track ropes every six months to help the cars run smoothly. The oil is thick and dark brown and may fall on the cars and give the appearance of rust. But it can be cleaned and will not affect the safety of the entire operation."


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## hkskyline

PLA headquarters under renovation  
May 30


CBD reflection pt2 :: night by CoolbieRe, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Villagers shave heads in park protest*
The Standard
Friday, June 21, 2013










A village chief and three others shaved their heads to protest against a government plan to include Sai Wan Village in the Sai Kung East Country Park.

At the same time, more than 600 villagers in the area gathered at the Heung Yee Kuk Building in Sha Tin to voice their concerns.

"Defend our homes" and `Don't surrender" the villagers chanted yesterday as Lai Yan had his head shaved.

The Sai Wan villagers said they will apply for legal aid in order to seek a judicial review if the government does not scrap the plan within a month.

Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat claimed the government six months ago published a plan to include 17 hectares of land in Sai Kung East Country Park without consulting the rural body. 

Sai Wan Village in Tai Long Sai Wan is included in the controversial plan.

Lau said that including the village in a country park will freeze development in the area and this is unfair to residents.

"If the government wants to preserve the area, then it should compensate the villagers or offer them alternative land sites," he said. "Environmental protection should not be shouldered by the villagers alone."

There are about a dozen homes in Sai Wan Village, where residents have to walk half an hour before being able to reach public transport to the urban area.

Lau said there may only be a few villagers but Tai Long Sai Wan is one of the top destinations for local hikers.

He said he has raised the opposition of the kuk to the Country and Marine Parks Board but the matter was scheduled for another meeting. The board is under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Lau described the villagers as very upset and said they may have to take to the streets to air their grievances.

"The government appears to have little idea when it comes to the needs and concerns of the indigenous villagers," he said.

"If the government had communicated more with the villagers, they would not have taken such radical action."

Banners opposing the government plan were strung up at the entrance to the village.

A resident named Lai Mau said he too is deeply unhappy with the park move.

"We will not be able to live here anymore if the plan goes ahead," Lai said.

"The government should compensate us."

But another villager supports the move, saying it will protect the environment.

"It's good to turn it into a country park so that no more buildings will go up," she said.

"It will not be as beautiful if it is polluted."


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## hkskyline

(Wanchai) Chung Wui Mansion post-renovation


Untitled by elfonse, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Chinachem wins $3b site bid*
The Standard
Wednesday, June 26, 2013



















Chinachem Group snapped up the largest site near the Tseung Kwan O MTR station at a lower-than-expected price of HK$3 billion yesterday.

There were reports that some homeowners in the area immediately reduced their asking prices. The price of a 677-square-foot unit at Lohas Park was cut by 6 percent, or HK$400,000, to HK$5.9 million.

A 363-sq-ft unit at Metro City Plaza in nearby Po Lam is now seeking HK$4.18 million after its asking price was slashed by 7 percent, or HK$320,000.

Prices paid for the two plots that were auctioned in the past six weeks have come in below expectations. This indicates that developers are anxious over the latest Federal Reserve announcement that it may scale back its stimulus programs.

The Tseung Kwan O Area 68B1 plot, which will allow a gross floor area of 821,035 sq ft to be built, attracted only seven bids.

It went to privately held Chinachem for HK$3 billion, lower than surveyors' estimates of HK$3.4-HK$3.8 billion. The company is set to build no less than 840 units on the site.

At HK$3,653 per gross sq ft, the price was 15 percent lower than what Wheelock (0020) paid in April for the nearby plot 65C1.

Chinachem obtained a site at West Rail Long Ping Station South earlier this month at a "bargain" HK$2,876 psf, while Wheelock took an upscale residential site in Ho Man Tin for HK$3.8 billion.

Centaline Surveyors director James Cheung King-tat said developers are "clearly not bullish about the market."

Chinachem has disclosed plans to spend HK$7 billion, including land cost, to build homes and a shopping mall on the Tseung Kwan O site.

Meanwhile, Wah Yip Holdings - controlled by Cheung Kong (0001) former executive Albert Chow Nin-mow - clinched a site in So Kwun Wat for HK$150 million.


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## hkskyline

*No thanks, Uncle Four*
The Standard
Thursday, July 04, 2013

The government has rejected billionaire Lee Shau-kee's offer of a donation of farmland for building affordable homes and instead suggested he work with non- profit organizations - a move widely believed to have been taken to avoid giving any impression of collusion. 

The chairman of Henderson Land (0012) said he would talk to NGOs and that he plans to gather 10 billionaires to help the one million people in Hong Kong who neither own a home nor are covered by social security protection. Lee, popularly known as Uncle Four, made the proposal in January. 

But Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po yesterday said "ideals and conditions of land donors vary."

It would be best, he said, for interested donors to approach non-profit organizations "to take forward the projects to realize their ideals."

Chan said the Housing Society is an appropriate body to handle such proposals and it can expect to be backed up by the government.

Lee said yesterday he "understands the government's difficulties," and will partner with NGOs to develop the land.

"I thought as many as 30,000 people could benefit from my idea, but there are concerns about many things, from planning to the environment. "One million people [in Hong Kong] do not own their own homes and are leading difficult lives. I suggested we build homes to help these people to help reduce the social inequality."

Henderson is the largest holder of farmland, with 42.8 million square feet in its land bank. Last month, Lee 
proposed a donation of seven agricultural plots on which 10,000 small homes could be built. 

In return, he asked the government to waive the land premium for converting the sites into residential use. The proposed homes would have been sold to young people for about HK$1 million, requiring no downpayment.

Apart from Lee, New World Development (0017) chairman Henry Cheng Kar-shun also said land donation was "a good idea." 

But yesterday, Cheng declined to comment on whether the firm or he had been in touch with officials on the matter.

Housing Society chief executive Wong Kit-loong said it has yet to receive any proposal from developers, but will be happy to study the possibilities. 

He said in evaluating any plan, the society will have to consider several factors, including how much land premium the government will charge and the planning conditions of the sites.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum are disappointed by the government's decision. 

Democratic Party's Sin Chung-kai said the government may be trying to avoid being viewed as colluding with the business community but it should instead aim for a win-win outcome rather than pass the ball to non- profitable organizations.

Chan Yuen-han of Federation of Trade Unions suggested the government come up with a set of open criteria for accepting land donations, rather than rejecting the idea altogether.

But Long Term Housing Policy Steering Committee member Michael Choi Ngai-min said the government's housing policy is to cater to the needs of people of all ages, and Lee's targeting the young generation will require extra discussion.

Waiving downpayments contradicts government efforts to control risks for lenders to deter property bubble, people familiar with the government's thinking said.

Henderson shares plunged 3.7 percent to HK$44.90, as hopes for boosting the firm's valuation through farmland donations vanished.


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## hkskyline

*Opposition puts housing plans at risk*
The Standard
Monday, July 08, 2013

Nine plots to be put up for sale this year by the government face opposition, threatening the orderly launch of fresh housing. 

The sites, measuring a total of 855,320 square feet, are among the 10 plots now going through land planning processes.

All nine, which together will yield a maximum gross floor area of 3.05 million sq ft, are expected to be designated for residential use. 

The 94,726-sq-ft plot on Renfrew Road, Kowloon Tong, faces the strongest opposition.

It is located at the former Lee Wai Lee Technical Institute. About 99 percent of the total 25,877 comments on the plot submitted to the Town Planning Board expressed opposition to the government's plan to turn it into luxury housing. 

Most comments expressed support for Hong Kong Baptist University's plan to use the site to build its school for Chinese medicine. 

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pun said 400 luxury homes could be built on the site, fetching about HK$6.39 billion.

Meanwhile, Sino Land (0083) remains opposed to the government's plan to turn two seaside plots at Pak Shek Kok in Tai Po - each measuring 204,522 sq ft - into housing projects. 

Future developments would block the view of new units to be built at Sino Land scheme Providence Bay. Sino executive director Gordon Lee Ching-keung has urged the government to re- consider the plan.


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## hkskyline

*Wheelock bags last south TKO plot *
The Standard
Thursday, July 11, 2013










Wheelock Properties (0020) clinched its fourth plot at Tseung Kwan O South for HK$3.67 billion yesterday.

The site, 68B2, measuring 295,160 square feet, was tipped to fetch a price from HK$3.25 billion to HK$3.59 billion. 

It was the last available plot in the area. 

With a gross floor area of 855,964 sq ft, the site was sold for about HK$4,288 per buildable sq ft. 

Last month, Chinachem Group bought the nearby 68B1 site at a lower-than-expected HK$3,654 psf. Since then, surveyors have lowered the estimate of 68B2, which was initially expected to fetch between HK$3.97 billion and HK$4.28 billion. 

At least 875 units have to be built on the plot, with up to 708,379 sq ft to be reserved for residential use. 

Vice chairman Stewart Leung Chi-kin said Wheelock was determined to acquire the plot since 75 to 80 percent of units in the development can have seaviews. 

A total of HK$8 billion, including the land price, will be invested in the project, he added. 

Leung said the project will consist mainly of two- and three-bedroom units, measuring 500 to 800 sq ft. 

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, national director of Greater China at Cushman & Wakefield, said the price of HK$4,288 per buildable sq ft is still relatively low compared to other seaside plots in Tseung Kwan O. 

Cheung expects future units there to fetch about HK$13,000 per sellable sq ft. 

Meanwhile, John Swire and Sons (HK) bought a 15,480 sq ft plot on Lantau at a surprisingly high price of HK$93.5 million. 

The South Lantau Road site was expected to cost up to HK$37 million. It attracted 27 bids.

A spokeswoman said the plot, which yields 6,191 sq ft, is for the company's own use.


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## hkskyline

*Wheelock lords it over TKO with four in bag *
The Standard
Monday, July 15, 2013

Wheelock (0020) has become the biggest developer in Tseung Kwan O South with the clinching of its latest site putting four plots worth nearly HK$10 billion in its land bank. 

The sites will yield a total gross floor area of more than 2.34 million square meters and can provide about 2,400 new homes.

Wheelock's first project in the area is expected to go on sale by the middle of next year.

Managing director Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu said HK$8 billion to HK$8.5 billion will be invested in the latest plot acquired. 

With sea views on three sides, Area 68B2 has the most potential.

The 875 units to be built will include 30 full-seaview houses to meet demand after Kowloon East is turned into a business district similar to Central and Admiralty, Wong told Sing Tao Daily, sister paper of The Standard. 

The project will take up to three years to complete, he said. Wong's vision is to turn Tseung Kwan O into another Island East. 

"Tai Koo Shing and Kornhill have altogether about 19,000 units. A total of about 18,000 units could be built on the 12 plots the government sold recently in Tseung Kwan O," he said.

"The density should be lower than in Quarry Bay." 

Wheelock's first purchase in the area was plot 66B2 in January last year. 

Foundations are currently being laid and building work on the site is expected to complete by mid-2014, Wong said.

On lower-than-expected bids for recent land sales, Wong said the government's active land sales policy has calmed prices. 

On June 25, Chinachem Group bought plot 68B1 in Tseung Kwan O for HK$3 billion, or a modest HK$3,641 per square meter.


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## hkskyline

MTR Admiralty Station
Harcourt Garden has been demolished to build an expanded Admiralty Station for the South Island Line (to Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau).

By *gibson355300* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

*LCQ14: Demand and supply of commercial sites*
Government Press Release
Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Following is a question by the Hon James Tien and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 3):

Question:

*Quite a number of members of the business and industrial sectors have relayed to me that the inadequate supply of commercial sites over the past few years has caused the prices and rent levels of commercial properties, such as offices of various grades, shops and hotels, to rise continuously due to the shortfall in supply*, resulting in higher business operation costs and commodity prices. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the respective areas of commercial sites put up for sale/made available for application for sale and those sold by the Government, as well as the floor area for commercial uses involved, in each year since 2000 (with a tabulated breakdown by type of commercial use);

(b) of the number of commercial sites to be put up for sale and the floor area for commercial uses involved in each year from 2013-2014 to 2017-2018, according to the Government's projection (with a tabulated breakdown by type of commercial uses);

(c) whether it has studied the impact of the supply of commercial sites in the past decade on the prices and rent levels of various types of commercial properties; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(d) whether it has assessed the demand for various types of commercial sites in the coming decade; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(e) given that the Government plans to convert the current government office buildings and "Government, Institution or Community" sites in Central and Wanchai for commercial uses, develop a commercial district on the north of the Airport Island, and continue to take forward the transformation of Kowloon East into a new core business district of Hong Kong, of the anticipated commencement and completion time of such projects respectively, as well as the floor area for commercial uses which will be provided (with a breakdown by type of commercial uses); and

(f) as the Chief Executive has mentioned in the 2013 Policy Address that the "Government will address the shortage of commercial land supply in a holistic, innovative and decisive manner", of the specific plans the authorities have in place to tackle the shortage of commercial sites, other than those initiatives mentioned in (e), as well as the objectives and timetables of such plans?

Reply:

President,

To maintain Hong Kong's position as a leading financial and commercial centre, the 2013 Policy Address has set out that the Government would continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach to increase the supply of commercial land and facilities so as to facilitate the further development of different economic activities, thereby supporting the continued economic growth of Hong Kong.

My reply to the question raised by the Honourable James Tien is as follows:

(a) *The area of sites for various commercial uses (including hotel and office) available for sale in the Land Sale Programme from 1999-2000 to 2013-2014, the area of such sites sold and their maximum gross floor area (GFA) permissible for commercial uses as at June 17, 2013 are set out in the Annex.* It should be noted that, depending on the lease conditions and other applicable requirements, the actual commercial GFA provided by individual developers may not be the same as the figures set out above.

(b) *The 2013-14 Land Sale Programme (LSP) offers a total of nine commercial/business sites, which are capable of providing about 330 000 square metres of GFA. In the first two quarters of 2013-14, the Government has sold/will sell two commercial/business sites, which are capable of providing about 67 000 square metres of GFA.* The outcome of the Government's sale of land is subject to market factors. The Government does not estimate the number of commercial/business sites expected to be sold and the commercial floor area involved after 2013-14. The Government will continue to announce the annual LSP in each financial year and set out sites anticipated to be available for sale, and make quarterly announcements of sites to be made available for sale in the respective quarters in advance. This provides a transparent and certain land supply programme to the market, and at the same time allows the Government to respond to market demand and adjust the pace of land sale, in order to maintain a steady supply of land to the market.

(c) The change in commercial land supply may affect the demand and supply balance of commercial properties (including offices, shops and hotels, etc.), thereby affecting their rents and prices. Nevertheless, prices and rents of commercial properties are also subject to the influences of other factors, including the local macroeconomic performance and inflation, operating situations of different sectors, interest rates and international capital flows, etc. In this connection, the Government has not carried out any specific study on the impact of the supply of commercial sites in the past decade on the prices and rents of various types of commercial properties.

(d) *The Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy (HK2030 Study) provides a long-term planning strategy on various types of land uses. According to the forecast of the HK2030 Study, the Central Business District Grade A office space has to increase by 2.7 million square metres in GFA from 2003 to 2030 in order to meet market requirements.* As regards other commercial uses (such as the retail industry and offices of other different grades), since their development is essentially market-driven and their land demand is more sensitive to market fluctuations, we have not made any estimate of the demand for these commercial sites in the next 10 years.

(e) and (f) To meet the housing and various other needs of Hong Kong residents, the 2013 Policy Address has clearly set out the Government's overall policy blueprint for increasing land supply in future, which includes commercial sites and facilities. Apart from continuing the proactive land sale approach to increase the supply of commercial/business sites, the Government is actively implementing a series of measures as described in the following paragraphs with a view to increasing the supply of various commercial sites and facilities.

*First, the measures on energizing Kowloon East will help develop Kowloon East into another core business district of Hong Kong and in turn increase office supply. According to the 2013 Policy Address, Kowloon East has the potential to supply an additional office floor area of about 4 million square metres. To expedite the process, we are considering relocating the existing government facilities in the two action areas of Kowloon East and making available some vacant and appropriate sites in the action areas to the market as soon as possible. It is expected that these two action areas will be able to provide about 500 000 square metres of floor area in total for office and other uses. The Government plans to put on sale a vacant government land site in the action area of Kowloon Bay in the 2013-14 financial year. The said site will be made available to the market upon approval of rezoning.*

Besides, in the Kai Tak Development Area, 14 sites are zoned "Commercial" under the Kai Tak Outline Zoning Plan. Five of them are located at the Kai Tak City Centre on the North Apron area, another three are in the South Apron Corner at the Kowloon Bay waterfront, and the remaining six are located in the Runway Area. These sites, with a total area of about 14 hectares, are reserved for commercial uses, including office, shop, hotel, etc. They will be made available to the market by phases after the relevant infrastructure works are progressively completed.

To tie in with the transformation of Kowloon East into a business district and meet the public expectation for increasing housing supply in urban areas, we are reviewing the land use planning in the Kai Tak Development Area, including exploring the scope for increasing office and housing supply in the North Apron area, the South Apron area and the former Runway Area, without compromising the planning vision and the land supply in the coming five years. The Government will conduct a detailed technical study to assess the impacts on the neighbouring areas from the environmental and traffic aspects, etc. Public consultation will be carried out when the results of the study are available.

Hong Kong International Airport is vital to Hong Kong's economic development. To support the long-term economic development of Hong Kong, we will ensure the optimal use of the limited land on the Airport Island. The Airport Authority (AA) is now carrying out a study on the development strategies of the north commercial district of the airport. Relevant planning work is expected to be completed in late 2013. In mapping out the development strategies of the north commercial district, AA will take into account the planning of the three-runway system, so that the whole development can attain maximum economic benefits.

In long-term planning, the Planning Department will examine the further development opportunities in the New Territories North, including the areas along major transport routes near Lok Ma Chau and Man Kam To Control Points, and the development corridor along the connecting road leading to the new Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai boundary control point. We will also examine the opportunities for commercial development at these development corridors. The Government plans to appoint consultants in early 2014 for undertaking the relevant study. Besides, the Tung Chung New Town Extension Study, currently undergoing the public engagement process, has also recommended taking advantage of the transport infrastructure in North Lantau, especially Tung Chung, to provide land for commercial development.

Furthermore, under the long-term planning for the New Central Habourfront, we expect that over 130 000 square metres of new floor space will be provided for retail uses, of which about 100 000 square metres of new floor space for retail uses will be within Site 3. The said planning will also provide about 90 000 square metres of new floor space for office use. The planned development will gradually commence upon the completion of the relevant infrastructure works and relocation of existing facilities in Central and Wan Chai.

At the same time, we are also planning to commence a pilot study on "Underground Space Development in the Urban Areas" the soonest in end 2013 to further explore the potential of developing underground spaces in the urban areas of Hong Kong. Our main objectives include creating more urban areas for commercial or other developments; and enhancing connectivity of the urban areas through linking of existing and planned buildings and facilities with underground developments. The study will identify some representative areas for detailed assessments.

Furthermore, the Government announced in October 2009 a set of measures to facilitate the redevelopment and wholesale conversion of old industrial buildings. These measures came into effect on April 1, 2010, aiming at providing more floor space for suitable uses to meet Hong Kong's changing social and economic needs. Up to the end of May this year, the Lands Department approved 70 applications under the measures, and the projects concerned have a capacity to provide a total GFA of about 700 000 square metres of converted or new floor space for different non-industrial uses.

Meanwhile, the current government accommodation policy is to relocate, if feasible, government offices which are not location bound out of high-value areas (including core business districts), and as far as possible make use of government-owned properties to reprovision government offices accommodated in leased premises. This will not only provide long-term office accommodation for the departments concerned, but will also reduce rental expenditure. The properties so released will in turn help increase the supply of commercial office space, thereby facilitating the development of different types of economic activities.

Recent initiatives in this connection include the sale of government-owned properties covering a portion of the 3rd floor and the whole of the 4th, 5th and 6th floors of Citibank Tower, No. 3 Garden Road, Hong Kong (which was formerly used by the Legislative Council Secretariat as its office). The Government already signed the Sale and Purchase Agreement in May this year. Upon completion of the transaction, about 6 200 square metres of Grade A office space in Central will be available in the market for commercial uses.

Besides, similar initiatives of releasing office space by the Government in the next few years include:

(1) Relocation of the Trade and Industry Department (TID): The Government is now carrying out the construction works for the Trade and Industry Tower at the Kai Tak Development Area, which is expected to be completed by end 2014. Upon relocation of TID to the new tower, more than 18 000 square metres of floor area in the Trade and Industry Department Tower in Mong Kok will be released for commercial uses. Meanwhile, among the 33 000 square metres in net operating floor area of the new tower, about half will be used for reprovisioning of government offices accommodated in leased premises mostly in South East Kowloon;

(2) Relocation of the Department of Justice (DoJ) to the former Central Government Offices (CGO): Upon relocation of DoJ to the former CGO by stages starting from 2015, its existing offices in the Queensway Government Offices (QGO) and leased premises will gradually be vacated. Offices vacated in QGO will mainly be used for reprovisioning of other government offices currently accommodated in leased premises in Central and Admiralty;

(3) Reprovisioning of the three government office buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront: The Government is now actively planning for the reprovisioning of the three government office buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront and gradually moving the affected departments to the new government office buildings in non-core business districts. After the completion of the new government office buildings, we will arrange for the departments to move out of the three government office buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront by stages such that the vacated floor area can be released as soon as possible for renting out, thereby increasing the supply of Grade A office space in Wan Chai. After the completion of the entire relocation plan, we will consider putting the three government office buildings on sale at an appropriate time. It is expected that 175 000 square metres of floor area will then be made available for commercial uses; and

(4) Construction of the West Kowloon Government Offices (WKGO): The proposed WKGO will provide a total net operating floor area of 50 000 square metres, of which about 30 000 square metres will be used for reprovisioning some of the offices of the Buildings Department, Civil Engineering and Development Department and Transport Department which are currently accommodated in leased premises in Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Kwun Tong. It will also provide office space for reprovisioning other departments in the three government office buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront.

Furthermore, the Government plans to convert suitable "Government, Institution or Community" (G/IC) sites in the existing core business districts, including the Murray Road Car Park in Central and the Rumsey Street Car Park in Sheung Wan, to commercial uses. Where possible, the Government will promptly release other suitable G/IC sites for commercial uses.

In conclusion, the Government will continue to monitor closely the demand and supply situation of commercial sites and facilities in Hong Kong, and proactively pursue appropriate land use planning, relevant urban design, district enhancement works, and convenient transport networks, with a view to meeting the market demand and continuing to strengthen Hong Kong's competitiveness.

Annex : http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201307/03/P201307030280_0280_113892.pdf


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## skanny

Why don't you understand hkskyline ???? we want updates and photos of the developements and not articles about what is doing their government :wallbash::wallbash::wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:


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## hkskyline

*47,000 homes a year proposed to ease woes*
The Standard
Wednesday, September 04, 2013










A 10-year target of 470,000 flats has been proposed by a top-level committee to address the housing shortage. 

If approved, it will be the first time the government has set a target since former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa announced plans to build 85,000 units a year after the handover. That target sparked a property bubble.

The Long-Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee, chaired by Secretary for Transport and Housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, proposed the new target in a consultation document.

Cheung assured yesterday it will not cause prices to tumble "because private homes will be limited to 40 percent of the target." The other 60 percent is meant for public housing. 

Up to June 30, the number of family and elderly applicants on the waiting list for public housing had reached 118,700 while the number of non- elderly, one-person applicants below the age of 60 under the quota and points system reached 115,600.

The committee suggested increasing the overall quotas and reforming the calculation of points for different age groups. 

"This is to enable those who are relatively older among the non-elderly singletons to have a better chance for public housing," Cheung said.

The waiting time for non-elderly one-person applicants above the age of 35 should be reduced to three years, he added.

The committee also suggests providing "transitional housing" on vacant government land and enhancing cooperation between public and private development projects. It is also proposing issuing licenses for subdivided flats. 

The consultation ends on December 2.

The document raises 22 open-ended questions - including how many Home Ownership Scheme units should be set aside for single people and the minimum income level for white-form applicants for future sale of HOS units to improve the chances of eligible first-time homebuyers.

A source said the target will be reviewed annually and that if the property market tumbles, the government will continue to develop land.

Lee Wing-tat, who chairs housing think tank Land Watch, said the target is too conservative.

The 47,000 thousand units a year are only "several thousand more compared to the current policy to build more than 40,000 annually," he said. 

"It is inadequate to solve the more than 200,000 applications in line for public housing or the living problems of the 60,000 to 70,000 subdivided unit tenants."


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## hkskyline

*Scheme targets triads in building trade *
RenoSafe programme launched amid rising criminal involvement in renovation work
5 September 2013
South China Morning Post

As the age of Hong Kong's buildings creeps up and renovations are increasingly required, opportunities for criminals to cash in on the construction trade are growing, according to police.

But yesterday a new initiative, named the RenoSafe scheme, was launched to fight back against crime in the trade.

"The potential gains from [building renovation projects] are huge and criminals are not going to ignore the opportunity to make money," said Matthew Kwok Ho-fai, a police chief superintendent in the force's Organised Crime and Triad Bureau.

Over the next couple of years, more than 500 ageing buildings are expected to undergo renovations annually. The police have said that crimes related to building revamps are on the rise, with 22 cases recorded in the year to August - as many as were logged for all of last year.

Such crimes often involve the use of threats such as criminal damage, intimidation and even arson to force owners to award renovation contracts to businesses that may involve triads.

Corruption is also a problem, manifest in practices such as rigging bids for renovation contracts and bribing members of building owners' corporations. Project consultants and contractors are bribed in exchange for turning a blind eye to the use of substandard building materials.

Criminal groups can make illicit earnings running into the millions of dollars each time they win a renovation contract whose price has been inflated by double or three times the estimate of an independent project consultant.

The RenoSafe scheme aims to curb these practices by providing building owners planning renovations with advice from government departments and operational support from the police.

It offers regular workshops and seminars on preventing renovation-related crimes - jointly organised by the police, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society - for owners of buildings in need of repair.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Buildings Department and the Home Affairs Department will also participate in the scheme.

The scheme has no single hotline for one-stop service, but the government departments involved in it will refer requests to relevant parties when they receive calls for assistance.

A police officer will also be assigned to each case once a building's owners have joined the RenoSafe scheme.

Meanwhile, the URA yesterday said it was in talks with the Housing Society to improve renovation tendering arrangements by reducing the risk of information about owners and contract bidders being leaked to potentially threatening outside parties. Details of the new bidding arrangements will be announced soon.


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## hkskyline

*Planner cool over homes in parks*
The Standard
Monday, September 16, 2013


Pat Sin Leng 八仙嶺 by Pangkin, on Flickr

There is no urgent need to consider country parks for housing development, says the director of planning.

Ling Kar-kan said the land is important to Hong Kong's ecological system and other sites are being looked at for development.

Speaking after attending a public function yesterday, Ling said that land in the government's proposed North East New Territories development project and other areas in Hung Shui Kiu in Yuen Long could be used.

Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee member Michael Choi Ngai-min said society should be allowed to discuss whether greenbelt zones and country parks could be used for housing.

"I don't think that such a proposal is untouchable and unthinkable," he said.

Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei said using abandoned land and even the golf course in Fan Ling should be considered first rather than merely exploiting the country parks.


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## hkskyline

*Causeway Bay to lose an urban oasis as I.M. Pei's Sunning Plaza faces wrecking ball*
1 October 2013
South China Morning Post









_ Source : http://offices.leegardens.com.hk/sunning_plaza/overview.aspx_

Tenants of Sunning Plaza in Causeway Bay are bidding farewell to the 31-year-old I.M. Pei-designed building, which is to be torn down for redevelopment.

A bar-restaurant, cake shop and office tenants had to move from the site yesterday. 

"I feel like the sky today - crying," said John Palis, operations manager of the Inn Side Out bar and restaurant.

He started working there when it opened in 1999, but now he has had to close it.

"This place is one of a kind in Hong Kong - a big outdoor area with four palm trees."

The restaurant will reopen at the South China Athletic Association next month for association members and their guests.

A bigger, mixed-use office and retail complex with more retail space will be built on the site and in place of adjacent apartment building Sunning Court, which will also be demolished.

It has not yet been decided whether the open area used for the Inn Side Out's outdoor tables will be kept, said a spokesman for landlord Hysan Development.

Palis said he has heard that the outdoor area will be enclosed.

"It's depressing because this place is an oasis in the urban area for people to feel what life is," said architect Joseph Tang Chun-sing, one of the restaurant's regular customers. "Making money is important, but you should maintain some integrity to society. Humans need this kind of space."

The building was Pei's first project in Hong Kong before his only other - the Bank of China Building in Central. Chun said it was a shame that such a precious building would be torn down. He said very few buildings of its class were left in Hong Kong.

Another customer, magazine food writer Brian Chung, had strong words for the developer.

"I hope they lose money," he said. "It's a shame - this is an oasis in the business district of Causeway Bay for people to unwind. Greedy landlords like this are not helping Hong Kong or diversifying Hong Kong."

Palis said he has asked Hysan not to cut down the four palm trees. He told them Inn Side Out would try to take them to its new location.

Italian restaurant Da Domenico, next door, has already closed and was moving out yesterday.

Hysan has said the demolition is mainly to create offices for tenants moving out of Central. According to plans, the gross floor area will increase by about a quarter after the project is completed in 2018.


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## hkskyline

*New chief signs up to protect parkland *
Ex-police commissioner affirms opposition to idea of building flats by backing green charter to safeguard 'every inch' of HK's countryside
5 October 2013
South China Morning Post

The new head of Hong Kong's country parks signed a green group's charter yesterday promising to protect "every inch" of the land he administers.

Tang King-shing, the former police commissioner and now chairman of the Country and Marine Parks Board, answered the challenge from Save Our Country Parks, an alliance of 20 green groups firmly opposed to the idea of building flats in the parks.

While the charter is not legally binding, activists said it amounted to a public commitment.

"It's a promise made publicly. He is now under moral obligation to defend our country parks," said Friends of the Earth director Edwin Lau Che-feng.

The issue erupted into a public debate after Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po floated the idea last month of building flats in parks to solve the housing shortage.

Tang, whose nomination was deemed controversial because of his government background, was attending the first meeting of the board that he chairs.

"[The board] will strive to protect our country parks in accordance with the law," he said.

The board is the statutory advisory body overseeing all of Hong Kong's 29 parks and has the power to approve construction within parks. Most of the nonofficial members of the board yesterday voiced strong objections to the development idea. Elvis Au Wai-kwong, an assistant director of the Environmental Protection Department, insisted the government had "no intention" to alter the status quo of the country parks.

Meanwhile, a little-known study has come to light showing many Hongkongers were willing to pay HK$100 a year to maintain and preserve country parks.

The University of Hong Kong questioned 613 people between August and October 2009.

The findings were published in the International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology last February.

It received little attention at the time as no one believed Hong Kong's parks would ever be under threat. Researchers said the study showed how highly people valued their parks.

The survey was not intended to be a fundraising proposal, said Professor Jim Chi-yung, of the University of Hong Kong.

"The aim was to estimate the parks' economic value, to raise awareness among policymakers and the general public of the poorly recognised economic benefits of conservation and to justify financial support from the government," he said.

The respondents were randomly selected from visitors to Pok Fu Lam, Shing Mun and Clear Water Bay country parks.

Their household incomes ranged from HK$10,000 to more than HK$40,000 a month.

They were asked if they would be willing to pay an annual fee to enhance the conservation and educational elements of the parks and how much they would like to pay if they could choose.

Only six per cent said they would not pay. Most were willing to give HK$95 to HK$133 a year.


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## hkskyline

Shatin-Central Link Wanchai construction 
9/7


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## hkskyline

*New private hospital `not just for the rich'*
The Standard
Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The new dean of the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine has vowed its private hospital will not be exclusively for the rich.

Gabriel Leung Cheuk-wai said this as he detailed the new Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital in Wong Chuk Hang, which is expected to open in 2017, with construction to be completed by the end of 2016.

The university won the site near Aberdeen to build the 500-bed private hospital.

The university clinched the deal in a joint venture with local property developer New World Services Holdings (0659) and Singapore-based health-care operator Parkway Pantai.

Leung, the 40-year-old former undersecretary for food and health and former director of the Chief Executive's Office, began his five-year term as dean on August 1. 

Leung said he has three major tasks in his new post, namely, the reconstruction of Queen Mary Hospital, operating the University of Hong Kong- Shenzhen Hospital and organizing the construction of the new private hospital. 

Associate dean (teaching and learning) Lau Chak-sing said the hospital will provide full outpatient and Chinese medicine services.

With teams of resident doctors, he said the new hospital needs to hire 150 full-time doctors and a minimum of 800 nurses.

He said it is recruiting overseas doctors from Britain and the United States and is confident that the university will attract adequate doctors who can speak Cantonese and Putonghua. "We will provide an environment for doctors to not only teach, but also to do research," Lau said, adding that he will consider different options and does not rule out operating with other hospitals. 

Associate dean (clinical affairs) Law Wai-lun said that to facilitate better services, the surgery and intensive care units will be located on the same floor of the new hospital. 

Law stressed that the new hospital will use a new kind of operation. 

"We hope there will be cooperation between the private and public sectors. We will refer to overseas experience to give more options to the public," Law said. 

On medical service fees and charges, he said the hospital is not to serve the wealthy. 

"It is for the public to have more options," Law said. It will try to provide packaged charging with high transparency.


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## hkskyline

*Peak hotel go-ahead was 'hasty' *
Councillor slams move to approve conversion of historic mansion, saying it lacks foresight
11 October 2013
South China Morning Post




























Transport and planning chiefs were accused by district councilors yesterday of a lack of foresight in hastily approving a proposal for a 97-year-old mansion on The Peak to be converted into a hotel.

Central and Western district councillor Joseph Chan Ho-lim of the Liberal Party slammed the two departments for allowing the conversion of the four-storey property at 27 Lugard Road despite strong opposition, and for not giving enough time to a public consultation.

A motion put forth by Chan to oppose the development received the unanimous support of 15 other council members. Two members abstained.

Chan criticised the Transport Department for not taking into account potential traffic hazards and the fact that Lugard Road was the first section of the Hong Kong Trail, which is ranked as one of the world's top 10 hiking trails by the Lonely Planet travel guide.

The mansion was also put forward to become a grade-two historic building earlier this year.

Chan said the road, the only one leading into and out of the site, measured just 1.8 metres at its widest point. Vehicles using it would pose a danger to the hundreds of hikers and tourists who frequented the area, he said.

"Cars using the road will have to share it with pedestrians, with only the space of a hand in between, making it extremely dangerous," said Chan.

The Transport Department sought to address the issue in an August proposal that involved the use of 1.5-metre-wide electric cars and limiting the number of journeys per vehicle to two an hour on weekdays and non-public holidays. But Chan said this idea was "impractical, impossible and lacking logic" as it ignored the fact that vehicles delivering supplies, as well as hotel staff and guests, would also need to use the road at times beyond the hotel's control.

Councillor Chan Choi-hi also added that the rule would be nearly impossible to enforce.

Transport Department senior engineer Tam Chung-on said the two cars an hour solution had already been offered to the developer, Crown Empire, and it was "up to them to make it work".

Tam said cars could give way to pedestrians.

Built in 1916, the house was bought by Crown Empire in September for HK$384 million.

The developer's proposal for a 17-room boutique hotel and the construction of two new villas was approved by the Town Planning Board last month.

The Antiquities and Monuments Office and Development Bureau did not oppose the project as the owner had promised to preserve the overall appearance of the building.


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## hkskyline

*Land-hungry Hong Kong looks underground, as developers eye parks*

HONG KONG, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Wild boar and water buffalo are not an image most people associate with one of the world's great global financial centres.

Yet in Hong Kong, where more than 7 million people are packed into just 30 percent of the territory, the green belts, country parks, woodlands and wetlands that take up the rest of the land provide ample space for such animals to roam.

That could be about to change. As officials scour the territory for new places to build, the prospect of going underground, creating man-made islands or developing the city's cherished parks are all among the options being discussed.

One idea is to build a cross-harbour pedestrian corridor - with shops and entertainment facilities along the way - underneath the city's kilometre-wide Victoria Harbour.

Encroaching onto the green spaces has strong support from Hong Kong's powerful property tycoons, who are feeling the heat from a series of tightening measures aimed at reining in prices that have jumped 120 percent since 2008.

Gordon Wu, chairman of developer Hopewell Holdings Ltd and vice president of the Real East Developers' Association, calls the attachment to parks "stupid".

But some business executives say the rural habitats that make up the bulk of the former British colony's roughly 1,100 sq km (425 sq miles) help give the city an edge over rival global finance centres in the eyes of many expatriates.

"They like that you can get out of Central and be up walking in the hills in 15 minutes," said Simon Galpin, director-general of InvestHK, which supports foreign investment in Hong Kong.

Richard Vuylsteke, president of the city's American Chamber of Commerce, said people would not consider the city to be a great place to live if country parks were developed.

"The quality of life has an impact on the quality of business," he said.

WILD BOAR OR CAGE HOMES?

Last year, roughly 13 million people visited Hong Kong's country parks, home to Burmese pythons, Chinese pangolins, civet cats, badgers and muntjac deer.

But the space devoted to wildlife creates a dilemma for authorities trying to find homes for the 230,000 people on a waiting list for public housing in one of the world's most expensive property markets. Officials estimate an additional 470,000 flats will be needed in the next decade.

"Why are boar allowed to wander around while humans are forced to live in cubicle apartments and cage homes?" Wu told local television last month, referring to the stacked wire mesh hutches where some of the city's poorest people live.

"You say country park is the pride of Hong Kong, but I think it is stupid."

New World Development Co Ltd's chairman Henry Cheng Kar-Shun and billionaire Lee Shau Kee, chairman of Henderson Land Development Co Ltd, also see country parks as an ideal solution to the city's housing problem.

The government forecasts it will need to build one new town that would house roughly 600,000 people per decade over the next 30 years due to the continuous inflow of people to the city, both from mainland China and elsewhere.

DOLPHIN OBJECTIONS

Sea reclamation is another option. Hong Kong's 6,800 hectares of reclaimed land - about 6 percent of its territory - already houses 1.9 million people.

Six areas for future reclamation have been proposed by the Development Bureau to potentially create up to a further 3,100 hectares of land.

Another plan on the drawing board is man-made islands close to the city's financial district, where the Development Bureau aims to create up to 2,400 hectares of "extension of urban area" to accommodate large-scale community and industrial facilities.

No further details on the proposed islands are available for now, the Development Bureau told Reuters.

Despite its success, reclamation has declined significantly in the past decade, following a 1997 ordinance that limits further development in Victoria Harbour to preserve the city's famous panorama.

New reclamation projects also often face opposition from residents worried about the impact on the value of sea-view apartments and the blocking of cooling breezes. There are also environmental objections.

"For sea reclamation, the key objection is about the dolphins," CLSA property analyst Nicole Wong said. "But I guess dolphins are more mobile than country parks - how could you relocate animals in country parks?"

GOING UNDERGROUND

With strong public objections against developing country parks and further reclamation, authorities have another idea in mind: move the city underground.

Hong Kong is conducting its first territory-wide study into the feasibility of creating an extensive underground city, with retail outlets, pedestrian links, a sports field and even a columbarium.

"The government is looking into all options that can create space," said Samuel Ng, chief geotechnical engineer at the Civil Engineering and Development Department.

Ng, who is responsible for the study, said by moving facilities such as refuse collection points underground, land could be freed up.

"If we develop it properly, maybe in 10 years time it really becomes a solution option for us," said Ng.

The department said it would identify 15 urban areas for underground development by the end of 2015, with each site covering a surface area of at least 40 hectares - roughly twice the size of Victoria Park, the largest park on Hong Kong Island.

But experts said moving facilities underground will be many times more expensive than surface projects due to higher construction costs. Lengthy studies are also needed on the feasibility of underground projects, and the city's need for housing is urgent.

"They are expensive and it also takes some while," said Bernard Lim, president at Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design. "It's definitely not the immediate answer."


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
*Green groups hike against Hoi Ha development plan*
Green groups say plan for village homes near Sai Kung marine park is 'incredibly damaging'
Monday, 14 October, 2013 

More than 200 conservationists and villagers voted with their feet yesterday against a plan to build dozens of houses at the Sai Kung coastal village of Hoi Ha.

They took part in a 4.8-kilometre hike in which they also called for an end to the practice of property developers destroying the ecological value of land on the pretence of farming before seeking building permission.

Save Our Country Parks, an alliance of 20 green groups, will submit a petition to the Town Planning Board at the end of next month, when public consultation on where in Hoi Ha houses can be built ends. The draft zoning plan allocated a 2.5-hectare area in the centre of Hoi Ha for development under the small-house policy, which allows indigenous male villagers to build three-storey homes.

The alliance, which organised the hike from Tai Tan village to Hoi Ha, is also calling for a change to conservation laws that do not require landowners to get permission to farm.

"It's being abused now by developers who are buying plots of land and then clearing them of anything of ecological interest on the grounds that they're farming," Friends of Hoi Ha secretary David Newbery said, adding that this had happened to paddy fields in neighbouring Pak Sha O, making it easier for the developers to gain building permission.

Newbery said he was afraid developers would bulldoze land in Hoi Ha before the consultation ended, adding it could happen tomorrow.

Hoi Ha attracts 100,000 visitors a year and overlooks Hoi Ha Marine Park, a site of special scientific interest.

John Wright, secretary of Friends of Sai Kung, said 90 per cent of several dozen plots of land in the drafted zone had been sold for HK$40 million to eight developers. "This is actually a fraud on the government and on the people of Hong Kong," he said.

Friends of Hoi Ha chairwoman Nicola Newbery said the small houses were "incredibly environmentally damaging".

Houses built by indigenous villagers are exempt from many regulations. For example, they do not require sewage systems, only septic tanks.

David Newbery said he was afraid effluent from several dozen new septic tanks could wipe out the 64 species of coral in the marine park.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> PLA Headquarters continues to be under green scaffolding for renovation :
> 
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> Taken on 8/5


10/9


walking to the star ferry by turkishraf, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Country parks appear clear in homes row*
The Standard
Thursday, October 17, 2013

The development chief says the government has no current plans to tap country parks for housing - something he controversially hinted at previously.

However, Paul Chan Mo-po reiterated that Fan Ling golf course remains potentially viable for residential development.

Chan had sparked a heated debate after asking in his blog whether it is time to designate parts of country parks for homes.

But in reply to a written question by lawmaker Lam Tai-fai, Chan said: "The government currently has no plan to develop country parks for housing purposes."

Regarding the 170-hectare site currently leased to the Hong Kong Golf Club, he said: "The Home Affairs Bureau will commence an overall review on the Private Recreational Lease policy this year.

"The Development Bureau will take into account the relevant review findings when considering the future development potential of the Fan Ling golf course."


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## hkskyline

*Study blows Sai Kung wind farm off course *
CLP Power delays energy project to spend more time on feasibility research
21 October 2013
South China Morning Post

A proposed offshore wind farm off Sai Kung might not see its blades rotating for at least another two years after the city's largest power producer decided to extend a feasibility study into its economic viability and technical design.

The wind farm, proposed by CLP Power for construction near the Ninepin islands, was once said to be the city's most ambitious renewable energy project and was targeted for completion by 2016. But the firm now appears to be taking a more cautious approach to the project.

Richard Lancaster, chief executive of CLP Holdings, the firm's parent company, said the group had already spent 10 years looking into how to build a wind farm in Hong Kong, but it did not want to make a hasty decision.

"The decision has to be taken quite carefully as it is a big investment. We need to make sure the costs are fully understood," he said at the World Energy Congress in South Korea last week.

Lancaster said more solid wind data would be required to confirm the project's economic feasibility, and that a couple more years of study were needed.

The lengthening of the study means the multibillion-dollar project is unlikely to be part of the five-year development plan the company submitted to the government earlier this year.

Construction of the infrastructure for the wind farm would boost the value of the firm's fixed assets, which is the basis on which its maximum permitted profits by the government are calculated. The greater the asset value, the higher the return allowed.

The firm is facing uncertainty ahead of the expiration of the current regulatory regime for the power industry, also known as the Scheme of Control Agreement, in 2018. A decision will likely be made before 2016 on whether the electricity market will be liberalised.

CLP estimated in 2011 that a 200 megawatt wind farm with up to 67 turbines would cost up to HK$7 billion and would lead to a 2 per cent rise in customer tariffs.

Lancaster said he would prefer the wind farm, if it were accepted, be paid for by all the company's electricity users.


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## hkskyline

*Drivers get pipes apology*
The Standard
Monday, October 28, 2013




























Development chief Paul Chan Mo-po has apologized for burst waterpipes at Ma Tau Wai.

However Chan said it is merely "coincidental" they occurred during construction work of the Sha Tin-Central MTR extension.

The 38-centimeter saltwater main at Ma Tau Wai Road burst at different locations on September 11 and October 2. Experts blamed aging pipes for the incidents.

Chan apologized in his weekly blog for the inconvenience caused to motorists by road closures following the bursts.

Although they happened close to where MTR Corp is carrying out extension work, the rail company is not to blame.

Pipes in Ma Tau Wai Road have been in use for more than 30 years and a water-diversion project to be completed next month should reduce the chances of such a thing happening again.


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## hkskyline

* All at sea*
Giant floating platforms that house communities could be the answer to urban overcrowding 
1 November 2013
South China Morning Post

There has been much debate on where land can be found to house a growing population in Hong Kong. For communities elsewhere, the need is even more pressing.

With global population density increasing and sea levels expected to rise by as much as 30cm by 2050, many coastal habitats will come under intense pressure. And the answer could be right on the horizon.

"In major cities there's already a lack of space and the next logical step is to make use of water," says Koen Olthuis, founder of Netherlands-based Waterstudio.nl and architect of multiple maritime projects.

"It's just evolution - the elevator made vertical cities of skyscrapers possible, and water is the next step for letting cities grow and become more dense."

More than two-thirds of the Netherlands is prone to flooding, and much of it is below sea-level, which gives its architects and engineers an unusual perspective on man's relationship to water. While he stops short of proposing giant cities at sea, Olthuis thinks the definition of a city should be changing constantly.

Waterstudio.NL's City Apps project tackles urban density and climate change. It was inspired by Olthuis' belief that cities should be more flexible, and approached as a product.

"Smartphones all look the same but they are not, they are personalised with different apps," he says. "We looked at cities and saw they have their own problems, and our floating City Apps simply add to the hardware of a city."

Waterstudio's first project is for the watery Korail slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where 70,000 people struggle to survive. Its solution - a small floating platform housing a school with 20 iPads fixed to the walls, intended to be used as an internet hub at night - has mostly been built in the Netherlands.

"In slums there are no rules - if you build a house it can be destroyed in a few months by the government rethinking that area, but if that happens then City Apps can be moved," says Olthuis. "We've put the floating platform in Dhaka. We need 14,000 plastic PET bottles to keep one City App floating, so we got the local people to collect the bottles and paid them four to six cents each."

The next City App - this time for sanitation - is planned for Bangkok.

A similar project comes from NLE, another Netherlands-based architectural practice, which has been working with the floating community of Makoko, near Lagos in Nigeria.

Around 100,000 people are thought to live here in stilt houses - largely as a result of massive urban sprawl - but the community lacks schools and infrastructure. NLE's solution is a pyramid-shaped primary floating school built from local bamboo, which is intended as a community hub.

Such socially progressive projects are often spin-offs of lucrative contracts elsewhere. Waterstudio's Five Lagoons Project, a joint-venture between Dutch Docklands and the government of the Maldives, will see an area of about 740 hectares supplied with luxury floating developments.

"We are going to develop five lagoons with different functions, including a resort, a conference hotel and a floating golf course," says Olthuis, though the point of the star item - a luxury Ocean Flower resort of 185 villas - isn't just to tempt tourists.

"By doing this we will learn how to make big green islands, and see how we can then make social housing on the water for local people," says Olthuis.

His long-term goal is to help the 110,000 people in the Maldives' capital city Male, which is barely 1.5 metres above sea level and likely to be submerged in the next 85 years.

"You need this kind of expensive project to fund the future projects to help society," Olthuis says.

Next up is Miami, where 17 floating developments will be built on a large lake. Floating communities aren't always a response to rising sea levels in coastal communities. Non-profit organisation the Seasteading Institute wants to initiate an autonomous offshore community that pushes total freedom and encourages innovation and experimentation beyond the reach of governments.

"We're looking for trailblazers," says the organisation's promotional video. "We believe humanity needs a new, blue frontier where we're all free to explore new ways of living together."

It claims "seasteaders" would only need the kind of money required to live in a big city. The institute is now attempting to raise money for its Floating City project on crowd-sourcing website Indiegogo, and doing fairly well - though it also needs a "host" country.

There's a similar issue over at Freedom Ship International, a Florida-based company that is hoping to raise the US$11 billion needed to build the world's largest vessel.

Designed as a mobile floating platform stretching over 1,600 metres, Freedom Ship - which could set sail renamed as the Global Friend Ship - is designed to host an entire city of up to 100,000.

Just under half that number will reside permanently on the ship, which will make its way slowly around the world's coastal regions over three years.

As it moves, a fleet of ferries and small aircraft (there's an airport on the roof) will take residents to shore - as tourists or businesspeople - and bring tourists onboard to visit the 2.7-million-tonne vessel's casinos, restaurants and businesses. It will have schools, a hospital and a security force.

"It's the first ever floating city," says Roger Gooch, director and vice-president of Freedom Ship International, "but it's too large to go into a port so it will also stay around 15 miles [24 kilometres] offshore in international waters."

Freedom Ship is designed to let people get away from the normal restrictions of global geography and governments, he says.

There's a similar reason behind another offshore entity called Blueseed. A purpose-built floating platform registered in the Bahamas but moored in international waters 22 kilometres from the shores of San Francisco, Blueseed is aimed at international entrepreneurs who can't enter the US (Silicon Valley, in particular) to start companies because of restrictive visa issues.

Offering its occupants - all with a US business or travel visa - daily 30-minute ferry rides to the mainland as well as helicopter trips, Blueseed will begin life next year on a refitted cruise ship, progressing to the custom-built Blueseed Two floating city soon after.

But life at sea isn't just restricted to land-based humans. Olthuis has a vision of a Sea Tree, a multi-storey floating structure similar to an oil rig that could be placed in rivers, lakes and oceans near densely populated cities.

"Instead of creating green areas in the city, make them on the water," he says. "When nature starts to colonise a Sea Tree then birds, animals and insects will use it, too."

Olthuis already has a way to pay for it. "I could see oil companies donating Sea Trees to cities in return for drilling rights," he says.

A Sea Tree in Victoria Harbour? That really would give Hong Kong a new look.


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## hkskyline

Construction next to the Space Museum
9/8


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## hkskyline

*Legco set for battle over inclusion of scenic Sai Kung village in park plan*
South China Morning Post
7 November 2013

By *bigwa1116* from dcfever :









Green groups yesterday voiced fears that rural strongman Lau Wong-fat would try to amend a bill incorporating a scenic Sai Kung enclave into a surrounding country park after a non-binding motion calling for it to be excluded from the park was passed by lawmakers.

The motion, moved by the Heung Yee Kuk lawmaker and passed by a Legislative Council subcommittee on country parks, calls for Tai Long Sai Wan to remain outside the Sai Kung East Country Park.

Lau said the government was trying to strip away the rights of villagers who say the change would prevent them from building homes on the land.

"It is very regrettable that the government is taking away villagers' rights," Lau said. "It is setting a very bad precedent, which will harm social harmony."

Tai Long Sai Wan is one of three areas covered by the bill that the government wants to incorporate into three different country parks.

Dr Michael Lau Wai-neng, global conservation body WWF's senior programme head of local biodiversity and regional wetland, said he feared Lau would seek to amend the bill.

"If Tai Long Sai Wan, which has attracted so much public concern, is not included in the country park, I am worried what will happen to other land in the future," he said.

The motion passed 7-4. Supporters included Liberal Party leader James Tien Pei-chun and Elizabeth Quat of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Opponents included the Civic Party's Kenneth Chan Ka-lok and People Power's Albert Chan Wai-yip.

The move to protect areas of private land within or surrounded by country parks arose from a row over unauthorised excavation at Tai Long Sai Wan. Villagers say that if the coastal enclave becomes part of the park, they may be unable to exercise their rights to build homes under the "small house" policy.

But Michael Lau said that even if the land became part of a country park, villagers could still apply to build houses there. The only difference was that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, instead of the Lands Department, would review the application.

"In the last decade, two applications have been filed to build houses in country parks. Both have been approved," he said.

The Conservancy Association's assistant campaign manager Roy Ng Hei-man said many of the subcommittee members appeared close to rural leaders.


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## hkskyline

High Point 曉尚 
http://www.high-point.com.hk/index_tc.html

31 stories, numbered G/F, 1-3/F, 5-12/F, 15-23/F, 25-33/F and 35/F
188 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po
Estimated Completion : 30 September 2014

_10/5_


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## hkskyline

*Towns to be hit by boom in elderly *
Government urged to plan ahead as areas with fastest-growing number of residents over 65 face a shortage of homes and welfare facilities
12 November 2013
South China Morning Post

Satellite towns built since the 1970s will bear the brunt of the boom in Hong Kong's elderly population over the next five years, with the number of residents over 65 expected to grow by more than a third.

The rates of growth in the number of elderly in Tuen Mun, Tai Po and Sha Tin will range from 34 to 41 per cent, compared to just 20 per cent in older districts. The figures emerged from a South China Morning Post analysis of the latest projections by the Census and Statistics Department.

Despite the likely growth indicated by the government's own figures, only five of the 11 sites earmarked in the policy address for the construction of new homes for the elderly this year were in the three towns.

Others are in Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long and Sheung Shui.

Also, little is known about the economic background of those turning 60 or 65 by 2018.

The Post approached the Labour and Welfare Bureau, Development Bureau, Education Bureau, and Census and Statistics Department, but none could give such details.

Chairman of the Elderly Commission Alfred Chan Cheung-ming said the government needed to collect more data and plan ahead to address the issue.

"For better programme planning, we will need to know which districts will face more demand for elderly nursing homes and day care centres.

"The data will also give information as to which public estates should be retrofitted earlier so the elderly can live in them," Chan said. Fourteen per cent of Hong Kong's population is aged 65 or over, a figure expected to rise to 30 per cent by 2040.

A Labour and Welfare Bureau spokeswoman said the possibility of reserving land in new developments and redevelopments for social welfare facilities would continue to be explored.

She added that in the medium term, the bureau hoped to convert vacant government premises, schools and public housing flats into such facilities.

More than half of the city's elderly live in private housing.

Around a third live in public rental flats, built and maintained by the Housing Authority and Housing Society respectively. Another 17 per cent live in subsidised flats under the Home Ownership Scheme.

The Housing Authority, which manages most public flats, said it did not have figures to show how many flats had been modified for the elderly.

But a spokeswoman said about 5,000 flats in 50 estates had warden services and emergency alarm systems. The authority would also convert bath tubs into showers with a grab rail free of charge for elderly tenants upon request, as well as for families with members over 60.

A Housing Society spokesman said about 22,000 residents living in its public flats were aged 65 or over and it had helped 106 of them retrofit their homes.

Lifts were also built in the Kwun Lung Lau estate in Kennedy Town and the Ming Wah Dai Ha estate in Shau Kei Wan.


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## hkskyline

*RTHK grilled over new HK$6 billion home *
12 November 2013
South China Morning Post

RTHK yesterday faced a grilling from lawmakers eager to find out why the construction costs of its planned new headquarters have almost quadrupled to HK$6.1 billion in four years, from an original estimate of HK$1.6 billion.

The public broadcaster's chief, Roy Tang Yun-kwong, said estimates made in 2009 did not take into account the new tasks imposed on RTHK by the government, including the launch of three new television channels, a digital audio service and a media asset management service.

The new tasks, coupled with a larger proposed site in Tseung Kwan O, explain why the project cost increases outpaced inflation in construction, Tang told a Legislative Council panel.

Susie Ho Shuk-yee, a permanent secretary from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, said it was difficult for RTHK to expand its services in its current 44-year-old headquarters in Kowloon Tong.

But lawmakers demanded a more detailed cost estimate, as the government seeks funding approval from the Legco finance committee and its subcommittee as early as next month.

"It was rather too expensive," Democratic Party lawmaker Sin Chung-kai said.

Christopher Chung Shu-kun, from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, asked for a more detailed explanation of the cost increase. But in response officials only reiterated the floor area changes to the project.

The new broadcasting house will be built on a 30,600 square metre plot, and the finished nine-storey building will provide a net operational floor area of some 27,660 square metres - about 77 per cent larger than RTHK's current home.

About 30 per cent of the floor space - or 8,090 square metres - will be used for staff offices. Specialist facilities such as archives and libraries will occupy about 20 per cent of the floor area, as will facilities for digital terrestrial television broadcasting. Another 7 per cent of the building will be used as the news centre. Its proposed size - 1,910 square metres - is almost seven times larger than current news facilities.

Upon completion of the project in 2018, RTHK will produce its own television news reports and 4,000 to 6,000 hours of television programmes a year - about five to eight times its current productivity, Tang added.


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## hkskyline

*Legislators must reject funding for RTHK's extravagant new headquarters*
Albert Cheng says added services and inflation cannot possibly account for the nearly quadrupling of the estimated construction costs
15 November 2013
South China Morning Post

Christopher Chung Shu-kun, the foul-mouthed legislator and member of the pro-establishment Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, exposed his crassness on Tuesday at a Legislative Council session to discuss the construction costs of the new RTHK headquarters.

When Chung realised the project would cost up to HK$6.1 billion, he immediately used the occasion to mock Ricky Wong Wai-kay, founder of Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV), for seeking to launch a television station with a personal net worth of "mere tens of billions". Chung used extremely rude words to ridicule Wong for overestimating his financial capacity.

Chung's outburst was not really surprising and did not divert attention from the important issue at hand - the overspending of the government-run broadcaster.

The planned cost of the infrastructure alone has shot up from the estimated HK$1.6 billion four years ago to the present HK$6.1 billion. And this is just the hardware and does not include the software such as human resources and operational expenses.

Public entities are often not as well run as private enterprises, but no matter how you look at the possible cost of building a new RTHK headquarters, which is supposed to provide radio and television services, the HK$6.1 billion price tag is totally unreasonable.

One of the excuses provided by RTHK was that when it projected the cost at HK$1.6 billion in 2009, it didn't include provisions for digital broadcasting, three new television channels and a media asset management service.

But if you look at the set-up of digital broadcaster DBC, which has seven digital channels, its basic infrastructural investment only amounted to HK$100 million, while the planned costs of HKTV's television city was only HK$600 million.

The planned RTHK headquarters will yield approximately 300,000 sq ft of space. Even if we assume construction spending will be extravagant, at HK$3,000 per sq ft, it shouldn't exceed HK$1 billion.

Even though the proposal will include a data centre, the adjusted cost is still excessive.

The planned data centre of Google in Tseung Kwan O is expected to cost about HK$2.4 billion. So if you add up the costs of a data centre, and offices for television and digital services, the total cost should come to somewhere about HK$4 billion.

Let's look at the costs of other television stations. In the early 2000s when TVB set up a new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, with five free channels, the cost came to HK$1.6 billion. Adding the digital facilities, the bill came to HK$2.2 billion. Phoenix TV's Beijing headquarters, which handles all national production work on the mainland, cost less than HK$1 billion. It all goes to show that no matter how we calculate the cost, it shouldn't come to HK$6.1 billion.

On top of this, there is still the annual operating costs of around HK$600 million, the cost of a news centre, and digital broadcasting, as well as the additional manpower to cope with all these needs.

Both the pan-democrats and the pro-government camps questioned the astronomical construction costs, but so far no one has objected to the project outright. The reason is obvious - no one wants to make enemies of the government media, plus the money will come from the public coffers. It's nothing but a show.

HKTV sought to invest billions to run 30 channels. All production work would have been done locally. Yet, the promising television project still failed to get government approval. Government-run RTHK, with only seven radio channels, digital broadcasting that still has no independent production, and television programmes that are not run round the clock, has the temerity to ask for HK$6.1 billion merely for the building of its headquarters and has seemingly already got the green light from the administration. All this points to one fact - the station will almost certainly turn into a media tool used by the government.

As public representatives, lawmakers should act as gatekeepers and reject the funding request. It's simple: the project isn't good value and it's a waste of public funds.

The scandal-plagued station has to figure out its role and position in the market as it struggles on with low staff morale, an unfair pay structure, disorganised management and a low standard of programming. With all these problems, the station has no right to demand public support for its operation in such an extravagant manner.

As I have always advocated, the only way forward for RTHK is for it to become a genuine public broadcaster to lend a voice to the public, especially the underprivileged.

And, first and foremost, Legco members must not support the RTHK expansion.

Albert Cheng King-hon is a political commentator and a co-founder of DBC.


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## hkskyline

*Planned villages 'threaten enclave'*
18 November 2013
South China Morning Post	

Source : http://www.pbase.com/andrew57/ 









A weather-beaten concrete road leading to remote Pak Lap Wan is the first visible sign of the many things that have gone wrong at the scenic rural enclave in the last five years.

Nestled deep in the southern end of the Sai Kung East Country Park, hikers and campers call it "the Maldives of Hong Kong" for its fung shui woods, coral reefs, soft sands and pristine waters.

But proposed village developments in the remote 6.8-hectare enclave could pose a serious threat to its sensitive ecology, conservation group WWF Hong Kong has warned.

"The village development area is exceptionally large and this is not ideal for Pak Lap as it would cause significant environmental damage," said Dr Michael Lau Wai-neng, head of WWF's biodiversity and regional wetlands programme. "Once the houses are built, this could all be gone."

Now mostly abandoned agricultural land, Pak Lap is one of 54 enclaves across the territory without official planning controls or country-park zoning. These pockets of land lie near country-park boundaries and do not come under the protection of the Country Parks Ordinance.

After illegal works were uncovered in the enclave of Tai Long Sai Wan in 2010, the government announced an ambitious mission to "protect" the 54 enclaves from illegal development by setting aside half of the enclaves - including Tai Long Sai Wan - to be incorporated into surrounding country parks.

The other half - including Pak Lap, which was seen as having less ecological value - were designated as development permission areas (DPAs), meaning they would be open to future development under statutory planning schemes.

Under Pak Lap's current draft zoning plans, village-type developments make up the largest part of the plan.

Up to 79 "small houses" could be built in one zone, putting several species of animals and plants in danger, including at least one rare species of water fern under category-two state protection.

But well before these plans for Pak Lap were laid out by the government, the damage had already been done, mostly under the radar after part of the land was bought by a private developer in 2009.

Since then, illegal developments, deforestation and excavation works have been carried out; streams have been rerouted; and the construction of dams, ditches and artificial ponds have turned parts of the enclave into partial construction sites.

"All this is part of the 'destroy first, develop later' approach to facilitate future development," Lau said. "Letting people build houses here will not do anything to protect the enclave at all."

The lack of public sewage systems to support new villages also means any new houses would have to be treated by on-site systems.

"These systems provide minimal levels of sewage treatment. How can you ensure they will all be regularly maintained?" Lau asked.

Outline zoning plans for two other enclaves - Hoi Ha Wan in the Sai Kung West Country Park, and So Lo Pun in the Plover Cove Country Park - have also been gazetted by the Town Planning Board, and the final public consultation ends on November 27.

Green groups have urged the government to incorporate enclaves into country parks so they can be protected by the ordinance and properly managed.

"Statutory plans are not good enough to protect these enclaves because it would mean the government has lost control of these enclaves. This is bad news because the demand for small houses is infinite," said Paul Zimmerman, a co-convener of the Save Our Country Parks alliance.

Mr Chan, a Sai Kung resident and the owner of the only cafe on Pak Lap Wan Beach, agrees. "The best way is for the government to just take over. That would just make everybody happy, as it wouldn't change anything.

"But I believe green groups and villagers should strike a deal and pressure the government together, and not the reverse - where green groups and the government pressure villagers."

Meanwhile, the fate of Tai Long Sai Wan, the enclave to be incorporated into Sai Kung East Country Park, still hangs in the balance, with the Legislative Council to vote on a motion next month to block the move.

Heung Yee Kuk lawmaker Lau Wong-fat, who tabled the motion, said any incorporation of land into country parks without compensation would infringe on the private-property rights of indigenous villagers.


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## hkskyline

*Lee offers land for super-size elderly home*
The Standard
Tuesday, November 19, 2013










Tycoon Lee Shau-kee has donated to Pok Oi Hospital land in Tuen Mun for a 2,000-bed home for the elderly.

The home, if approved by authorities, would be equivalent to 20 standard facilities for the elderly and shorten waiting time for such services.

Henderson Land revealed that as the land is a gift from its chairman, he will pay the company its estimated value of HK$107 million. 

It is now listed as farm land though used as a car park.

The developer also reckons the care home would be up and running with its 2,000 beds by 2107 if a change of land use for 100,000 square feet is approved.

Welfare sector lawmaker Cheung Kwok-chu said the project is a worthy cause and he urged the administration to help Pok Oi through what can be a lengthy land rezoning procedure. 

Lee, 85, turned to Pok Oi after the administration rejected previous offers of the land for cheap housing and said Henderson should co-operate with non- governmental organizations.

Pok Oi Hospital has solid experience in hostels for the elderly, and the site is near Pok Oi's Yuen Long headquarters.

Henderson said there could be construction in phases of three blocks for a project that "will help shorten elderly people's waiting time for hostels."

Henderson Land applied in 2009 for permission to build residential blocks on the site, but that was refused by the Town Planning Board.

Pok Oi is now to undertake a feasibility study, which will include site surveying and an assessment of the project's impact on the environment and traffic flows in the area. The site's designation as farm land would also need to be changed before going beyond the preparatory planning stage.

Pok Oi would also need to discuss with the Social Welfare Department the number of beds, the expectation being most would be government-subsidized. 

Labour and Welfare Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said yesterday that Pok Oi Hospital has already submitted to the department an application for a grant from the Lotteries Fund to develop and operate a care home for the elderly.

Such facilities "are in acute demand," he said, and the land donation is to be welcomed.


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## hkskyline

*New home deal has granny flat included* 
Novel concept from Housing Society gives priority to buyers who want to live a few floors up from elderly relatives, in special rental units
15 November 2013
South China Morning Post





































A new housing project has come up with a novel way of addressing how the city can care for its ageing population - it will give priority to buyers who plan to rent a flat in the same block for their elderly relatives.

The media was given a first glimpse of Harmony Place in Shau Kei Wan yesterday. It is the brainchild of the non-profit making Housing Society and is a response to statistics showing that by 2041, people aged 65 or over will account for a third of the population, as opposed to the current 14 per cent.

"This is the first time we have launched a project that is specially designed to cross the generations. We hope to encourage more buyers to take care of their parents or parents-in-law," said the society's assistant general manager Daniel Mak Yiu-man.

As well as selling 214 flats, Harmony Place will also offer 60 flats for rental. Specially designed with the elderly in mind, these flats are located on the sixth to 11th floors, where extra-wide corridors allow space for wheelchairs. Inside the flats, there are support rails and safety alarms, sprinklers, fire alarms and phones linking directly to their relatives' flats elsewhere in the building.

To make it onto the priority list, buyers will be required to declare that they have a close relationship with the elderly relative who will be renting.

Mak said: "In order to encourage the norm of living with the elderly, we tend to impose less stringent requirements in this project. The elderly are not necessarily their parents. They can be relatives who need long-term health care."

While declining to disclose the selling price and rental level, Mak said they would be set according to the market. The show flat in Cheung Sha Wan is open to the public from today ahead of the sales launch later this year.

Mak said only one purchase per buyer would be allowed, and no purchases by companies would be permitted.

Data released by real estate agent Centaline shows that second-hand flats from Sun Hung Kai Properties' recently completed iUniQ Residence in Shau Kei Wan are priced from HK$19,463 to HK$21,413 per sq ft.

Despite the high price, real estate agents expected a good market response to the Housing Society project, while refraining from speculating about the selling price.

Larry Chau, a sales manager at Midland Realty, said: "Our firm has received more than 10 inquiries a month about the project over the past few months.

"Many young families are interested in it as they want to live closer to their parents, but it is very difficult to buy or lease two flats in the same building," he added. "As the rental flats are owned by the society, you wouldn't need to worry about any unexpected increase in the rent by 10 to 15 per cent."

Patrick Tsang, senior sales director at Centaline, said the project would draw a lot of interest for its ideas on elderly care. "Also, we haven't had any other new projects in the area on the market for over a year," he added.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Construction in *Tung Chung* :
> 8/10
> 
> 
> Panorama of Tung Chung evening by tamkw525, on Flickr


*Visionary buyers to get deep discounts *
19 November 2013
South China Morning Post 

Nan Fung Development will offer the first batch of 318 units at the Visionary development in Tung Chung at discounts of up to 22 per cent as it seeks to compete for buyers amid a downturn in the property market.

To drum up sales, the developer will offer 10 per cent off for buyers who opt for cash payment, plus 3 per cent of extra discounts and a 9 per cent subsidy to help them meet stamp duty payments.

The average price for the first batch of flats is HK$9,686 per square foot, in line with transaction prices in the secondary market.

"After the discounts, prices will go down to HK$7,600 per square foot, which is 10 per cent below the current transaction prices in the area," said Sammy Po, a director at Midland Realty.

The price per square foot would be 13 per cent below the current average transaction price of HK$7,910 per square foot at Caribbean Coast, a 10-year-old development opposite the Visionary.

A 434 sqft unit is also being offered for HK$3.31 million, or HK$7,646 per square foot.

Po said buyers would only be able to find properties with such price tags in Yuen Long if they were intent on buying a flat in a new project.

He said he expected sales in the secondary market in Tung Chung to come to a standstill as individual owners would be unlikely to offer big price cuts to compete with the developer.

More than 10,000 people visited the Visionary development, which comprises 1,419 units, to view show flats at the weekend.

Developers are racing to offer discounts and sweeteners to speed up sale of new projects after the number of transactions plunged 44 per cent from January to 4,648 last month.


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## hkskyline

*Mega-project pair rake in the cash *
The Standard
Monday, November 25, 2013

Hundreds flocked at the weekend to view show flats for mega-projects The Avenue and The Visionary, with both set to launch this week.

That saw more than HK$615 million frozen in booking fees by the projects, each offering 1,000-plus flats. Prices at both will mirror nearby secondary homes, thanks to hefty discounts. 

The Avenue, with 1,096 flats spread over three towers in Wan Chai, saw Sino Land (0083) and Hopewell (0054) net more than 1,800 registrations for the first 220 units, which will go on sale on Wednesday.

The figure, revealed by agents, means more than HK$360 million worth of cashier's checks valued at HK$200,000 each were collected, with buyers offered discounts of up to 17.5 percent.

*As for The Visionary, Nan Fung Group told of more than 1,700 registrations for the first 318 flats at the Tung Chung project to become available for sale on Saturday, freezing HK$255 million. Discounts of up to 20.8 percent are being offered at the 1,419-unit, nine-tower project.*

Forty new flats were sold in the territory in the past two days, from 82 the previous weekend. 

Hutchison Whampoa Property, meanwhile, sold a second 5,706-square-foot house at its seven-home luxury project 28 Barker Road on The Peak. The price tag was HK$538 million.

Also, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) sold 12 flats at Imperial Kennedy in Western district, with a mainland buyer paying HK$40.94 million for a 1,256 sq ft special unit.

But attractive new projects are turning the secondary market sluggish. Centaline Property Agency stayed flat with nine weekend deals at the 10 major estates tracked, while Midland Realty recorded 12, down from 14.

Separately, a pharmacy operator will pay HK$738,000 per month for a 1,400 sq ft shop on 36-44 Nathan Road. The current lessee, a photographic and camera retailer, paid HK$380,000.


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## hkskyline

*Villagers take park protest to Tamar*
The Standard
Tuesday, December 03, 2013










Sai Wan villagers are camping outside government headquarters at Tamar to protest against a proposal to include the scenic Tai Long Sai Wan area in Sai Kung East Country Park. 

The villagers' move came with Heung Yee Kuk lawmaker Lau Wong-fat set to move a motion amendment in the Legislative Council tomorrow seeking to scuttle the government's plan.

Six villagers, who set up camp in the morning, said the protest will last until tomorrow. They said they will try their best to persuade some pan-democratic lawmakers to support Lau's motion.

Sai Wan village head Lai Yan said he and the others are there in support of Lau's motion. 

He said many people have not clearly understood why villagers strongly oppose the government's proposal. "If Tai Long Sai Wan is included in the country park, it is possible that villagers will not be allowed to launch maintenance works on the roads in the area," Lai said.

In an ironic twist, pan-democrats support the government's plan, while the bulk of the pro- establishment parties, including the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, voiced their support for Lau.

Lau said the incorporation of Sai Wan into country park land would take away indigenous villagers' rights, which include a right to build small houses on ancestral land.

"It is unfair for the government to incorporate Sai Wan into the country park, as such a move would deprive villagers of private property rights," Lau said. 

He added the kuk will support the villagers' fight against the government's proposal, but would not encourage others to join the camp protest.

Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said incorporating Tai Long Sai Wan into the country park is the only way to protect the area.

On Sunday, more than 100 hikers and supporters walked through Tai Long Sai Wan in a symbolic gesture to protect the scenic area.


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## hkskyline

Visionary, Tung Chung


Under construction.... how high will they go? by antwerpenR, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Villagers vow to fight on despite key Legco defeat*
5 December 2013
South China Morning Post

Lawmakers vote down motion to keep enclave out of park; kuk chief says rule of law ‘shaken’

Nature conservationists last night scored what appeared to be a better than expected victory, as lawmakers voted to include a Sai Kung enclave in a surrounding country park. But rural chiefs and their supporters vowed to carry on their fight inside and outside the courts.

A majority of Legco members voted against an amendment to the bill tabled by Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat which would have excluded Tai Long Sai Wan village from a Sai Kung country park.

Lau’s amendment was voted down 22 to nine by geographical constituency lawmakers. But it might be even more embarrassing for Lau that the motion was rejected by the functional constituency sector 14 to 13.

The defeat means that the plan to incorporate the 17-hectare enclave into the Sai Kung East Country Park, approved by the chief executive in May, is now passed.

Some lawmakers expressed sympathy for villagers frustrated by officials’ perceived inaction in safeguarding their livelihoods.

Some legislators also expressed concern that that there could be even fiercer battles ahead over including enclaves in country parks. Villagers, who gathered en masse outside the legislature building during the debate, vowed to challenge the decision in court.

Environment Secretary Wong Kam-sing rejected the argument that the plan robbed villagers of property rights.

“We will not rob [the villagers] of their properties. All existing uses and ownerships will be respected and protected. Applications for new houses will continue to be allowed,” Wong said.

He assured lawmakers that villagers will benefit from improvements to local infrastructure as a result of the plan.

Ahead of the vote, Lau told fellow legislators that officials were “violently robbing” villagers of property and land rights. “The land value has already dropped to a very low level. Landowners have been reduced to mere symbolic owners of their properties,” Lau said. The plan would “shake” the rule of law and breached the Basic Law, he added.

Cyd Ho Sau-lan, head of the subcommittee dealing with the issue, called on the government to improve local facilities and services, and foster “green tourism”.

Elizabeth Quat, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which backed Lau’s motion, claimed the government was “driving villagers to desperation”.


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
*Decision to ditch flats for Hong Kong's elderly 'bewildering'*
Housing Society accused of conforming to government's new housing policy after project ruled financially unviable after six years
10 December 2013










Two sites designated for upmarket elderly flats are instead being returned to the government to help achieve its housing target because the six-year-old project was suddenly ruled "financially unviable".

The decision by the Housing Society to drop the project in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long, was described by real-estate professor Chau Kwong-wing as "incomprehensible".

Chau, of the University of Hong Kong, believes the move may have been influenced by the government's pledge to provide 470,000 flats in the next decade.

But a spokesman for the society insisted yesterday: "This is entirely a decision of the Housing Society without government interference.

"After prudent consideration, we consider that the financial and manpower resources saved from the project could be better utilised in other housing and social projects, including public estate redevelopment."

Chau said: "I don't think redeveloping public estates would be more financially viable. The challenges have been known for six years. However, the move is not surprising as building high-end flats is politically incorrect these days.

"The society is deemed to have aligned with the new direction of the government's housing policy," he added.

The Development Bureau said the two sites would be returned to the government for private residential development. The project would have provided about 1,000 elderly-friendly units, a wellness centre, a residential care home for the elderly, a hotel, and various vocational training and recreation facilities.

Back in 2010, when Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was secretary for development, she said the project was expected to reduce social and economic problems in the remote area by creating 1,500 jobs and attracting commercial activities.

The flats were part of a Joyous Living Scheme in which 2,000 elderly people had registered their interest.

A source close to the Housing Society said yesterday that caves had been found in the porous karst landscape around the Tin Shui Wai site, and, with the soaring price of labour, the construction cost had at least doubled.

In March this year, the Housing Society had HK$19.8 billion in financial assets.

Elderly Commission chairman Alfred Chan Cheung-ming said the government needed to build homes for the ageing population. And lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing, chairman of the housing panel, said the sites should be used for subsidised housing instead of private units.


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## hkskyline

*New temple marks 20th birthday of the Big Buddha at Ngong Ping, Lantau*
Sunday, 15 December 2013
South China Morning Post

It was an early 20th birthday celebration yesterday for the Tian Tan "Big" Buddha, sitting aloft above the smog-shrouded Ngong Ping plateau on Lantau island, overlooking the Po Lin Monastery. And its gift was a multimillion-dollar new temple.

Since its completion on December 29, 1993, the 34-metre-tall bronze statue has sat serenely through Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China, the Asian financial crash, Sars and bird flu.

Yesterday, monks and distinguished guests were out in force to celebrate both the birthday and the grand opening of the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

The monastery was founded in 1906 and over the years became the largest religious complex in the city, a collection of temples and pavilions that attracts pilgrims and tourists from around the world. Visitor numbers soared with the opening of the Big Buddha.

The Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas has been under construction since 2007, and was originally due to be completed in 2010, with some of the oldest buildings on the site being demolished. Building work destroyed a number of pre-war structures to make way for the new temple.

However, the work has been beset by delays, and workers are not now due to move out completely until October 31 next year. Meanwhile, the cost is now thought to have doubled to around HK$500 million.

Yesterday, however, the abbot of Po Lin, Sik Chi Wai, was in no mood to discuss rising costs. Despite concerns over its financial health, the monastery handed out in excess of 100 lai see packets. One containing HK$500 was handed to a Sunday Morning Post journalist, but the gift will be returned to the monastery.

The new, five-storey, 5,600 square metre temple includes a library, multimedia hall and, of course, altars.

Inside the main exhibition hall are exquisite golden carvings detailing the life and death of Buddha.

The abbot has said an entrance fee to the temple and the Big Buddha may have to be introduced.

The last time fundraising schemes were proposed in 2006, Sik said the monastery was not "eager to make money" but a HK$10 charge for tourists was a reasonable request.

It has ruled out going cap-in-hand to the government, but Sik revealed in 2007 that government officials had helped negotiate the land premium down to just HK$11.98 million, according to Land Registry figures, from a reported HK$30 million.

Facts about Big Buddha
Biggest outdoor seated bronze Buddha in the world
Weighs 250 tonnes
Made from 202 bronze pieces
Cost HK$60 million to build
34 metres high, including the base
268 steps to reach it


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## hkskyline

12/11


Tung Chung (HDR) by mickyj_photos, on Flickr



hkskyline said:


> *Visionary buyers to get deep discounts *
> 19 November 2013
> South China Morning Post
> 
> Nan Fung Development will offer the first batch of 318 units at the Visionary development in Tung Chung at discounts of up to 22 per cent as it seeks to compete for buyers amid a downturn in the property market.
> 
> To drum up sales, the developer will offer 10 per cent off for buyers who opt for cash payment, plus 3 per cent of extra discounts and a 9 per cent subsidy to help them meet stamp duty payments.
> 
> The average price for the first batch of flats is HK$9,686 per square foot, in line with transaction prices in the secondary market.
> 
> "After the discounts, prices will go down to HK$7,600 per square foot, which is 10 per cent below the current transaction prices in the area," said Sammy Po, a director at Midland Realty.
> 
> The price per square foot would be 13 per cent below the current average transaction price of HK$7,910 per square foot at Caribbean Coast, a 10-year-old development opposite the Visionary.
> 
> A 434 sqft unit is also being offered for HK$3.31 million, or HK$7,646 per square foot.
> 
> Po said buyers would only be able to find properties with such price tags in Yuen Long if they were intent on buying a flat in a new project.
> 
> He said he expected sales in the secondary market in Tung Chung to come to a standstill as individual owners would be unlikely to offer big price cuts to compete with the developer.
> 
> More than 10,000 people visited the Visionary development, which comprises 1,419 units, to view show flats at the weekend.
> 
> Developers are racing to offer discounts and sweeteners to speed up sale of new projects after the number of transactions plunged 44 per cent from January to 4,648 last month.


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## hkskyline

*Century shines in record of decade*
The Standard
Friday, December 27, 2013


杯靈雙渡 Hiking from Tuen Mun to Yuen Long-20 by Leung Ching Yau Alex, on Flickr

Sales of new homes during the traditionally quiet Christmas period reached a 10-year high of 170 units - all making up the fresh batch released by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) at its Tuen Mun project.

That comes a decade after the nearly 335 flats sold during the holiday season in 2003, with annual sales since then never topping double digits. About 30 or 40 homes were sold in the period last year and in 2011.

This time around, it took SHKP just three hours to sell out its second batch at Century Gateway phase two.

The 170 units were priced below secondary homes nearby and came with discounts of up to 11.5 percent. They had racked up as many as 3,600 registrations.

Flats at the project at Tuen Muen MTR West Rail station average HK$10,795 per sellable square ft, or a discounted HK$9,575 per sellable square foot

Midland Realty said three buyers splashed out more than HK$12 million each to buy two units apiece.

Centaline Property Agency residential chief executive Louis Chan Wing-kit attributed the robust response to the low interest rates, which he expects will prevail for up to two more years

A mainland buyer named Luo said local homes will remain attractive as long as interest rates lag those across the border.

Meanwhile, the latest transactions saw SHKP price a new batch of 400 flats at Century Gateway at an average of HK$11,143 per sellable square foot.

Sized from 372 sq ft to 1,317 sq ft, the units carry price tags of between HK$4.09 million and HK$20.19 million. Most are two-bedroom flats, with eight special units. Sales start on Monday.

In contrast, the secondary home market was quiet over the past two days. A 532 sq ft unit at Mei Foo Sun Chuen changed hands for HK$5.1 million after its price was reduced by HK$200,000.

And a 1,428 sq ft flat at Harbour Green near Olympic MTR station sold for HK$21 million after the owner agreed to a discount of HK$1 million.


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post
*Lawmakers vote down HK$6b funding for new RTHK headquarters*
Critics say new headquarters too costly; officials say broadcaster's development will be hindered
PUBLISHED : Friday, 03 January, 2014, 11:40pm










Plans to expand Radio Television Hong Kong suffered a setback yesterday when lawmakers rejected a HK$6.1 billion proposal to build a new headquarters for the public broadcaster, saying it was too costly.

Officials expressed disappointment and said the rejection could hinder RTHK's development of digital radio and TV broadcasting, which is already lagging.

Most pro-establishment lawmakers at a meeting of the Legislative Council's public works subcommittee opposed the budget request, which was nearly four times the previous estimate of HK$1.6 billion in 2009. It was voted down by 10 votes to 15.

One pan-democrat who supported the project suggested the government had put forward a seemingly unacceptable request in the hope it would be vetoed, since RTHK current affairs programmes had been highly critical of it.

The government can still put the proposal to the full Finance Committee at a later date. But unless the funding is approved by March 20, the present quotation will expire and another round of tendering will be needed, leading to further delay and higher costs because of inflation and rising construction labour wages.

At the centre of the dispute is a long-overdue plan to build a new headquarters for RTHK in Tseung Kwan O to expand its services as part of its promised mission to fulfil the role of a public service broadcaster. The services would include 24-hour television news, enhanced digital audio broadcasting and digital terrestrial television.

RTHK plans to launch digital terrestrial broadcasts in 2018 and trials are under way. Households already receiving digital TV should be able to receive the trial signal once they have tuned their televisions to show the RTHK channel.

The plan for the new headquarters dates back to 2000, when it was estimated it would cost HK$1.5 billion. This was revised to $1.6 billion in 2009.

At yesterday's meeting, Director of Broadcasting Roy Tang Yun-kwong argued that the previous estimates were very rough. "At that time, there was no detail of the design," he said.

He warned further delay would increase the cost, citing the new Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai border crossing, for which costs rose by more than 50 per cent, to HK$24.8 billion, in just 18 months.

Legislator Elizabeth Quat, of the pro-establishment Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said: "The DAB is not against building a bigger headquarters for RTHK. But must it be for such an astronomical sum of money?"

Michael Tien Puk-sun, of the New People's Party, was the only pro-establishment member to vote for the funding. "RTHK deserves a better environment," he said.

Albert Chan Wai-yip of People Power, who voted for the proposal, was sceptical. "It is well known that one of the political missions of [Chief Executive] Leung Chun-ying is to 'fix' RTHK. Now the government actually wants us to vote down the project by putting forward such a lousy funding request."

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung expressed disappointment with the result.

"When we lobbied the councillors, we heard of some concerns over the amount and whether the project was value for money. Politics was not mentioned," he said.

In the latest survey on media credibility by Chinese University, RTHK was ranked the most trusted medium in Hong kong.


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## hkskyline

*RTHK to revise costs of new headquarters *
South China Morning Post 
9 January 2014

RTHK aims to take a revised plan for its new headquarters to the Legislative Council this month after lawmakers rejected its HK$6.1 billion funding request on Friday.

The station revealed the plan yesterday as it geared up for the launch of its new digital channel RTHK TV31 on Sunday.

Deputy director of broadcasting Tai Keen-man said that without the planned new building in Tseung Kwan O, it would be difficult for the broadcaster to offer programmes to fill the channel throughout the day.

He said the public broadcaster was now looking at different options including cost reduction before taking the amended proposal - to be completed within two weeks - back to Legco.

The HK$6.1 billion request rejected by Legco's public works subcommittee last week was almost four times the 2009 estimate of HK$1.6 billion.

While declining to spell out details, assistant director of broadcasting Forever Sze Wing-yuen said construction costs constituted the biggest part of the expense. "We have been in discussion with the Buildings Department over this," Sze said.

Tai said the new channel would enable RTHK to show its programmes on its own channel for the first time, rather than on TVB or ATV. Programme production would increase from 700 hours this year to 1,300 hours next year, with Sunday's annual Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award Concert kicking off the service.

From Monday, there would be eight and a half hours of content broadcast on weekdays and 131/2 on weekends, with 30 minutes of English programming every day. In addition, some acquired variety programmes such as current affairs show Vanguard and travel programme Somewhere on Earth would be available in both Chinese and English.

Two new drama series would be broadcast next week, as well as the restored classic Below the Lion Rock series.

The station had aimed to broadcast around the clock from 2018, but, with the new headquarters in question, this was now in doubt.

Only residents of buildings with communal aerials upgraded for digital signals can watch the new channel.

Those who have yet to upgrade can watch live broadcasts online or through the mobile phone app RTHK Screen.


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## hkskyline

*Border project hits snag in Legco*
8 January 2014
South China Morning Post









_Source : http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/projects/major/ceo/5013gb.htm_

Multibillion-dollar crossing with Shenzhen runs into a hitch, with lawmakers refusing to boost the budget funding by more than 50 per cent

A plan to pour another HK$8.5 billion into the construction of an eastern border crossing linking to Shenzhen failed to get past lawmakers in a vote yesterday.

The Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai crossing, for which HK$16.25 billion has already been set aside, is the second works project to suffer a setback in five days for running over budget, after legislators halted funding for RTHK’s planned new headquarters.

Two more legislature bodies are set to vote on the crossing project, with the Finance Committee having the final say.

Yesterday, members of the Legislative Council development panel blamed the concentration of major works projects within a few years for a rise in construction costs, which was seen as the biggest reason behind the government’s proposed extra funds.

“Will the cost increase be lower if projects are spread out across different times?” Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing asked.

The HK$8.5 billion accounts for more than half of the budget, approved in July.

The lawmakers questioned whether the project must be finished by 2018. The work began in 2003 to link the northeastern New Territories with Shenzhen. Major structures include a checkpoint, a new road connecting it with Fanling Highway, a tunnel and five cross-border bridges.

Joining the chorus of doubts was the pro-government Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which said the crossing might not be needed urgently.

“We supported this project. But now is there really no space to postpone it?” lawmaker Ip Kwok-him said. The DAB abstained from voting.

The administration insisted on its timetable. Hon Chi-keung, director of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, warned that delays could lead to further cost increases.

New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee agreed. Ip and engineering-sector legislator Dr Lo Wai-kwok were the only two panel members who backed the funding application, while 10 pan-democrats voted against it.

The government can press ahead with its application at the public works subcommittee and the Finance Committee.

The subcommittee, meanwhile, agreed to let the government table to the Finance Committee its request for HK$7.93 billion more to continue with controversial road works.

The Transport and Housing Bureau wants the extra cash for the Central-Wan Chai Bypass and its link to the Island Eastern Corridor, bringing the revised total cost to HK$36 billion.

Official estimates of public works projects came under fire as being unreliable. The Labour Party’s Dr Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung suggested reviewing the way that costs were assessed.

Deputy secretary for development Chan Chi-ming said the government had sought more funding for only 34 of its 600 projects in the past decade.

Undersecretary for transport and housing Yau Shing-mu said the existing assessment mechanism was appropriate.


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## Manitopiaaa

Are there any supertalls in the pipeline? Hong Kong used to be #1 in supertalls but it's falling behind quickly in the past couple of years.


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## hkskyline

Manitopiaaa said:


> Are there any supertalls in the pipeline? Hong Kong used to be #1 in supertalls but it's falling behind quickly in the past couple of years.


Nothing right now. Lots of tall residentials are going up above train stations though.


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## CrazyDave

Does anyone have an update on this!


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## hkskyline

*Action seen on height limits in Pok Fu Lam *
The Standard
Wednesday, January 15, 2014


Ruins by Ding Yuin Shan, on Flickr

An extra 20,000 flats, including public rental housing and those under the Home Ownership Scheme, can be built after the height restriction in Pok Fu Lam is relaxed or lifted, a source said.

And that is among announcements expected in today's policy address by Leung Chun-ying. 

Redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate is expected to be greenlighted but the government may need to study ways to beat traffic problems expected to remain even after the MTR South Island line opens.

The relaxation of height restrictions at Pok Fu Lam and Mid-Levels was one of the 10 measures on housing and land supply in last year's address.

A source said it is believed traffic capacity will increase after the MTR West and South Island lines, and the Central-Wan Chai bypass start operation.

As-yet undeveloped government land could yield several hundred flats if restrictions are lifted.

But even then, projects there would have to comply with Urban Renewal Authority restrictions.

A source said the government is studying potential development of Pok Fu Lam to increase land supply for housing in the long term.

One of the proposals is to build public housing on a plot near Chi Fu Fa Yuen as the receiving estate for the 47-year-old Wah Fu Estate.

The Wah Fu Estate plot could be used for public housing or mixed with private flats, though that proposal would need to be studied further. But a Transport Department study found traffic would be a problem as the South Island Line (West) would be quite far from the new public housing. 

The department has spent HK$1.2 million to commission consultants to evaluate the effect on traffic if the development restriction is relaxed.

The source said as the current traffic situation is saturated, there may be congestion on Pok Fu Lam Road, Bonham Road and Queen's Road West with an increase in population in the district. A Central and Western District Council motion last year demanded the restriction be relaxed only after the South Island Line (West) starts operation.

Council member Cheng Lai-king said relaxing the development restriction would be difficult as Pok Fu Lam Road cannot be widened further.


----------



## hkskyline

PolyU Student Residence in Ho Man Tin
3/18


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## hkskyline

*Ma On Shan site bags far less than 2012 plot*
The Standard
Wednesday, March 26, 2014










Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) paid HK$1.85 billion yesterday for a residential plot in Ma On Shan - 18 percent less than a similar site nearby, tendered in late 2012.

Costing an average of HK$4,241 per buildable square foot, the price of the 405,803 sq ft plot at Whitehead also came in below most market estimates.

Surveyor estimates for the plot ranged between HK$1.72 billion-HK$2.58 billion.

Outbidding 10 other, the world's third largest developer plans to invest HK$5 billion in a low-rise development at the site, deputy managing director Victor Lui Ting said.

Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, director at Midland Surveyors, said the proposed project reflects that flat supply in the district is sufficient. Henderson Land Development (0012) still has three new phases to launch at Double Cove.

Cushman & Wakefield's national director of Greater China Vincent Cheung Kiu- cho said the price was good considering as much as HK$5,160 per buildable sq ft was paid for a nearby plot in November, 2012.

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) paid more than HK$2.9 billion for a residential site in Lok Wo Sha, 5 percent above market estimates then. Cheung said developers had submitted a lower bid as future developments on the former Whitehead Club premises are likely to block the view.

Also yesterday, a small 18,751 sq ft residential site on Peng Chau was awarded to Fame State Investments Limited - controlled by the son of Chan Cheuk-yin, vice chairman of Agile Property Holdings (3383) - for HK$21 million, or HK$1,493 per buildable sq ft, within estimations.

Regal Hotels International Holdings (0078) and affiliate Paliburg Holdings (0617) also won the 110-unit project on Shun Ning Road of the Urban Renewal Authority.

In the primary home market, Sino Land (0083) sales director Victor Tin Siu-yuen expects to launch the 1,091-unit low-rise development at Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po - Mayfair I & I I - by the next quarter.

Part of the project is a joint venture with KWah International Holdings (0173).

Cheung Kong is to sell the first 216 flats at Trinity Towers in Cheung Sha Wan this Saturday


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## hkskyline

*Baptist fights on for teaching hospital*
The Standard
Thursday, March 27, 2014

Baptist University said yesterday it will continue to push its proposal for a Chinese medicine teaching hospital after the Town Planning Board resumed the use of part of a site in Kowloon Tong.

Following a six-day meeting, the board decided to keep the southern portion of the former Lee Wai Lee campus for "government, institution or community use."

The government earlier suggested rezoning the site for residential use while the Education Bureau was considering whether to use it for a school for children with special needs.

Baptist University vice chancellor and president Albert Chan Sun-chi said in a written statement that the council remains keen to engage in a dialogue with the government in the hope that the site will be considered for the university's long-term development. 

He said the university has submitted a master plan for the integrated redevelopment of the whole site to the government. It will include a 1,700-place student dormitory, a Chinese medicine teaching hospital and a center for education.

Town Planning Board spokesman Louis Kau Kin-hong said it received 25,843 valid deliberations on the issue, with many against the rezoning compared to just 11 in favor of it.

"Considering all suggestions, expressions and government information, we agreed to keep it for government, institutional and community use," Kau said.

The board said its decision had not been influenced by government plans for special education needs, as it was not the only factor.

Chan welcomed the decision, adding there should be more discussion on which location will be the best for the special needs school.

Asked whether Baptist has won the battle, its council chairman, Cheng Yan-kee, said it was just a town planning procedure.


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## hkskyline

*Cold water poured on uni's hospital dream*
The Standard
Friday, March 28, 2014

Baptist University's plan to build a Chinese medicine hospital on a controversial site in Kowloon Tong site has failed to gain any traction.

Health chief Ko Wing-man said such a hospital will be built instead in Tseung Kwan O with the participation of universities.

This comes after the Town Planning Board decided to keep the southern site of the former Lee Wai Lee campus for government, institution or community use. That followed the administration changing its mind about rezoning it for residential use.

Ko was referring to a Tseung Kwan O site that was originally earmarked for private hospital development.

He said the administration is aiming to seek a non- governmental organization to run the hospital, with universities providing the training in Chinese medicine.

"We truly hope the universities can join and lead the hospital to become a platform on collaboration of Chinese and Western medicine and a platform for teaching, clinics and scientific research on Chinese medicine," Ko said.

The treatment of strokes, chronic pain and terminal cancer could be provided, though Ko said health planners had open mind on possibilities.

"As we hope to partner with an NGO to run the hospital, we would fully consider the affordability of patients in respect to fees and charges," Ko added.

A spokesman for Baptist University said: "We believe Hong Kong needs more than one Chinese medicine hospital."

While the university has long eyed the Lee Wai Lee site to develop a Chinese medicine teaching hospital, the Education Bureau is considering it for a special education school.

Commentator Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, City University's chair professor of political science, said the administration was being pressured by public opinion when it abandoned its plan to rezone the site for residential use.

"I don't think it is a setback to Baptist University as it has won the first stage of the battle, and it has a fair chance to get the land," Cheng added.


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## hkskyline

*Villagers and governmentlocked in land ‘game’*
29 March 2014
South China Morning Post

Chief of a Sai Kung village exaggerates demand for land to build houses, while government drafts plan for park without verifying demands

A village chief has dismissed the government’s allocation of land for village houses as a bargaining game, as the Planning Department conceded there had been no verification of villagers’ demands when drafting a plan for an enclave in Sai Kung East Country Park.

“Of course I have asked for more than the actual need. It’s only a game,” said Kong Sai-ying, a Tung A village representative.

The government would never agree to the full amount of land demanded by a village chief, so he could only bargain for more by asking for more, Kong said. “To me, the number is meaningless.”

His comments came as the Town Planning Board agreed yesterday to increase the existing zone by 1.98 hectares for 79 new indigenous houses in Tung A and Pak A villages. The government had previously decided not to incorporate the enclave into the country park without giving a specific explanation. In a paper submitted to the board for discussion yesterday, the department said village representatives had asked for 80 and 148 housing sites in Tung A and Pak A respectively.

Those estimates covered demand from 148 male indigenous villagers living overseas who have drafted plans for building new houses in the two villages within 10 years. “The number is just a rough estimate. Many of the next generation are staying in the UK and are unsure if they will come back,” Kong said. The villages currently have only about 50 residents in total.

The department said Tung A villagers had previously asked for just eight housing sites and it had not verified whether plans had been drafted by villagers for each requested site. “The latest figure of 80 … is based on a village representative’s latest communication with villagers but there is no verification by a district land officer,” the department wrote.

The additional requested land would satisfy about 35 per cent of the total 10-year demand forecast for small houses in the area, a popular hiking destination south of the High Island Reservoir.

But Kong said he had no objections. “It’s hard to realise our right [to build a three-storey house] these days and I have to face that reality.” He said there was little flat land in the area, making the construction of small houses very costly.

Under the new outline zoning plan, to be presented to the District Council and Heung Yee Kuk for consultation, village land will account for about 17 per cent of the enclave. Green-belt land will account for more than 65 per cent, while 13 per cent will be designated as a coastal protection area.


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## hkskyline

*Desalination assessment in the pipeline *
The Standard
Monday, March 31, 2014 

The technical assessment of desalinated seawater will be conducted early next year, says Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah.

The assessment will include the desalination process - the process of extracting freshwater from seawater - and the intake of seawater.

Writing in his personal blog, Tsang said that Hong Kong lacks freshwater resources and desalinated seawater may become an important water resource in future. 

The desalination plant in Tseung Kwan O will open in 2020 at the earliest. 

The plant will have an output capacity of 50 million cubic meters per annum, with provisions for future expansion to 90 million. 

Based on the projected population of about 7.6 million in 2020, the plant will meet about 5 percent of total demand by that time.

Tsang said extreme weather is becoming more frequent due to climate change. 

Besides affecting the local catchment, it also affects the water sourced from Dongjiang that supplies 70 to 80 percent of Hong Kong's water. He said this water source is of great importance in the Greater Pearl River Delta as it supplies other cities in Guangdong including Shenzhen and Dongguan.

These cities make increasing demands on Dongjiang water.

"Hong Kong as a member in the economic zone in the Greater Pearl River Delta should not be overreliant on water from the Dongjiang, but should bear the responsibility to explore other new water sources, to prepare for the challenges of water supply in the future."

Tsang said the Water Supplies Department has been monitoring the development of reverse osmosis - a new technology to remove salt from seawater. 

In 2007 the department confirmed the feasibility of using this technology to produce water that reaches drinking water standards of the World Health Organization.

He said the department has reserved a 10-hectare site in Tseung Kwan O to build a desalination plant. 

In 2012, the government started to study the cost- effectiveness and the feasibility of water transmission facilities' construction as well as the evaluation of the construction such as the impact to the environment, transportation and drainage.

The desalination technology has developed quickly so the cost to produce water has declined from HK$35 in the 1970s to HK$12 per cubic meter at present.

Although it is still a bit more expensive than other water sources, it is still acceptable, he said.


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## hkskyline

*Chan denies homes policy end*
The Standard
Thursday, April 03, 2014

Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said the "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" policy has not been scrapped although the market has stabilized. 
Home purchases by non-locals only accounted for just 2 percent last year following the implementation from October 2012 of two property curbs including the Buyer's Stamp Duty and the Special Stamp Duty, he told lawmakers yesterday. 

Thus, Chan said, there was no urgent need to further release sites or come up with "Hong Kong land for Hong Kong people" legislation. A pilot scheme was implemented at two residential sites in Kai Tak sold to state-owned China Overseas Land & Investment (0688) in June.

"But we have never said [the policy] has come to an end or has been shelved," he added. 

The comments come a day after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said there are less foreign buyers in the property market and more measures can be put forward when necessary. 

Lawmaker and Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing complained the measure is as good as gone. The Civic Party's Kwok Ka-ki criticized the government for suddenly freezing the measure as its not even sure if current home supplies will prove sufficient. 

Home transactions fell 30.7 percent in March from a year back to 3,141 deals, the Land Registry said yesterday. This also represents a 0.6 percent drop from February and a third consecutive month decrease after rising to a high annual monthly record of 4,667 deals in December. Total transaction value fell 2.5 percent month on month to HK$20.6 billion. In particular, secondary homeowners continued to offload their flats with price cuts. A 1,397 square-feet flat at Scenic Garden in Mid-levels West was sold for HK$25 million after the price was cut by HK$1.8 million. 

The commercial property market, meanwhile, saw the 20,000-sq-ft former Kingswood Richly Plaza in Tin Shui Wai being subdivided into a total of 189 100-sq-ft units put up for sale at around HK$1 million with rental yield reaching as high as 5 percent yield, agents said.


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## hkskyline

*Schools or homes, city planners must strike a balance *
4 April 2014 
South China Morning Post

Even the supposed havens from development, our country parks, are not safe from the probing search to identify land to meet Hong Kong's future housing needs. So when it comes to a prime vacant site among the universities, schools and kindergartens in the upscale residential area of Kowloon Tong, only a brave man would bet against a flats development winning out in the zoning process. In this case he would have won the bet. But it is really a story that illustrates the difficulty of striking a balance between competing social needs.

After withdrawing the former Institute of Vocational Education site from the land sales list, the government did not drop an application for residential rezoning. In the end the Town Planning Board retained the zoning for educational purposes in a six-day closed hearing. 

Meanwhile, the Education Bureau had revealed interest in building a 24-classroom special-needs school on the site. The board has, understandably, called on officials to communicate better on zoning, while defending a consultation on residential zoning because the land was lying idle. The future of the site next to Baptist University is far from settled, pending a further consultation and a final government decision. The university wants it for a Chinese-medicine teaching hospital for students who currently have to go to the mainland for an internship, plus a 1,700-student hostel and a general education centre. It would also be open to internships by Chinese medicine students at the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University.

A residential development on such a prime site is unlikely to have improved the supply of affordable housing. Nonetheless the affair is a reminder that housing and education are equally critical social infrastructure and that it is not the last time that planners will have to strike a balance. In this case 28,000 registered objections played a part in the demise of the flats plan. Given the shortage of schools to cater for legitimate special needs, it is to be hoped that public sentiment does not weigh unduly against the Education Bureau's plan.


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## hkskyline

Visionary, Tung Chung
4/2


IMG_6830 by Jon Whitton, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*HK's future might lie with Dapeng Peninsula*
4 April 2014
China Daily 

According to a leak from official discussions, Hong Kong had considered acquiring a piece of land in the Nansha district of Guangzhou. This land could be turned into a special region for Hong Kong.

Effectively, the geographical size of Hong Kong would be enlarged, and the extra land could be used for different purposes. It was reported that the government had suggested that the Nansha land be used for the elderly and for public housing. Nonetheless, there needs to be more decisions about this from the central, provincial and city governments - as well as the Hong Kong government.

The Nansha district is seen as a good choice because it is adjacent to Hong Kong. It takes about one hour by ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui and can also be reached by land. It is situated at the tip of the Pearl River and numerous economic activities can be conducted there. It offers considerable potential as an industrial base, an educational hub and a center for commercial and residential activities. There really is no shortage of opportunities.

However, one has to be pragmatic and examine all the administrative realities and territorial possibilities. Firstly, the land of Nansha is connected to other parts of Guangdong. The first question is territorial - and the possibility of creating a "border". Secondly, how should we treat residents of Nansha? Even if we consider people with household registration as residents of Nansha, the land connection would make it difficult to draw a clear cut division on the number of Nansha residents. Furthermore, the Pearl River area is already quite developed and the standard of living is at a fairly high level. The idea of Nansha seems similar to nearby developments in Qianhai, where much has been made about building a "new Hong Kong". Developments there can potentially be more rapid than in other areas.

However, even though its acquisition by Hong Kong could be attractive to local residents, the choice of Nansha would be complicated. The idea of looking for nearby land to be included into the territory of Hong Kong is a noble one. A good alternative is Dapeng Peninsula, which is situated on the east of Hong Kong - east of Tung Ping Chau. One clear disadvantage is it is close to the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. However, there are numerous advantages there. One is that it is a peninsula like Kowloon, and the "border" can be structured along the S30 Huishen Coastal Expressway. Together with natural divisions by the Jingxin Reservoir in the middle and the Forest Farm in the east, the establishment of a "border" should not be difficult. The peninsula can also be reached by ferry through Tung Peng Chau across Mirs Bay to the western side of the peninsula.

The number of residents in Dapeng Peninsula is surely not as large as Nansha. The number can easily be checked through the household registration system. In short, the peninsula is a raw or rather less-developed piece of land that would be useful to the future and long-term development of Hong Kong. Even if the residents in Dapeng Peninsula are given Hong Kong resident status, land in the peninsula can be used for various purposes. Basic infrastructure that can be built includes airports and shipping terminals. But development could cover financial trading and banking, industrial development, waste disposal, agriculture, marine farming and new residential destinations. Since Hong Kong law is to be introduced, the area would be manageable, as the sea surrounding it is easier to define than land connections in Nansha.

One can think of "twin peninsula" development, with the abundant supply of new land to Hong Kong. Much new investment would be attracted to it, and population congestion in Hong Kong could be eased.

With the hypothetical acquisition of Dapeng Peninsula, economic development in Hong Kong would then become "two-sided". The western side would deal with development along the Pearl River region - competing with Shenzhen, Macao and Guangzhou. Development on the eastern side would be less competitive, as the pace of development in the peninsula would be managed and funded by Hong Kong. This would offer a much greater degree of flexibility in deciding the use of land resources in Dapeng Peninsula.

The establishment of the "border" would be similar to that currently practiced with Shenzhen. Other than the existing S30 expressway that connects Shenzhen with Dapeng Peninsula, some border checkpoints could be arranged. An entirely new expressway could be built to serve as a border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

If the Hong Kong government has a vision for the future of Hong Kong, securing more land from Guangdong with the permission of the central government would provide more development opportunities. In a few decades, the Dapeng Peninsula would become a second Hong Kong.

It is feasible to conduct a study on the Dapeng Peninsula to see how it could be turned into "Hong Kong land" economically, geographically, legally, administratively and financially. It could also be the responsibility of Hong Kong to develop the peninsula. Bonds could be issued to help finance its long-term development.

The late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping once remarked that the post-1997 Hong Kong economy should outperform the pre-1997 one. Such a remark showed his long-term vision. Given the pragmatic economic system of Hong Kong, easing the city's land shortage would produce tremendous opportunities. Dapeng Peninsula seems to provide a ready-made answer.

The author is associate professor of the Department of Economics and Finance at City University of Hong Kong.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong property experts call for new tack to lure shoppers*
With competition growing from the region and change in buying behaviour of mainland visitors, the government is urged to increase retail space
PUBLISHED : Monday, 07 April, 2014
South China Morning Post 

Hong Kong is still a shopping paradise, especially to residents from the Pearl River Delta, but a strategic plan for the next 10 years is urgently needed given growing competition from neighbouring cities and changes in the shopping behaviour of mainland visitors.

The government is being urged to increase retail space supply to allow more shopping facilities near the border control point at Lok Ma Chau to capitalise on growing commuter traffic in the delta region, according to property consultants.

They also raised attention to Macau. The territory's ability to replace Hong Kong as a shopping destination still seems unlikely, but the gaming mecca will see rising retail sales, which will attract more luxury brands as shopping facilities increase in the coming years.

"The retail property market in Hong Kong has enjoyed strong growth in the past 10 years, bolstered by the individual visit scheme, rather than the city's strategic planning. As the shopping style of mainland visitors changes, what is our strategy to keep our competitiveness?" asked Helen Mak, a senior director at Colliers International.

Mak noted a rise in less affluent mainland visitors and the change in tourist consumption from luxury goods towards mid-priced products - daily necessities such as beauty or personal care goods.

The mainland's political campaign against extravagance might have curbed luxury consumption, she said.

Hong Kong's retail sales fell 2.3 per cent from a year earlier to HK$40.5 billion in February, the first fall in value since August 2009, the Census and Statistics Department said.

The value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased 5.3 per cent, down from the 10 per cent growth notched in January.

The increasing proportion of middle-class affluence is reflected by faster growth in the same-day visitor arrivals, according to Colliers.

In the first six months of last year, same-day visitors from the mainland accounted for 65.4 per cent or 8.26 million tourists and it is essential for the government to discover a new retail hub to capture the increasing demand for shopping facilities.

According to the latest report by the secretary for commerce and economic development, the city could see a 30 per cent increase in visitors to 70 million in three years.

The increasing number of tourists will strain infrastructure in the city centre. On the other hand, same-day visitors would not necessarily head for the city centre if all they wanted to buy were daily necessities, Mak said.

"The control point at Lok Ma Chau is one of the spots with the highest daily passenger throughputs and we believe the place should provide facilities to capitalise on the growing volume," she said.

"Renowned brands at discounted prices, last-minute gifts and utilisation of time are the factors to induce purchases at control points' retail stores."

The government also announced that Hong Kong Park, Victoria Park, Happy Valley racecourse and Kowloon Park are among areas initially selected for a pilot study on developing underground spaces.

Mak said improved infrastructure between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta had increased Hong Kong's competitiveness, leading to larger numbers of mainland visitors.

For example, when the Shenzhen-Hong Kong section of the Express Rail opens next year, travelling time from Shenzhen's Futian to West Kowloon Station would only take 15 minutes, she said.

Thomas Lam, the head of research and consultancy for Greater China at Knight Frank, said establishing a shopping centre at the border was a viable option to capture passenger traffic.

"Mainlanders' buying patterns have been changing. Those affluent and eager to buy luxury goods would have already visited Hong Kong in the past 10 years. Such visitors will drop and the buying list of luxury items will become shorter after their numerous purchases," Lam said.

"The good old days that rely on luxury items to boost rents are over. The retail property market has peaked."

Retail landlords also noticed the changes.

Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, the deputy chairman and managing director at Wharf, said after the company's recent result announcement the company wanted to attract shoppers from neighbouring countries to reduce the reliance on mainland travellers.

Instead of limiting the number of mainlanders visiting Hong Kong, Ng said: "We should come up with a solution to accommodate them."

For example, Wharf has converted some office space at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui into retail space.

"It will help accommodate more retailers to meet the growing demand. We have seen positive results," Ng said.

Another challenge the Hong Kong market is facing is a dearth of variety in retail outlets.

High shop rentals have forced some long-established and distinctive retailers and restaurants out of prime shopping districts.

Joe Lin, a senior director of retail services at property consultancy CBRE, said: "Hong Kong can no longer rely on its existing superiority as an international city and gateway to [the mainland].

"We need to highlight its uniqueness as a retail hotspot, expand its tenant mix and also focus more on cross-border growth to remain competitive."

Hong Kong is ranked sixth among cities in the world that have the highest percentage of retailers at 40.5 per cent, according to a CBRE survey.

In 2012, many international brands expanded through branches in the city but the number declined last year, while Singapore and Vietnam saw increasing number of global retailers opening, according to Lin.

Hong Kong's retail industry remains heavily reliant on mainland visitors.

Ng said those clamouring for curbs on the influx of mainland tourists should be aware that other markets were keen to attract these big spenders. Macau is one of those cities.

Tom Gaffney, the head of retail at JLL Hong Kong, is optimistic of strong growth in retail sales in Macau, saying that 90 per cent of shoppers there came from the mainland.

Retail sales in Macau rose 25 per cent to 66 billion patacas last year while Hong Kong's grew 11 per cent to HK$494 billion.

Gaffney noted an increasing number of luxury brands, such as those selling watches, opening shops in Macau, attracted by strong sales and lower rents. In contrast, the expansion pace in Hong Kong slowed over the past few years.

New shopping centres were being built as part of casino developments in Macau catering to tourists, he said.

"As shopping facilities improve, fast fashion retailers such as Uniqlo and H&M are also eyeing the market there," said Gaffney. "Tenants receive good sales [in Macau] and the margins are much better."


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## hkskyline

*Better environment and rest breaks for workers*
9 April 2014
South China Morning Post 










Working in the bar-bending industry for half a century, Luk Kwan-ngai has witnessed many changes in the industry, in areas from environment and wages to safety.

“The working environment is safer and cleaner. It has improved a lot,” Luk said. 

“Showering facilities, drinking water and temporary sunshades are all provided on construction sites. We now work about eight hours a day. We have two rest breaks – a 15-minute break in the morning and a 30-minute rest in the afternoon.”

During the colder months only the afternoon break is given, but last year the Construction Industry Council recommended that the morning break be added during summer months to help reduce heatstroke concerns in hot weather.

Site safety and health measures are among the efforts by the government and the private sector to attract manpower in the face of a shortage of construction workers.

“To attract young people to join the industry, we have tried to improve the working environment, such as providing more facilities, including showers,” Sino Land associate director Victor Tin Sio-un said.

Other initiatives include wage increases and improving the image of the industry, which has long been regarded as dirty, dangerous and lower-class.

“Five years ago, skilled bar-bending workers like me earned about HK$1,000 a day; now it has increased to about HK$1,800 per day,” Luk said. “We have seen newcomers, their ages ranging from 20 to 50 years old.”

Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said on his blog in January that the government would study and implement safety measures regarding high-risk work and refine guidelines on works and designs to enhance work safety.

Chan said more young people would be drawn to the construction industry with further improvements in site safety.

He said the accident rate for public works projects had dropped more than 80 per cent to 9.7 per 1,000 workers in 2012 from 56.6 in 1996.


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## Atmosphere

I'm in the City Planning hall now. So many projects on the horizon! Most of it has already been posted here of course but wow. Especially infrastructure-wise there is a lot to come.

Will post some construction updates later.


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## hkskyline

*Land sale review a wise measure*
8 April 2014
South China Morning Post










There were mixed reactions when Leung Chun-ying sought to tame the runaway property market by introducing residency restrictions on land sales. Those eager to see prices come down praised him for shutting out speculators from the mainland. But for champions of the free market, the intervention was uncalled for. Controversial as it was, the restriction was an exceptional step during exceptional times. With the market appearing to be stabilising, a review is wise.

This is what the chief executive is doing. Having imposed the local-only conditions at two residential sites in Kai Tak last year, along with special stamp duties to dampen property speculation, the market is in better shape than two years ago. Transactions involving non-locals are down from double digits to only 2 per cent. That explains why subsequent land sales no longer come with residency requirements.

Intriguingly, this has been interpreted by some as a policy U-turn. Critics lashed out at Leung for failing to sustain his campaign promise of giving priority to locals. Some escalated it further to a governance issue, saying his policies lacked consistency, and likened it to the “85,000 saga” 16 years ago, when former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa was roundly criticised for dropping the annual flat production target without any announcement. Given the current political atmosphere, the criticism levelled at Leung is hardly surprising.

It is worth noting that the residency restriction was a pilot scheme. When Leung made his campaign promise, he made clear that it would be subject to the market situation. Since it was never meant to be a long-term policy, officials were arguably not wrong in saying there was no question of shelving it. When intervention is no longer warranted, there is no reason to continue just for the sake of continuity.

The controversy has inevitably turned the spotlight on the special stamp duties. As the land chief says, the levies are pivotal to a stabilised market. It makes sense to keep them for the time being lest the speculators return. But like the residency restriction, the levies are also market intervention. When the situation permits, they should be withdrawn.

Although the market is no longer as overheated as before, property prices are still out of reach for many prospective buyers. The government should step up efforts to increase land supply in the short and longer term. That is the ultimate way to provide affordable housing for the people.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong private home completions to reach 10-year high in 2014 *










HONG KONG, April 4 (Reuters) - The number of private home completions in Hong Kong this year will reach its highest since 2004, the government said on Friday, further pressuring developers after a series of cooling measures forced them to cut prices. 

The number of flats forecast for completion in 2014 is around 17,610, a 113 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the city's Rating and Valuation Department. 

With a surge in new home supply and higher government duties to cool prices - which have soared nearly 120 percent since 2008 - competition to lure buyers could trigger even steeper discounts and further pressure developers' margins in one of the world's most expensive home markets, analysts said. 

The government said close to 61 percent of completions would be in the New Territories district close to China, where major developers deploy their saleable units, including Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd and Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd , which is controlled by Asia's richest man Li Ka-shing. 

Profit margins for Hong Kong's six major developers will fall from 36 percent in 2012 to 20 percent in 2015 and 14 percent in 2016, UBS said in a report in February.


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon's 1,000-year secrets are revealed *
The Standard
Friday, April 11, 2014





































Hong Kong 1,000 years ago was a salt production center and bustled with traders. 

Historians take these insights from a trove of relics found recently in the Kowloon City area. 

Major finds included buildings and wells from the Song dynasty plus coins and porcelain.

The relics were unearthed during work on the MTR's Central- Sha Tin link in Kowloon City. 

Lauded historian Siu Kwok- kin, who heads Chu Hai College of Higher Education's Centre for Hong Kong History and Culture Studies, said: "Those relics provide more information for us to understand Hong Kong's history in the Song era and more proof it was more than a fishing village. 

"It shows there was hectic business activity in [today's] Kowloon City area."

From the Song to the Ming dynasties, Siu said, "salt was produced along the Kowloon City coastal areas. As there was salt trading, there were officials and business people there. That explains why certain relics and wells were found, suggesting established settlement."

Also, Siu said, Hong Kong's major role in producing salt lasted for a long time - from the Song through to the Ming dynasties. 

Experts commissioned by the MTR Corp submitted an interim report on an archeological survey and excavations to the government on Monday. 

Close to 240 features were listed, including eight stone buildings and seven others, 151 ditches, 49 ponds and pits, five wells and 16 burial points.

Among most important finds is a square-shaped well from the Song dynasty (960 to 1279) and said to be in very good condition. 

As there will not be any excavation or construction work near the well, the experts recommend preserving it in place. Meantime, to protect it from erosion the well has been covered again.

With smaller relics, there have been more than 3,000 finds. These include opium containers, porcelain and pottery. Coins have been dated from 618AD.

The excavations went through three historical layers, from the 1920s to the 1960s, the late Qing to the Republic of China, and the Song-Yuan dynasties.


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## hkskyline

*Labour imports could reduce building costs, but no guarantee home prices would fall *
8 April 2014 
South China Morning Post

Rapidly rising construction costs have been cited by developers as a reason property prices in Hong Kong will not drop significantly.

Those costs, driven up by an increasing number of public and private projects and a shortage of labour, might be reduced by importing at least 10,000 skilled workers, property analysts said. 

However, industry insiders are divided on whether that reduction would result in a fall in home prices.

The latest survey by the Hong Kong Construction Association estimated a shortfall at new construction projects of more than 10,000 workers at the end of November. Respondents to the survey reported a shortage of 16.72 per cent of the required construction workforce, up from 15.68 per cent in April last year.

Thomas Ho, president of the association, said: “If you include all the construction projects, the industry lacks 20,000 skilled workers. And the problem of ageing workers is serious. About 60 per cent of formworkers, bar-benders and fixers are aged over 55.”

The shortages of bar-benders, fixers, formworkers (carpenters) and concretors are the most serious among the skilled workers.

Ho said new railway lines under construction in the city require up to 19,000 workers, but the survey found only 13,000 workers.

“The shortage of workers has boosted wages sharply,” he said. “For example, the wages of timber formworkers have grown to HK$2,500-HK$3,500 a day, even higher than those of administrative officers in the government. And there is no sign that growth will stop in the near future.”

Ho said the industry has suggested that the government shorten the process of importing labour to five or six months from between seven-and-a-half and 12 months at present.

“Importing labour would not lower construction costs, but it could stop them from growing,” he said.

“The construction cost for mass residential has reached HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 per square foot, and the flat is selling for HK$10,000 per sq ft. It is difficult for the general public to afford the flat.

“It would get worse if construction costs continue to rise. The government should solve the problem.” If construction costs decreased, the selling prices of new projects could be lower, particularly as the current market sentiment is weak Stewart Leung Chi-kin, Wheelock Properties

Chau Kwong-wing, a professor in the department of real estate and construction at the University of Hong Kong, believes construction costs would drop if the city imported labour.

“Property prices would lose one of the factors supporting their growth,” Chau said.

“Of course, the lower construction costs would not lead to a fall in property prices in the short run. There are other factors, such as interest rate movements and land supply, that affect the price. But in the long term, the property price would drop.”

If construction costs continued to rise amid weak property sales, Chau said, developers would decrease production.

Stewart Leung Chi-kin, chairman of Wheelock Properties, said a fall in construction costs could lead to a drop in property prices.

“If construction costs decreased, the selling prices of new projects could be lower, particularly as the current market sentiment is weak,” said Leung, who also chairs the Real Estate Developers Association’s executive committee.

“As the government is unlikely to remove the cooling measures in the property market, it would be impossible for developers to ask for a high selling price.”

But Ho disagreed that a fall in construction costs would lead to a decline in flat prices, saying developers’ asking prices largely depended on market sentiment.

Julian Poon Yui-man, vice-president of Lai Sun Development, said labour costs made up about 50-60 per cent of construction costs.

“You have to pay more to hire workers. That’s why construction costs continue to rise significantly even though the cost of materials has stabilised,” Poon said.

But property prices are not necessarily related to construction costs, he said.

“There is a higher chance that the prices of new flats would be lower [if construction costs fall],” Poon said. “It doesn’t mean it would happen for sure.”


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## hkskyline

*More workers falling to death*
13 April 2014
South China Morning Post










Government figures show fatal falls at highest level ever recorded as accident at The Peak puts rules on working at height in the spotlight

The number of people falling to their deaths at work has hit its highest level since 2003, prompting calls for tougher supervision and penalties.

The Sunday Morning Post analysed Labour Department figures on workplace deaths after the latest incident, in which two workers – a man and a woman – fell to their death from a block of flats on The Peak on March 25.

They had been carrying out maintenance work from an 11-metre metal cradle at the 66-storey Tregunter Tower 3 when the platform snapped in two. Two other workers managed to cling on as it broke apart. The two men left the scene before the emergency crew arrived and are still being sought by police.

An investigation is under way into whether illegal labour was involved, a police source said. No one has been arrested. An Electrical and Mechanical Services Department spokesman said it was assessing a report on the incident from the platform provider.

Workers’ rights groups say a law under which contractors must provide safety equipment for anyone working at a height is often flouted.” That’s because it’s expensive to provide enough safety gear but penalties imposed by the courts are always light,” said Chan Kam-hong, chairman of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims.

Labour Department figures for 2012, the most recent year for which figures are available, show that 31 people died after falling from a height in industries such as construction and transport. That is the highest death toll since 2003, the year the department began providing figures on workplace accidents on its website. Twelve workers died that year.

In 2011, 21 people fell to their deaths, up from 15 in 2010. The number was 25 in 2009. More lives were lost in the construction industry than any other: 15 in 2012; 10 in 2011; and six in 2010.

Chan said contractors were required by law to provide a work platform and safety belts for labourers working at a height of two metres or more.

The maximum penalty for breaching the law is a year in prison and a HK$500,000 fine. But most companies are fined just HK$10,000 and no one has ever gone to jail for the offence.

Chan said tougher penalties were needed to deter offenders. He added that the city could learn from Britain, where offenders could lose a proportion of their profits for flouting safety rules.

Ip Wai-ming, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said the “shockingly high” death toll was a result of inadequate inspections and a reluctance by contractors to provide enough safety gear. “Although the law states that safety belts are required, how many people are actually providing them?” said Ip, who is deputy director of the FTU’s occupational health and safety committee.

There were 76,804 construction site workers across the city as of September, according to the Census and Statistics Department. It also counted 885 vacancies, but the figure may not reflect the extent of the industry’s labour shortage: a survey last year by the Construction Association found a vacancy rate of 15 per cent. The shortage means more contractors are resorting to illegal labour.

The Labour Advisory Board last month approved a plan to shorten the time it takes for contractors to bring in workers via the Supplementary Labour Scheme. It will cut the process to six months, from an average of 71/2 months for 26 jobs – including bar-bending and formwork.


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## hkskyline

*A village ‘SAR’ of sorts by the border *
14 April 2014
South China Morning Post

By *chris_chris_xyz* from dcfever :










In the border enclave of Luk Keng, the area outside the Fat Kee grocery store in Kai Kuk Shue Ha village is a “special administrative” region of sorts.

It lies within a country park but is also part of the village area – known officially as the “village environs”. In theory, park rules are to be respected there, but in reality village norms prevail.

The setting might lead a visitor to believe this is another typical New Territories village: land partially covered with concrete; temporary car parks offered for a fee; signs of construction waste being dumped; and chopped down trees.

So it only adds to the confusion to discover that some of the area is zoned for conservation. Parts are privately owned, but those owners have never prevented access to the public. There are no signs warning visitors to stay away.

For years, the area outside the store has been very popular as an informal trailhead for hikers; a temporary shelter offers a place to take a rest.

But there appears to be no sign marking where the country park and trail begins. A sign for the trail, and one warning against cycling, stand 200 metres from the park’s boundary – perhaps in a bid to avoid the section of private land.

“I am not sure if this is part of the country park,” said one hiker who had visited the popular Fung Hang Family Walk. “But it doesn’t matter as long as the access is not blocked.”

Cars can get there directly, but only via Bride’s Pool Road. By law, entering any country park by vehicle requires a permit issued by the country park authority.

Meanwhile, local villagers have little interest drawing attention to the situation, which may be the result of a mutually beneficial deal.

Responding to Post inquiries, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it had found no irregularities in the area, but it would monitor the situation.


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## hkskyline

*Big cuts to cost of border crossing ruled out *
12 April 2014
South China Morning Post

Development officials have trimmed the cost of a new border crossing point by just 1.2 per cent, effectively stonewalling a demand by legislators to reduce its soaring price tag.

They also dismissed money-saving suggestions from lawmakers, arguing that their ideas would end up increasing the total cost of the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai border control point.

The Legislative Council’s Finance Committee originally approved HK$16.25 billion for the checkpoint in 2012. But the government late last year asked for a further HK$8.5 billion to meet rising construction costs, blaming the increase on heavy engineering work, poor ground conditions and rising wages.

But, alarmed by the 50 per cent increase in the budget amid a string of government requests for extra cash for public works projects, Legco’s development panel voted down the funding request in January and demanded cost reductions.

A Development Bureau spokesman said yesterday that no further cuts were possible.

“We have conducted a thorough review of the scale and scope of the project and found there was no room for further reductions,” he said.

After updates based on inflation and actual expenditure incurred so far, the overall cost of the project is now put at HK$24.5 billion, down from HK$24.8 billion in January – a cut of 1.2 per cent. A revised funding request is expected to go before the panel later this month.

“As works have started, we have reached the point where there is nothing more to trim, and further delays to the project will do no one any good,” the spokesman added.

But panel member Albert Chan Wai-yip, of People Power, said: “If the government refuses to cut costs, we shall continue to vote no to the funding request.

“I don’t think it is a big deal if the project is delayed for several years. Maybe the costs will drop if we build it after the building boom in the next few years.”

According to the bureau’s projections, the project could cost HK$4.2 billion more if delayed for a further three years.

Expanding existing roads rather than building a new, 11-kilometre stretch of highway to the checkpoint – another idea from lawmakers – could push up costs by HK$8 billion, the bureau said. “Expanding the existing countryside roads won’t mean we can cope with traffic growth in the long run,” the spokesman said. “At the end of the day, we will still need the highway link.”

The spokesman added: “We are confident the panel will endorse it this time. We have followed up the suggestions members raised last time.”

The extra cash, if approved, will see the new crossing – situated between the Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok crossings in the northeastern New Territories – completed on time in 2018 to provide better access to eastern Shenzhen.

Lawmakers also rejected a funding request for RTHK’s new headquarters. The Central-Wan Chai bypass is among several other projects that are over budget as construction costs soar.


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## hkskyline

Tseung Kwan O waterfront
By *fdsafdsa* from dcfever :


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## totaleclipse1985

hkskyline said:


> Tseung Kwan O waterfront
> By *fdsafdsa* from dcfever :


What do they build there?


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## hkskyline

totaleclipse1985 said:


> What do they build there?


A lot of skyscraper housing to be built. This photo shows several plots of land subdivided and sold to various developers / consortium of developers.

See post 1625 for more information. The photo corresponds to the below plot division diagram :










The photographer is at the top middle looking towards the bottom right corner.


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## Phaleo

interesting archeology findings


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## hkskyline

*Stanley's Boathouse in line for a launch as boutique hotel*
The Standard
Thursday, July 03, 2014










The Boathouse, a landmark restaurant in Stanley, is set to be transformed into a 10-story seaview hotel by the Miramar Group.

A document from the Town Planning Board has revealed the firm applied to build a boutique hotel at the present location of the two-story Boathouse on the corner of 86 and 88 Stanley Main Street.

The site area is approximately 1,620 square feet with a plot ratio of 8.775 times at most. That could yield a gross floor area of about 14,200 square feet.

The Miramar Group's intention is to create a hotel with 28 guest rooms.

The group had secured 88 Stanley Main Street by late 2010 for HK$64 million.

But 86 Stanley Main Street is held by a private company owned by Ralph Shea, an independent non-executive director of listed company Power Assets.

The Town Planning Board had approved for the sites of 88 and 86 Stanley Main Street to be used for building a hotel in 2006 and 2010 respectively .

According to the 2010 plan, 86 Stanley Main Street was to be built as a mini hotel with six rooms. Four rooms would be ensuite and two would be for disabled people.

Should the project go through according to plan, it will be the Miramar's third hotel in Hong Kong.

Recently, Miramar renovated the Mira Hong Kong, its hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, which dates back more 50 years.

It also took over the operations of Mira Moon, a boutique hotel owned by affiliate Henderson Land in Wan Chai.

Planning on similar lines to the Boathouse, the owners of the sites at 103 to 107 Tam Kung Road in Ma Tau Wai have applied to build a boutique hotel there.


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## FM 2258

I did a forum search under the supertall section for "Hong Kong", I guess we're not going to see any new supertalls come up in the near future for Hong Kong?


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## hkskyline

FM 2258 said:


> I did a forum search under the supertall section for "Hong Kong", I guess we're not going to see any new supertalls come up in the near future for Hong Kong?


A couple projects near 300m but nothing else more than that. There are a lot of shorter commercial buildings under construction in Kowloon East though.


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## hkskyline

*Chinese developers muscle in on Hong Kong as mainland market slows*










HONG KONG, July 2 (Reuters) - Chinese developers are moving aggressively into Hong Kong, outbidding their cross-border rivals for prime sites as policy uncertainty and falling property prices on the mainland send them scouring for opportunities to invest overseas.

The mainlanders see the southern territory as a lucrative market based on the absolute earnings enjoyed by Hong Kong-listed developers, which have beaten those of companies listed in mainland China over the past decade.

With some bids up to 20 percent above analysts' forecasts, mainland companies such as state-controlled Poly Property Group Co Ltd are pushing up prices for popular sites in one of the world's most expensive real estate markets.

Fears of a bubble - prices have more than doubled in the Asian financial hub since 2008 - have proven no deterrent, while forecasts from some analysts of a 10 percent drop in prices this year have fallen on deaf ears.

But fatter margins aren't the only thing Hong Kong has to offer. Chinese developers also like its legal stability and status as a world city, giving them a platform to gain experience abroad and build brand awareness, industry watchers say.

"More and more Chinese developers are coming to Hong Kong," said Alvin Yip, managing director of investment and advisory services at property consultancy DTZ.

"They are not coming only for opportunities in Hong Kong, but also using Hong Kong as a base to invest in Europe, the United States and other parts of the world."

In Kai Tak district - one of Hong Kong's largest developments covering 320 hectares (790 acres) of residential and commercial complexes - half of the six available land plots were bought over the past year by state-owned developers, including China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd and Poly Property.

While hard data is not yet available to quantify the trend, it is rare to see mainland developers so active in public auctions of Hong Kong land. Observers also have been surprised by the mainlanders' willingness to out-spend their Hong Kong rivals.

In May, a luxury residential site on Hong Kong island fetched the city's fifth-highest land price per square foot when it was sold to a consortium of local and mainland Chinese developers, including Hui Wing-mau, chairman of Shanghai-based Shimao Property Holdings', and mainland commercial developer Mingfa Group International.

"The premium price they (Chinese developers) offered surprised the market," said a senior executive at a Hong Kong property company, which was out-bid by state-owned developers in several land auctions.

"Chinese developers are more optimistic, while locals remain pessimistic due to uncertainty in the market," said the executive, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

China Overseas Land declined to comment, while Poly did not respond to several interview requests.

MARGINS SQUEEZED

Mainland investors are boosting their exposure to Hong Kong just as the city's homegrown developers have started to slow their own pace of site purchases, in response to rising land prices, sliding sales and pressure on margins from competition.

Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong (Holdings) did not buy anything in Hong Kong or China last year - for the first time in 15 years.

Another major Hong Kong-based developer, Sino Land Co Ltd , spent just HK$4.5 billion ($580.53 million) on land over the past two years, a slower rate of spending than normally would be expected, according to Macquarie. It also became a net cash developer, taking a conservative position by amassing enough cash to invest in future projects after total liabilities are accounted for.

The local firms' caution has opened opportunities for mainland rivals seeking a more stable investment environment than they have at home, where the government has introduced a raft of regulations to control rampant speculation.

China has spent more than four years trying to tame record home prices on concerns that they were stoking an asset bubble, with measures including strict rules for mortgages and restrictions on the number of homes that one family can own. Banks have made it harder for home buyers and small developers to get loans.

"We always have full confidence in Hong Kong. We just recently bought a piece of land in Wan Chai," Yu Liang, president of the country's biggest developer, China Vanke Co Ltd , said in May, referring to a residential site near Hong Kong's Central business district. Media reports said it paid a 20 percent premium to similar sites recently sold in the area.

The company's Hong Kong subsidiary last year set a new record for prices in Tsuen Wan district when it bought a residential site in partnership with Hong Kong's New World Development for HK$3.4 billion.

Analysts warned, however, that the new Chinese entrants may have to sacrifice margins in order to gain a foothold in the city, where overall home transactions are expected to hit a more than five-year low in the first half of 2014 and construction costs are soaring due to labour shortages.

"They may be willing to sacrifice margins for their first one or two projects in town," Macquarie property analyst Raymond Liu said in a research note in May.

"New entrants may have low or even no margin expectations versus local developers."


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Citigroup buys $700mln Asia HQ in record Hong Kong office deal*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HONG KONG, June 17 (Reuters) - Citigroup will pay HK$5.425 billion ($699.86 million) for its new Hong Kong headquarters, in the largest ever purchase of a single-block office building in the Asian financial hub, the U.S. bank said on Tuesday.
> 
> A unit of developer Wheelock and Co Ltd is building the twin One Bay East towers in Hong Kong's Kowloon district, with Citi taking the East Tower and insurer Manulife (International) Limited already the West.
> 
> The 21-storey building will become Citi's new hub for all its businesses in Hong Kong, where the U.S. bank said it employs almost 5,000 people, making it the biggest employer among foreign banks in the city.
> 
> Citi becomes the fourth major global bank to move its Hong Kong headquarters out of the city's increasingly expensive Central district, to the Kowloon area across the harbour.
> 
> Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley have all moved from Central to the 118-floor International Commerce Centre in Kowloon in the last four years amid rising rents in Central.
> 
> Owning the building outright will help Citi protect itself against Hong Kong's notoriously volatile property market, Citi Hong Kong Chief Executive Weber Lo said in an internal memo to staff seen by Reuters.
> 
> "Our decision to purchase the East Tower of One Bay East underlines our belief and confidence in Hong Kong's continued growth as a leading global financial centre," said Stephen Bird, Citi's Chief Executive for Asia Pacific in a statement on Tuesday.
> 
> Hong Kong's government said on May 22 it had no intention of easing property cooling measures in the city, where prices have surged nearly 120 percent since 2008 due to an ultra-low interest rate environment, tight supply and abundant liquidity.
> 
> Citi will move into the new One Bay East building in the second half of 2016 following completion of construction in the third quarter of next year, it said.
> 
> ($1 = 7.7515 Hong Kong dollars)


_Notice the twin short buildings U/C on the left : _


Flickr 上 nWalker82 的 20140705_165927


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## hkskyline

_^ another one 
_
By *wwh11* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *MTR pile-driving ‘may have hit relics’*
> 11 June 2014
> South China Morning Post
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Archaeological dig had not yet extended to site of latest discoveries, says construction manager
> 
> The latest relics to be discovered at a railway construction site in Kowloon City may have been hit by piles driven into the ground, the MTR has admitted.
> 
> The relics were found at the site of the To Kwa Wan station on the Sha Tin-Central line after thousands of artefacts – including an ancient well and parts of a building that may date back to the 10th century – were found in an area to be used as a tunnel shaft prompting the archaeological excavation area to be extended at the start of the year.
> 
> Previous studies had already suggested the structures may extend beyond the shaft site.
> 
> However, Peter Ip Ho-ching, MTR’s construction manager for the line, said yesterday that the rail operator had not been aware of the possible presence of relics when piles were being driven into place to support the shaft. “Some [ancient] structures are very close to each other, so it would not be surprising if some piles indeed hit them,” he said. Ip did not say if any damage had been found.
> 
> He said that before the Antiquities and Monuments Office makes its decision on whether or not to preserve To Kwa Wan relics in situ, steel panels would be driven 12 metres into the ground in an effort to protect all the relics discovered so far that have not yet been removed.
> 
> The operation would use technology that cuts out noise and vibrations. Instruments to monitor vibration and soil settlement would then be installed.
> 
> Tunnelling could then continue, and the area could be preserved in situ if the station’s design was adjusted, he said.
> 
> While the discoveries had led to a five-month delay in tunnelling, Ip said the actual impact on the project could not be determined until the archaeological excavations had been completed and the antiquities office had decided how to preserve the relics.
> 
> Ip said the MTR had presented the plan to the antiquities office, but the Development Bureau suggested more monitoring instruments be added. The panels would only be installed once the MTR had received permission from the office.
> 
> The relics at the site are now under canvas. Ip said installing the panels was urgent to protect the relics from rain and sun.
> 
> Ip said the panels could take a few weeks to install. “We will take it slowly and when there’s any problem, we will know about it.”
> 
> Rival protests were held at the site yesterday. One group called for the MTR to stop work, while another – which protested during a visit by district councillors – called for the first phase of the link to open in 2018 as scheduled.


*Pottery found at To Kwa Wan shows city was trading hub back in Song dynasty*
South China Morning Post
6 July 2014	

Ancient pottery from the site of the planned To Kwa Wan railway station gives a rare glimpse into everyday life during the Southern Song (1127-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, according to an expert.

While most attention on the Kowloon City site of the Sha Tin-Central MTR link has focused on built structures, Professor Peter Lam Yip-keung, a retired director of Chinese University's Art Museum, yesterday gave a public lecture on the ceramics that have been uncovered.

Thousands of items have been unearthed at the 23,000 square metre site. Lam inspected the relics at the invitation of the Antiquities and Monuments Office.

After comparing the Kowloon City finds with pottery previously unearthed in other parts of China and Asia, he concluded that they were makes from Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

The discoveries provided evidence of Hong Kong's trade with these four areas, he said.

Products for everyday use - including bowls and jars - and for burial, religious ceremonies and trade were identified in the find.

"It has been documented that Hong Kong had become a transport hub since the Tang dynasty [618-907]," Lam said. "Tuen Mun was an outport of Guangzhou, and Fat Tong Mun [in Sai Kung] was a transit point for Fujian and Zhejiang ships entering Guangdong. The finds at the [former] Sacred Hill site are mostly related to trade," he said.

A pair of intact incense burners dating back to the late Song or Yuan dynasty was among the discoveries, Lam added.

Eaves tiles from the same period have also been found, proving the existence of buildings with tile roofs in the present Kai Tak area.

Pointing to the significance of the latest dig, Lam said: "The scale and variety of ceramics dating back to the late Southern Song and Yuan dynasties found at Sacred Hill is unprecedented."


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## hkskyline

*New bid to halt MTR in tracks*
The Standard
Wednesday, July 09, 2014

A concern group wants the MTR Corp to stop excavation work at To Kwa Wan on what will be the Sha Tin-Central line until an archaeological study is finished at a historical site there.

Sacred Hill Savers said more than 3,000 ancient relics have been secured, but many more were damaged by MTR digging.

Five representatives of the group yesterday handed over a petition at the MTR headquarters in Kowloon Bay. In it, they urge a halt to work and changes to the design of the To Kwa Wan station. They also criticize a team led by mainland archaeologist Liu Wen-suo for a lack of planning.

"We're worried because they have dug a lot of shafts," said Sacred Hill Savers spokesman Mac Ho Ho-sum.

Group members met representatives of the Development Bureau on June 30 and said the site should be listed as a proposed monument and work halted pending a permit from the Antiquities Authority. But officials rejected that, they said.

The MTRC has said work continues under the supervision of the Archaeological and Monuments Office, with some construction suspended. And Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po told legislators that archaeological work should be finished this year to provide insights on the heritage value.


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## hkskyline

One Bay East

By *runner2012* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

*Tai Po discounts top 15pc*
The Standard
Friday, July 18, 2014




























Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) priced units at its Mont Vert project in Tai Po as low as HK$1.65 million yesterday after discounts.

A 194-sellable-sq-ft unit is among the first batch of 260 flats being put on the market. Buyers of three-bedroom units have priority to buy studio flats.

The first batch of the 1,071-unit project going on sale includes two-bedroom or three-bedroom flats, as well as 43 studio flats. Sellable area for the flats ranges from 194 to 945 square feet. Flats cost between HK$1.65 million and HK$8.70 million with maximum discounts of 15 percent.

Executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung said the pricing is about 30 percent lower than the market price in the area.

Meanwhile, the Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority reminded potential buyers to look at the flat before signing the provisional purchase deal.

It came after the authority noticed that Cheung Kong was requiring potential buyers to sign a no-visit agreement, baring them from seeing the flat they want to buy before signing the provisional contract.

The authority said the developer could face charges.

Cheung Kong Holdings said last night that the second phase of Mont Vert, which shares the same entrance and exit with the first phase, is still under construction. As it would be unsafe and impractical for buyers to enter the construction area, it would arrange buyers to visit the area around the project instead, it said.

The units will be on sale from July 26 and the show flats open for viewing today.


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## hkskyline

*Sight-unseen flats are legal, says developer*
19 July 2014
South China Morning Post	

The builder of Hong Kong’s cheapest new flats says circumstances make it OK to sell them without the advance viewing usually required by law

Hong Kong’s largest developer, Cheung Kong, defended its decision to prohibit prospective buyers from viewing flats in a new development, saying it did not break the law.

The company was adamant that it would not change the sales arrangement for the Mont Vert residential project in Tai Po, which requires people interested in buying a flat to sign a “no-viewing agreement”.

The development includes some of Hong Kong’s cheapest new flats, with a 194 sq ft studio selling for as little as HK$1.94 million. The first batch of 260 will be offered next Saturday.

Hong Kong law requires developers to allow potential buyers to view the actual flat or a comparable unit in a completed project. If they can’t do that, they must seek the consent of the prospective buyers to go ahead sight-unseen, something Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung characterised as a last resort.

But Justin Chiu Kowk-hung, an executive director at Cheung Kong, said the company was complying with the law by being transparent about the lack of available flats to show.

“Those who believe we do not supply sufficient information about the project should delay their purchase,” he said.

“Due to consideration of the safety of prospective buyers, it is not reasonably practicable to open the project for public viewing as the construction work of the phase-two development is still going on inside the site.”

Cheung Kong did create two model flats at its sales office in Hung Hom, but not at the site.

Cheung said the government took the case very seriously.

“The passage of the Residential Properties (First-hand sales) Ordinance [in 2012] was to ensure flat buyers as consumers would be protected,” he said.

Compounding the problems with advance viewing, the Sales and First-hand Residential Properties Authority (SRPA) alerted prospective buyers yesterday to the existence of grave sites near two of the towers in the new development.

Brochures for the development made clear the graves’ existence, but prospective buyers would not be able to see them without visiting the site.

Cheung said the SRPA would decide whether Cheung Kong violated the law after studying the developer’s explanation and seeking legal advice.

One potential buyer said Cheung Kong should let people in her position inspect the actual flats they would be buying.

“Show flats of such kind are a publicity stunt. A friend of mine decided to purchase a residential property after visiting a show flat and later felt deceived after spotting huge discrepancies between the two,” she said.


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## hkskyline

*Many keen to buy flats they can't view, as big crowd at Mont Vert sales office shows*
20 July 2014
South China Morning Post

A big crowd turned out to view off-site show flats for Cheung Kong's cut-price Mont Vert development yesterday despite concern in some quarters that the sales tactics of the developer are questionable.

Long queues formed at the Fortune Metropolis mall in Hung Hom, where Cheung Kong, controlled by Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, is marketing the Tai Po development. By Friday, over 1,200 applications had been received for balloting to buy the 260 Phase 1 flats for sale, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported. Sales begin on July 26.

Whether the firm violated the law in not allowing prospective buyers to see the flats seemed to have had little effect on people's desire to buy, said Lawrence Poon, a City University senior lecturer in building science and technology.

The development includes some of Hong Kong's cheapest new flats, with a 194 sq ft studio selling for about HK$1.94 million. READ: No room to swing a cat: What life might look like in one of Hong Kong's new 177sqft flats

People could still buy flats there, but that was a separate matter from whether Cheung Kong broke the law, said Poon.

Cheung Kong may have violated the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance, said Poon. The law requires developers to make every home at a completed new development available for viewing.

Cheung Kong can avoid violating the law by demonstrating that it was not practical to allow prospective buyers to view the flats, in which case it would be required to obtain prospective buyers' written consent to buy the flats without seeing them.

Cheung Kong executives said yesterday it was not feasible to let people in for viewing, as there was only a one-way road connecting the site and Phase 2 construction was ongoing, making it unsafe.

"It may not be safe to see the development, but that is not a good defence," Poon said, adding that it was within Cheung Kong's control to enable prospective buyers to view the Phase 1 flats because the company could have halted construction or delayed the sales programme.

Cheung Kong had not had notification from the Hong Kong government that the company had done anything illegal over the project, said Cheung Kong executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung. "The government didn't say we did anything illegal. The government said we were not perfect," he said.


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## hkskyline

*Mont Vert sized up 11 times over*
The Standard
Monday, July 21, 2014 

Potential buyers have warmly welcomed Cheung Kong (0001) project Mont Vert despite being denied access to the exact unit they want to purchase.

Authorities have warned the developer it could be breaking the law.

Cheung Kong yesterday priced another 117 units at the Tai Po project, taking total flats available for sale to 377.

It reportedly received more than 4,200 subscriptions since Friday, marking 11-time oversubscription.

Prices range from HK$6,909 to HK$9,747 per sellable square foot after a maximum discount of 15 percent - more than 20 percent below market prices in the area.

The first units to be put on the market at the project were studio flats, sized as small as 177 sellable sq ft.

Potential buyers were then asked to sign an agreement barring them from visiting the project site.

Cheung Kong executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung emphasized that the site is still under construction and is neither safe nor ready for client visits. The developer has arranged shuttle buses from its showroom in Hung Hom for interested buyers to take a look around the construction site in Tai Po.

Midland Realty residentials chief executive Sammy Po Siu-ming noted that very few buyers decided against submitting subscriptions due to the no-visit condition, and upgraders - those seeking to sell their current homes to buy a better unit - accounted for about 70 percent of subscribers.

Meanwhile, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) will put two houses at Twelve Peaks out for tender tomorrow.

No reference price for the two houses, sized about 3,700 sellable sq ft, was revealed. Rebate on the stamp duty will be up to 11.75 percent.

In the secondary market, only 15 homes were sold during the weekend at the 10 major estates tracked by Midland Realty, down from 21 last week.

Centaline Property Agency also saw deals at the 10 major estates it tracks fall.

Deals dropped to 20, from 24 a week earlier, with 13 of those at Taikoo Shing.

Residentials chief executive Louis Chan Wing-kit said more homeowners are becoming reluctant to cut pricing too much, leading to lower sales.


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## hkskyline

*Property sale tests for big and small*
The Standard
Thursday, July 24, 2014





































_Le Riviera_

More new projects are to be put on the market as Hip Shing Hong will price its 98-unit Le Riviera on Friday and Kerry Properties (0683) gears up to sell units at 8 LaSalle from September.

Around 70 percent of the flats at Hip Shing Hong's Shau Kei Wan project are small sized, said managing director David Fong Man- hung yesterday.

Target buyers include the young and new families. Showflats will be open for public viewing on Friday, when the price list will be released.

Kerry's 56-unit Ho Man Tin luxury - 8 La Salle - offers 39 three-bedroom flats along with 13 two-bedroom flats ranging from 600 to 1,020 sellable square feet. Four special units are sized about 1,700 sellable square feet. 

In the secondary market, a duplex unit at Celestial Heights, also in Ho Man Tin, saw a loss of HK$24.7 million. The mainland seller is said to have bought the 3,150-sellable-square-foot flat with a garden for HK$62 million in 2009.

It was sold to a foreigner for HK$40 million.

Midland Realty estimated 7,300 flats were completed in the first half, much higher than the 1,500 flats built a year back. Among them, up to 5,800 are in the New Territories.

In other action, Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) cashed in one billion yuan (HK$1.25 billion) from its Beijing project, La Grande Ville, since May. It sold 90 units at 30,000 to 37,000 yuan per square meter. It has decided to launch a new batch of units and expects them to be priced 3 to 5 percent higher.


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## hkskyline

*Package sales for studios scrapped*
The Standard
Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Mont Vert units with less than 200 sellable square feet will be sold separately instead of in a package, says Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) executive director Justin Chiu Kwok-hung.

He said some three-bedroom buyers had no interest in buying the studio flats, sized similar to a "subdivided flat," in a package touted for big families to live close to each other.

Meanwhile, the developer launched 11 four-bedroom units of 932 to 935 sellable square feet with a price tag starting at HK$8.31 million. So far 435 flats, or 88 percent of the first batch of 492 units, have been sold.

Meanwhile, Park Signature, a project by New World Development (0017) in Yuen Long, will put out the last batch of 21 two- room units tomorrow, with prices starting from HK$5.13 million.

More than 97 percent, or 1,373 units, have been sold, bringing in HK$6.1 billion since sales began in August.

Metro6 in Hung Hom from Hong Kong Ferry (0050) will also sell a second batch of 30 units tomorrow on a first-come, first- served basis.

The price is between HK$5.9 million and HK$7.17 million.

Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust (0778), chaired by Chiu, expects lease renewals to continue to grow this year. Chiu said at a briefing that more than 70 percent of tenants have renewed leases this year.

He added the firm, which owns 17 malls across the territory, does not plan to acquire shopping centers in the mainland in the near future since it is not familiar with the market.

The REIT saw interim distributable income at June 30 climb 27.2 percent to HK$390.5 million this year, thanks to strong rental growth.

Shares of Fortune REIT reached a year- high and closed at HK$7.35 yesterday, up 1.1 percent.


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## hkskyline

*Hot weekend for flat sales*
The Standard
Monday, August 04, 2014

Hong Kong saw a boisterous property market in the first weekend of August, amid five launches.

Cheung Kong's (0001) Mont Vert I, in Tai Po, sold 140 in a second batch of 246 units on Saturday.

Prices ranged from HK$8,177 to HK$11,884 per sellable square foot. Nine buyers from the first batch, launched on 26 July, canceled their purchases, forfeiting HK$2.25 million in deposits.

Le Riviera, in Shau Kei Wan, launched the first batch of 30 units on Saturday, 21 of which were sold on the same day.

Hip Shing Hong is offering another 30 flats at the 98-unit project without raising prices, which average HK$18,457 per sellable square foot, with an entry price of HK$4.54 million for a 274 sellable sq ft flat.

In Sai Ying Pun, Eivissa Crest, by Far East Consortium International (0035), sold two units after releasing 12 units at HK$25,000 per sellable sq ft on average.

Yuen Long The Reach, developed by New World Development (0017) and Henderson Land Development (0012), received 27 orders after launching 60 units, cashing in HK$126 million.

New World's Park Signature, also in Yuen Long, sold two units.

Sino Land's (0083) Mayfair By The Sea II, in Tai Po, got three deals and Sun Hung Kai Properties' (0016) Residence 88 sold one unit of 931 square feet at HK$10,416 per sellable sq ft.

The secondary market, however, did not show much movement. Ricacorp Properties recorded 13 deals in the 10 major estates it tracks, up two on the previous weekend.


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## hkskyline

*Mixed messages on sites as big bidders hang back*
The Standard
Thursday, August 14, 2014

Two sites in Tsuen Wan and Ma On Shan have been sold for as little as a combined HK$4.37 billion or about HK$3,700 per buildable square foot.

Tenders for the two lots closed last Friday, drawing 11 offers for the Tsuen Wan site and 16 for that at Ma On Shan.

Billion Development outbid property giants such as Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) and Henderson Land (0012) and won the commercial-cum-residential site with a gross floor area of 1.07 million square feet in Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, at HK$3.94 billion, lower than the market estimate.

The market earlier valued the land at a minimum of HK$4.53 billion or about HK$4,250 per sq ft.

Valuation went as high as HK$6.1 billion or HK$5,717 psf.

The plot cost HK$3,693 per buildable sq ft, down 27 percent from Tsuen Wan West's TW6, which was tendered out at HK$5,087 psf in January last year.

Billion Development said it will invest more than HK$10 billion in the site and development is expected to be completed in four years.

The developer said the price is definitely not cheap and the company bid for the plot for its flexible use between residential and commercial development.

The average price of a flat in the district is now HK$8,974 per sellable sq ft.

James Cheung King-tat of Centaline Surveyors said developers are worried that a government plan to limit mainland tourists will be bad for hotels.

Together with the coming completion of projects that were tendered out the past few years, an abundant supply of flats is expected in the district.

Hence property giants were more conservative with their bids, allowing smaller developers to win the tender at lower prices.

Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-bun expects the developer to build mainly one- and two-bedroom flats with average size of 536 sq ft.

Meanwhile, Wang On Group (1222), partnering Kam Wah Sure Win, won another residential site in Ma On Shan at a higher-than-expected price of HK$428 million.

The 33,368 sq ft site in Hang Kwong Street was tendered at HK$3,719 per buildable sq ft.

The market estimated the land to cost between HK$380 million and HK$425 million  or HK$3,300 and HK$3,693 psf.

A minimum of 180 flats will have to be built on the site.


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## hkskyline

*Artificial beach in Lung Mei gets green light despite environmental worries*
13 August 2014
South China Morning Post

_By *zulis* from dcfever :_









Plans to build a man-made beach at Lung Mei in Tolo Harbour cleared a legal hurdle yesterday, when the courts dismissed a judicial challenge filed by green activists striving to protect the local ecology.

The activists vowed to consider other options to preserve the coastal area in Tai Po, although they had not decided whether to appeal against the ruling.

"We are extremely dismayed by the judgment," Ho Loy, who lodged the judicial review on behalf of the Save Lung Mei Alliance, said after the Court of First Instance delivered its verdict.

"As for whether [further] legal action is the best option, we'll have to study it as a team first, but if we can find a better way, we will definitely choose that."

The idea of an artificial beach at Lung Mei came from Tai Po District Council, which wanted to cater for residents without access to a bathing beach. It will stretch for 200 metres, with room for 4,000 swimmers.

Activists doubt the ecological value of the site has been properly assessed, after they registered sightings of a rare seahorse and rare species of fish in the area.

Their application for the judicial review came long after the Environmental Protection Department issued a permit back in 2010 for works to start and after lawmakers had approved project funds of HK$200 million in 2012.

Before turning to the courts, the alliance last year sought to get the Environmental Protection Department head and the chief executive in council - meaning acting in consultation with the Executive Council - to exercise their powers to cancel the permit.

One of the arguments raised by the alliance was the lack of a specific ecological evaluation on a rare creature known as the spotted seahorse in an assessment of the coast approved by the director in 2008.

The absence of such an evaluation made the environmental assessment "incomplete, misleading and wrong". The project could result in more adverse impacts on the local ecology, the alliance said.

Yesterday, Judge Thomas Au Hing-cheung dismissed Ho's challenge of the refusals by the director and the chief executive in council to revoke the permit.

In a 48-page written judgment, Au said their refusals were neither illegal nor unreasonable.

He said an assessment of the seahorse was not a mandatory requirement under the law and the director had made a professional judgment on the need for it.

Au also said the chief executive in council had considered all opinions presented to it in coming to the conclusion that the beach project would not adversely affect the ecology of Lung Mei.

The Civil Engineering and Development Department said it "noted" the judgment, which it believed could further establish the "legality" of the project and ease public concerns about it.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and push ahead with the construction as fast and as practically as possible," a spokeswoman said.

"We will also assess the impacts of the judicial review on the costs and work progress."

A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said it welcomed the verdict.


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## CookieDance

:cheers:


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## hkskyline

*Tuen Mun sites hot property*
The Standard
Thursday, August 21, 2014



















Two sites in Tuen Mun were sold at higher than estimated prices yesterday, with one breaking a record for the district with the price per sellable square foot standing at HK$11,559.

The price of the Lok Chui Street site is more than 60 percent higher than the land parcel in Kwun Fung Street in the same district, which sold at HK$7,119 psf last year.










The low-rise development was awarded to Treasure Mega Ltd for HK$156 million. It had been expected to go for between HK$44.5 and HK$135 million.

The Lok Chui Street site has an area of 1,044.6 square meters and has been designated for private residential use. The minimum and maximum gross floor areas are 752 and 1,253 square meters. The property must not be higher than three stories.










A commercial-cum-residential site in Yan Ching street was awarded to Hoyden Holdings, a unit of CSI Properties (0497), for HK$427 million, or HK$5,307 psf. It was earlier estimated to fetch between HK$220 and HK$360 million.

The two sites together brought in HK$538.54 million to the government.

CSI Properties executive director Jimmy Fong Man-bun said the company will spend up to HK$1 billion on the project and build either one- or two-bedroom flats with an average sellable area of 500 square feet. He thinks the site in Tuen Mun town center is rare and expects to benefit from the Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macau Bridge to be completed in 2016. Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tsz-pan expected the sellabe area per square foot of the properties could reach HK$20,000.

The Yan Ching Street site, close to an MTR station, beat estimates because there is a difference of opinion on shop value, Lam added. The site is in the town center and many people walk by every day.

The site occupies an area of 1,174 square meters and at least 125 units are to be built for the non-industrial purposes only.

The minimum gross floor area is 4,227 square meters and the maximum gross floor area for non-industrial purposes is 1,174 square meters.


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## hkskyline

*Dolphins splash a big plan for north Lantau*
The Standard
Friday, August 22, 2014



















Reclamation around north Lantau's Siu Ho Wan is set to be changed after the discovery of white dolphin activity there.

Siu Ho Wan is within a commercial area envisaged by the Lantau Development Advisory Committee.

But another environmental study is necessary on reclamation and white dolphins, permanent secretary for development Wai Chi-sing said yesterday.

A first study suggested shallow water near Siu Ho Wan meant dolphin activity was rare. But dolphins have been seen in an area with depths of up to 10 meters.

Wai said the new assessment report that the dolphins sightings made necessary will be ready at the end of the year.

It will also include the effects of an envisaged third runway at Chek Lap Kok.

He also said the Lantau advisory panel has received 91 ideas about development, tourism, the environment, transport and employment on the island.

Among them, a member of the advisory committee suggested a zoo at Shui Hau. That sparked interest, Wai said, but "what kind of animals can live there?"

Still, a water sports center is seen to hold real promise, while zip-line routes, paragliding and mountain biking are candidates along with hotels.


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## hkskyline

*HK to see surge of more tiny flats*
30 July 2014
South China Morning Post

Demand for ever-smaller homes remains strong due to cheaper prices, with developers expected to build increasing numbers of shoe-box flats

Developers are expected to produce more tiny flats in their future projects given the frenetic buying spree for shoe-box homes by young homebuyers and investors, industry observers said.

Demand for cheaper small flats would continue to rise, they said, since Hong Kong home prices have remained buoyant despite the government’s introduction of new stamp duties.

“Building more small flats will become a trend, as they are sought after by younger home seekers and long-term investors,” said Patrick Chow Moon-kit, head of research at Ricacorp Properties.

A Midland Realty survey showed that land that had been sold in the past two years and designated for building small flats would supply 12,400 units over the next few years.

Upcoming new home sales include those at Sun Hung Kai Properties’ 968-unit The Wings Phase 3 in Tseung Kwan O, which will offer about 200 small units of 334 sq ft to 360 sq ft. The official launch date has not yet been set.

Chow said that the market’s attention has turned to smaller flats. He noted they were being sold for record prices in the secondary market and were commanding high rents per square foot.










*A case in point was a 225 sq ft unit at a new project, The Avery in Kowloon City, which has been leased at a monthly rent of HK$14,000, or HK$62 per square foot – which is higher than in Mid-Levels.*

On Monday, a 327 sq ft two-bedroom unit at City One in Sha Tin was sold for HK$4 million, or HK$12,400 per square foot. It was a record price per square foot for the development.

Chow also attributed the popularity of small flats to the tightening of mortgage lending.

Under Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation’s mortgage insurance scheme, buyers of flats below HK$4.5 million could receive mortgage loans of up to 90 per cent of the flat’s value, capped at HK$3.6 million, while for flats priced between HK$4.5 million and HK$6 million the maximum loan-to-value ratio is 80 per cent, capped at HK$4.8 million. For flats priced between HK$7 million and HK$10 million, the maximum ratio is 60 per cent, capped at HK$5 million.

Since the government doubled the stamp duty for the purchase of a second or subsequent home, buyers of such flats have to pay stamp duty of 1.5 per cent, as against HK$100 previously, for a property priced at HK$2 million or below; 3 per cent, from 1.5 per cent previously, for one priced between HK$2 million and HK$3 million; and 6 per cent, from 3 per cent previously, for a unit priced at between HK$4 million and HK$6 million.

“New homes being offered in the price range of HK$4 million and HK$6 million registered the fastest sales response because of the lending policy. Properties exceeding HK$7 million will require a higher down payment,” Sino Land associate director Victor Tin Sio-un said.

Sino Land has sold 95 units at Park Ivy – a joint venture with the Urban Redevelopment Authority in Tai Kok Tsui – sized between 256 sq ft and 321 sq ft.

Midland said the number of secondary residential market transactions for homes worth HK$5 million or below fell to 3,479 last month after hitting a first-half high of 3,524 in May.


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## hkskyline

*Blasts drama as wartime bomb found*
The Standard
Wednesday, August 27, 2014




























Two controlled explosions were carried out at North Point to make a powerful wartime bomb safe.

The device, measuring 1.5 meters in length and 15 centimeters in circumference, was found by a construction worker at a building site yesterday.

Officers from the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau went to the site after receiving a call at 1.30pm.

Lanes on Java Road and the Eastern Corridor were closed and firefighters put on standby.

Police said the power of the bomb was sufficient enough to cause severe damage to the surrounding area if protective measures taken had proved insufficient. 

The first controlled explosion was unsuccessful but officers heaved a sigh of relief with their second attempt.

"More than 100 sandbags used in the disposal of the bomb were destroyed," Suryanto Chin-chiu, of the bomb disposal unit, said.

Devices from World War II are often found.


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## hkskyline

*Probe into villagers’ felling of mangrove*
26 August 2014
South China Morning Post










Planning authorities are investigating whether the felling of a mangrove at a north Lantau bay on Sunday was a breach of town planning rules.

Rare flora and fauna are protected under a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) designation covering Tai Ho Wan and surrounding land and streams.

The Planning Department said yesterday it would investigate whether felling of the mangrove by villagers protesting over restrictions on the use of their land had breached the rules.

“If it is proved to be unauthorised … we will take appropriate enforcement action,” a department spokesman said, as villagers threatened more action if officials refused to meet them. Town Planning Board member Eddie Hui Chi-man said it was highly likely the villagers’ actions had breached the rules.

“Any change [of terrain] is likely to violate the original objective of the statutory plan,” he told Cable TV.

Tai Ho Wan and its three streams were designated but not zoned as a site of special scientific interest in 1999.

Under interim zoning plans for the area gazetted in March, an SSSI covering 4.5 hectares was demarcated. No land, ponds or streams in the SSSI can be filled or diverted.

Dozens of villagers brought in excavators and felled trees, including the mangrove at the mouth of the bay, on Sunday in protest at the move.

The current SSSI, administered by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, aims to conserve and protect features of special scientific interest such as rare fauna and flora, but is not strictly enforced.

A breach of the Town Planning Ordinance could bring a fine of up to HK$500,000.

At stake is a 1.1 hectare plot of private communal land in the SSSI that is now partly submerged. An additional 0.3 hectares of dry private land south of the lot also falls within the SSSI.

Villagers say they want to farm the land again but their land-use rights will be restricted.

Residents blame construction of the North Lantau Highway in the 1990s for blocking discharge from the river and flooding coastal farmland, forming the mudflats and mangroves that prompted green groups and the government to recognise the site as one of high ecological value.

“The felling of trees [on Sunday] was 100 per cent conducted on private communal land,” said indigenous villager Ray Lam of Ngau Kwu Long village. Similar protests would be held if senior government officials refused to meet them.

“You can call us impudent, but we have the rights. All we want now is to have the land zoned for agricultural use,” Lam said. “Our voice was never heard by the government 15 years ago. We won’t take this any more.”

He said the government was trying to mislead the public by ignoring the fact that “half of the land inside the SSSI was privately owned communal land” that villagers eventually want to farm again.

The Tai Ho stream and bay area was ranked by the government in 2004 as the third most ecologically important site in Hong Kong, following Mai Po Nature Reserve and Sha Lo Tung.


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## hkskyline

*Group demands idle plots for homes*
The Standard
Monday, September 01, 2014

A protest was staged in Sham Shui Po against a ban on building temporary housing on idle land.

About 30 members of the Care Group for the N-Nothings gathered outside the office of district councillor Chan Wai-ming calling for help for poor families.

The group pointed to a dozen sites in Sham Shui Po totaling more than 36,000 square meters that could take 2,286 homes.

Temporary homes in module style would offer generally better places than similarly priced public housing units, it was claimed.

In view of a lack of land, "why don't they make good use of these idle plots?" asked N-Nothing spokesman Cheng Leung-biu. It would take a year to construct temporary homes. 

Lam Chi-yau, aged 58, said and his wife pay HK$2,000 a month for a cubicle on Castle Peak Road. "I've waited for public housing since 2009," he said.

The housing idea went to Sham Shui Po District Council in May but was rejected by 12 votes to six. One member said temporary homes would be a step back.


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## hkskyline

*Developers' terms 'pushing up building costs'*
2 September 2014
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong builders say increasingly onerous demands and "unfair" contractual terms imposed by developers have contributed to a sharp rise in costs that have helped make the city the most expensive place in the world for construction.

Soaring wages and strong demand due to massive public building projects had long been blamed for pushing up costs, but Thomas Ho, president of the Construction Association, said the industry was also suffering as developers shifted responsibilities to their contractors.

He said some developers demanded exceptionally long warranties - in some cases as much as 50 years after completion - and insisted maintenance services be provided for 18 or even 24 years, rather than the usual 12.

Some also demanded that contractors bear the risks and costs of delays, without any option to seek compensation from developers.

More worryingly, Ho said, some developers were passing more design-related work on to contractors, an activity some building companies were unfamiliar with.

"This will increase the risks borne by the contractors and will lead to higher costs. The risks should be shared by various parties," he said.

A survey by British consultancy EC Harris last year found that Hong Kong had surpassed Switzerland and Denmark to have the world's highest construction costs, with regional rival Singapore far behind.

The association fears rising costs - bolstered by massive government infrastructure projects and public and private-sector homebuilding - could harm the sector in the long run.

Labour costs rose 27 per cent in the past three years while material costs rose 24 per cent, an analysis commissioned for the association in June showed.

The study, by University of Hong Kong real estate and construction expert Professor Steve Rowlinson, showed that labour typically accounted for 20 to 25 per cent of the cost of construction, against 40 to 45 per cent for materials. The rest goes on management, insurance, overheads, risk contingencies and statutory requirements.

Ho repeated the association's warning that the industry faced a serious and mounting labour shortage, leaving it short of at least 10,000 workers. The industry has sought an easing of the laws on recruiting workers from overseas, which Ho described as too restrictive and inflexible to deal with sudden demand.

He said workers with experience of dealing with concrete had seen their pay increase by as much as 70 per cent in the last three years.

Ho said the government should return the HK$400 million per year it receives from the industry in retraining levies in the form of subsidies that would allow new employees to receive on-the-job training, instead of paying for them to take courses in construction.


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## hkskyline

*Henderson grows its North Point footprint*
The Standard
Friday, September 05, 2014









_HKET_

Henderson Land Development (0012) spent HK$105 million on two plots in North Point to be transformed into 110 small flats.

The site equals HK$4,242 per square foot in terms of gross floor area.

Provident Garden, a nearby project about 20 years old, sells for an average of more than HK$11,000 per sellable sq ft.

The Yuet Yuen Street sites were sold at reserve price in an auction yesterday after Henderson got over 80 percent ownership.

Executive director Augustine Wong Ho-ming said the site will be jointly developed with the adjacent No5 site on the same street, as well as the 23 Java Road plot totaling 3,582 sq ft. That translates to a gross floor area of over 61,000 sq ft.

The developer plans to spend HK$3 billion and about 110 studio and one-bedroom units will be built. Sales could start as soon as next year, while the project is expected to be completed in three years, he added. The four-story buildings are nearly 60 years old.

The Hemispheres in North Point, also a Henderson project launched last year, was priced at over HK$26,000 pssf.

Recent land bidding record in the area can be traced back to two years ago, when Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) bid for a commercial cum residential site at Java Road, previously the site for North Point Estate, at over HK$9,300 psf in terms of GFA.

Meanwhile, 56 percent of locals prefer new projects to those in the secondary market due to the narrowing price gap between the two, a survey found.

While 84 percent found the price too high, 45 percent expected it would stay stable in the second half, followed by one-third of them who foresee a drop.


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## hkskyline

*URA's plan to revitalise old flats in To Kwa Wan falls through*
9 September 2014
South China Morning Post










A demand-led redevelopment project in To Kwa Wan fell apart yesterday after the Urban Renewal Authority failed to gain the support of 80 per cent of the land lease holders.

An authority spokesman said some owners of the 13,175 sq ft site had asked to be paid HK$12,000 per square foot - about 20 per cent more than the authority's offer of HK$10,078.

By the 5pm deadline yesterday, the holders of only 68 per cent of the "undivided shares" in the land - which are allotted to owners according to the size of their flat - had accepted the offer.

This is the second demand-led project to fall through. The first, smaller project on Wong Chuk Street, Sham Shui Po, failed in November after holders of only 78 per cent of undivided shares supported the redevelopment.

It comes as the authority reviews its demand-led redevelopment policy - projects initiated by owners but executed by the authority - which is said to have led to HK$3 billion in losses since it began in 2011. "The project's failure will be part of the review," the spokesman said.

The authority has accepted 11 such projects in all. So far, seven have been given the green light by owners while two - the To Kwa Wan and Sham Shui Po projects - have fallen through. It is not known if the authority will kick-start the remaining two projects, which have not been announced, before it completes its review by the end of the year.

The To Kwa Wan project, involving 170 households and 387 residents, was expected to provide 150 flats, a commercial area and community facilities.

"It's unfortunate to miss the opportunity to revitalise the old neighbourhood, but I respect the owners' decision," district councillor Starry Lee Wai-king, who was involved in the project, said. "It's hard to ask investors who are renting out their flats to accept an offer lower than they expect."

Property prices are still rising despite the introduction in February of double stamp duty on buying a second flat. Figures from the Centa-City Leading Index show that flat prices have risen 7.5 per cent since the measure was implemented.

But Chau kwong-wing, chair professor of the University of Hong Kong's real estate and construction department, said the market would see downward adjustment in the longer term, perhaps in five years. On the To Kwa Wan project, Chau said: "The authority may not want to go ahead with it either, given the losses on past projects."


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## hkskyline

*Relax labour laws to help city*
11 September 2014
South China Morning Post	

The latest official study of Hong Kong’s future manpower needs estimates a net shortage of 118,000 by 2022, partly because of a mismatch between job skills required and education levels. Manpower projections have proved wide of the mark in the past. Given dependence on assumptions that may become outdated, and that unions see it as a pretext for importing labour, many will treat the study by the Labour and Welfare Bureau with caution.

A single fact can focus more attention on the subject. We have one with the news that the number of skilled construction workers leaving Hong Kong for higher wages in Macau has more than tripled in the past two years, from 1,305 in July 2012 to 4,685 at the end of July this year. And that does not count those who go to work in Macau as unregistered daily commuters.

To be sure, the figure is a drop in the bucket of the 200,000-odd qualified workers in this city’s building industry, but it is expected to grow as construction firms, including many here, compete for lucrative contracts on casino projects, exacerbating a severe labour shortage in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong developers and contractors have seized on it to renew calls to relax rules on importing labour, arguing that shortages were helping raise construction costs and property prices. A recent international survey that found Hong Kong’s construction costs had become the world’s highest.

A government committee on population policy is exploring ways to deal with the shrinking workforce generally, and not just in construction, including relaxing or streamlining labour importation. Suggestions of new ways to bring in outside workers are welcome and should be fully debated. One is for Pearl River Delta workers to commute daily across the border to Hong Kong, similar to Singapore’s use of a cross-border Malaysian labour pool. So long as the interests of local workers are given due weight and the issue is handled sensitively, a relaxation of labour importation rules will benefit the city.


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## hkskyline

*High security at Tamar square with 3m fence*
The Standard
Thursday, September 11, 2014

Civic Square in front of the government headquarters at Tamar has reopened to the public with a three-meter-high security fence round the perimeter.

In addition, the square will be closed between 11pm and 6am daily.

The decision to beef up security around the square, a popular site for protesters, came under fire from pan- democratic lawmakers who said the area should remain open to the public 24 hours a day.

The new fence runs along Tim Mei Avenue and the boundary between the forecourt and the Legislative Council Complex. Five one-meter-high stone pillars, about one meter apart, at the East Wing entrance have been erected.

A three-meter-high glass panel stands near the escalator to the bridge at Harcourt Road.

Construction, which began in July, was to have been completed last month but the government said there was a delay because of weather conditions.

Lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing said the government decided to build the fence as it feared the headquarters could come under attack should Occupy Central swing into action. The legislature was not consulted, she added.

Lau said the fence will separate citizens and the administration and give the public the impression that the government is becoming less willing to listen to the people.

The Federation of Hong Kong Students applied for permission to gather at the square for 10 days from September 22, during their class boycott, but the Administration Wing rejected the request saying their timing went beyond the opening hours.

It suggested the public area at Tim Mei Avenue be used instead.

On July 17, it was announced that the fence would be built to "enhance the overall capacity of the building to withstand potential security threats" as "recent public order events at the Legco complex have illustrated the need for upgraded security."

A spokesman for the chief secretary's office said in July that construction of the fence would cost about HK$2 million.


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## hkskyline

*Developers factor in discounts with flats*
The Standard
Wednesday, September 17, 2014









_Arezzo rendering from the property website_

Swire Properties has released prices for 50 units of Arezzo, its latest residential development in Mid- Levels West.

Prices range from HK$22.28 million to HK$29.58 million, or HK$24,457 to HK$30,307 per sellable square foot.

Flats vary in size from 911 to 976 sellable square feet. Customers buying before October 15 will receive a 4.25 percent discount, with the maximum discount including stamp duty rebate equivalent to 11.75 percent of a flat's price.

Arezzo, which offers 127 units, will be completed in March 2015.

Swire Properties' residential division head Adrian To Wai-yip said the timing is right for promoting Arezzo since only 10 units are still available at the firm's Mount Parker, a similar project in Quarry Bay.

Meanwhile, Three Julia Avenue in Ho Man Tin, by Phoenix Property Investors, will market its first 30 units at between HK$12.5 million and HK$31.55 million, or HK$19,089 to HK$28,886 psf.

The cheapest unit with discount will be HK$11.66 million, or HK$17,800 psf.

The project's 67 flats measure 655 to 1,094 sq ft.

Cheung Kong Holdings (0001) will sell another 10 select apartments at City Point on Saturday, including two top-level abodes sized 1,219 and 1,259 sq ft, priced at HK$21.45 million and HK$23.07 million.

The developer has reaped HK$11.4 billion from selling 1,641 units at the Tsuen Wan project since May.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) will launch six penthouses at The Wings IIIA in Tseung Kwan O on Friday, followed by another 116 flats on Saturday. The latest batch had received more than 1,000 subscriptions by Monday night. ADAM XU


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## hkskyline

*Bid to delay village movemay hit checkpoint deadline*
12 September 2014
South China Morning Post



























_old_









_new_

Chuk Yuen residents ask for more time to relocate for multibillion-dollar development

The city’s seventh border crossing to Shenzhen faces a struggle to stay on schedule after villagers who have to make way for the multibillion-dollar development asked for a further delay in their relocation date.

The villagers of Chuk Yuen, in Ta Kwu Ling, were due to move en masse to a new village built 500 metres to the southeast last year – but they have already had the date put back several times and are now asking for the latest deadline, September 25, to be postponed to March.

The delay is a fresh blow to the troubled Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai checkpoint, which has already seen its budget increase massively. A request for extra funding has yet to be approved by lawmakers due to filibustering of other funding requests and the Legislative Council’s summer recess.

The two problems have led to doubts that the HK$24.5 billion checkpoint will open as scheduled in 2018.

It is the latest in a series of big public works projects to face delays and huge cost overruns – most notoriously the cross-border high-speed railway, which was pushed back two years earlier this year.

The relocation of the 200 residents in Chuk Yuen has hit difficulties due to construction delays affecting the new village and differences between indigenous villagers – those who can trace their family histories to the area before 1898 – and others.

The moving deadline has been pushed back three times this year, first to April and then to late last month before the September date was set. Now some villagers are seeking a further delay.

At present, the 42 indigenous households and several nonindigenous families are mixed together. In the new village, they will be separated by a river.

Of the indigenous villagers, 14 have opted to have houses built for them by the government, while 12 have accepted up to HK$2.3 million in compensation and the right to build their own home in the new village.

A further 16 have been given land to build a house at their own expense.

The non-indigenous villagers, who have fewer rights over their land, are receiving up to HK$600,000 compensation per household. Some have opted to move out, while 24 others have accepted an offer to buy a site to build a home in the new village. The non-indigenous villagers, and some of their indigenous neighbours, are ready to move.

A recent visit by the South China Morning Post saw construction continuing at the new village. Rows of houses – some completed and others under construction – could be seen on the indigenous side. The non-indigenous site was still being cleared for construction.

But Yiu Wai-leung, 34, the village head elected by indigenous residents, said most indigenous villagers were not ready to go.

“Of 42 compensation houses for indigenous residents, the 14 built by the government are completed and there are only some minor defects to correct. Overall, I am satisfied with those,” he said.

“Among the 28 households which chose to build houses on their own, 26 have started work and about four or five houses are completed but they are still waiting for water and electricity.”

He has written to the government and asked to push back the moving date to March. Yiu was among a group of residents who earlier complained about the quality of the government-built homes.

In April, about 70 villagers unhappy with relocation arrangements protested at the North District office to demand a delay.

But another village head, Yiu Wong-lun, 66, an indigenous resident who was elected to represent both factions, said most villagers accepted the relocation arrangements. “Only several families are complaining and claim there have been leaks in their new houses. Perhaps they have particularly high standards,” he said.

He added that the HK$2.3 million compensation would allow a family like his to keep a small amount of cash after building a small house, with construction costs of some HK$1.6 million and furniture costing an estimated HK$300,000 to HK$400,000.

“If people say we have gained money because of the development, it is a bit of money but not a lot,” he said.

The non-indigenous families, meanwhile, said hostility from some indigenous residents could affect the construction of their homes.

Kong Bik-yu, of the Chuk Yuen Residents’ Village Removal Committee, which represents these households, said Yiu Wai-leung’s faction had tried to stop the construction of a bridge which would allow access to the non-indigenous villagers’ site.

She said Yiu himself once blocked the work using a truck last year. Work resumed after government mediation.

Yiu Wai-leung admitted blocking the site, but maintained that his only problem was with the location of the bridge.

“Some house owners say it is too close to their homes and would bring a lot of noise when 100 people walk past every day,” he said. “Also, there are not enough parking spaces, and they may park their cars in our village if the bridge is so close.”

In a joint answer to inquiries from the Post, the Lands Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department sidestepped the question of whether the project would be delayed. “We will closely monitor the situation with a view to keeping the … project on track for completion,” they wrote.

Having agreed to defer the site clearance to September 25, the departments would “continue to liaise with the remaining households and provide them with assistance for a timely removal”.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong contractors' bid-rigging is behind rising prices*
18 September 2014
South China Morning Post

One contractor who asked to remain anonymous described three separate groups of contractors and surveyors that divvy up renovation projects through manipulated tender processes where winning bids are often three times market norms.	

I am a victim. Our block is subject to a government slope upgrade order. There is nothing wrong with the slope. In fact, it stands in danger only from the way that the required heavy rock drilling will shatter the bedrock.

But it represents contracts for the contractors who get the work. Contractors have a functional constituency seat in the Legislative Council and the holder of that seat invariably votes in line with the administration on issues in which Beijing takes an interest. Some things are important.

So at present, we face a mandatory do-it-now order and the contractors on the short qualifying list are all rubbing their hands. Their quotes have gone up as much as 90 per cent over just a year. Yes, I am beginning to swing to the Occupy Central view of governmental matters.

But of course the contractors plead that their own costs have gone up sharply in recent years and it is not bid-rigging that is pushing these quotes sky-high. No, it is just the unavoidable course of events and they can do nothing about it.

Is this true?

To the data. The blue line in the first chart shows you the deflator index for private construction costs in Hong Kong. It is taken from the gross domestic product figures and based on a value of 100 for September 2003, the approximate beginning of the present longer-term economic cycle.

It shows private construction costs have gone up 130 per cent over the period. This is much more than the deflator for the overall economy, the red line, which is up only 11 per cent, so that this rise in construction costs cannot be attributed to general inflationary pressures.

Nor can it be attributed to wage pressure. Construction wages have risen significantly over the past two years but, over the period of the chart, they are up only 23 per cent, a far cry from the 130 per cent for overall construction costs.

Only in costs of construction materials do the contractors possibly have a case to make. The purple line in the second chart represents an index of the costs of 18 major construction materials, all the way from portland cement to paint, weighted on a straight arithmetic basis. It's rough but it certainly indicates a high rate of rising costs.

This does not entirely satisfy me, however, as I do not see this trend elsewhere. The comparable figures in the United States are much lower and, although I cannot show them all in the chart, in Europe and elsewhere in Asia they are also restrained. Portland cement is portland cement around the world.

It is thus my belief that the cartel operations so prevalent in Hong Kong construction extend to rigging of materials prices and that the data overall does not support the contractors' plea that they are only passing on their own prices. I say they are having us on.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Visionary, Tung Chung
> 4/2
> 
> 
> IMG_6830 by Jon Whitton, on Flickr


9/21


----------



## hkskyline

*Rail complications in new lines*
The Standard
Monday, September 22, 2014 

Transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung has unveiled plans for seven new rail projects costing HK$110 billion. Public feedback has so far been positive.

The new projects include East Kowloon Line, South Island Line (West), North Island Line, Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, Tuen Mun South Extension, Hung Shui Kiu Station and Tung Chung West Extension.

They're seen to generate up to HK$4 billion of direct economic benefits.

While the public generally favors the rail expansion, there are concerns that Cheung and his team need to address.

Immediately, Hong Kong's biggest bus operator - Kowloon Motor Bus - questioned whether the railway expansion would undermine the firm's sustainable development.

It's a legitimate issue since, upon completion, the rail network will extend to 300 kilometers covering 75 percent of the population. Half of the public transport commuters will travel by rail. That' s significant.

It's hoped a new study promised by Cheung to review the role of different public transport modes can find an equilibrium point for all stake-holders. Even rail commuters like to have choices.

There are also other aspects to consider. First, who should build and operate the new rail extensions? In his answer, Cheung left it open by saying that whether the new projects would be run by the MTR Corp would depend on its capacity, and if other operators could enter the market.

Could the minister dropping a hint they may not go to MTRC as expected? That would be earth-shaking if he meant it. Maybe this was said to a public still skeptical about the corporation following delays and budget overruns for projects like the Express Rail Link, along with administrative shortcomings.

Second, skeptics are concerned that relations between the corporation and government could be complicated by the prospect of a legal fight to settle disputes over who should pay for the extra project costs due to delays.

Will the MTRC and government - who, incidentally, is the rail operator's biggest shareholder - end up in court? I seriously doubt it. Cost inflation will be the greatest concern. Although the estimate of HK$110 billion sounds big, it's conservative in view of soaring construction costs in recent years. It's a safe bet that the projects will be completed at a cost much higher than the estimate.

The public is anxious to see an effective mechanism to control the spending.

A bitterly divided society and tense executive-legislative relations could prove to be the biggest hurdle to overcome if the projects are to be completed on time and within budget.

Meanwhile, it's highly urgent for the MTRC to find a suitable person to fill the void left by former chief executive Jay Walder. The longer the delay in filling the vacancy, the greater the uncertainty in the leadership will become.

If there's a suitable candidate at home, wouldn't this be preferable to hiring an expatriate who doesn't understand local politics?

There's no doubt the railway development strategy will transform the SAR's landscape entirely to benefit most people.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Developers factor in discounts with flats*
> The Standard
> Wednesday, September 17, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Arezzo rendering from the property website_


*Mid-Levels flats sell fast*
The Standard
Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Swire Properties (1972) sold out the first batch of 50 units at its Mid-Levels West development Arezzo within a few hours yesterday, generating HK$1.23 billion.

The managing director of Centaline's residential department, Louis Chan Wing-kit, said 60 percent of buyers were investors, the rest were upgraders, mostly residents of Hong Kong Island looking to sell their current accomodation and buy a better one.

Another realtor Midland estimated secondary transactions in the area will plunge 30 percent in September from a month earlier, with buyers piling into a burst of new homes in the Western District.

The residential project, which was priced last Tuesday, sold for between HK$24,457 and HK$30,307 per sellable square foot. Encouraged by the results, the developer said more units are in the pipeline. Also rolling out fresh units is The Wings IIIA by SHKP (0016) in Tseung Kwan O. It will launch 155 units this week, including four special flats on Friday and 151 standard units on Saturday.

More new homes will be on offer, as Double Cove Starview Prime by Henderson Land (0012) priced the first batch of 220 units.

The Ma On Shan project sells for a per-sellable- square price from HK$11,382 to HK$16,539, providing a maximum discount of 12 percent. Buyers of designated units will be exempted from management fees of up to 30 months.

Centaline said the pricing is competitive as it is close to resale price in the area, set to find favor with consumers. The agency has recorded 79 secondary deals up to date in September in the district, 35 percent less than in August. It expected the resale market would be "frozen" with the latest project priced and sold.

Separately, Centaline recorded 51 transactions of houses for HK$752 million in August. The number was above 50 for the second month, reflecting robust purchasing power.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Stanley's Boathouse in line for a launch as boutique hotel*
> The Standard
> Thursday, July 03, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Boathouse, a landmark restaurant in Stanley, is set to be transformed into a 10-story seaview hotel by the Miramar Group.
> 
> A document from the Town Planning Board has revealed the firm applied to build a boutique hotel at the present location of the two-story Boathouse on the corner of 86 and 88 Stanley Main Street.
> 
> The site area is approximately 1,620 square feet with a plot ratio of 8.775 times at most. That could yield a gross floor area of about 14,200 square feet.
> 
> The Miramar Group's intention is to create a hotel with 28 guest rooms.
> 
> The group had secured 88 Stanley Main Street by late 2010 for HK$64 million.
> 
> But 86 Stanley Main Street is held by a private company owned by Ralph Shea, an independent non-executive director of listed company Power Assets.
> 
> The Town Planning Board had approved for the sites of 88 and 86 Stanley Main Street to be used for building a hotel in 2006 and 2010 respectively .
> 
> According to the 2010 plan, 86 Stanley Main Street was to be built as a mini hotel with six rooms. Four rooms would be ensuite and two would be for disabled people.
> 
> Should the project go through according to plan, it will be the Miramar's third hotel in Hong Kong.
> 
> Recently, Miramar renovated the Mira Hong Kong, its hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, which dates back more 50 years.
> 
> It also took over the operations of Mira Moon, a boutique hotel owned by affiliate Henderson Land in Wan Chai.
> 
> Planning on similar lines to the Boathouse, the owners of the sites at 103 to 107 Tam Kung Road in Ma Tau Wai have applied to build a boutique hotel there.


*Boathouse set to be demolished*
22 March 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Stanley’s iconic Boathouse restaurant is set to be torn down and replaced with a boutique hotel in the latest planning decision to spark anger and dismay among locals.

Constructed in 1951 and listed as a grade III historical site, the three-storey landmark building is a popular draw for both residents and tourists and is a recommended attraction in a number of guidebooks.

Despite objections from residents, the Town Planning Board earlier this month approved a plan by site-owner Miramar Hotel and Investment, a subsidiary of Henderson Land Development, to demolish the restaurant and build a 10-storey hotel.

“It is the weirdest thing I have ever heard that has happened in Stanley,” said Michael Bentley, a businessman working in the property market. “Stanley is unique in Hong Kong. Building a hotel would not add any benefit.

“But it is Hong Kong. You have to roll with the punches.”

Residents of the town on the territory’s southern shore say the proposed hotel would detract from the character and ambiance of the area.

In a formal objection to the proposal, resident Brenda Lee urged the government to consider the historical value of the building.

“I truly believe that the building of a hotel will destroy the unique community. The Boathouse has always been a unique tourist attraction and is loved by locals,” she said.

According to the Town Planning Board, Hong Kong’s historical grading system is only administrative in nature and provides no legal protection for sites, such as the Boathouse.

The Miramar Group declined to comment on the hotel plan when reached by the Sunday Morning Post.

However, in an application for planning permission, the developers said “the stylish and modern façade of the proposed hotel development will enhance the cityscape of the area”.


----------



## hkskyline

*URA takes Tai Kok Tsui hotel plan to developers*
2 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 










The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has invited expressions of interest for the development of a hotel in the Tai Kok Tsui area of the city.

The 7,814-square-foot site at the junction of Anchor Street and Fuk Tsun Street will be redeveloped into a 23-storey hotel providing 200 rooms on top of a two-storey podium for commercial and back of house facilities, according to the URA. The site will yield a total gross floor area of 70,278 sq ft.

A URA spokeswoman said the site was originally designated for residential use but the authority obtained Town Planning Board approval to change the land use to a hotel.

The URA said the primary concept for the proposed use is to alleviate traffic noise impact from the West Kowloon Corridor on adjoining residential buildings and to meet market demand for three- and four-star hotels in the district, as well as to create jobs and enhance the local economy.

The URA, the former Land Development Corporation, “has been involved in commercial projects previously”, said Charles Chan, Savills’ managing director for valuation and professional services. For instance, he said, it had participated in the office-hotel development at Langham Place in Mong Kok and the office project, The Center, in Central.

Chan estimated the Tai Kok Tsui site could be worth HK$7,000 per square foot.


----------



## hkskyline

*Strong demand for new homes during holiday*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Wednesday, April 08, 2015

The primary residential market is still hot with the sale of more than 1,000 units from two Tseung Kwan O projects in the past week, .










CK Hutchison (0001) will put a further 398 units at Hemera on sale this Saturday.

The new flats, either three- or four-bedroomed, have reportedly been five times oversubscribed already.

The developer offloaded 740 units last Saturday, cashing in HK$5.63 billion. It may stop launching more units in the near future, Cheung Kong Real Estate Investment director Francis Wong See-chung said. The project offers a total of 1,648 large-sized flats.

Twin Peaks, a K Wah International (0113) project in the same district, is also set to price more units this week, after selling nearly 300 since Wednesday. It has raised the price of 30 units by 2 percent.


----------



## hkskyline

*Happy Valley temple set for $100m facelift*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Thursday, April 09, 2015




























The 80-year-old Buddhist Tung Lin Kok Yuen temple in Happy Valley is to be renovated at a cost of about HK$100 million.

The temple's management plan is for renovation to be in phases over five to 10 years, and it will remain open throughout this period.

Work starts this month in line with a blueprint prepared by the Chinese University of Hong Kong's architecture faculty.

A spokesman for the temple said the HK$100 million will come mainly from its foundation fund, but there will also be fund-raising efforts.

Tung Lin Kok Yuen was the first temple to be built on Hong Kong Island and carries the name of the woman who was behind it. That was Clara Hotung Cheung Lin-kok (1875-1938), the wife of pioneering tycoon Robert Hotung. It was founded in 1935 on Shan Kwong Road with US$100,000 she received from her husband as a gift for their 50th wedding anniversary. 

It also became the only seminary for Buddhist nuns in Hong Kong.

The renovation, which will be the first big refurbishment effort since the temple was built, includes retaining its 1930s' characteristics.


----------



## hkskyline

*Voices unite against Peak hotel plan*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Thursday, April 09, 2015










District councillors and conservationists staged a rally outside the North Point government offices to protest against a proposed boutique hotel on Lugard Road, The Peak.

As protesters waved banners, Central and Western District councillor Joseph Chan Ho-lim submitted a jointly signed letter from 16 councillors to the Town Planning Board, opposing the controversial project.

The hotel was approved by the Town Planning Board in September 2013, but its plans have since been amended three times.

Last night was the deadline for the fifth public consultation for the proposed development, with the board to consider amendments on next Friday.

Chan, of the Liberal Party, said yesterday the width of Lugard Road a popular hiking and walking spot, is only 1.8 meters and electric vehicles transporting hotel guests would be about 1.4m wide, making the road even narrower for pedestrians.

He said thousands of people, including mothers with prams, use the road and the proposed 1,158 square meter hotel would increase congestion.

Developer Crown Empire bought the 27 Lugard Road heritage site which contains a two-story colonial home for HK$384 million in 2012. Public pressure has already made the developer downsize from 17 rooms to12, with traffic on the road restricted at weekends and public holidays.


----------



## hkskyline

*Chinachem bides time in flat sales*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Chinachem Group said there is no rush to sell properties but it expects to reap an average of HK$10 billion annually for the next several years.

The privately held developer has a rental portfolio of about 200 buildings, including residential, commercial and retail premises, generating HK$1.8 billion of rental income a year, said chief executive Sunny Yeung Kwong.

The firm is looking at rebuilding or revamping some of the buildings to improve rental growth, he said.

Chinachem has cashed in HK$1.7 billion in the first quarter, mainly by selling about 50 units of The Redhill Peninsula, a Tai Tam luxury project jointly developed by Chinachem, Sino Land (0083) and Dan Form Holdings (0271). 









_Source : gohome.com.hk_

But its Kowloon Tong project Eden Gate, launched in November, has not made any transactions yet.

Yeung earlier transformed one of the units into an art gallery, displaying works of local artist Dominic Lam Man-Kit. Yeung owns some of the art himself.

Besides Eden Gate, the group will sell another batch of units from The Redhill Peninsula this quarter, and four luxury house projects in Kowloon Tong and Sai Kung.


----------



## hkskyline

*HK$1.4 m for woman driven off land*
11 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

_Now_


















Judge rebukes ‘contemptuous’ village leader and property agent for bullying 85-year-old who had farmed the fields for over six decades

A rural leader and a property agent who dumped waste on an old woman’s farmland to drive her off were branded “contemptuous of the law” yesterday and ordered to pay her HK$1.41 million in compensation.

Hau Chi-keung, chairman of the Sheung Shui rural committee, and Man Chun-shing were taken to court by Lau Oi-kiu, 85, for evicting her from the land in Ho Sheung Heung, Sheung Shui, in 2009.

In a High Court judgment, Deputy Judge Paul Lam Ting-kwok said Hau and Man had adopted a “catch me if you can if you dare” approach as they continued their campaign even after government authorities had stepped in.

“[Hau and Man] behaved in an utmost high-handed and outrageous manner,” the judge wrote.

“Although they knew that Lau, an old lady, had been farming on the [land] for decades, they disregarded her rights and interests completely.

“It is most disturbing that they did not shy away or stop the wrongful acts even though various government authorities had intervened.”

Lau said she was not happy with the result.

“The one million dollars is not a big amount. I wanted to have the fields back to plant the things I want,” she said.

She returned to the fields to take a walk yesterday but met Hau along a narrow road. The pair began to quarrel and Hau called police after accusing Lau of pointing a finger in his face during their heated exchange.

Hau insisted he was the innocent party in the dumping saga.

“Who is the weak person? Who is the one who is being bullied? It’s obvious.”

He said all he had done was to help the government to identify the owners of the land and that he might appeal against the judgment.

The court was told Lau was not the registered owner of the land but had farmed there for over 60 years.

Hau and another man bought three pieces of land near Lau’s fields for HK$5 million in 2005.

Lau and her two sons claimed that Hau and Man asked them not to farm and began threatening them in March 2009. The threats continued even after they had made reports to various government departments, and the first waste was dumped on her land in May that year.

Large amounts of waste were dumped on her land from then on, Lau said.

Two months later, workers using dump trucks covered her land with soil. They said they were working under the instructions of village head “Keung Gor”.

Hau said he knew nothing about this incident or who built a pool and wall around Lau’s land.


----------



## hkskyline

Hung Hom
By *chiuchunlaw* from dcfever :


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *URA takes Tai Kok Tsui hotel plan to developers*
> 2 April 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has invited expressions of interest for the development of a hotel in the Tai Kok Tsui area of the city.
> 
> The 7,814-square-foot site at the junction of Anchor Street and Fuk Tsun Street will be redeveloped into a 23-storey hotel providing 200 rooms on top of a two-storey podium for commercial and back of house facilities, according to the URA. The site will yield a total gross floor area of 70,278 sq ft.
> 
> A URA spokeswoman said the site was originally designated for residential use but the authority obtained Town Planning Board approval to change the land use to a hotel.
> 
> The URA said the primary concept for the proposed use is to alleviate traffic noise impact from the West Kowloon Corridor on adjoining residential buildings and to meet market demand for three- and four-star hotels in the district, as well as to create jobs and enhance the local economy.
> 
> The URA, the former Land Development Corporation, “has been involved in commercial projects previously”, said Charles Chan, Savills’ managing director for valuation and professional services. For instance, he said, it had participated in the office-hotel development at Langham Place in Mong Kok and the office project, The Center, in Central.
> 
> Chan estimated the Tai Kok Tsui site could be worth HK$7,000 per square foot.


*URA hotel site draws strong interest *
16 April 2015 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Developers have brushed aside concerns over action to curb the flow of visitors from Shenzhen as they flagged their interest in a hotel site in Tai Kok Tsui.

The Urban Renewal Authority yesterday said 21 developers had submitted expressions of interest for its first hotel project.

The investment cost for the three-star hotel could reach HK$500 million, surveyors say.

“It is better than the market had expected,” Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, a director at Midland Surveyors, said of the number of developers that had lodged submissions.

“This is despite the outlook for the sector having been clouded by the news of the cutback in mainland tourists.”

Among the developers that had expressed interest are Sun Hung Kai Properties, Sino Land, Emperor International Holdings, Wheelock Properties, K&K Property, Asia Standard International Group, Regal Hotels International Holdings and Paliburg Holdings, New World Development, Dorsett Hospitality International, Magnificent Estates, Chuang’s Consortium International and Hip Shing Hong.

The 7,814 square foot site, at the junction of Anchor and Fuk Tsun streets, will be redeveloped into a 23-storey hotel providing 200 rooms above a two-level podium, according to the URA. The site will yield a gross floor area of 70,278 sq ft.

The authority at the start of the month invited expressions of interest in a project that had been viewed as tapping demand from mainland tourists. However, this week policy changes aimed at restricting the number of visitors from Shenzhen were announced amid community tensions over issues including parallel trading.


----------



## hkskyline

*Surprise plan approved to tear down Excelsior*
18 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_














































Four-star hotel The Excelsior may be torn down to make way for a commercial development after 42 years as a Causeway Bay landmark.

Excelsior Hotel (BVI), a wholly owned subsidiary of luxury hotel operator Mandarin Oriental International, has secured approval to build a 26-storey commercial building over the four-storey basement at 281 Gloucester Road, the Building Department’s February monthly digest released yesterday stated.

The plan would yield a total gross floor area of 684,005 square feet if Mandarin Oriental goes ahead with the redevelopment.

Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, a director at Midland Surveyors, said the proposed redevelopment would definitely enhance the commercial value of the site.

“The plan is a bit of a surprise to the market,” he said. “But the property is in a great location and commands an excellent sea view. Both hotel and commercial development will be sought after.”

With an estimated construction cost of at least HK$5,000 per square foot, he said the redevelopment project could involve an investment of HK$3.4 billion.

The approval comes in the wake of a decline in mainland tourists that has prompted more than 10,000 shops, restaurants and tourist attractions to launch a month-long campaign to revive the ailing tourism industry.

“Mainland China represents 15 per cent of room nights in 2014 – the second largest source of business,” Mandarin Oriental said in its 2014 results.

Due to the Occupy Central protests, revenue per available room at the 884-room Excelsior fell 4 per cent last year to US$180 (HK$1,404). The hotel’s average occupancy rate fell four percentage points to 85 per cent, according to Singapore-listed Mandarin Oriental International’s annual results announcement.


----------



## hkskyline

*High risk*
18 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










A team of bamboo scaffolders catch the eye of shoppers – and the ire of safety advocates – as they work without harnesses or safety gear above the crowded streets of Causeway Bay yesterday.

The men were seen moving deftly and completely unencumbered as they began to dismantle a display above cosmetics chain Bonjour’s store on Kai Chiu Road, near the Hysan Place mall.

Hong Kong is one of the few remaining developed cities still using bamboo in construction. Government regulations require workmen to wear safety belts and remain attached to a secure anchorage while on the skeleton frame.

However, the fluid nature of the job often makes such rules impractical, with scaffolders instead preferring to anchor themselves to the bamboo poles by using their legs as hooks. The construction industry uses more than five million bamboo rods, each six to seven metres long, every year. The material is lightweight and flexible, which allows scaffolds to be set up and taken down far quicker than steel rigs.

According to Labour Department regulations, scaffolders are compelled to use safety equipment at all times.


----------



## hkskyline

*URA cash woes may hit Central Market plan *
18 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Renewal body mulls works on a smaller scale as it is under government instructions to conduct a value-for-money audit after a deficit last year

A revitalisation project that will transform the historic Central Market into a green urban oasis may be scaled down after the government ordered the Urban Renewal Authority to check its financial health.

The revelation has emerged as the authority faces a double whammy of tremendous budget pressure and accusations it is shirking its social responsibilities.

Critics suspect the URA is falling short on its public duty as it struggles to balance the books in the long run, having incurred high acquisition costs for projects and taken on a new mission of providing subsidised flats.

The controversy arose early this month when URA managing director Iris Tam Siu-ying resigned, citing “fundamental differences” with chairman Victor So Hing-woh over the future direction of the authority.

Tam said at the time that it was unacceptable for the URA to act as a developer or an agent providing land to developers.

Yesterday, So responded to the controversy. “The authority’s directions remain the same,” he said. “But we hope to introduce new thinking” to speed up redevelopment and to ease financial pressure in the long run.

He revealed Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah instructed the URA board in April last year to carry out a value-for-money audit on the authority’s structure and operations.

So spoke as about 20 protesters decried the URA’s perceived lack of social responsibility.

“Redevelopment and rehabilitation will remain the major mission of the authority,” he pledged. “Revitalisation and preservation will be done when there is a surplus.”

He declined to confirm if the authority would outsource the acquisition of old flats – a huge drain on the URA’s finances.


----------



## hkskyline

* Tai Long Wan still under threat *
20 April 2015 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

By *stephencntse* from dcfever :










Developer planning resort in pristine coastal area of Sai Kung country park – even though another proposal was knocked back last week

A developer is still eyeing the pristine Sai Kung country park enclave of Tai Long Wan – despite town planners rejecting controversial applications for five houses in the area last week.

“The Tai Long Wan resort and spa projects will be developed to become a key resort attraction” with “the potential to become a popular spot for weddings and holidays”, according to the developer’s website.

Utahloy Group, recently renamed Tuenbo Group, said 24 hectares of agricultural land would be redeveloped into “a lagoon surrounded by resort houses transformed from the abandoned villages”.

It is listed as an “environmental and conservation project”.

Responding to inquiries from the South China Morning Post last week, the developer confirmed Tai Long Wan was still a “long-term project” and had been placed under the management of an affiliated non-profit organisation called the Greenlife Conservation Foundation.

“GCF is a charitable not-for-profit organisation focused on sustainable development and conservation projects for the benefit of Hong Kong,” Serge Gander, the foundation’s group chief operations officer, said in an email through Tuenbo.

Company records show the foundation was registered as a company in January. It is understood to be affiliated to Tuenbo, currently headed by Dorothy Wong Sung-king. Wong heads several other companies, one of which is still a major landowner in the enclave.

A spokesman for the Planning Department said it had yet to receive any applications for developments in Tai Long Wan cited by Tuenbo Group.

Concern over development in Tai Long Wan was reignited a few months ago after Dr Thomas Sit Hon-chung, assistant director for inspection and quarantine at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, and four relatives applied for permission to build five three-storey small houses in Tai Long Wan village, Ham Tin. The plans were rejected by the Town Planning Board last Friday.

But residents the Post spoke to on condition of anonymity still fear the threat of development.

The first “battle for Tai Long Wan” stretches back to the 1990s, when a controversial scheme by the same developer to turn the untouched paradise into a “Club Med-style” resort “for executive and middle management people” triggered outrage.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *New Hong Kong shopping centre could open near mainland China border by October*
> 6 February 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A new shopping centre could open near the Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint by October in an attempt to relieve New Territories towns overrun by mainland shoppers, a lawmaker confirmed yesterday.
> 
> Wong Ting-kwong, who represents the import and export sector, revealed that he had struck a deal with a group of villagers to turn a 420,000 sq ft site - about a fifth the size of Victoria Park - into an outdoor shopping centre.
> 
> Hundreds of shipping containers will be used to rapidly turn the site on the junction of Castle Peak Road and San Tin Tsuen Road - used now for parking, car repair workshops and warehouses - into a shopping mecca in time for the "golden week" holiday starting on National Day, October 1.
> 
> The move comes amid anger in towns such as Sheung Shui and Tuen Mun, where so-called parallel traders, who buy goods in Hong Kong for resale on the mainland, put intense pressure on public transport and are accused of crowding out stores selling daily necessities.
> 
> "[The centre] is not just for business," Wong said. "I hope it can help to [alleviate the pressure on] Northern district and towns in New Territories West, such as Tuen Mun."
> 
> Wong expects tenants to move out by the end of May so work can begin to install containers. Half will be rented to retailers of Hong Kong brands, a third will sell "hot products" popular with mainlanders, such as milk powder, diapers, clothes and sportswear, and the rest will be for food and beverages.
> 
> The centre will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and accommodate 3,000 visitors per hour - up to 30,000 in the course of a busy day.


*Border shopping mall will be delayed until Christmas*
17 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Proponent admits he was ‘naive’ to believe centre would be finished by National Day holiday

A proposed shopping centre intended to lure mainland visitors as soon as they enter Hong Kong is unlikely to be ready in time for the National Day holiday in October, and may be delayed until at least Christmas.

The lawmaker behind the plan said the delay was due to unexpected complications.

The centre – to be located near the Lok Ma Chau border crossing – was proposed in February amid rising tensions over an influx of shoppers and traders from the mainland that sparked unruly protests. Government officials welcomed it as a way to relieve New Territories towns overrun by mainland shoppers.

Import and export sector lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong yesterday admitted he was “too simple and naive” in believing the planned 420,000 sq ft outdoor centre would be easy to complete and open by October.

The Town Planning Board would not be able to approve the plan until the end of July at the earliest as more time was needed to research transport arrangements and the mall’s impact on noise pollution, Wong said.

“We can only kick it off during the Christmas holiday if not the new year,” Wong, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said. “I had hoped it would be opened earlier … but after all, the project is not aimed at gaining money but to relieve tensions in society.”

The Town Planning Board has zoned the site only for “service station” use. This designation allows only limited uses including as a public transport terminus or a library. Using the site for markets, shops and services would require approval from the board.

Concerns over cost have also forced Wong’s team into a rethink. They had planned to use hundreds of shipping containers to build the shopping mecca, but realised air conditioning costs would be four times as high as for a regular indoor shopping centre, and extra insulation against the summer heat would be needed.

Instead, prefabricated structures will be used. Half of the site will be used for local-brand products, Wong said, while 30 per cent would go on “popular” products such as baby milk formula.


----------



## hkskyline

* Landlords mull upgrades as rents tipped to increase*
22 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Improved infrastructure linking Central and non-core districts set to push up office rents

Landlords in Causeway Bay are either accelerating or pondering redeveloping their old properties as improved infrastructure linking Central and non-core districts would spur office rents higher over the next 10 years, according to industry experts. 

Colliers International executive director Simon Lo Wing-fai said office rents in Causeway Bay would benefit once the Central-Wan Chai bypass and Island East Corridor Link due to be completed in 2017 are finished.

“The rental gap between Central and Wan Chai or Causeway Bay will be narrowed,” he said.

In its latest report, Colliers said the rental premium of Central over Wan Chai and Causeway Bay would narrow from 46 per cent last year to 23 per cent in 2025, driven by improved infrastructure.

In 2025, Grade-A office monthly rents in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay would increase 118 per cent to HK$136.90 per square foot from HK$62.90 per square foot last year, it said. Central Grade-A office rents would jump 83.5 per cent to HK$168.10 per square foot in 2025, from HK$91.60 per square foot last year.

Colliers’ forecast came after news that The Excelsior hotel may be torn down to make way for a commercial development after 42 years as a Causeway Bay landmark.

Excelsior Hotel (BVI), a wholly owned subsidiary of luxury hotel operator Mandarin Oriental International, has secured approval to build a 26-storey commercial building over the four-storey basement at 281 Gloucester Road, according to the Building Department’s February digest released last Friday. The plan would yield a total gross floor area of 684,005 square feet.

Lo said the site would be a desirable location for Grade-A office with retail shops at street level. “It is an excellent location for office development with a spectacular sea view,” he said.

Other plans under way for redevelopment include Hysan Development, which has demolished Sunning Plaza and Sunning Court in Causeway Bay to build a mixed-use office and retail complex on the site. Hysan said earlier that the redevelopment of Sunning Plaza and Sunning Court was mainly to cater to the creation of offices for tenants who were moving out of Central and to make sure there was enough space to deal with future demand.


----------



## hkskyline

*Projected home supply raised to record 78,000*
25 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Government accelerates land sales as number of flats under construction slides 75 per cent

The projected supply of private homes in Hong Kong has been raised to a record high of 78,000 for the coming three to four years as the government accelerates land sales. 

Analysts said an increased annual supply had become a trend, but one that was unlikely to stem rising home prices in the short term.

The Transport and Housing Bureau announced the official figures in a report on new private housing supply for the first quarter of the year.

Some 78,000 new homes are projected to be put on the market over the next three to four years, an increase of 4,000 flats from the estimate made in the bureau’s previous quarterly report.

Meanwhile, the number of flats under construction in the first quarter of the year fell 75 per cent to 2,000 from the 8,000 reported in the first quarter of last year. The number of flat completions fell to 200, from 2,900 flats in the same period last year.

Property consultants put the declines in first-quarter flats under construction and flat completions down to differences in developers’ construction schedules. They say supply will increase significantly in the second half of the year because the government has been increasing land supply.

“The number of 78,000 flats is a record-high projection, driven by an increase in land sales by the government in the first quarter,” said Cliff Tse, national director of valuation advisory services at property consultant JLL.

The bureau’s latest report says “units from disposed sites where construction may start any time” increased to 21,000 in the first quarter, an increase of 6,000 units from December.

The projection of 78,000 homes includes 61,000 units under construction but excludes those presold by developers.

In the first quarter of this year, developers presold 10,000 flats, up from 7,000 in the previous quarter.

Tse said the revised home supply projection would not result in an immediate correction in home prices.

The total of 78,000 units represented supply of between 19,500 and 26,000 flats a year, Tse said, which is comparable with the average home supply of 25,000 units a year in the 1990s.


----------



## hkskyline

*Time to rethink urban renewal strategy to put the people before developers*
Albert Cheng says resignation of key URA official could be a blessing if changes lead to merger with Housing Authority to create a better set-up
24 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 










The surprise resignation of Iris Tam Siu-ying last month as managing director of the Urban Renewal Authority has provided some serious food for thought for those in charge of the land and housing portfolio.

Highly regarded by her colleagues, Tam, however, has failed to satisfy her chairman, Victor So Hing-woh, that the authority's long-term financial health is secure. This set her on a collision course with So over how much the URA should rely on private developers who have no moral obligation to the tenants affected. 

In an internal email dated March 31, Tam said: "URA must always put its social mission before profit considerations in selecting sites for redevelopment, helping owners rehabilitate their buildings, and contributing towards heritage preservation and revitalisation.

"As URA is trusted with the use of public money and the power to apply for land resumption, it is imperative that we are accountable to the public in how we handle acquisition, rehousing and clearance. I find it totally unacceptable to position URA as a developer or a land assembly agent to supply land for developers."

So, who took over from Barry Cheung Chun-yuen in June 2013, is eager to reform the URA, especially on the financial front. He has entered talks for closer collaboration with the Richfield Group, a developer notorious for aggressive tactics with residents in buying old buildings.

Last year, alarm bells rang when the URA recorded for the first time in five years a deficit of HK$2.3 billion. To address the problem, So has engaged McKinsey for a value-for-money study. It projected that the URA's fiscal reserves would plunge from HK$24.2 billion to HK$9 billion in five years.

The firm recommended the sale of land parcels to developers to boost income. It also denounced the strategies of rehabilitation, revitalisation, reservation and redevelopment as defective in regenerating urban areas. The first three have cost HK$2.8 billion, while the fourth resulted in slow land repossession and high compensation costs. McKinsey further proposed handing over the URA's acquisition and rehabilitation work to outsiders.

The government's urban renewal strategy dates back to 1988 with the launch of the Land Development Corporation. It was empowered to acquire and redevelop dilapidated buildings but was not given substantial resources for compensation and the subsequent civil works. Abraham Shek Lai-him, who headed the corporation, had no other option but to cooperate with private developers.

The corporation was revamped into the current URA in May 2001 with an injection of HK$10 billion. The new statutory independent body introduced a "people first" approach for its initiatives in dilapidated urban areas.

Former chairman Cheung left a positive impression in leading the Kwun Tong Town Centre project. However, to balance the books, Cheung also joined with private developers to build luxury flats.

Both Tam and So have their points but both approaches would entail a transfer of interest to developers. It is only a matter of degree. The difference is Tam's emphasis on a "social mission" to provide greater safeguards for the people. In contrast, So makes no pretence of distancing the URA from private developers. In the public's eyes, the URA is now an instrument for them to squeeze every last drop of profit in the name of urban renewal.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Tycoon plans cheap homes for young and old*
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Friday, January 16, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Henderson Land (0012) chairman Lee Shau-kee laid out bold plans yesterday to build cheap homes for the elderly and young people.
> 
> The elderly would be able to secure new flats for as little as HK$100,000 just over the border in Guangdong, while the tycoon wants to build apartments costing just HK$1 million for youth in Hong Kong.
> 
> Lee said local housing prices are about to peak, though the market is unlikely to collapse even if interest rates go up.
> 
> To help resolve the SAR's housing problems, Lee wants to join hands with Country Garden (2007) chairman Yang Guoqiang to provide 10,000 flats for seniors in either the Nansha district of Guangzhou or Huizhou city, both of which are less than two hours' drive from Hong Kong.
> 
> "Construction cost in the mainland is just about a tenth of that in Hong Kong, which means for every unit built here, we can build 10 in the mainland," Lee said.
> 
> Lee said people will have a better chance moving into a flat of their own under his proposed program than by applying for public housing.
> 
> "What's the point of fighting so hard for one quota?" said Lee, referring to the overwhelming response to the Housing Authority's latest batch of subsidized flats coming on the market in 2016.
> 
> Lee said his top priority is to help the young. He raised the possibility of building 5,000 flats at Tai Hang Sai Estate in Shek Kip Mei for employed local youths. The project is named "housing for entrepreneurial, hard-working youths."
> 
> At about HK$1 million each, the units will not require any downpayment. Buyers could choose to pay HK$9,600 monthly at a fixed 3 percent interest rate for 10 years or they could pay HK$5,500 per month for 20 years. "I hope every young person can become a millionaire by owning an affordable home, so that Hong Kong will be a paradise," said Lee.
> 
> But such homes cannot be sold in the secondary market.
> 
> Lee has not decided how to compensate and relocate the existing occupants of the 1,300 apartments who will be affected if the Shek Kip Mei project is implemented.
> 
> The apartments are owned by Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp Ltd of which Lee is a shareholder and serves on the board.Both types of flats for the young and the old will each measure 300 square feet. Existing tenants at Tai Hang Sai Estate last night demanded that if the project is approved they should get priority rights to buy HOS flats and also be exempted from detailed screening for renting public units.


Tai Hang Sai Estate


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## hkskyline

Shatin-Central Line, Wan Chai section
3/28


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## el palmesano

^^

have you renders??


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> One Bay East
> By *ngkwokhing* from dcfever :


T/O - By *R.HAR* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

el palmesano said:


> ^^
> 
> have you renders??


I found this from a 2011 news clipping :










*Exhibition Station* is on the Hong Kong Island side of the *Shatin-Central Line* :


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## el palmesano

^^ thanks, is much easier to understand the pictures with the renders


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong developers 'disadvantaged' by lack of a clear conservation policy *
4 May 2015 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Private developers have no role in preserving heritage buildings and are left at a disadvantage by the absence of a comprehensive conservation policy, a young property tycoon says.

Lau Ming-wai, 34, who took over as chairman and CEO of Chinese Estates Holdings last year, made the remarks yesterday at a student forum on development and conservation.

Chinese Estates was at the centre of a major conservation row in the 2000s, when public pressure forced it and the Urban Renewal Authority to preserve part of the old Wan Chai Market instead of removing it completely for a housing development. The development was one of many in recent years to spark bitter protests and raise questions about whether the city was too quick to remove historic buildings.

"The government should lay out all the rules of the game for developers to follow," said Lau, who also chairs the government's Commission on Youth. "For example, you can set out all conservation requirements in the land lease when putting the land on sale. If a developer finds the requirements too harsh, he can choose not to bid."

Lau also said society should "discuss what conservation means", adding: "Keeping everything untouched is not a good solution. Conservation should not mean not tearing anything down."

He added: "It is not fair to ask a runner to run slower to take care of other contestants' feelings."

Ultimately, he said, it was up to the government to "listen and to balance the various interests of different stakeholders".


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## hkskyline

*Church’s proposal fails to win support*
6 May 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Jardine’s Lookout residents scored a small victory yesterday after an amended proposal to expand a church compound on Mount Butler failed to win support from district councillors.

Two members rejected the plan, while all others abstained in the non-binding vote. The project involves the construction of a seminary, administration offices and a hostel, and an expansion of the existing two storey kindergarten on the site. 

One of those who voted against the plan, Jardine’s Lookout councillor David Lai Tai-wai, said residents had not been properly consulted about the proposal by the Sheng Kung Hui, the city’s Anglican Church.

He said any development would worsen traffic on Mount Butler Road, which was already brought to a standstill every morning as drivers brought children to the elite Braemar Hill Nursery School.

“The traffic problem is already very serious. Even the Transport Department agreed that it underestimated the impact of traffic from Braemar Hill Nursery when it moved there,” said Lai. “The situation will be worse with hundreds more pupils in the area.”

Two dozen members of the Jardine’s Lookout Concern Group staged a small protest before the council discussed the plan. Resident Cheng Kit-ying expressed fears that emergency vehicles would be unable to pass because of increased traffic.

The church acquired additional plots in a land swap approved by the government in 2011. It planned to expand its facilities there to “reduce development intensity” at its heritage-graded compound in Central.

The plan was initially put to the district council in 2011. Following opposition, it reduced the plot from 12,000 sq m to 8,500 sq m. Measures to alleviate traffic concerns included internal drop-off and pick-up areas and maintaining a 70 per cent quota of pupils using its school bus service.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Rendering_


3/22


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## hkskyline

*4,000 public flats to go up at Diamond Hill site formerly home to historic village*
9 May 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










The site of a former historic village and moviemaking hub in Diamond Hill will be home to 4,000 public flats housing 12,000 residents, after town planning advisers approved the government's redevelopment proposal.

Housing blocks will occupy 2.83 hectares of the 7.18-hectare site of the former Tai Hom village, built in 1800, and the adjacent Ha Yuen Leng.

The villages have been pulled down save for a stone house that was once the home of late movie star Roy Chiao.

Two other structures, a pillbox and a former Royal Air Force hangar - both listed as grade two historic buildings - have been removed and will be relocated along with the stone house to a new 1.64-hectare park to make way for the MTR's Sha Tin-Central link project, under the final plan endorsed by the Town Planning Board yesterday.


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## hkskyline

* Land exchange option could resolve the URA's dilemma of purpose vs profit*
Francis Neoton Cheung says it would avoid cash outlay and spur developers to initiate projects
13 May 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 










Statutory bodies are not all created equal. Some, like the Consumer Council, are welcomed by the public because of its clear mission, while others are born with inherent identity issues. The latter category is perhaps best represented by the Urban Renewal Authority, which is primarily tasked with upgrading Hong Kong's ageing neighbourhoods.

Its struggle for a sharper identity focus recently came to a boil when its managing director resigned over purported differences with the chairman. At the heart of the debate is URA's struggle to reconcile purpose with profit.

Frequent haggling with affected owners occurs over the URA's method of assessing the compensation based on the value of a notional seven-year-old flat in the vicinity. The URA has also been branded an aggressive developer for projects such as Wan Chai's Lee Tung Street, the so-called "Wedding Card Street", which has forced the body to shift to a more passive approach that relies on property owners initiating redevelopment.

Finally, there's the financial viability of the URA, given current market conditions. While the body has enjoyed bountiful revenues since its founding in 2000, more than doubling the initial government investment of HK$10 billion into a capital and reserves accumulation of about HK$24 billion, future income is in doubt and it has run a deficit in the past two years. The reason: soaring construction costs and the dwindling number of old urban buildings with high redevelopment potential.

Yet the need for the URA is as pressing as ever. Currently, there are more than 4,000 buildings in Hong Kong aged 50 or older, with the number expected to increase in the next decade. Out of the 4,000 now, about 3,000 are in a serious state of disrepair.

What is the most effective way of renewing ageing urban landscapes with low redevelopment value, like Cheung Sha Wan's Kim Shin Lane, or other dilapidated buildings in San Po Kong and Sai Wan Ho?

It's time to resolve the identity crisis once and for all, so the URA can more effectively serve its function. The solution: a strategic retreat from property development through the reintroduction of land exchange entitlements.

In the 1960s and 1970s, faced with the enormous task of developing new towns and budget constraints, the British government offered two categories of land exchange entitlements in lieu of cash to affected land owners. What was commonly known as "Letter A" and "Letter B" offered rights to alternative, similarly sized plots in the same area in return for surrendering existing plots that were already built on (A) or used as farmland (B).

The Hong Kong government could now create a new category of land exchange entitlement - a "Letter C" - that promises developers the right to other plots within the same district. This would encourage developers to round up owners in old buildings, freeing the URA from this often difficult task. The affected owners would benefit because they would be compensated readily according to market value and not subject to the "seven-year rule", a frequent source of tension.

More importantly, because there would be no cash outlay, the URA would no longer feel compelled to rebuild on the plots of the old buildings it gained control of to recoup its investment. It would no longer have to behave like a private developer concerned only with the bottom line.


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## hkskyline

*Scheme could produce 4,000 subsidised flats*
19 May 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The Housing Society is to launch a pilot scheme that will redevelop housing estates occupied by civil servants, potentially releasing land for the construction of 4,000 subsidised flats.

The scheme, put forward by the Development Bureau, is a response to calls from lawmakers to redevelop residential buildings built under the Civil Servants Cooperative Building Society Scheme since 1952. 

The society said projects included in the scheme would be carried out on a “no-loss” principle, meaning revenue from the projects should be enough to cover all their development and acquisition costs.

Some 227 sites in the city hosting civil servant housing have never been redeveloped. Most do not have lifts and are occupied by ageing retired civil servants.

Civil servants were originally granted land for the construction of homes as a concession, but it means that if they wish to sell a site or have it redeveloped by the private sector, they must pay a land premium to the government set at two-thirds of the land’s value. Consequently only 11 estates have been redeveloped by private firms.

The bureau estimates 85 sites in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Shau Kei Wan have redevelopment potential, and floor areas at these estates could be at least doubled. If all the sites are redeveloped, they could potentially produce more than 4,000 subsidised flats – an average of 50 additional units per site.

But strict requirements have been set for flat owners interested in applying for redevelopment. All owners on an estate must agree with the redevelopment, the site should not be smaller than 10,000 sq ft, and projects should be able to break even.

In return, the society will acquire the homes from the owners at market price, or 10 per cent above market price if possible, and affected owners will be eligible to buy a second-hand subsidised flat elsewhere built by the society with a saleable area of between 300 sq ft and 600 sq ft.


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## hkskyline

*Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
5/1


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## hkskyline

*Visionary, Tung Chung*
By *Dickieccm* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

*Final cost of border post not certain*
23 May 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Government ‘confident’ it will not need more than the extra HK$17.5 billion it is seeking for crossing to Shenzhen, but offers no guarantee

A senior official of the Development Bureau has told lawmakers it is “quite confident” the extra HK$17.5 billion it is seeking for the over-budget seventh border crossing to Shenzhen will be the last, although he cannot guarantee that for sure because of uncertainties. 

The government needs an extra HK$8.7 billion for the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai crossing in the northeastern New Territories after the works, which began in 2013, busted the HK$24.5 billion it was allocated.

It is also seeking a separate HK$8.8 billion for the first time to build a passenger terminal and other facilities.

Both funding requests were put to the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee yesterday, despite Legco’s public works subcommittee having voted them down early this year.

Legislators asked why the budget had risen significantly just 18 months after Legco’s development panel discussed it.

Permanent secretary for development Hon Chi-keung admitted officials failed to “feel the pulse” of the market when they estimated the project costs.

Poor ground conditions for tunnelling work also contributed to the inflated price, Hon said.


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## erbse

Would be nice to see some _real_ projects in this thread again.


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## skanny

Too much articles and few real projects ...


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## hkskyline

I challenge both of you to contribute to this thread and also to reread what I have posted if you think new residential towers and a new border crossing are not considered construction projects.


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## erbse

"Final cost of border post not certain" isn't really "project *news*" to my understanding. I appreciate your postings hksykline, but I guess the lack of renderings/visualisations and actual construction updates (with too much emphasize on "general" news) in your posts is the main issue. For that reason, the attention of readers and contributors might be rather low here.

I sincerely don't know about relevant HK projects, that's why I check this thread (only to discover hardly any real projects updates?! at least it looks like that). Such posts should occur more often probably, with an actual render/model and a project construction update.


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## hkskyline

erbse said:


> "Final cost of border post not certain" isn't really "project *news*" to my understanding. I appreciate your postings hksykline, but I guess the lack of renderings/visualisations and actual construction updates (with too much emphasize on "general" news) in your posts is the main issue. For that reason, the attention of readers and contributors might be rather low here.
> 
> I sincerely don't know about relevant HK projects, that's why I check this thread (only to discover hardly any real projects updates?! at least it looks like that). Such posts should occur more often probably, with an actual render/model and a project construction update.


I don't think a project needs to have an exact price tag attached or even a rendering to qualify as a project. Construction cost overruns are not unusual and the developer is not obliged to release a rendering, as we see in a waterfront skyscraper going up now that will drastically change the Kowloon skyline but we have no idea what it would look like. It is now over 10 stories tall but lack of a rendering does not make it no longer a "project" anymore.

If you carefully read the content of the border crossing project, you will quickly realize construction has already begun (works began in 2013) and the project went back to the government for additional funding after cost overruns. I don't see why you think this is not a project when it has been previously approved and the shovels are already in the ground.

We don't enjoy the luxury of having detailed information for every plot or proposal here. I don't think any place in the world has this perfect sphere of information available. We have to make the best of what we've got.


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## erbse

hkskyline said:


> We have to make the best of what we've got.


You're certainly right here. It's just that it'd be great to get to *see* more.
Ah well, if wishes were fishes, we'd have a fry.


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## the spliff fairy

HKskyline, it would be great if you'd divert your sterling efforts to construction updates rather than 1 single project, 1 one-time-only post. I think interest in the Chinese construction forums would skyrocket if you did. Otherwise people stop looking.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Shanghai Commercial Bank, Central*
> 3/9



*Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower * 
28/F, T/O - 6/4
http://www.shacombank.com.hk/pdf/PRL450E.pdf


----------



## the spliff fairy

I love that wave design


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## hkskyline

*Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower*
6/8


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
> 5/1


_Notice the green scaffolding with crane in the middle of the photo.
_
By *tungwongxxx* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

*Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
5/31


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## jeromekern

hello to everybody
please why are the constructions of skyscrapers in Hong Kong stopped since 2011 or 2012 ?
there's now no tall skyscrapers projects in this city ?
why ?
where are the 1000 or 1500 feets skyscrapers projects ? 
HK has always in the past built tall buildings !!!
and now nothing ! why ?
political decision ? HK has skyscrapers enough ? 
*shenzhen or shanghai have to beat HK in the number of skyscrapers ?*
do you have the answer ?
thanks !


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## hkskyline

*One Bay East*
6/20


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## hkskyline

*Sino cashes in on cheap land*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Friday, July 03, 2015










Sino Land (0083) stands to pocket fat margins amid a boisterous luxury housing market as it prepares to launch a deluxe Mid-Levels West project within this quarter.

Called The Fairmont, the development on Conduit Road features 27 three- or four-bedroom apartments measuring 1,200 to 2,300 saleable square feet.

There are also a handful of special units.

Sino's associate sales director Victor Tin Siu-yuen said the firm has secured occupation permits for the project and a third-quarter sale can be expected.

The Fairmont occupies a site the developer acquired a decade ago from gaming tycoon Fo Lo-yung's family for an estimated HK$250 million, or HK$3,788 per buildable square foot.

Tin refused to hint at the project's pricing but Arezzo, a same-district development by Swire Properties (1972), has been selling for between HK$22,000 and HK$35,000 pssf. The highest price at 39 Conduit Road by Henderson Land (0012) hit a whopping HK$93,000 pssf. The Fairmont was unveiled after big- ticket deals lifted the value of new home registrations in June by 65 percent month-on-month, with a volume that was 47 percent higher.


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## hkskyline

*Heya Crystal looks too high*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Friday, July 17, 2015










The first batch of 100 units at Hong Kong Housing Society's Heya Crystal, a Cheung Sha Wan project, stands to generate another all-out round of sales with prices undercutting the private market. Less sure is how many of them will go to first-time buyers that it sets out to help.

Prices vary from HK$5.61 million to HK$9.75 million. That amounts to HK$11,263 to HK$15,365 per sellable square foot, averaging HK$12,412 pssf after a steep 10 percent discount.

"It can't get any cheaper when you need to shell out at least HK$6 million to move into a private flat," said a Mr Tang, who is renting a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po for HK$9,000 a month. Tang hopes, with luck, to pick one of the two-bedroom units, which make up 80 percent of the 350 flats in total.

Midland Realty's residential chief Sammy Po Siu-ming said the Heya Crystal homes are priced attractively, as an owner of a flat at a 40-year-old building in the district can now ask up to HK$14,000 pssf.

Heya Delight released in November came at a post- discount average of HK$11,706 pssf, and Heya Star was rolled out the following month at HK$12,312 pssf. Both were cleared within a day.

Centaline Property's Louis Chan Wing-kit said about 60 percent of Heya Crystal's would-be buyers are those who have missed out on the society's previous Heya-series schemes, which were 10-15 times oversubscribed.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
> 5/31


6/20


----------



## skanny

Upper west looks very imposing from this perspective , what's it's exact height ?


----------



## hkskyline

skanny said:


> Upper west looks very imposing from this perspective , what's it's exact height ?


I cannot find the sales brochure for this project on their website. It is almost 50 storeys tall (before taking away the 4's). Expecting 3-4m per floor, it should come in at approx. 150-200m.


----------



## hkskyline

*Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
6/27


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## hkskyline

_Notice the green scaffolding on the top right. _

By *Frederer* from dcfever :


----------



## Skyscraperisbae

I think it's mostly because of the greens that they protest for every supertall proposal.
And the height limit was set a few year ago in Hong Kong, it depends on the mountain behind the areas. Each building in its area must not exceed the height of the mountains behind it.
so the last few skyscrapers in Hong Kong will be :
the New World Centre Development 265m
the Kwun Tong Redevelopment >300m
The Gateway Tower Three redevelopment 380m

Sadly this is the end of the skyscrapers era in Hong Kong


----------



## (the)

Skyscraperisbae said:


> Sadly this is the end of the skyscrapers era in Hong Kong


Maybe, just maybe, we'll see a supertall in the New Territories....


----------



## hkskyline

*Co-existing needs
Lau Ping Cheung says a tiny portion of land bordering the country parks could be turned into housing*
23 July 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

For too long, society has been bogged down in a dispute on whether to release certain areas of Hong Kong's country parks for housing and other development purposes. While I agree that our country parks provide a respite from the daily hustle and bustle, acting as our city's lungs, nature reserves and leisure spaces, I also hold the belief that they are not untouchable. With careful and proper planning, development and preservation can co-exist.

Development in some carefully chosen fringe areas instead of the hearts of country parks would mean we avoid messing with the environment. 

History tells us that the city's nine new towns - including Sha Tin and Tai Po, and which together house about half of Hong Kong's 7.24 million people - were built alongside or abutting ecologically non-sensitive outskirts of country parks. The same model can certainly be repeated for the next new town, especially in fringe locations of country parks with low ecological value that are sparsely vegetated and are relatively close to existing transport and other developed areas. These towns or estates can share existing infrastructure, as well as government and social/community facilities, making them relatively less expensive to develop within a shorter time span.

With these criteria in mind, I have identified about 170 hectares on the western fringe of Tai Lam Country Park that abuts the Tai Lam Tunnel's toll area. With proper planning, this land could be used to build about 30,000 housing units (based on a 6:4 ration, for 18,000 public and 12,000 private housing units) or about 2 1/2 times the size of Tai Koo Shing.

It's easily accessible via the Route 3 Country Park Section by constructing new access roads and infrastructure, and it is only 1.5km from the Kam Sheung Road MTR station, where Kam Tin South development is being proposed for about 34,000 housing units with a shopping mall, schools and other facilities on 152 hectares.

The fact that country parks are all government-owned and would therefore eliminate all land acquisition compensation and disputes also means that the cost to build infrastructure on this land should be about HK$8 billion to HK$9 billion. That means the per-unit infrastructure cost would be just about HK$300,000.

If we add approximately HK$800,000 to HK$1 million of construction cost per unit for public housing, and other outlay, each housing unit would cost just about HK$1.5 million. Given proper planning, the whole development could be completed in about five to seven years if the idea and the due process are shared and supported by the various stakeholders.

Lau Ping Cheung is a member of the Economic Development Commission cum convenor of its working group on professional services


----------



## totaleclipse1985

Skyscraperisbae said:


> I think it's mostly because of the greens that they protest for every supertall proposal.
> And the height limit was set a few year ago in Hong Kong, it depends on the mountain behind the areas. Each building in its area must not exceed the height of the mountains behind it.
> so the last few skyscrapers in Hong Kong will be :
> the New World Centre Development 265m
> the Kwun Tong Redevelopment >300m
> The Gateway Tower Three redevelopment 380m
> 
> Sadly this is the end of the skyscrapers era in Hong Kong


As far as I understand it, this high limit only applies to HK Island, especially Midlevels to preserve the layered city structure "climbing up" the mountain. I don't see any general problems e.g. in Kowloon. Large parts of Kowloon are really in need of redevelopment anyways. Why not residential supertalls there? HK is amongst the worlds most expensive real estate markets anyways - I really don't understand why it has not already happened. Where are the super luxury towers? Where is HKs One57 or 432Park?


----------



## Skyscraperisbae

totaleclipse1985 said:


> As far as I understand it, this high limit only applies to HK Island, especially Midlevels to preserve the layered city structure "climbing up" the mountain. I don't see any general problems e.g. in Kowloon. Large parts of Kowloon are really in need of redevelopment anyways. Why not residential supertalls there? HK is amongst the worlds most expensive real estate markets anyways - I really don't understand why it has not already happened. Where are the super luxury towers? Where is HKs One57 or 432Park?


I think there will be some low rises residences on the new reclamation land at central-Wai Chai. But they will probably be service apartment


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## hkskyline

There are plenty of in-fill projects happening around the city and also a major development project in Tseung Kwan O (you can check out the LOHAS Park thread). They are not short buildings by any means but we don't have a supertall going at this point. The industrial areas are being transformed into commercial zones and there is not a great impetus to build a supertall in those cheaper areas.


----------



## Skyscraperisbae

hkskyline said:


> There are plenty of in-fill projects happening around the city and also a major development project in Tseung Kwan O (you can check out the LOHAS Park thread). They are not short buildings by any means but we don't have a supertall going at this point. The industrial areas are being transformed into commercial zones and there is not a great impetus to build a supertall in those cheaper areas.



The whole Cheung Kong Lohas park development looks so bad. Cheung Kong doesn't care about the looks but just how they can earn the most out of it🙈


----------



## hkskyline

*Wrecking ball falls on pawn shop*
28 July 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Grade-III-listed Wan Chai building makes way for a 23-storey office tower

An 80-year-old pawn shop in Wan Chai appears to be nearing its end as work begins on a plan to tear down the building where it is housed and erect a 23-storey commercial tower.

Located on the corner of Hennessy Road and Marsh Road in Wan Chai, Tung Tak Pawn Shop was rated a Grade III historic building by the government in 2010. The shop is known for its representative verandah and neon signs written from right to left.

But in 2013 the Buildings Department approved the landlord’s plan to tear it down and replace it with the tower. Demolition work has now started.

The Antiquities and Monuments Office said the landlord had wanted to demolish the building in 2008. There had been three sets of negotiations to discuss possible preservation plans. In the end, the landlord insisted on pulling the building down, agreeing to provide photos and architectural records for the office’s archives.

Neither building landlord Tak Shing Investment nor Tung Tak Pawn Shop, which has moved next door, would comment.

When asked why the building could not be saved like Woo Cheong Pawn Shop on Johnston Road in Wan Chai, now the site of The Pawn restaurant, a spokesman for the monuments office said the situation was different.

“The case of Woo Cheong Pawn Shop involved many parties such as the Urban Renewal Authority. The Tung Tak Pawn Shop building is privately owned.”

The office classifies historic buildings into three grades. Grade III means a building is of some merit and preservation in some form would be desirable. But that does not save it from demolition.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hakka clan to resurrect Hong Kong village that was lost to high-rise development*
1 August 2015
South China Morning Post 

About 90 members of a Hakka clan indigenous to the New Territories are planning to recreate their village, more than a decade after it was demolished for high-rise development in urban Tsuen Wan.

The Cheung clan has bought a piece of land measuring about 30,000 sq ft in Tuen Mun and is now seeking to gather fellow clansmen to reconstruct the original village that is at present submerged by Tai Lam Chung Reservoir.

If the plan proceeds, it will contrast with the fate of villages that have disappeared in recent years or are set to become history.

Tsoi Yuen Tsuen in Shek Kong was cleared for a cross-border, high-speed railway, the six-century-old Nga Chin Wai Tsuen in Wong Tai Sin is to make way for Urban Renewal Authority redevelopment, and some villages in Kwu Tung North, Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu are to yield to the construction of new towns.

"It is nostalgia that brings us together again," Tai Uk Wai village chief Albert Cheung Ka-fu, 57, said.

The clan's ancestors hailed from Wuhua, Guangdong.

The earliest records of their settlement in Hong Kong could not be traced, but they were estimated to have relocated more than two centuries ago, Cheung said, citing date inscriptions on ancestral graves lying in Tai Lam Country Park, Tuen Mun.

The original village was known as Tai Lam. It was submerged in 1956 as the government built the reservoir.

With their neighbours from Kwan Uk Tei village, Tai Lam people relocated to a new walled village in Tsuen Wan called Tai Uk Wai, where Cheung was born.

"My most unforgettable childhood memory was that even funerals were held in the village," he said.

"When my grandmother passed away, our family received her body from the mortuary and invited Taoist priests to conduct the rituals here."

The villagers moved again in the 1990s, having sold their land to a developer in 2000.

The site is now home to Blue Yard, a 29-storey residential block on Tai Uk Road, named after the village.

With male descendents of Tai Uk Wai eligible for the government's small-house policy, the clan spent more than eight years looking for a new place to rebuild its village.

In 2013, the clansmen acquired a vacant site in Sun Fung Wai village - back in the Tuen Mun district where their ancestors first started out.

"It will not be the same as our ancestral village," Cheung said. "No one farms nowadays and there won't be enough space to farm anyway, but it will be good for the clan to reunite and take care of one another again."


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Wrecking ball falls on pawn shop*
> 28 July 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grade-III-listed Wan Chai building makes way for a 23-storey office tower
> 
> An 80-year-old pawn shop in Wan Chai appears to be nearing its end as work begins on a plan to tear down the building where it is housed and erect a 23-storey commercial tower.
> 
> Located on the corner of Hennessy Road and Marsh Road in Wan Chai, Tung Tak Pawn Shop was rated a Grade III historic building by the government in 2010. The shop is known for its representative verandah and neon signs written from right to left.


By *Alanchan0928* from dcfever :


----------



## hkskyline

*20-second zip ride at The Peak shaping up to be Hong Kong's next tourist attraction*
Tourism chief sees it as a must-do attraction, but others raise safety fears and tourists believe the short ride may not be worth the queues
08 August 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_城規會文件圖片_

A zip line is set to be built on The Peak offering thrill-seekers a 20-second ride after the Town Planning Board agreed to relax building restrictions.

But the approval came with conditions attached and concerns were expressed about the safety of riders speeding along the 120-metre cables at 6.7 metres per second.

Operator Greenheart Hong Kong will erect a take-off tower and landing tower on two ends of the Peak Galleria shopping mall, with separate cables connecting the two towers. The take-off tower will be 9.5 metres high, exceeding the mall's current height restriction by about four metres.

But the towers must not protrude out of the envelope of the building and a noise assessment must be conducted. The operator is also advised to communicate with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to ensure safety and to follow noise pollution laws.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong heritage activists petition to save 80-year-old pawn shop building in Wan Chai*
9 August 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

About 1,300 community activists, architects and artists have signed an online petition to urge the government to step in to stop demolition of an 80-year-old pawn shop building in Wan Chai.

They are demanding Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po temporarily list the Tung Tak Pawn Shop premises as a proposed monument so that demolition work, which has already begun, can be delayed to buy time to talk to the landlord to see if an agreement can be reached to save the building.

The signature campaign, which started on Tuesday, will end tomorrow. One of its organisers, Yuen Chi-yan, a community activist and university lecturer on heritage conservation, said: "It is not too late to save the pawn shop. Senior officials in the Development Bureau made similar attempts to save King Yin Lei in 2008 and Ho Tung Gardens in 2011."

Only King Yin Lei, a Mid-Levels mansion declared a monument in 2008, has been successfully preserved.

Yuen said the city's conservation policies had long been in need of reform, and that Hong Kong should set up a trust fund to help finance the purchase of historic buildings.

The pawn shop house is a grade-three historic building dating back to the 1930s. Despite earlier discussions with the government aimed at preserving it, the landlord, Tak Shing Investment, pressed ahead with plans to tear down the structure, and in 2013 secured Buildings Department approval to erect a 23-storey commercial tower on the site.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower *
> 28/F, T/O - 6/4
> http://www.shacombank.com.hk/pdf/PRL450E.pdf


8/7


----------



## skanny

There's another highrise U/C behind it ? Or it's the same project .


----------



## hkskyline

skanny said:


> There's another highrise U/C behind it ? Or it's the same project .


Same project. The building curves.


----------



## hkskyline

*Upton 維港峰 *
180 CONNAUGHT ROAD WEST 
41/F, labels up to 46/F after omitted floors (4, 13, 14, 24, 34, 44)

8/22


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Wrecking ball falls on pawn shop*
> 28 July 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grade-III-listed Wan Chai building makes way for a 23-storey office tower
> 
> An 80-year-old pawn shop in Wan Chai appears to be nearing its end as work begins on a plan to tear down the building where it is housed and erect a 23-storey commercial tower.
> 
> Located on the corner of Hennessy Road and Marsh Road in Wan Chai, Tung Tak Pawn Shop was rated a Grade III historic building by the government in 2010. The shop is known for its representative verandah and neon signs written from right to left.
> 
> But in 2013 the Buildings Department approved the landlord’s plan to tear it down and replace it with the tower. Demolition work has now started.


*Pawn shop fate in balance*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Antiquities Advisory Board will meet today to discuss the fate of the Tung Tak Pawn Shop in Wan Chai which has already been partially demolished to make way for a commercial skyscraper.

The 80-year-old semi-circular three-story building at 371 Hennessy Road was listed as a Grade III historic building by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in 2010.

However, this did not stop the owner from seeking Buildings Department approval in 2013 to demolish it and build a 23-story tower.

The plan escaped media attention until netizens posted photos of it being partly dismantled at night at the beginning of this month.

More than 2,000 signatures were collected for a Preserve Tung Tak Pawn petition on Facebook, asking for review of the grading status.

According to government documents, only buildings that have reached the high threshold of "monument" in the pool of Grade I buildings are subject to legal prohibition of demolition works.

The board's assessment panel, which is responsible for reviewing the heritage value of historic buildings, reassessed the information supplied by conservationists and activists but supported the Grade III ranking.

In its report the panel said the building was "not that rare, nor it was architecturally innovative."

A former member of the board, Hong Kong University architecture professor Patrick Lau Sau-shing, said: "If they said it is not rare then they should show the public other similar historic sites to decide which are the ones to keep, preservation should not be dealt case by case."


----------



## hkskyline

*Last-ditch pawnshop efforts failed*
26 August 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Development chief tried to save some sections but owner declined to meet

The owner of an 80-year-old Hong Kong shophouse being demolished to make way for a commercial tower refused to meet development secretary Paul Chan Mo-po as the government made last-ditch efforts to save sections of the building a few days ago.

The revelation was made by deputy secretary for development Albert Lam Kai-chung at a special meeting yesterday of the Antiquities Advisory Board to review the grading of the historic building in Wan Chai, home to Tung Tak Pawn Shop, whose earliest record dates to the 1930s.

Lam said preservation possibilities had been raised prior to the last-ditch effort. “Many times we discussed with the owner possible preservation plans after the building was named a grade three historic building in 2010, but they insisted on redevelopment,” he said. “After parts of the building were fenced off for works several weeks ago, we reached out intensively to the owner again.”

Yesterday’s meeting came after a group of researchers wrote to the board arguing that the shophouse’s heritage value had been understated. It was the first time the board reviewed a historic building’s grading at the behest of the general public.

Contrary to the activists’ call for the shophouse to be made a legally protected monument, the board decided to uphold its original grading.

“Tung Tak only converted a tong la u [an old tenement building] into use as a pawnshop, but the building is not traditional pawnhouse architecture,” said board member Dr Joseph Ting Sun-pao.

At the meeting, antiquities officials reviewed pictures of four other surviving pre-war pawnshops and 12 other pre-war shophouses, all at corner sites, to argue a building like Tung Tak’s, located at the junction of Hennessy Road and Marsh Road, was “not so rare”. Yet nobody present could answer Ting’s question on whether the city still had pawnhouses from Tung Tak’s era.


----------



## hkskyline

*Small is not just beautiful but never dies*
Aug 26, 2015
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_






















































_Photos and diagrams by Apple Daily_

The Greek philosopher Aristotle believed the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

But Hong Kong developers do not believe in philosophy, and that is why they maximize profits by making residential units smaller.

In the latest residential property sales at what is dubbed as the smallest private housing estate, Kowloon Development Co. Ltd. (00034.HK) is to launch 1,008 units at Upper East in Hung Hom, with 36 units on a single floor.

Welcome to the small world!

Among the 36 units, half of them are one-bedroom flats, followed by 17 studios, each of 194 square feet.

There’s only one two-bedroom flat, of 375 sq ft.

It will have a tiny, 13 sq ft balcony.

These configurations turn the clock back to the 1970s, when the colonial government first planned public housing estates to cater for increasing housing needs.

Arguably, the demand for housing is greater now, but what is certain is the number of units on a single floor at Upper East broke the record of 34 in a public housing estate.

That is why the developer put in eight escalators for the potential buyers, who are expected to be young people or investors.

The pricing of the flats will be announced later this week.

The presale flats will be not available for occupancy until 2018.


----------



## hkskyline




----------



## Marzzzzzz

For the 20sec ride at the Peak ....

I just dont see the point lolhno:


----------



## hkskyline

*Discounts fuel small flats' race*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Monday, September 07, 2015

Investors are switching to buying tiny new flats that come with steep discounts and require low down payments, given fewer investment options amid swinging stock markets and a sliding yuan.

At Kowloon Development's (0034) Hung Hom mini-unit scheme Upper East, 325 of 368 flats listed for weekend sale were gone by Sunday evening.

About half went to those looking to reap steady rental gains despite the project's 36-month presale period, during which they will be vulnerable to risks from changes in market fundamentals.

Actor Evergreen Mak Cheung-ching said he bought his wife a one-bedroom flat for investment for less than HK$5 million, helped by mortgage financing of more than 90 percent.

Sales chief Yeung Chung-wing says buyers are allowed mortgages of up to 95 percent. That means one needs only pay HK$150,000 in down payment for the cheapest 197-sellable-square-foot studio flat, which costs HK$2.97 million after maximum discounts.

The modest price can push yields from investing in the project's flats to 3.8 percent, said Midland Realty's residential chief Sammy Po Siu-ming. That compares to an average 2.9 percent for small-flat investment as shown by the latest official statistics.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *One Bay East*
> 6/20


By *isaacloklok* from dcfever :


----------



## hkskyline

*Tsing Yi site tender*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Friday, September 11, 2015










A large-scale non-industrial site in Tsing Yi will be put out for tender and is expected to fetch at least HK$1.7 billion.

The 66,737-square-foot site, on Sai Shan Road near Mayfair Gardens, can yield a maximum gross floor area of 425,000 sq ft, the Lands Department said yesterday.

The government expects the site to provide up to 740 small and medium-sized residential flats.

James Cheung King-tat, director of Centaline Surveyors, estimated a land price of HK$2.84 billion, equivalent to HK$6,000 per sq ft.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upper West 奧城．西岸 *
> 6/27


9/4


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Small is not just beautiful but never dies*
> Aug 26, 2015
> Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_


Sep 16, 2015 
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Deposit forfeitures on the rise at newly built small homes *

There has been a significant increase in abandoned transactions of newly built homes, especially those that involve subdivided units, Metro Daily reported, citing a surge in cases where buyers have backed off after paying an initial deposit.

The Upper East housing project in Hung Hom, where some 200-square-feet homes were being offered for HK$3 million (US$390,000), is among the ventures that has seen a high number of deposit forfeitures, according to the report.

Backed by Kowloon Development Co. Ltd. (00034.HK), “The Town of Subdivided Flats” — as it has been nicknamed — launched sales earlier this month.

However, there have already been eleven cases of deposit forfeiture, the report said, citing data from an electronic platform operated by the government for primary market transactions.

The deposit forfeiture suggests that some buyers would rather lose what they have paid for the booking, rather than cope with future uncertainties in the property market. 

The eleven flats forgone by the buyers are said to be worth more than HK$50 million (US$6.45 million) in total.


----------



## hkskyline

*URA home boost for Lai Sun*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Wednesday, September 23, 2015










Lai Sun Development (0488) has won a bid to co- develop a residential site in Sai Wan Ho with the Urban Renewal Authority.

Kingland Century, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lai Sun Development, outbid 15 consortiums, including Cheung Kong Property (1113) and New World Development (0017).

Lai Sun Development said the total investment is estimated to be HK$1 billion.

A surveyor estimates that about HK$320 million will be used in construction, which means the bid costs the developer about HK$680 million, or HK$10,000 per buildable square foot.

Lai Sun would only break even if it sells a finished project at HK$23,000 per salable square foot, surveyors estimate.

Several new projects are providing small units in Shau Kei Wan, such as Island Residence by Wheelock Properties and Parker 33 by Henderson Land (0012). Prices range between HK$20,000 and HK$26,000 pssf.

Lai Sun Development senior vice president Julian Poon Yui-man said the company will provide 144 homes of mostly studio and one-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 280 to 410 square feet.

A single block will be built from the commercial-cum-residential plot on Sai Wan Ho Street, which covers 7,642 sq ft with a maximum gross floor area of 64,200 sq ft.


----------



## hkskyline

*Legal challenges may hinder HK land sales*
7 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Land supply target may be a challenge as more government sites face potential judicial review

The Hong Kong government may have difficulty meeting its long-term housing target as a growing number of residential sites up for public tender face potential judicial reviews that could stall land sales.

In its latest announcement of land sales scheduled for the three months to December, three of the four sites are subject to potential judicial review.

All three are in Tai Po and would have the capacity to provide 2,500 flats, or 88 per cent of the 2,825 flats that could be built on the released land for the October to December period. Aside from government land sales, the MTR Corp and Urban Renewal Authority will also release land sufficient to build 1,985 flats in the same period.

“That the government is still proceeding with the land sale plan indicates it has little choice while it is struggling to meet its annual housing target,” said Victor Lai Kin-fai, the chief executive of Centaline Professionals.

Enough land supply to build 19,000 flats per year is part of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s blueprint for future development.

Faced with mounting opposition from affected local communities and environmental groups, Lai expects it to be increasingly difficult for the government to identify residential land.

The proposed tendering for the three sites in Tai Po was challenged by environmental groups that warned of potential air and noise pollution in the surrounding area.

The three sites raise the number of plots being challenged for judicial review to five for the financial year ending March 31, 2016.

“It is the largest number of sites being filed for judicial review that I have ever seen. The land issue is getting highly politicised,” said Charles Chan, Savills’ managing director for valuation and professional services. He supports the government’s plan to go ahead with the land sales.

“If the government held back those sites from sale once someone filed for judicial review, it would encourage more applications to block land sales,” he said. By proceeding with the sales the government believes there is less chance of them being taken to court, said Chan.

Chan’s remarks came after two mega residential sites in Yuen Long West Rail Station and Tai Wo Ping in Kowloon Tong sold successfully despite being under risk of judicial review.


----------



## hkskyline

*Newest radar station hailed for rain spots*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Friday, October 09, 2015










The Hong Kong Observatory yesterday unveiled its new HK$19 million weather radar at Tate's Cairn to replace its 20-year-old predecessor for improved monitoring of hail and rainfall.

The radar, which began operation in April, is the fifth to be installed at Tate's Cairn. The first one dates back to 1959.

The observatory said the new model is the first dual-polarization Doppler weather radar in the SAR.

On top of being a traditional weather radar, the new one goes as far as identifying hail areas and raindrop sizes, which will be useful for monitoring hail and rainfall rates.

Observatory director Shun Chi-ming said: "Global warming continues this century with more extreme weather and heavy rainfall so this radar has an important mission to help us detect extreme weather."

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung, who also officiated at the opening ceremony, said the observatory has always moved with the times in pursuit of excellence and improving its services.


----------



## hkskyline

*PLA missile base in HK ‘defensive, not political’*
14 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Experts have weighed in on a report that the People’s Liberation Army will set up a land-to-air missile base at Hong Kong’s Shek Kong military airfield, suggesting the move was motivated not by local political concerns but rather an overdue strengthening of the city’s defensive capabilities.

The latest Chinese-language edition of the Canada-based Kanwa Defence Review said the PLA would deploy a Hongqi-6 missile battalion at the base in the New Territories later this year.

The HQ-6 system usually consists of six flatbed trucks with missiles housed on their backs, supported by smaller artillery units. The missiles have a range of 18km and are used to destroy low- to medium-flying air threats. The magazine based its claim on Google satellite images of the base, which showed landscaping work in line with preparatory work for such a system.

Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong said satellite pictures he saw proved the missiles would be deployed in Shek Kong, and such a deployment in Hong Kong was unprecedented. But he did not believe there was a political motive.

“Hong Kong has long been too weak in its anti-aircraft capabilities,” said Wong, adding the capacity was almost non-existent in the city and would still be “limited” after the deployment.

Wong said the missiles would be deployed mainly to protect military aircraft at Shek Kong.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 9/4


*Upper West 奧城．西岸 * 
10/11


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Visionary, Tung Chung*
> By *Dickieccm* from dcfever :


7/16


----------



## hkskyline

8/31

DSC_4650+51 by Kar Wah Tam, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Improving people’s daily lives: Some small suggestions*
Oct 16, 2015

While Hong Kong boasts many key elements needed to secure its place within the top league of world cities, life is still tough for many of its citizens, given the cramped living spaces in the city.

Pointing to land constraints, government officials say it is unrealistic to expect any dramatic change in the situation, and that one should learn to take both the positive and negative aspects in stride.

While they have a valid argument, it doesn’t mean that we cannot at least do some small things to improve the daily lives of Hong Kong people and enhance the overall livability index.

Ask any long-time resident about what can be done to make our lives more comfortable, and they’ll quickly come up with a plethora of suggestions.

Here, I will highlight two of the common demands from the public that are either simple enough to be taken up immediately for implementation or have proven, workable precedents in other urban centers.

Install canopies near road junctions

Summers in Hong Kong are long and scorching.

Though air-conditioning is ubiquitous and shields people most of the time from the heat, one still has to walk across streets a few times a day, either to grab a meal or to go to the MTR station or for myriad other things.

We all know how it feels when waiting under the sun for a minute or two for the traffic light to turn green.

Many of the road junctions in Hong Kong’s urban areas have no sunshade, nor the luxury of any luxuriant greenery with broad canopy or foliage. True, some high-rises can provide shade for pedestrians, but that is hardly all day long.

Now, why can’t we follow the lead of many mainland cities and towns that have put in place large canopy umbrellas near traffic signals?

The canopies, placed near zebra crossings at traffic lights, shield pedestrians from the sun and also provide shelter from rain.

Following the same logic, eaves and other projections of buildings along a street can also stretch over above the pavement and be linked together for similar functions.

But in Hong Kong, the Building (Planning) Regulations, enacted in 1992, stipulate that no eaves, cornices, mouldings or other architectural projections should project over a street more than 500 mm.

The rationale back then was to prevent occupation of public space by private property owners.

But now, as the city grapples with rising temperatures and the “wall effect” brought about by dense high-rises, it is not time to amend the rules?

Have ‘smart’ bus stop facilities

The contrast is striking.

While Hong Kong’s franchised road transport operators maintain one of the world’s largest and most advanced bus fleets – mostly spacious double-deckers with low emission and heavy duty suspension — the majority of the bus stops in the city look almost ancient, maintaining the same appearance for decades.

Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus and Citybus have all been trialing “estimated bus arrival time system” at a small scale, like a similar system in use at the bus-bus interchange on Tuen Mun Road.

These firms have also quietly launched beta real-time bus arrival updates covering a few selected routes – mainly those serving the airport — on their websites and smartphone applications.

That said, so far it appears that none of these operators is eager to expand the service or make it available at all bus stops. Hong Kong is now a laggard in the race to make bus transport smarter.

As early as since 2010, bus arrival time systems have been in extensive use in Shanghai, Ningbo and some other mainland cities where almost all bus stops and interchange hubs are equipped with LED panels displaying not only estimated bus arrival times but also real-time bus locations, speed and remaining distance to the bus stop, thanks to a satellite tracking system for fleet management.

Additional features have been added to some newly refurbished key bus stops, including large touchscreens for information about weather, maps, bus departures, service hours and fares. News and government gazettes are also disseminated through the platform facilities. Among other features, free Wi-Fi and USB charging slots are available at the newer stops.

Although there have been criticisms concerning slack maintenance or occasionally inaccurate arrival time, most passengers feel the system has made their daily commute more predictable. Previously, they often had to wait in sheer boredom without any idea about when the bus will appear.

In a May 2013 reply to a lawmaker’s query, Hong Kong’s transport secretary Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the government “will consider whether it’s necessary to require bus companies to provide estimated bus arrival time through video announcing devices or mobile phone applications”.

In another reply six months later, the government merely said that the work would entail considerable investment and operational cost, and that bus companies have to take into account passenger needs and the system’s cost-effectiveness.

Clearly, little progress has been made in the past two years.


----------



## hkskyline

* ‘Supply of new homes will meet target’*
18 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Paul Chan’s confidence bolstered by a drop in second-hand prices, but he says reclamation will be reconsidered to increase land supply

Development chief Paul Chan Mo-po has assured the public that the government is likely to achieve its housing supply targets for this year and next, a pledge buoyed by falling property prices in the secondary market.

Chan was speaking yesterday at a land supply forum where the Development Bureau invited five professional groups to discuss land supply problems together for the first time.

*The government’s target is to provide 480,000 new flats in a decade, with 60 per cent being public housing and the rest private. In April, the Ratings and Valuation Department estimated the number of new private flats completed next year would reach a decade high of 20,000.*

“For the current year of 2015/16, it is not a problem and we don’t need to worry,” Chan told his audience. “We are also prudently optimistic about meeting the target in 2016/17. So there is again no need to worry.”

A day earlier, Centaline Property Agency had released its latest Centa-City Leading Index – a weekly index based on the agency’s transaction prices of second-hand flats – which recorded its sharpest drop in two years.

“From yesterday’s media reports, we see some downward adjustments in property prices,” Chan told reporters after the forum. “About a month ago, I said some major changes had emerged in Hong Kong’s residential property supply.

*“In the next three to four years, there will be more housing supply … Compared with past statistics of demand for first-hand flats, … the supply will be able to meet demand.”*

Nevertheless, he cautioned people against rushing to buy flats once prices fell. “Changes in the wider economy and interest rates are other factors. One should consider very carefully before making any decision.”

*At the forum, the minister attributed the slow efforts in increasing land supply to greatly reduced reclamation works between 2001 and 2013. In the long run, he said, the city would have to explore further reclamation outside of Victoria Harbour and development of caverns.*


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## hkskyline

*Visionary, Tung Chung*
10/1


----------



## hkskyline

*More reclamation mooted for Tuen Mun in western Hong Kong*
17 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










More land could be reclaimed in Tuen Mun, a town planning official said yesterday, as plans advance for a logistics hub in the district.

The Planning Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department jointly launched a two-month public consultation on development of the area on September 7. Under their proposal, 10 hectares of land on three sites near Pillar Point will be built up for "modern logistics uses" such as distribution and packaging, and for "green industry uses" such as recycling. Part of the land is occupied by industrial users, including warehouses, sawmills and open storage, and part is under temporary government use.

Logistics activities there will take advantage of connectivity with the airport to the south and Shenzhen to the north and create 9,500 jobs, under the government's projection.

At a Town Planning Board meeting yesterday, member Patrick Lau Hing-tat suggested the administration should also take the opportunity to improve the environment of the Butterfly Bay residential area. More land could be reclaimed along the promenade after the completion of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok link, he said.


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## hkskyline

*Staying on track: Hong Kong town planning board rejects proposal to remove trams*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Friday, 23 October, 2015










A proposal to remove trams from Central to Admiralty was rejected at a meeting of the Town Planning Board today.

The application to do away with tram road usage in the Central District Outline Zoning Plan was presented to the board this morning. Planners questioned whether the proposal, submitted by retired planner Sit Kwok-keung, had enough evidence to support its claims.

This afternoon, the board announced that it had decided to reject the proposal.

“Your proposal is only half a page long. Have you done any assessment to back up your suggestion [of cancelling trams]? Any more objective and scientific assessment, and not just by impression?”asked board member and professor of architecture Ho Puay-peng. In reply, Sit answered: “No.”

The proposal would have amended the Approved Central District Outline Zoning Plan and eliminate mentioning ‘tram’ in its contents. It sought to remove trams from Des Voeux Road Central by Jubilee Street all the way to Queensway by Arsenal Street in Admiralty.

Upon its announcement in August, the plan triggered public outrage.

Senior town planner Jerry Austin said 22,385 public submissions were received to comment on the proposal, of which 98 per cent were against the proposal.

“Trams are an integral part of the transport network,” said Austin. “There is no proof that taking away trams would improve traffic congestion issues ... the main cause of traffic congestion is not the trams.”


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## hkskyline

*Henderson Land boss foresees mild correction in Hong Kong property prices*
16 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Hong Kong home prices will not see a sharp fall but rather a mild correction of about 5 per cent in the coming year, property tycoon Lee Shau-kee said.

*“Land and construction costs are still high so home prices are unlikely to drop sharply,” said Lee, who is chairman of Henderson Land Development.*

Lee was speaking in Beijing after attending the topping out ceremony of a science and technology building at Tsinghua University, to which he donated 300 million yuan (HK$365 million).

*Although the increase in supply in the next few years may put pressure on property prices, demand remained strong, he said.*

A recent report by investment bank UBS said Hong Kong home prices could tumble 30 per cent by the end of 2017.

The Hong Kong economy was still in good shape and prices of mass residential properties were still on the rise, Lee said, adding that there was no need for the government to relax its measures to curb property prices at the moment.

He spoke of a 40 per cent chance of an interest rate rise this year, but said it was unlikely to weigh on Hong Kong's property market.

Lee said it was still a good time for end-users to buy property in Hong Kong, but said “speculation is not appropriate”.


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## Aaronaa4

Hey,

Just made a video about the top 10 cities with most skyscrapers, Honk Kong is on the list! Check out the video if you are interest: you wont be disappointed 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO48JxnWMxw


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## hkskyline

*Calls for alternate link to Hong Kong airport*
25 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A minor shipping incident that effectively crippled Hong Kong International Airport for more than two hours on Friday night has sparked calls for the government to quickly establish alternative transport links to what is widely regarded as one of the world's best airports.

The only road and rail connection to the airport - the Lantau Link - was closed down after a barge hit the Kap Shui Mun Bridge on Friday night, prompting the link's closure and more than two hours of transport chaos.

The now-under-construction tunnel, linking the island of Chek Lap Kok - where the airport is situated - and Tuen Mun would take three years to complete, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday after holding an interdepartmental meeting on the incident.

Leung, who described the coordination work as "swift" after the collision, said fewer than 100 passengers had missed flights as a result of the bridge closure.

Last night, as police were questioning three seafarers thought to have been responsible for the barge that hit the bridge, wider fears were being voiced over why a major aviation hub such as Hong Kong relies on only a single link - the Kap Shui Mun and Tsing Ma Bridges that make up the Lantau Link - to connect it to a major airport.

Among those calling for action was Allen Ha Wing-on, chief executive of AsiaWorld-Expo, an exhibition centre beside the airport, who said the incident highlighted the need for an alternative connection. He suggested a contingency ferry route between the airport and Central ferry piers - near the Airport Express' city terminus - in case road and rail transport ground to a halt again, but added: " The incident highlights the need for an alternative route to Lantau.''

The chaos also refocused minds on previous government attempts to built an alternative link to the airport.

A planned bridge - originally part of the so-called "Route 10" proposal by the first post-handover administration of then-chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa - might have avoided the two-hour mess had it not been voted down in 2002 by, among other parties, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

One of the most vocal opponents then was Lau Kong-wah, now home affairs minister.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 9/4


*Upper West 奧城．西岸*
10/25


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## hkskyline

*Mong Kok lift as civil servants move*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Tuesday, October 27, 2015










A government building in Mong Kok is being vacated and will be put on the market this year to provide 26,000 square meters for the commercial sector, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said yesterday.

Eleven government department offices at the Trade and Industry Department Tower on Nathan Road are being moved into the new Trade and Industry Tower at the Kai Tak Development Area.

"The government is also actively planning the construction of a number of buildings in various districts for the phased relocation of the three government office buildings near the Wan Chai waterfront," he said.

Tsang was speaking as he officiated at the opening ceremony of the commissioning of TI Tower, the first government office building completed at Kai Tak.

Also present were Secretary for Commerce Greg So Kam-leung and Secretary for Financial Services Ceajer Chan Ka-keung.

Located on Concorde Road, the HK$2.65 billion 22-story tower together with its adjacent community hall will provide around 33,000 sq m of space for about 2,500 staff.

Apart from freeing up office supply in core commercial areas, Tsang hopes the relocation of the departments can bring more economic vitality to Kai Tak.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Calls for alternate link to Hong Kong airport*
> 25 October 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> A minor shipping incident that effectively crippled Hong Kong International Airport for more than two hours on Friday night has sparked calls for the government to quickly establish alternative transport links to what is widely regarded as one of the world's best airports.
> 
> The only road and rail connection to the airport - the Lantau Link - was closed down after a barge hit the Kap Shui Mun Bridge on Friday night, prompting the link's closure and more than two hours of transport chaos.


Oct 26, 2015 
*Lantau Link traffic chaos: What are the lessons?*
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_










A bridge-related accident and the resulting traffic chaos have exposed the lacunae in Hong Kong’s urban planning, particularly in relation to the Lantau area development. 

On Friday, people found themselves cut off from Lantau and the International Airport as authorities closed a vital transport link after a barge collision triggered an alarm at the Kap Shui Mun Bridge.

As safety checks were conducted at the bridge, which along with the adjoining Tsing Ma Bridge constitutes the only direct road link between the airport and the city, traffic ground to a halt for more than two hours.

With rail operator MTR also forced to suspend its Airport Express services for a while and close a section of its Tung Chung line, tens of thousands of commuters and motorists were left stranded.

Some air passengers missed their flights, while people who landed in Hong Kong found themselves unable to get to the city on time.

The traffic chaos, meanwhile, prompted some airlines to delay their services, throwing travel schedules into disarray.

The Lantau Link, comprising the Kap Shui Mun and the Tsing Ma Bridge, was restored sometime around 10 pm after being shut from 7.40 pm. However, it took a long time for the vehicle gridlock on the highway to clear.

Government officials, meanwhile, were scrambling to assuage the public, saying that it was an unfortunate accident.

The barge which smashed into the Kap Shui Mun Bridge, triggering the alarm and prompting the closure of the Lantau Link, was said to be bearing a large structure that was beyond the permissible height.

Authorities are questioning the captain of the vessel after taking three people into custody amid an investigation into the accident.

While more explanations are likely in the coming days, the events have highlighted the bitter truth about Hong Kong’s over-reliance on one particular transport link between the airport and the city. 

While additional ferry services can be roped in under contingency plans, it is unrealistic to expect that they can be a quick alternative to road and rail transport in case of a breakdown of the Lantau Link, as we saw late last week. 

On Friday, the government called for some ferry services between Tung Chung and Tsuen Wan after the closure of the two bridges.

But the ferry operator could get its emergency service ready only by 10 pm, when the highway was already reopened.

Thus the contingency plan proved a failure, causing problems to many airline passengers.

*************************************************************

While a new tunnel is underway to connect Tuen Mun and Northern Lantau, a project that is expected to be completed by 2018, the venture is part of the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge investment, rather than one that will serve as the second link to the airport.

The government had in the past admitted that the continued development of Northern Lantau could put pressure on the existing traffic infrastructure.


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## hkskyline

Oct 26, 2015 
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Let’s stop the invasion of our country parks*

Last Saturday at a forum organized by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, who is widely tipped as a CE hopeful in the 2017 election, said that in order to maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness, our city needed to have a population of 10 million.

He went on to say that just by trimming the size of our country parks by 5 percent, we would find enough land to accommodate the extra population.

The former colonial government passed the “Country Parks Ordinance” and introduced systematic afforestation across the territory in 1976 in order to preserve our wildland and wildlife sanctuaries, as well as to protect our catchwater drain network so as to guarantee our water supply.

Unfortunately, over the years our country parks have continued to fall victim to the collusion between real estate developers and local landowners, who are turning more and more of our wildland into luxury homes, taking advantage of legal loopholes in the name of land development, at the expense of our ecosystem.

As a consequence, not only are Hong Kong people losing a considerable amount of our woodlands every year, but a lot of endangered plants and insects are also losing their natural habitats.

For example, the big real estate project that has been underway in recent years near Fung Yuen in Tai Po has put over a hundred endangered butterfly species at risk.

It seems our big real estate developers are setting their sights on every inch of land in our country parks to satisfy their voracious appetite.

As a result, bird songs and the humming of insects, once common in the countryside, are being drowned out by the roar of bulldozers and backhoes.

As the greed of big developers swells, sustainability is giving way to profitability, while new shopping malls and luxury homes are invading our countryside and replacing the trees and rocks in our wilderness.

Is that exactly the kind of living environment that the people of Hong Kong are longing for?

As Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah put it in his 2015-16 budget speech, “having developed for more than a century, Hong Kong ranks in the top tier globally for its economic success. However, behind and beyond material fulfillment, the people of this city, our younger generations in particular, are hungering for spiritual contentment”.

He hit the nail on the head. An increasing number of people in this city have begun to look beyond material comforts and search for something more, something that can give them spiritual satisfaction and a sense of cultural and social identity, such as harmony with nature, conservation of cultural heritage, and the creation of a warm and friendly neighborhood.

The 79-day Occupy Movement that took our city by storm last year represented the culmination in the pursuit of higher values among our young people.

It is not difficult to understand that why our country parks always make easy targets for real estate developers.

It is uninhabited and not owned by anybody, whereas redevelopment of village land often entails relocation of villagers, a vast amount of compensation or even endless lawsuits.


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## hkskyline

*Rallying cry for projects*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Thursday, October 29, 2015









_政府新聞處提供圖片_

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying again rallied support for government infrastructure projects as he inspected the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link.

The visit by Leung yesterday came after all road and rail access to and from Tung Chung and the airport was suspended on Friday night when a boat collided with the Lantau Link's Kap Shui Mun Bridge.

On Tuesday, Leung said the road link, which may act as an alternative to the Tsing Ma Bridge, has been delayed for a year because of a judicial review into the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

As a result, the link should be up and running in three years, instead of two. Its completion will shorten travel distance from Tuen Mun to the airport and Tung Chung by nearly 22 kilometers.

It will also reduce travel time by about 20 minutes, improving the transportation network.


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## hkskyline

*Opposition ‘delaying’ road link projects*
28 October 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

By *nkp8* from dcfever :










Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has blamed legal challenges for delaying vital infrastructure projects – including an alternative road link to Hong Kong International Airport, which was thrown into chaos on Friday after a barge hit Kap Shui Mun Bridge.

Leung said his government attached great importance to improving the city’s transport network, but objections and judicial review cases had held up projects in the past.

These included a tunnel linking Tuen Mun and northern Lantau Island, which could serve as a much-needed alternative route to the airport.

Speaking before yesterday’s Executive Council meeting, Leung said: “The start dates of many of these projects were delayed due to opposition and judicial reviews,” Leung said. “Otherwise the Tuen Mun-Lantau link could be opened in two years, not three.”

Leung said completion of the link was delayed by one year to 2018 because of a judicial review of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project, which the Tuen Mun-Lantau link is part of.

At another meeting yesterday, transport minister Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the Tuen Mun-Lantau link could help divert traffic to Lantau. He also said an interdepartmental meeting on the barge incident, which blocked access to the airport along the existing Lantau Link for almost two hours, would be held tomorrow morning.

“We will discuss the current communications strategies and contingency plans to see if we have taken enough measures [to avoid future accidents],” said Cheung.

The Transport Department came under fire for reacting too slowly to Friday’s accident. Amid the chaos, the department arranged more ferries between Central and Discovery Bay – which carried 1,400 passengers – and boosted bus services from Discovery Bay to the airport.

An emergency ferry service between Tsuen Wan West and Tung Chung was also arranged and was due to operate from 10pm on Friday. However, the bridge was reopened at 9.40pm.

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmaker Chan Kam-lam, who voted against “Route 10” – a north Lantau to Yuen Long highway – in 2002, said the current contingency plans, in place for 18 years, were still “in time”. He said there would be no alternative route to Lantau until the link between Tuen Mun and Chek Lap Kok was ready in 2018.


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## hkskyline

Anyone know what is coming up next to the Harbour Grand on *Oil Street*?

(52) by Shireeen, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Lands Department accepts low offer for Tai Po site*
13 February 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










A residential site in Tai Po in the New territories sold for a surprisingly low HK$1,848 per square foot, providing further evidence the government is willing to accept lower land premiums to speed up land sales in the city's struggling property market.

The Lands Department said yesterday the tender for the site at Shan Tong Road, Lai Chi Shan was awarded to Asia Metro Investment, a unit of the mainland's China Overseas Land & Investment for the highest bid of HK$2.13 billion.

"I think most surveyors couldn't believe their eyes after reading the sales outcome," said Victor Lai Kin-fai, the chief executive of consultancy Centaline Professionals.

The price means land values have dropped 59.5 per cent in the five months after the Lands Department sold another residential site in Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po, for HK$4,567 per square foot in September.

In 2009, another Pak Shek Kok site sold for a record HK$7,284 per square foot.

Yesterday's sale outcome was also 42 per cent below Centaline's already lowered estimate of HK$3.68 billion after the previous disappointing land sale.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *One Bay East*
> 
> 
> *Wheelock cautious over second half *
> 21 August 2015
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> 
> Wheelock Group (0020) said first half underlying profit jumped 78.43 percent to HK$6.33 billion thanks to property sales.
> 
> *The period saw profit of HK$9.93 billion from commercial blocks One Bay East in Kowloon Bay and robust rental revenue.* Interim net profit, after adjustments in property fair value, rose 4.31 percent to HK$8 billion.
> 
> Chairman Douglas Woo Chun-kuen said he would not rush out more projects ahead of the looming US interest rate hike.
> 
> He maintains a cautious look on the property market in the second half due also to high construction costs.
> 
> Earnings per share amounted to HK$3.94. Interim dividend of 42.5 HK cents was declared, up 10.39 percent from 38.5 HK cents a year ago.


IMG_7222 by KaguraYanki, on Flickr


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## jeromekern

hello i have a question:
where are the tall high rises projects and constructions in HK ?
shenzhen shanghai and every chinese big cities have a lot of high rises in construction and in project but nothing in HK ?
why ? can you explain ? thanks
are every projects on hold or cancelled in HK ?
because since the International Commerce Centre inaugurated 6 years ago, nothing high is planned or coming in HK ?????
why ????
where are the 500/ 600 meters tall projects for HK ? OR more higher ?


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## jeromekern

ok i don't need an answer ! because i know why !


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## hkskyline

*101-111 Wan Chai Road Redevelopment*
明德大廈 
25/f U/C

2016-02-10 14.17.40 by albyantoniazzi, on Flickr

More project information in Chinese : http://ps.hket.com/content/207354


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## hkskyline

*HK$8.2b hub to capitalise on 'new economic order'*
26 February 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A HK$8.2 billion smart production hub is being planned in Tseung Kwan O under a package of initiatives aimed at allowing Hong Kong to capitalise on the "new economic order", the IT minister said.

Secretary for Innovation and Technology Professor Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung said he hoped to recreate Hong Kong as a smart city, but merely copying the development model of Silicon Valley would not suit the SAR.

Yang and IT officials were elaborating yesterday on new initiatives announced by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in Wednesday's budget.

Yang highlighted the HK$8.2 billion project to build a complex in the existing Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate to promote smart production and research.

The government would also subsidise small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) under a HK$500 million pilot scheme to encourage them to apply more IT solutions to upgrade their services and productivity, Yang said.


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## hkskyline

Holiday Inn Express Mongkok
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/hong-kong/hkgmk/hoteldetail

West Kowloon by Yuichi, on Flickr


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## el palmesano

hkskyline said:


> *101-111 Wan Chai Road Redevelopment*
> 明德大廈
> 25/f U/C
> 
> 2016-02-10 14.17.40 by albyantoniazzi, on Flickr
> 
> More project information in Chinese : http://ps.hket.com/content/207354


with a plan to hide all the air conditioners, Hong Kong could make a great change on the image of the city


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## hkskyline

The new buildings have the A/C units in more uniform bays outside so they look a bit better.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong luxury property market boost as site in Ho Man Tin sells for HK$6.38 billion, at high end of analysts forecasts*
2 March 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_




























A luxury site in Ho Man Tin has been sold for HK$6.38 billion, towards the upper end of analysts' forecasts.

The Lands Department announced on Wednesday that the tender for a site at Sheung Shing Street, Ho Man Tin, had been awarded to Goldin Financial. The Hong Kong-listed developer, with properties mainly in mainland China, beat out 12 large and small Hong Kong and mainland developers, including Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land Development and Shimao Property.

“It is a good sign for the luxury sector in the district, and the price tag indicates the winning developer's confidence in the market,” said Thomas Lam, head of valuation and consultancy at Knight Frank. He had predicted the site would fetch between HK$5.3 billion and HK$6.5 billion.

Total investment cost of the 97,700 sq ft site, which will provide a total floor area of 586,000 sq ft, is expected to exceed HK$10 billion. Units at the project could sell for more than HK$20,000 per square foot, Lam said.


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## tateyb

Visionary Supertall Proposal Tabled for Hong Kong



> A recent visionary proposal from London-based architecture firm Weston Williamson + Partners is highlighting the importance of cooperative transportation and land development planning. This conceptual plan for Hong Kong — dubbed Arcology Skyscraper — would see three towers with heights of up to 440 metres rise adjacent to Victoria Harbour, joined at the base by a sculptural podium, all set atop a section of the proposed 142-kilometre extension of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link.


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## hkskyline

Yikes! I don't think that part of town is zoned for a supertall!


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## totaleclipse1985

Is there any plot at all currently zoned as a supertall in HK?


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## hkskyline

totaleclipse1985 said:


> Is there any plot at all currently zoned as a supertall in HK?


No supertall projects on the horizon, but a few _skyscraper section_ height projects U/C.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong luxury land plot prices below expectations*
_Excerpt_




























HONG KONG, March 16 (Reuters) - The sale of a plot of land on the exclusive southern side of Hong Kong Island fetched less than what analysts had expected, making it the latest in a string of government land sales to do so.

Property is a major component of the Hong Kong economy and investors are closely watching government land sales for signs of further cracks in one of the world's most expensive property markets. 

The last government land sale that priced below expectations was in mid-February, while two other tenders were recently cancelled.

The government said last month it would be willing to accept lower premiums on land sales amid weaker economic growth.

The 25,300 square-metre plot on Wong Ma Kok Road in Stanley sold to K&K Property Holdings subsidiary K Wise for HK$2.81 billion ($362.2 million) on a 50-year land grant, the Lands Department said.

Midland Surveyors had expected the plot of land to fetch HK$4.52 billion and Icon City Group had expected HK$3.8 billion. The selling price was 32 percent below the median of the estimates.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Slow sales despite price dip*
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Monday, December 07, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Yuccie Square by Gohome.com.hk_
> 
> Five new home projects have been given a weak reception by buyers this past weekend.
> 
> The lackluster sales come as government data showed a drop in home prices for the first time in 18 months.
> 
> Two major projects in Yuen Long from Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and CK Property (1113) have sold 264 units as of Saturday only half of the total number of available flats.
> 
> CK Property has released another 150 units of Yuccie Square to the market 608 have been sold so far.
> 
> Chinachem Group's luxury project Jade Grove has sold 10 units out of the 32 released units. For small-sized flats, Henderson Land (0012) has sold 10 of the 38 studio units in its Zutten project in Ma Tau Kok.


2016-03-09 12.50.55 by Matthew Oliphant, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 1/10


*Upper West 奧城．西岸*
3/20


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## hkskyline

*Could these run-down flats be a redeveloper's dream?*
22 March 2016
South China Morning Post	










Tenements near Shau Kei Wan MTR station are part of the social fabric but need a lot of work

The buildings along Kam Wa Street next to Shau Kei Wan MTR station were built 40 to 50 years ago, mostly without lifts, and now look run-down.

Tenement blocks ranging from eight to 12 storeys, they could be just the type of structures the Urban Renewal Authority is proposing to buy up, refurbish, then rent back to the elderly people living there so they can stay in their old neighbourhoods.

"If by any chance [the Urban Renewal Authority] really manages to do what they plan and put in lifts, I'd consider selling my flat and renting it again from them," said Chan Sau-yuk, 63, who moved into her eighth-floor flat over 20 years ago in one of the old buildings in Kam Wa Street, lined by a bustling wet market.

The apartments were a good size, she said - hers was around 700 sq ft and in decent condition despite being more than 40 years old.

She recently paid HK$130,000 as part of a government project to fit salt water pipes to the building.

However, the buildings have become dirty and unkempt because of an increase in subdivided flats, said Chan.

Rats ran up and down the buildings and roam the street below at night.

Mr Li, who has rented a flat for a year, agreed. "I'd say half of these flats are subdivided units," he said.

The result was more strangers going in and out of the building.

Chan can still climb the nine flights of stairs to her home but worries that it will become harder as she gets older. "It's particularly tough when I'm sick, or carrying a lot of things."Doesn't it make more sense to tear them down?A sceptical resident

She was sceptical about whether the URA plan is feasible and expresses incredulity that "the government would really do such a thing".

"It doesn't seem like something they'd do," added Chan, who said residents had asked the government "a few years ago" about the possibility of redevelopment, only to be given a negative answer.

Another resident who has been living in one of the flats for 28 years with her mother who is in her 70s, said it did not make sense for the government to buy the apartments only to spend a lot of money on refurbishments and then rent them back to the same residents.

"Doesn't it make more sense to tear them down?" she asked.

"This plan is still in the works, right? When it comes into being a decade or so later, the elderly may no longer be here."

She said many people on higher floors had already moved out because they could not handle the stairs.

A specialist in renewal issues at the University of Hong Kong, Professor Law Chi-kwong, said some elderly folks would prefer not to sell their flats and instead pass them on to their children.

But Law said the residents could also make use of the cash compensation they received to help their children put down a deposit on a new flat.


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## hkskyline

*Developers may slow land acquisitions*
23 March 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong's major developers are expected to slow the pace of their land acquisitions while ramping up efforts to increase sales, including lower selling prices if necessary, in a bid to meet annual sales targets, industry experts say.

The caution in building up land banks comes as the city is undergoing a deepening housing price correction that is driven partly by an ample supply of new flats and a slowing economy. 

"Previously, Hong Kong developers would replenish land after selling down one project but now they may wait until two projects have been sold," said Alfred Lau, an analyst at Bocom International.

At the same time, developers are accelerating their property sales as they still lag behind sales targets.

"As they rush to meet sales targets, it intensifies the competition for buyers and forces developers to release projects at lower prices," he said.

Li Ka-shing, chairman of CK Property, said the group would focus on acquiring land at opportunistic times and at reasonable prices by following a disciplined approach to land acquisition.

"The group will manage and optimise its land bank actively in step with market conditions and in tune with its needs for medium and long-term development," he said in the company's annual result announcement released last Thursday.

Alvin Cheung Chi-wan, associate director at Prudential Brokerage, said the conservative stance taken by developers was due to the market outlook which is clouded by uncertainties.

"It also reflects that property prices have not found their floor yet. The market is widely expecting home prices will drop a further to 10 to 20 per cent," said Cheung.

With demand weakening amid the bleak economic outlook, major developers' flat sales are still way behind their annual targets.


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## hkskyline

Hong Kong Economic Journal
March 24, 2016 
*Tseung Kwan O to Lam Tin tunnel cost swells to HK$15.1 bln*










The cost of the proposed tunnel between Tseung Kwan O and Lam Tin has soared 80 percent to HK$15.09 billion, from last year’s estimate of HK$8.2 billion, while its completion has been pushed back to 2021, 12 months behind the original schedule, the government told the Legislative Council.

Legislator Regina Ip of the New People’s Party warned the public works sub-committee might not be able to approve the funding for the project before the end of the legislative year this summer, given its backlog of funding applications, Ming Pao Daily reports.

Ip suggested that the government might bypass the sub-committee and seek direct funding approval from the finance committee.

Undersecretary for Transport and Housing Yau Shing-mu said the government will study the possibility of adopting such a scheme.

The transport committee on Wednesday approved the project, which is intended to ease traffic congestions in Tseung Kwan O and Kwun Tong.

However, several lawmakers questioned why the project cost surged in just a year’s time.

Gary Fan Kwok-wai from the Neo Democrats blamed the government for the delay, saying it sat on the project for nearly 20 years despite local organizations pushing for it.

Albert Cheng Ting-ning, of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (New Territories East), said the tender process for the project, along with the traffic interchange in Lam Tin, has already started with the validity of the contracts running until the end of this year.

Even if Legco fails to approve the funding before summer, Cheng said, the government could seek funding from the finance committee in October, when the new legislative year begins.

Cheng said if the funding request is approved before the summer holiday, construction work could start in July.

The project is a dual two-lane highway about 4.2 kilometers long connecting Tseung Kwan O and East Kowloon, with the proposed tunnel section measuring 2.2 km in length.


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## hkskyline

March 24, 2016
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Why property prices are still soaring*









The Zumurud by Car L

Something must be going on between the top property developers and the government.

Every tycoon in town is expecting further downside in real estate prices, but look at their new residential units — they are still fetching sky-high prices.

Before the Easter holiday, Cheung Kong Property called a halt to The Zumurud, its luxury project on Argyle Street, which it is trying to sell at an average of over HK$22,000 per square foot.

The joint venture with former Sun Hung Kai Properties chairman Walter Kwok Ping-sheung was originally scheduled to launch before Easter, but Cheung Kong said it had to readjust its strategy to cater for some big customers who want to buy more.

Whatever the reason, it is one of the few residential projects whose sales got suspended in recent years, and it was a rare move for Li Ka-shing, who said last week he foresees the worst economy in two decades this year.

However, many other developers are eager to clear their stock during this period, which coincides with a two-month high in global markets.

For example, Sun Hung Kai Properties launched Ocean Wings, the last batch of The Wings series, in Tseung Kwan O.

It priced the units at HK$12,800 per square foot and offered a rebate of over 13 percent, bringing it close to the second-hand price.

The developer also brought back the 5 percent down-payment offer, which it rarely uses, to provide a lower entry level for buyers.

My question is, how come I still don’t feel the prices declining?

If you are like me, we should perhaps ask the government why it is giving us false hopes of a price drop in the residential market while developers are still trying to sell homes at last year’s price levels.

The government has put in place measures to curb property prices in the face of growing frustration among the youth who can’t afford to rent decent accommodation, let alone acquire their own homes.

One theory I heard is that the big developers have decided to keep prices high as long as the government chooses to maintain its home price curbs.

Well, this doesn’t make any sense if we believe the basic law of supply and demand in our economics textbook, but who really owns the pricing power in Hong Kong?

Why is it that the Singapore property market fell more than 20 percent in the past two years, but that didn’t happen in Hong Kong?

From the land supply side, we noticed that major property developers have been shying away from recent land auctions, whether the site is big or not.

The last few transactions this month – with the exception of Nan Fung winning the 10th tender at Lohas Park in Tseung Kwan O for a land premium of HK$1.66 billion — were clinched by small or private developers.

On the other hand, the big shots had been active in land acquisitions in the past two years.

This, to me, means the government is eager to have greater pricing power with regard to the supply of flats in the medium term because it has not been able to control prices in the short term.


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## hkskyline

South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Building 21-storey hostel will damage historic Hong Kong temple, activists warn*
Concern group urges charity to scrap plans to demolish vacant school next to Man Mo Temple
28 March 2016









_Ming Pao_

Community activists are calling on a Hong Kong charity to scrap its plan to erect a 21-storey youth hostel next to Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan, fearing the development will damage the historic monument.

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals submitted its application to the Town Planning Board in September to relax the height restriction so it could demolish an eight-storey vacant school to make way for a 97-metre-high tower with 302 bed spaces.

The town planners were scheduled to discuss the application in December but the meeting was deferred until April 22 to allow more time for public consultation.

In its paper submission, Tung Wah said the plan was a response to the government’s call to use land granted to charities to “relieve the imminent housing needs of the youths”.

Tung Wah added the plan was “small in scale and no adverse traffic, environment, air ventilation, heritage, visual, landscape and sewage impact onto the surrounding area is anticipated”.

Protesting against the development plan on Monday, Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the Central and Western Concern Group, said Tung Wah had yet to show how it could carry out construction without causing structural damage to the temple or provide details of any geological studies it had done.

“The school site is only two metres from the temple,” Law said. “It would not be able to withstand the piling next to it.”


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upper West 奧城．西岸*
> 3/20


3/27


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Tai Hang Sai Estate


*Residents’ worries continue as Hong Kong government says it won’t get involved in redevelopment plans*
Tenants at Tai Hang Sai Estate could be affected by the landowner’s big building plan
March 30, 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Tenants at a Shek Kip Mei housing estate who fear displacement by its redevelopment were on Wednesday pressing for details on resettlement options, as the government stressed that it would not help rehouse those affected.

Henderson announced last week it had applied to the Town Planning Board to redevelop Tai Hang Sai Estate in two phases, the first involving building 1,289 new flats by 2022. Another 3036 units will be built in the second.

Its chairman, Lee Shau-kee, is among seven directors of the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation, a non-profit organisation which acquired the land at a discounted rate from the government in 1961 to build flats intended for rent by the city’s poor.

On Wednesday a spokesman for the corporation reiterated the intention of the redevelopment was to increase housing supply and to improve the living conditions of residents.

Stopping short of revealing the options being considered, the spokesman said they included letting affected residents continue renting their flats, whilst giving them priority to buy flats at a discount when the work is completed, and cash compensation.

He added the corporation would listen to views of residents.

But chairwoman of a residents’ concern group, Au Yeung Kit-chun, said none of the options reflected residents’ desire: for the government to take over the redevelopment and offer them public housing flats in the area while the work goes on.

Au Yeung has lived in the estate for more than 20 years and pays a monthly rent of HK$1,100.

The 58-year-old added that many estate tenants – many of whom are elderly – worried they would need to pay much more for another home in the city.


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## hkskyline

*'Ugliest transport infrastructure' in HK under fire *
5 April 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



















Southern district councillors have branded an HK$18 million public transport interchange built by the MTR under the new Wong Chuk Hang station the "ugliest piece of public transport infrastructure" in the city.

Councillors said the unappealing sight of exposed lighting fixtures, drainage and piping, bare concrete columns, poor natural lighting and lack of greenery was a far cry from concept images provided when the taxpayer-funded project began five years ago.

"This is Kwun Tong, but worse. It is a dark alley of concrete andexposed pipes," said councillor Paul Zimmerman. "This area is supposed to become a nice hotel district but the project has destroyed the entire Heung Yip Road.

"This is the ugliest piece of public transport infrastructure you can get."

The 2,200 square metre project, which snakes through Heung Yip Road under the eastern section of the South Island Line, connects Ocean Park to the Aberdeen waterfront. It provides bus and minibus stations, taxi stands and loading and unloading bays.

"The final product is not what was shown to us," said councillor Chai Man-hon, pointing to original concept images which featured planters and a covered walkway for commuters, both of which were missing from the facility during a site visit yesterday.

"Part of the budget was for beautification, but I don't see anything beautiful here. I question where all this money was spent."

The councillors threatened to take the issue to the Ombudsman if improvements were not made.


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## hkskyline

* Property market faces a reality check *
6 April 2016
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_ 









_Ocean Wings_

One easy conclusion that we can draw now about Hong Kong's residential property market is this: buyers are shying away because they feel that prices are still not right. 

From luxury units in Ho Man Tin to mass-housing in Yuen Long area, property developers have met with lukewarm response after trying to dump the flats at last year's prices.

Tepid sales figures during the past two long weekends tell the story.

On Tuesday, we had more evidence of the buyer wariness -- this time involving even subsidized housing units of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in Kai Tak.

De Novo, the URA's first subsidized housing project, managed to sign up only 19 buyers on the first day of sales for an initial batch comprising 68 units.

About 70 percent of the invited buyers did not even show up for selecting their homes although the units were offered at 14 percent discount to the market price.

The De Novo units were priced in the range of HK$3.4 million to HK$6.6 million, or about HK$9,700 and HK$12,400 per square feet.

But many buyers got cold feet as they felt that the discount was not enough, given the recent correction in property prices in the city.

Tuesday marked the first-day of a four-day sale which will see a total of 264 eligible applicants invited to select their apartments. 

De Novo will offer 338 units in total, for which the URA had earlier received more than 12,500 applications.

But many of the invited applicants are now backing out, judging by the dismal response Tuesday.

The situation is not much better when you look at other residential projects in the city. 

Of the dozen available-for-sale private residential projects in the past month, only Sun Hung Kai Properties managed to sell 90 percent of its units -- at the Ocean Wings development in Tseung Kwan O.

But it is just an exception. As a Tseung Kwan O resident, I can tell that people like the SHKP brand and are thus more willing to take up their high quality homes.

The first-hand property market is facing a dilemma because developers are trying all other means to boost sales, except price cuts.

As buyers hesitate, companies are facing a challenge in clearing their inventories.


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## hkskyline

The Standard _Excerpt_
*CLP revives plan for Sokos LNG terminal*
12 April 2016










CLP Power is planning to build a floating liquefied natural gas receiving terminal off the Soko Islands eight years after it was forced to drop plans for the HK$8 billion plant due to opposition from green groups to lower the cost of electricity generation.

The company will submit its plan for the environmental impact assessment soon. CLP senior director (commercial) Edward Chiu On-tin said the cost has not been determined, as it would vary with location and design.

Chiu said the terminal can help cut the cost of electricity generation and boost the firm's bargaining power. Currently, its major natural gas supply comes from the second West-East Gas Pipeline in Central Asia, and the Yacheng gas field off Hainan Island.

"The supplier provides us with natural gas when there is a surplus, as our bargaining power is low at the moment," Chiu said, adding it is hard to assess whether the unit price of electricity can be reduced after the terminal comes into use.

"But adding the facility will be advantageous according to the experience of other countries."

The proposed terminal comprises two berths for gas carriers to dock, a floating storage regasification unit for turning LNG from the liquid state to natural gas, and an about 40-kilometer subsea pipeline to transfer the natural gas to the Black Point Power Station.

The jetty being planned is less than one hectare in size smaller than a standard football field. The construction period alone would take about two years.

Chiu said it is estimated that 30 to 50 carriers with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters of LNG will dock at the terminal every year.

The terminal would help CLP attain the fuel-mix target set by the government for 2020, with natural gas accounting for 50 percent of power generation, he said.

Chiu said an offshore LNG terminal does not take up land, and requires a shorter time to build with less environmental impact compared with a land-based terminal.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Upton 維港峰 *
> 180 CONNAUGHT ROAD WEST
> 41/F, labels up to 46/F after omitted floors (4, 13, 14, 24, 34, 44)
> 
> 8/22


By *ivanpank* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline

*Why do they pay HK$2.7 million for a car parking space with no windows, no view, no walls?*
19 April 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

HK$2.7 million is enough to buy a small flat in an urban area, or a decent, two-bedroom unit in a district such as Fanling in the New Territories. But some buyers opt for a parking space. No windows, no view, no walls.

While home prices in the city continue to soften since hitting a peak in September, investors have been shifting their eyes to other asset classes, and that includes parking spaces, according to analysts.

Some buyers do not even own cars, but grab the spaces as investments, boosting the prices of car parking spaces in recent months.Investing in office space needs a large lump sum. That makes some investors eye other investment targets such as car parking spacesThomas Lam, Knight Frank










A car parking space at Grand Austin, near the Austin MTR station, was sold for HK$2.46 million this week, a record for the estate.










On Saturday, a consortium of developers led by Sino Land launched 147 car parking spaces at The Hermitage residential project in West Kowloon at prices ranging from HK$2.3 million to HK$2.7 million. All were sold out on the first day of sale.

“Investing in office space needs a large lump sum. That makes some investors eye other investment targets such as car parking spaces,” said Thomas Lam, head of valuation and consultancy at Knight Frank.

Dorothy Chow, a regional director of valuation advisory services at JLL, said there was strong demand because of limited supply.

According to the Transport Department, there are about 683,000 parking spaces in Hong Kong, of which 198,000 are for public use and 485,000 are designated for private use in commercial, residential and industrial premises.

The total number is lower than the 779,329 registered vehicles - excluding franchised buses, public light buses and special purpose vehicles - last year, according to JLL.

Chow said it was risky for buyers to push prices of car parking spaces to such expensive levels.

According to an index produced by the Rating and Valuation Department, the average price of a car parking space rose 204 per cent from 2005 to 2015, while overall residential property prices rose 223 per cent in the same period. The average price of a car parking space rose from about HK$397,000 in 2005 to HK$1.2 million.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong housing sales law misses the mark*
Despite being in force for three years, the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance has led to just a single prosecution case
29 April 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










The Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance has racked up only one prosecution case since it came into force three years ago, but the relevant authority has still hailed it as a success in tackling unscrupulous sales practices by property developers.

The single case was a stark contrast to the 177 complaints the Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority received over suspected breaches of the ordinance, as well as 4,000 enquiries made as of March.

On Friday, authority director Eugene Fung Kin-yip said of the 177 complaints, investigations are still ongoing for 18 cases. But he stressed the watchdog does not rely solely on complaints to identify dodgy sales practices, as inspectors also actively carry out compliance checks on all first-hand residential developments.

Asked how many cases were actually forwarded to the Department of Justice’s Prosecutions Division for follow-up action, Fung said he was not at liberty to disclose the numbers.

Answering the Post’s inquiry, the Department of Justice said it has not compiled such data.

Democratic Party legislator James To Kun-sun, who was involved in drafting the ordinance, said it was “improper” and “wrong in principle” that the authority refused to disclose such statistics, as they are an important indicator to gauge the body’s performance. He also agreed there is a need to review the ordinance’s effectiveness.

The authority has been labelled a “toothless tiger” for only issuing verbal warnings instead of aiming for prosecution. Fung dismissed the suggestion, arguing the watchdog will continue to pursue cases even if remedial measures are taken by the vendor.

The lone case of prosecution involved the sale of 10 units at Full Art Court, a residential block in Sham Shui Po, in February 2014. The responsible developer, a subsidiary of Chinese condiment manufacturer Tung Chun Group, allegedly sold flats without publishing sales brochures or price lists, both of which are requirements under the ordinance. The company will answer to 19 charges at a court hearing in June.


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## hkskyline

*HK$1.75b rebuild project delayed*
7 May 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



















New development near site of 2010 tragedy in To Kwa Wan won't be finished until 2025

A plan to redevelop dilapidated flats near the site of a deadly 2010 building collapse has beendelayed by a year, but the number of new flats will double.

Announcing the change of plans for Chun Tin Street, To Kwa Wan, yesterday, the Urban Renewal Authority said it had enlarged the targeted area by including an existing street in the original plan. This would push the completion date back a year to 2025 at the earliest.

But the number of homes on offer would double to 310 flats.

In 2010, Block J at 45 Ma Tau Wai Road collapsed.

Four people died when the dilapidated building caved in during building work to demolish an illegal structure on the ground floor.

The tragedy sparked calls for the government to address urban decay in the city.

In January last year, the authority revealed it wanted to raze 14 connected low-rise buildings on Chun Tin Street and nearby Hok Yuen Street.

The new plan must be approved by the Town Planning Board.

Michael Ma, the authority's director of planning and design, denied the original plan was bad.

"It has nothing to do with poor planning," Ma said.

The aim of the revisions to the plan, integrating ongoing work at nearby Ma Tau Wai Road, was to improve road access and make it better for pedestrians, he said.

"The inclusion of the adjoining street requires rezoning which has to go through the town planning process," he added.

Ma said the 310 flats to be built would not be luxury units but small and medium-sized.

The construction project would affect 85 households and 15 shop operators, and the authority estimated it would cost HK$1.75 billion.

The authority planned to buy those flats at market rate.


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## hkskyline

*Floating gas plant cheaper and greener, says CLP chief*
6 May 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 


















_中電工程項目簡介/資料圖片_

Power supplier says the plant will provide direct access to overseas natural gas and have less effect on environment than 2008 proposed onshore plan

CLP Holdings' proposed floating gas processing plant off Lantau - its second proposal in 10 years to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) - will cost less and result in "much less" environmental impact than a US$10 billion onshore plant rejected by the government in 2008, chief executive, Richard Lancaster, said yesterday.

Speaking after the annual shareholders' meeting of the sole power supplier for Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau Island, Lancaster said the plant would give CLP direct access to overseas natural gas, which was cleaner-burning than coal.We think this is a very good solution for Hong KongRichard Lancaster, CLP

"The floating liquefied natural gas terminal has much less environmental impact, [costs] much less, and will not need to take up land ... we think this is a very good solution for Hong Kong," he said, adding the technology was mature, with more than 20 floating plants in operation worldwide.

CLP Power Hong Kong vice-chairman Betty Yuen So Siu-mai said the project might bring consumers savings on fuel costs - the biggest source of power generation costs - given current depressed oil and gas prices.

Planning for the proposed plant was at an early stage, and CLP had yet to conduct an environmental impact assessment, Lancaster said.

Diversifying its gas sources is part of CLP's strategy to reduce supply risk and enhance its bargaining position with suppliers.

A temporary gas supply suspension caused by a landslide in Shenzhen last year has highlighted the need for such a move.

The offshore plant for regasifying imported LNG will occupy less than a hectare of sea area, a much smaller footprint than the previously proposed onshore plant.

CLP aims to start building a 600 megawatt gas-fired power generator in Tuen Mun later this year for commissioning in 2020 and help meet more stringent emissions requirements.

Asked if the plant's construction would result in higher tariffs since CLP's regulated profit was linked to the size of its assets, Lancaster said the impact would be "very minimal" as costs would be amortised over a long time, adding its greater operating efficiency would bring lower fuel costs in the long run.

The government wants half of Hong Kong's electricity to be generated from natural gas by the end of 2020, while CLP aims to cut the carbon emission intensity of its power plants by 75 per cent by 2050, meaning it has a long-term need to procure more natural gas.

Last year, it almost doubled the amount of natural gas used to generate power. While gas is more expensive than coal, the pressure on its fuel bill was offset by sharply lower coal costs.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Border shopping mall will be delayed until Christmas*
> 17 April 2015
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> Proponent admits he was ‘naive’ to believe centre would be finished by National Day holiday
> 
> A proposed shopping centre intended to lure mainland visitors as soon as they enter Hong Kong is unlikely to be ready in time for the National Day holiday in October, and may be delayed until at least Christmas.
> 
> The lawmaker behind the plan said the delay was due to unexpected complications.
> 
> The centre – to be located near the Lok Ma Chau border crossing – was proposed in February amid rising tensions over an influx of shoppers and traders from the mainland that sparked unruly protests. Government officials welcomed it as a way to relieve New Territories towns overrun by mainland shoppers.
> 
> Import and export sector lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong yesterday admitted he was “too simple and naive” in believing the planned 420,000 sq ft outdoor centre would be easy to complete and open by October.
> 
> The Town Planning Board would not be able to approve the plan until the end of July at the earliest as more time was needed to research transport arrangements and the mall’s impact on noise pollution, Wong said.
> 
> “We can only kick it off during the Christmas holiday if not the new year,” Wong, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said. “I had hoped it would be opened earlier … but after all, the project is not aimed at gaining money but to relieve tensions in society.”
> 
> The Town Planning Board has zoned the site only for “service station” use. This designation allows only limited uses including as a public transport terminus or a library. Using the site for markets, shops and services would require approval from the board.
> 
> Concerns over cost have also forced Wong’s team into a rethink. They had planned to use hundreds of shipping containers to build the shopping mecca, but realised air conditioning costs would be four times as high as for a regular indoor shopping centre, and extra insulation against the summer heat would be needed.
> 
> Instead, prefabricated structures will be used. Half of the site will be used for local-brand products, Wong said, while 30 per cent would go on “popular” products such as baby milk formula.



*Pop-up Hong Kong mall near border with mainland China could open in August*
*Lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong says construction work at New Territories site could be completed in late July*
11 May 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A proposed pop-up shopping centre near the border could open in August now that the project has been approved by the Buildings Department.

Import and export sector lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong told the Post that construction work at the site in San Tin, New Territories is up and running and could be completed in late July.

The mall was meant to draw mainland visitors, but as local retail figures have been declining, Wong hopes that it will attract local shoppers too.

“I wouldn’t do it if I could not figure out a solution,” Wong said. “The rent will be really cheap, just HK$67 to HK$100 per square foot, which is a tenth of what it costs downtown.”

A bus company will run 50 cross-border round trips a day from a major train station in Futian, Shenzhen to the shopping centre, he added, while Hong Kong residents will be able to reach the mall via public buses or minibuses.

The proposed complex, which would run for at least two years, is expected to feature 208 stores selling goods ranging from electronic appliances to apparel. Wong anticipates some 9,000 to 10,000 daily visitors on weekdays and 12,000 on weekends.

The mall had been touted as a way to relieve pressure on the northern New Territories, which in recent years had been facing a massive influx of mainland shoppers and traders buying goods for resale across the border.


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## hkskyline

*Historic Hong Kong temple to get youth hostel built next door despite strong public opposition*
Planning authority unswayed by over 200 submissions against proposal
14 May 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The Town Planning Board has given the green light to a proposal to erect a 21-storey youth hostel next to a historic Hong Kong temple, despite overwhelming public opposition.

Concern is centring upon whether construction of a high-rise building would put 169-year-old Man Mo Temple at risk, while the health of future residents could also be endangered by breathing in smoke from burning incense.

Vetting the proposal on Friday, board member Liu Tik-sang asked if there were plans to enhance community engagement once the development was completed.

A representative for Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which is championing the proposal, replied that a 280-square-metre “heritage bazaar” on the ground floor would be open to the public during the day and that exhibitions would be held to educate the public about the neighbourhood’s history as well as that of the temple. Management of the temple has been entrusted to Tung Wah since 1908.

The charity organisation submitted its application in September last year. It seeks to demolish a six-storey primary school left vacant since 2005 and build a 70-metre tower for 302 occupants.

When asked if the current premises could instead be refurbished, the representative said that would mean cutting the number of spaces for beds by two-thirds.

A town planning consultancy commissioned by Tung Wah claimed there would be no adverse visual impact on the surrounding area, as the proposed hostel block would be lower than nearby residential developments.

But Katty Law Ngar-ling, convenor of the Central and Western Concern Group, strongly disagreed. She said the lack of a low-rise buffer meant the temple would stand in the shadow of the 21-storey hostel.

A discussion paper suggested the two structures be only 3.1 metres apart when the project was done.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 2016-03-09 12.50.55 by Matthew Oliphant, on Flickr


*Yuccie Square*
5/15


----------



## hkskyline

South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Greater Pearl River Delta infrastructure to alleviate Hong Kong tight land supply*
May 23, 2016

A number of key cross-broder infrastructure projects currently under development will cut the travel time between Hong Kong and neighbouring cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, enhancing the feasibility of corporations expansion their back office operations in these major Pearl River Delta cities, says CBRE.

The completion of these infrastructure projects in Greater Pearl River Delta will shorten the travel time by half to one hour, or creating various “one-hour commuting circles” where increase the flow of capital, people, goods and services, it said.

“Hong Kong has traditionally been a leading offshore investment hub for the mainland,” said Marcos Chan, head of research at CBRE Hong Kong, Southern China and Taiwan.

“However, with Shanghai emerging as another key financial centre for China, Hong Kong will need to continue its integration with the mainland and reinforce its influence in the emerging megalopolis. New infrastructure development will be critical in this process of integration.”

In its report “Greater Pearl River Delta Infrastructure Outlook” report, CBRE said the land supply in Hong Kong is under challenge, which my inhibit the real estate industry development and subsequently its overall economy.The Hong Kong government has implemented a number of large-scale cross-border infrastructure projects, which include the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point.

These key projects, together with a number of intra-city highway, railway and logistics facilities projects, will provide additional space to alleviate Hong Kong’s tight land supply.

Chan, however, said the integration would unlikely to pose threat to Hong Kong office demand and rents.

Currently, overall average office rents in Hong Kong were HK$64 per square foot, compared Shenzhen HK$20 plus per square foot and HK$18 per square foot in Guangzhou, he said.

“In a city where space availability is limited and backed by growing demand from Chinese enterprises, Hong Kong remains as a key market for making office investment,” he said.

The development of new local and cross-border infrastructure would benefit the city’s existing and future core business districts.

In particularly, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link would provide a convenient and fast means of transport between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon and Guangzhou via Shenzhen, prompting stronger demand for office space in and around West Kowloon, according to the report.

While the current focus of commercial development is on Kowloon East, planned road infrastructure connecting the East and West of Kowloon would ensure commuting between the two ends of the peninsula would be kept to within five to 10 minutes.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> IMG_7222 by KaguraYanki, on Flickr


*One Bay East*
By *gabrieltsui1928* from dcfever :


----------



## hkskyline

The Standard _Excerpt_
*Panel gives nod to $945m plan for niches*
June 2, 2016










The Legislative Council's public works subcommittee yesterday approved a HK$945 million plan to build a six-story, 44,000-niche columbarium at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery in Fan Ling.

In addition to the niches, there will be communal incense holders on four floors with the second and third floors set aside for incense-free niches.

There will also be communal eco-friendly joss paper burning facilities on the first floor of each columbarium block with exhaust air treatment facilities.

Other supporting facilities include computer kiosks to facilitate the search for niche locations.

Lawmakers supported the plan but questioned if the new columbarium could meet the growing demand for niches.

The Civic Party's Kwok Ka-ki urged that the provision of niches be maximized, for example by adding more stories to the block.

Kwok also suggested implementing crowd control measures such as limiting the time of paying tribute to prevent overcrowding.

Undersecretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government planned to develop the site in three phases, hoping to provide 35,000 and 25,000 more niches in the second and third phases.


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## hkskyline

*URA announces ambitious HK$10 billion renewal plan for To Kwa Wan*
Project involves three sites in district and aims to supply 1,360 new flats by 2025/26
June 3, 2016
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_





































The Urban Renewal Authority will for the first time knock down dilapidated buildings at three sites in the old Hong Kong district of To Kwa Wan, departing from its previous practice of selecting one site at a time for redevelopment in a “community-based” approach.

However, the authority is expected to lose money from the redevelopment. Announcing its HK$10 billion renewal plan on Friday, it said the project would supply 1,360 new flats by 2025/26, improve traffic circulation in the area and make room for small shops.

Covering 8,840 square metres, the development is estimated to affect 730 property interests, 1,210 households and 110 ground-floor shops. Subject to the approval of the Town Planning Board for one of the three sites, there will be a new road, an underground communal car park and 12,250 square metres of commercial space.

Michael Ma, the authority’s director of planning and design, said the ambitious decision to combine three nearby projects into one and plan “holistically” was a response to past criticism that the authority’s redevelopment strategy wiped out small shops.

“The three sites are relatively small,” Ma said. “The reason for putting the sites together is to provide synergy.”

He said having a communal car park at one site means spaces at other sites could be saved for the opening of small shops.

To Kwa Wan, a district with many dilapidated apartments over 50 years old, with no elevators and home to many subdivided units, is no stranger to renewal schemes. There are already four sites nearby undergoing redevelopment led by the authority.

Outgoing managing director Daniel Lam Chun said the authority is expected to lose HK$4.2 billion from the redevelopment after adding the cost of another renewal project at nearby Bailey Street.


----------



## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West


#HK #Architecture #Skycrapers #Cityview #Highway #Seaside by dtklee, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

*Plenty of interest in Tai Kok Tsui project*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Mar 21, 2017 










Twenty-eight proposals have been received by the Urban Renewal Authority for its Tai Kok Tsui redevelopment project.

The project based on Fuk Chak Street-Li Tak Street is a relatively small residential project covering a 768-square-meter site.

Ninety-six flats are to be built there with a total residential floor area of 54,928 square feet. And 6,856 sq ft is being reserved for commercial purposes.

The project has a estimated market value of HK$617 million to HK$865 million, or HK$10,000 to HK$14,000 per square foot.

Among developers who have submitted proposals are Wheelock (0020), New World (0017), Emperor International (0163), Nan Fung, Easyknit International (1218), K&K Property, Cheung Kong Property (1113), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) and Far East Consortium International (0035).


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Tsuen Wan West
> 
> 
> #HK #Architecture #Skycrapers #Cityview #Highway #Seaside by dtklee, on Flickr


晨港 by TSOriginaux, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Hong Kong’s famous Peak Tram to shorten its journey by 70 metres following renovation*
HK$600 million renovation project is slated to begin in 2019 if approved with anticipated completion date of summer 2020
March 21, 2017

Passengers on the city’s iconic Peak Tram will notice a shorter journey after the trams and terminuses go through a multimillion dollar facelift later this decade.

The HK$600 million renovation project, currently awaiting approval from the government, will see an expansion of the Admiralty terminus to allow passengers to queue indoors and escape from hot or bad weather.

The last renovation of the trams and terminuses was completed in 1989. To make room for the larger terminus the tram will halt 70 *metres from the existing stop – leading to a slightly shorter journey for passengers.

But according to the director of the company which operates the nearly 130-year-old tourist *attraction the intention of the *renovation “was not to speed-up the journey”.

“We’re going to move all the people who currently queue on the road ... [and] move them in to air-conditioned comfort,” Martyn Sawyer, properties director of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited, told the Post.

“People will be undercover in temperature-controlled conditions. It will be more pleasant.”

Daniel Sacher – visiting from the US with his family and waiting a long time to board the tram – said having a sheltered area “would be much more comfortable, especially for children.”

Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing agreed that the most urgent need was for “more sheltered space for queuing up”.

“The tram is now a tourism facility rather than just a form of public transport.

“Compared [with] similar facilities in Singapore, Japan and the mainland, we have room for improvement, such as the capacity.”

Part of the renovation will include expanding the capacity of the two trams, increasing from 120 to 200 passengers, with four longer carriages replacing the existing ones.

The terminus at The Peak will be remodelled to fit the longer trains. After receiving government approval, feasibility works will commence in late 2017. Closure of the tram system is expected to occur for one month in 2019 and three months in 2020. The anticipated renovation completion date is summer 2020.


----------



## Levifajri

BEAUTIFUL HONG KONG


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s housing squeeze: the easy fix for next chief executive is ...*
If rezoned, former agricultural land in the New Territories could go a long way towards solving the housing crunch, but vested interests elsewhere may not be keen
26 March 2017 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

When Hong Kong’s incoming chief executive moves into her (or, at the time of writing, just conceivably his) spacious new quarters in Government House on July 1, she will face a cacophony of calls to tackle the city’s housing squeeze.

There can be no doubt that the government’s housing policy needs a radical overhaul. As tenant on Upper Albert Road, the new chief executive will enjoy, among other amenities, a sizable ballroom. Meanwhile, less fortunate citizens are being asked to pay as much as HK$3 million for apartments measuring a minuscule 150 sq ft.

Let’s put that into perspective. Property in London and its surrounding home counties is considered eye-wateringly expensive. Yet the equivalent of HK$3 million can buy you a substantial 1,400-sq-ft house with a garden within commuting distance of London’s financial centre. And your kitchen will be bigger than your entire flat in Hong Kong.

It gets worse. Assuming you can scrape together the down payment needed for a more reasonably sized apartment in Hong Kong, it is likely you will still struggle to pay the rent. Monthly payments on a 70 per cent mortgage for a 540-sq-ft flat currently eat up more than 60 per cent of the median monthly income for families in private housing – that’s with mortgage rates at 2 per cent.

What’s more, if you believe the property professionals, things are only going to get more expensive. The prices paid at recent land auctions imply a further increase in home prices over the next three to four years of at least 20 per cent.

The government argues that to meet burgeoning demand, Hong Kong must build 460,000 new homes in the coming years. The trouble, complain officials, is that the city simply doesn’t have enough building land. Their preferred solution is two-fold: build on Hong Kong’s country parks, and build on new artificial islands reclaimed from the sea.

The institutional preference for building on the country parks and on newly reclaimed land is not surprising. Hong Kong’s officials have long sought a way to monetise the parks, and developers like greenfield sites – they do not have to be cleaned up, the government provides brand new infrastructure and when they come to market they can command a premium.

Similarly, both also like land reclamation. For officials, reclamation offers the opportunity to dispense patronage on a grand scale, and spend buckets of public money on new roads, bridges and tunnels. For developers and their affiliated companies, it means lucrative construction contracts.

Yet neither option is necessary. There is a far simpler way to solve Hong Kong’s shortage of building land.

Let us assume that Hong Kong really does require 460,000 new homes as the government insists. Further, let’s assume that Hong Kong wants to build better quality housing than it has done in recent years, with a density of around half the 1,000 or more apartments per hectare common in the government’s new towns. If so, the city will require around 900 hectares of new building land.

It’s not that hard to find. Just three of the city’s developers – Henderson Land, Sun Hung Kai, and New World – are sitting on undeveloped, former agricultural land in the New Territories with a combined area of 92.5 million sq ft. Converted to the metric system, that’s a total of 859 hectares — not far short of the total area required for the new low-density developments needed to meet Hong Kong’s projected housing demand.

More : http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opini...housing-squeeze-easy-fix-next-chief-executive


----------



## komi592

*City/Metro Compilation*

interesting post


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> *Hong Kong Mariners’ Club to undergo redevelopment, includes commercial hotel*
> Plans to redevelop the club have been discussed for decades
> March 5, 2017
> 
> 
> The Mariners Club TST (3) by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Redevelopment of Mariners’ Club in Tsim Sha Tsui draws strong response from developers*
April 4, 2017

The proposed redevelopment of the 50-year-old Mariners’ Club in Tsim Sha Tsui has generated enthusiastic initial response from developers ahead of the official tender, the club’s operator said.

The Sailors’ Home and Missions to Seamen, which operates the club, is to redevelop the site through a partnership with private developers.
“We have received a good response when we invited developers to submit expressions of interest last week,” the mission’s honorary secretary Colin Shaftesley said.

He said the developer would bear full responsibility for demolishing the building and redeveloping the site into a hotel.

“We will be given a club premises in the newly developed hotel in future,” he said.

The project has drawn interest from developers such as Lai Sun Development, Regal Hotels International, Far East Consortium International, Empire Group Holdings, Sino Land and Henderson Land Development.

Located at 11 Middle Road, the 33-storey building, which could yield a potential gross floor area of 346,800 square feet, is valued at HK$5.2 billion, or HK$15,000 per square foot. The mission will retain 50,000 sq ft for the club and a church while the remaining 300,000 sq ft will be allocated for hotel purposes.


----------



## Guanzo

erbse said:


> HK needs to find an alternative to these horrible commieblock-like highrise walls, to provide more affordable appartments. This is getting ridiculous. "Thinking outside the *box*" is indeed key here, in every sense of the word!


Pretty much this


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong regulator must come down hard on firms that put profit before worker safety*
Paul Yip calls for heavier penalties for companies that flout safety rules, after a string of accidents on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project that has left 10 people dead
April 9, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Ten people have now died during the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. In the latest accident involving five workers, safety rules appear to have been breached with harnesses hooked to the working platform rather than an independent anchor.

The lack of a strong response from the community and government is disturbing. Is Hong Kong compromising safety and putting profit ahead of human life? Hong Kong’s laws and enforcement should measure up to the best. If we can tolerate such cracks in our system, it won’t take long for the city to start to crumble.

Hong Kong’s record on construction fatalities is not good by international standards. On average, there are some 180 occupational fatalities annually, a rate of 0.06 per 1,000 employees. In the state of Victoria in Australia, for example, that figure is 20 deaths, a rate of 0.01 per 1,000 employees.

Any company that fails to comply with safety standards should be severely punished. We cannot allow construction companies to cut corners to save money and meet deadlines at the expense of people’s lives. 

Current penalties have little effect, with the maximum of up to a year in prison and a HK$500,000 fine. Most companies have been fined HK$100,000 or less. Compared with the billions companies make from a project, it is nothing. Furthermore, the pain of the family of the deceased cannot be ignored.

The only way to make companies comply is by imposing large financial penalties, and suspending the work, which could be even more costly. The labour department cannot be a toothless regulator.

More : http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight...egulator-must-come-down-hard-firms-put-profit


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## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West - Ocean Pride 
970 units


----------



## hkskyline

*Cheung Kong’s Harbour Glory almost sold out as buyers shrug aside stamp duty move*
One family snapped up three units for a combined shopping bill of HK$132 million after a 34 per cent discount.
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
April 12, 2017

Cheung Kong Property Holdings, the first Hong Kong developer to put an apartment project on the market after a tightening in the government’s tax policy, said buyers had shrugged aside concerns of a higher levy to snap up nearly every one of the 152 units of its Harbour Glory complex.

Four hours after making them available for sale, Cheung Kong had sold 148 units of Harbour Glory at North Point, for up to HK$43,900 per square foot, a record for the Island East district. One family snapped up three apartments for a total bill of HK$132 million after discounts, agents said.

Property buyers “prefer to hold fixed assets, rather than cash, because banks’ savings rates are close to zero and the stock market is volatile,” said Midland Realty’s chief executive Sammy Po.

Hong Kong’s government yesterday announced a new policy, whereby any buyer with multiple number of units must now pay a 15 per cent stamp duty for each, finally closing a legal loophole left open since November.


----------



## hkskyline

*Cautious approach applied to property measures, Hong Kong housing minister says after stamp duty gap fix*
Critics say move to finally stop exploitation of legal loophole in tax is overdue
April 12, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s housing minister has said that the government took a very cautious approach in designing cooling measures for the property market, as he explained the late decision on Tuesday night to finally plug a legal loophole open to exploitation by speculators.

The new cooling measure, which came into effect at midnight, means those buying several flats for the first time with just one sales and purchase agreement will now also have to pay 15 per cent stamp duty for each of the properties. Previously, such buyers were exempted from the levy.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung was asked on an RTHK radio program Wednesday morning if the move came too late – half a year after the 15 per cent stamp duty rate for non first-time buyers was introduced last November. Cheung said it was a matter of interpretation.

“When we introduced the [first] 15 per cent stamp duty, we hoped to keep other exemption arrangements the same. But later on we realised that some people tried to purchase several flats under one legal document to evade the tax,” he said.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, together with Cheung and financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, announced the move to plug the loophole on Tuesday night.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Tsuen Wan West
> 
> 
> #HK #Architecture #Skycrapers #Cityview #Highway #Seaside by dtklee, on Flickr


Foggy Morning, Rambler Channel(Tsuen Wan) HK by kc ma, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

*Record housing boost ‘unlikely to ease price surge’*
April 28, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A record 96,000 units will be added to Hong Kong’s supply of private housing over the next three to four years, according to the Transport & Housing Bureau’s latest quarterly data, an increase of 2 per cent from the previous projection.

The modest increase, which reflects the Hong Kong government’s determination to accelerate land sales to bolster flat supply, will do little to reverse the surge in housing prices that’s made the city the world’s most expensive urban centre, some analysts said.

Hong Kong’s home price index, which tracks prices in the secondary market, rose for the 12th consecutive month in March, advancing 2.2 per cent to a record 319.8, according to data by the Rating & Valuation Department.

“Home prices are unlikely to see a significant drop, unless there are unexpected external factors that adversely affect Hong Kong’s economy,” said Knight Frank’s senior director Thomas Lam. “Prices will be supported by strong demand from end users but growth pace may slow down.”

The price surge and additional supply underscore the challenges facing incoming Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in addressing what’s been labelled as the biggest public concern among the electorate. In the last 12 months, median home prices in Hong Kong have surged beyond the affordability of many new wage earners and school leavers, while the sizes of newly launched properties have shrunk.

The average size of newly built apartments has shrunk 40 per cent to 600 square feet in 2016, from 1,000 sq ft in 2013, according to the Building Authority’s data.

“Developers are building smaller flats, because these sizes are more affordable” to new buyers, said JLL’s regional director of valuation Cliff Tse.

More : http://www.scmp.com/property/articl...xt-three-years-will-they-halt-runaway-housing


----------



## hkskyline

*Shared facilities eyed for space-starved Hong Kong residents in redevelopment projects*
Urban Renewal Authority is examining feasibility of providing community storage spaces and laundry rooms so residents can enjoy more space at home
April 30, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The Urban Renewal Authority is studying the feasibility of installing more shared facilities in buildings it redevelops as a way to free up space in small flats.

The facilities include “community storage spaces” on podiums and in basements to keep items that are not frequently used, and laundry rooms so residents do not need washing machines, the authority’s managing director, Wai Chi-sing, wrote in his online blog on Sunday.

Micro-flats are becoming more popular in the city. The number of private units under 215 sq ft rose 154 per cent to 206 last year from 2013.

“Given the reality that living spaces are becoming smaller, my team and I have been thinking about how to utilise the limited space with innovative designs and to add new elements to our redevelopment projects,” Wai wrote.

He said some sites acquired by the authority were not big enough for large-scale development, with restrictive plot ratios at some allowing the construction of only a single block.

Shrinking household sizes – currently an average of 2.8 people – had also boosted demand for tiny flats, he added.

The number of households with just one or two people increased from 900,000 to 1.13 million between 2006 and 2016, according to official figures.

Wai said “community spaces” would allow residents to store seasonal items, such as heaters, dehumidifiers and quilts without occupying home space. They could also save money on renting mini-storage units.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong to get HK$28 billion in record land sales haul*
The tender for the two plots worth up to HK$28 billion in Central and Kai Tak will close on Friday. The sales would be a record haul for the coffers on a single day
May 9, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The Hong Kong government may get up to HK$28 billion from selling two sites next week, a record haul for the city’s coffers on a single day.

The two plots in Central and the Kai Tak area to be sold by government tender are worth up to HK$28 billion and likely to land a single day land sale revenue record, say industry experts.

They believe that the commercial site on Murray Road will fetch as much as HK$22 billion, while some HK$6.3 billion will be earned for the residential site, Area 1K Site 1, in Kai Tak – Hong Kong’s second core business centre.
The tender for the two lots will close on Friday noon, and the Lands Department will likely announce the outcome as early as next week.

“The market attention will definitely focus on the Murray Road site. But what concerns us most is who is the winner, instead of the selling price. Everyone expect it to be sold at sky-high prices,” said Victor Lai Kin-fai, the chief executive of property consultancy Centaline Professionals.

The site, expected to yield a total gross floor area of 450,996 square feet, could generate bids of between HK$35,000 and HK$48,000 per square foot, the equivalent of HK$15.7 billion to HK$22 billion.

More : http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-k...worth-hk28-billion-set-single-day-sale-record


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## cityfarmer

i want to visit this city someday


----------



## cityfarmer

where can i go shopping in hk?


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong homebuilders to face tougher limits on bank borrowing*
May 12, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s property developers will face tougher restrictions on the amount of money they can borrow from banks under new measures to be introduced next month in a bid to protect lenders from risk.

From June 1, all banks will be required to lower their caps on the amount they lend to developers for construction financing, according to a circular issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the city’s de facto central bank, on Friday.

The HKMA says it is concerned about the risk the city’s banks are exposing themselves to by lending large amounts to homebuilders, some of whom have been funding their land purchases entirely through borrowing.

Under the new measures, the maximum limit on bank loans used by the developer to buy a plot of land will be cut to 40 per cent of the value of the site, down from 50 per cent now.

The cap on loans for the construction costs will come down to 80 per cent from the current level of 100 per cent. And the overall cap on bank financing for the whole project will be reduced to 50 per cent of the expected value of the completed properties, from the 60 per cent at the moment.

Analysts said the move will increase homebuilders’ overall development costs and particularly hit those who rely heavily on financing for their projects.


----------



## hkskyline

*Can reclamation resolve Hong Kong’s housing problem?*
Hong Kong think tank says only a quarter of local households can afford a home, with real property price index up 266 per cent since 2004, against a 109 per cent growth in real wages
July 13, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The new leadership of the Hong Kong government should consider restarting land reclamation to increase land supply to build new homes as a means to resolve the city’s housing problem in the long run, according to a government think tank and a property agent.

Stephen Wong, deputy executive director and head of public policy of a think tank, Our Hong Kong Foundation said Hong Kong’s medium and long term housing supply was lagging behind its target, and urged the government to restart a large-scale development to solve the housing problem.

Wong recommended the authorities to convert the use of land for container terminals in Kwai Chung to build residential properties.

“Do we need container terminals in the middle of the city?” he said.

Changing land use of the container terminals is part of the proposal tabled by the think tank in its recently released report to solve Hong Kong’s housing problems. The report proposed that the government restarts large-scale reclamation to create land for different development projects in the city.

“Only 24 per cent of total land (size of 110,000 hectares) in Hong Kong are developed land, with the rest being greenery, including country parks, farm land and land for other uses,” said Wong in a luncheon meeting on Thursday.

This compared to 75 per cent of developed land out of Singapore’s total 71,000 hectares, he said.

Excluding country parks that account for 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s total area, Wong called on the government to better use the city’s land area for building homes.

He also warned that only 25 per cent of Hong Kong households can afford to buy a home in the city where the real property price index has surged 266 per cent since 2004, against real wage and GDP growths of 109 per cent and 156 per cent respectively.

More : http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-k...eclamation-resolve-hong-kongs-housing-problem


----------



## hkskyline

*Mega New Territories housing project to begin after HK$6.53b land deal*
The deal is the largest land premium paid since 2011. Analysts forecast that the total cost for the project could reach HK$17 billion
July 14, 2017 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Development of a mega-sized private residential project comprising about 6,000 units in Tuen Mun, believed to be the largest in New Territories, will soon get off the ground after a HK$6.53 billion (US$836.4 million) land premium settlement was reached between Sun Hung Kai Properties and the government.

The land transaction was concluded on May 17 for the commercial-residential site at Area 54 in Tuen Mun, which could yield a total gross floor area of 2.3 million square feet, according to data released by the Lands Department on Friday. The site, close to West Rail Siu Hong station, has an area of 461,000 sq ft.

The deal, the largest land premium paid since 2011, represents HK$2,800 per sq ft.

In 2011, New World Development paid HK$6.64 billion for a site, which could yield 1.08 million sq ft, in Sai Kung, now developed into Mount Pavilia development. The land premium paid then was HK$6,148 per sq ft.

Victor Lui Ting, deputy managing director at SHKP said the land premium amount was reasonable .

“The site is close to West Rail station, and will be developed into small- to medium-sized units,” he said.

Based on unit sizes of 400 to 500 sq ft, the site could accommodate about 4,600 to 5,700 units, said industry experts.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> *Lok Ma Chau Loop development backed by 60 per cent, Hong Kong survey finds*
> But only 44 per cent think city has adequate capacities to pull off project
> February 4, 2017
> 
> The plan to develop Lok Ma Chau Loop along the mainland border into a high-tech zone was supported by around 60 per cent of respondents in a Chinese University of Hong Kong study.
> 
> In addition, more than 70 per cent of the 733 people interviewed by phone in Hong Kong agreed the development of innovation and technology industries was important for the city’s future.
> 
> The university’s Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies conducted the survey between January 19 and 23, after local authorities announced earlier this year a deal with Shenzhen authorities to develop the 87-hectare area into an innovation and technology park.
> 
> The muddy wetland located along the Shenzhen River is four times larger than Science Park in Sha Tin.


*Hong Kong’s new tech frontier: Yuen Long*
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
July 14, 2017

Big things are coming to Yuen Long. In January, Hong Kong and Shenzhen joined hands to turn the Lok Ma Chau Loop into the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, and a 87-hectare project that will be four times bigger than the Science Park in Sha Tin.

The announcement settles a 20-year border dispute over the loop, which is a muddy piece of land created when the Shenzhen River was straightened in 1997. Both Hong Kong and Shenzhen claimed the land, but now that Shenzhen has acknowledged Hong Kong’s ownership, its development potential can be unleashed.

The Hong Kong government will build the park’s basic infrastructure, but it will be up to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation to manage its 1.2 million square meters of floor area. A special committee with representatives from both Hong Kong and Shenzhen will oversee the development.

*Start-up scenes*

Innovation is the buzzword in today’s economy, and any new support for start-up technology businesses is welcome. New high-quality space custom-built for start-ups and research and development companies can provide an outlet for entrepreneurs graduating from the city’s universities, and it can convince more technology companies to relocate to Hong Kong.

Things are already looking up in Hong Kong’s tech scene. Last year, the government announced a HK$2 billion Innovation and Technology Venture Fund, and mainland giant Alibaba has contributed US$130 million to a Hong Kong investment program for start-ups. Shenzhen’s scene is even hotter: some of China’s biggest tech companies are located in the booming border city, while grassroots entrepreneurs are flourishing in the city’s do-it-yourself culture.

*Building connectivity*

There are still many questions about the loop to be answered. Transportation is one of them. At the moment, there is just a one-lane road between the loop and the rest of Hong Kong, and there is no direct connection to Shenzhen. To overcome this isolation, new road and rail infrastructure will need to be built – perhaps a spur of the existing East Rail Line to Shenzhen, or a modern tramway system that leads to the Lok Ma Chau border crossing.


----------



## hkskyline

*Last post nears for GPO building in offices move*
July 21, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



















Hong Kong’s post office headquarters in Central is set to be demolished to make way for office buildings as part of a transformation of the city’s prime waterfront space.

The General Post Office building, opened in 1976, will be torn down and its contents moved to a new location in Kowloon Bay, the government’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said at a panel meeting in the city’s legislature on Friday.

The new eight-storey building will be near Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and cost HK$1.7 billion.

“The proposal has two aims. We hope it will be an opportunity for Hongkong Post to consolidate work from different departments to enhance its operational efficiency, and secondly, to meet the demands of a shortage of A-grade office space in Central,” Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said.

Postal facilities tied to Central district will be kept in the area however.

The redevelopment is part of a HK$12 billion plan for eight key sites to transform the Central harbourfront in the heart of the city to provide upmarket office space, a large pedestrian deck, public space and a mix of hotel and retail facilities. The Town Planning Board approved the outline for the General Post Office site in September.


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## hkskyline

*Plover Cove housing plan floated*
27 Jul 2017
The Standard _Excerpt_


船灣淡水湖（Plover Cove Reservoir） by Mike, on Flickr

A research team from the University of Hong Kong says the government should re-start large-scale reclamation, including filling up Plover Cove Reservoir to provide 1,200 hectares of land on which to build 300,000 homes.

The team from the Ronald Coase Centre for Property Rights Research, HKUrbanLab, said the government should solve the long-term land problem through reclamation which is "the most significant and efficient historical mode of new land supply."

However, green groups slammed the plan and called it nonsense.

Chair professor Chau Kwong-wing said the government should build a huge land bank to reduce housing price volatility, to increase living space and to improve life quality.


"This will reduce the chance of panic buying in the housing market," he said.

Professor Lawrence Lai Wai-chung said the government should have a long- term vision for land supply and should revamp a high-level decision-making body so that it can plan strategically for a sustained stream of land supply.

Lai said Hong Kong has had no large-scale reclamation for the past 20 years. The suspension of reclamation plans resulted in the loss of 176 hectares of land at Green Island and 300 hectares at Kai Tak which could have housed 420,000 people.

The team said Plover Cove Reservoir should be reclaimed and turned into a new town, providing about 300,000 housing units with an average size of 650 square feet, to house 800,000 to 1.2 million people.

The team believes reclamation of the reservoir will do little damage to nature as the reservoir is artificial and the damage to the environment had already been done many years ago when building the reservoir. In addition, the cost was paid off many years ago.

Apart from Plover Cove, Lai thinks New Territories West, including areas near Castle Peak, Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun, and areas near Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau, can also be considered for reclamation. These sites could provide about 2,000 hectares and 1,200 hectares of land.

The team also believes that major developers own 1,000 hectares of land. It suggested the government take back undeveloped or idle land in the New Territories owned by major developers after the leases expire in 2047.

"The government should not exercise its discretion to automatically renew these leases for another 50 years," Lai said.

However, green groups hold opposite views. Green Sense said the reclamation suggestion is nonsense and that the researchers did not provide sustainable solutions for the city's development.

Mark Mak Chi-kit, senior research officer of Green Sense, said just building houses will not solve the problem.

"It is endless and irrational if we only rely on building houses to solve the problem," he said.

He said the society should think about how to reduce population growth and to balance the needs of development instead of just considering how to increase housing.

He believes mainland China immigrants are the biggest cause of the population growth and the government should reduce the one-way permit quota.

Mak said that Plover Cove Reservoir not only supplies fresh water but it is also in a country park with high ecological value.

He said reclamation has an "extinctive" impact on the environment, citing the reducing number of Chinese white dolphin as an example.


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## hkskyline

Hong Kong Economic Journal
July 26, 2017 
*Garden applies to redevelop Sham Shui Po headquarters*










The headquarters of bakery company Garden, a landmark in Sham Shui Po, is up for redevelopment.

The company is awaiting approval from the Town Planning Board. The building is located at 58 Castle Peak Road.

The plan is to redevelop the building into a 25-floor commercial and office block with three levels of basement, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

The redeveloped building will have restaurants, cookery classrooms and offices. Garden plans to rent out the 11th to 20th floors. The total floor area is about 111,000 sq ft.

The company told Apple Daily that it is conducting preliminary research. The proposed redevelopment comprises about 50,000 sq ft of office space and 61,000 sq ft of restaurant and cookery training facilities.

Gardenis, a traditional local brand, was established in 1926. The clock tower at the top of the 1930s headquarters building is often regarded as a Sham Shui Po landmark that has witnessed changes in the old district over the years.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *'Rare' Tsim Sha Tsui plot could be yours for $3.4b*
> The Standard
> Friday, May 30, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Tsim Sha Tsui commercial plot for tender is expected to fetch up to HK$3.4 billion while two small residential sites in Tuen Mun have been valued together at almost HK$300 million.
> 
> Developers may submit tenders for the three sites from June 27 to late August. Market estimates for the cost of the 28,309-square-foot site at 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, ranges between HK$2 billion and HK$3.4 billion.
> 
> With a maximum gross floor area of 339,712 sq ft, around 60 percent of the area may comprise offices or hotel rooms while the rest may be used for a public car park. That translates to about HK$10,000 per buildable square foot for the commercial area.
> 
> Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, director at Midland Surveyors, considers the site as rare and says it will be popular among developers eager to build either an A-grade office building or hotel.
> 
> Meanwhile, the two Tuen Mun sites are likely to be valued higher than previous plots tendered in the district as they enjoy better locations.
> 
> The cost of the 11,244 sq ft site at Yan Ching Street, near the West Rail Line Tuen Mun station, is expected to range between HK$160 million to HK$241 million. It would yield 80,478 sq ft of GFA on which at least 125 units may be built.
> 
> Another plot at Lok Chui Street measures 13,487 sq ft and is tipped to fetch HK$47.2 million to HK$64.7 million. Separately, the number of mortgage applications in April fell 2.8 percent from a month earlier to 9,156, data from Hong Kong Monetary Authority showed.
> 
> Total value of mortgage loans hit HK$19.6 billion, and those for the secondary market rose 6.5 percent from March to a nine-month high to HK$11 billion. More than 63 percent of new mortgage cases used HIBOR as reference, the highest in 2 years.
> 
> As for the primary market, luxury project Positano of HKR International (0480) at Discovery Bay will release the price list of 50 duplexes out of 102 today. Six show flats are also available for viewing from today.


7/28


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## pookgai

Any renders or details of the mody road car park replacement?


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## hkskyline

*Empty dwellings in 400-year-old Hong Kong village get new lease of life as holiday homes*
Town planning board approves HK$50 million project to restore 12 abandoned buildings in remote Lai Chi Wo
August 11, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_Next Media_

A cluster of abandoned dwellings in a 400-year-old walled Hakka village in Hong Kong has been given the green light for conversion into holiday homes, breathing new life into efforts to revive the city’s rural heritage.

With little resistance, the Town Planning board approved on Friday afternoon a project to restore and transform 12 abandoned homes into guest houses in Lai Chi Wo in the northeastern New Territories, close to the Hong Kong-mainland border.

The project, launched by the Hong Kong Countryside Foundation, a charity dedicated to conserving the city’s countryside, aims to revitalise the area and promote Hakka culture.

The 12 holiday houses will retain their Hakka-style architecture. Visitors will be able to take part in guided tours, workshops and other events to experience Hakka culture and lifestyle.

The site spans 5,640 sq ft of land and will accommodate a maximum of 48 guests in one-storey structures, according to the application submitted to the town planning board.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...y-houses-400-year-old-hakka-village-could-get


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## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West

the Ting Kau Bridge and Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong by Jaws300, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Why Hong Kong doesn’t need large-scale reclamation or country park land for housing*
Paul Zimmerman calls on the task force that will look into the city’s land supply sources to carefully weigh the public costs for each. By this yardstick, the least damaging options should be chosen
August 10, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong does not have a land supply problem, but a land use problem – this was one of the conclusions at the 2017 Annual Land Forum organised last month by Land Watch. The theme this year was “Land Challenges amid a New Administration”.

In TV advertisements, the government confirmed that land supply up to 2030 has been secured. “Hong Kong 2030 Plus”, the most recent update of Hong Kong’s territorial development strategy, estimates that around 4,800 hectares of land is required when looking beyond 2040. This assumes an aggressive immigration policy to counter Hong Kong’s ageing population.

Committed and planned projects will provide some 3,600 hectares. For the 1,200-hectare shortfall, the government has touted land supply options including large reclamation between Hong Kong Island and Lantau, and the use of country park areas near Sha Tin, and near Pat Heung.

Groups such as Liber Research Community point out that the recycling of brownfields, and the upcycling of land set aside for village-type developments, can provide the land needed. And they are not alone.

The Planning Department completed a land use review of Kam Tin South and Pat Heung in 2014, and identified sites for at least 33,000 residential units at and in the vicinity of Kam Sheung MTR station and the Pat Heung Maintenance Centre.

There is also an abundance of “abandoned agricultural land” along Kam Sheung Road now used for open storage, temporary car parks and other brownfield uses. And there’s a large green belt area next to Shui Chuen O estate in Sha Tin. All these sites have good rail and road access and could be considered before developing country park areas.

More : http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight...oesnt-need-large-scale-reclamation-or-country


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Cheung Kong to slick up Oil Street with hotel, flats*
> The Standard
> Monday, January 16, 2012
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cheung Kong (Holdings) (0001) is planning an 800-room hotel and a 400-unit luxury residential project on Oil Street in North Point.
> 
> It is awaiting Town Planning Board approval that will see seven towers, each more than 100 meters tall, erected on the 84,898-square-foot site with one of them designated for a 39-story hotel.
> 
> The remaining towers of between 35 and 38 stories will, Cheung Kong said, be designed for hotels and apartments.
> 
> Residential units will have an average size of 1,110 sq ft.
> 
> The buildings would offer a total gross floor area of 755,600 sq ft. Of that, 322,900 sq ft will be for hotel purposes, and 432,700 sq ft for apartments.
> 
> There are also plans to include 75,350 sq ft of public space. Construction is set for completion by 2017.
> 
> "With only around three meters of ceiling height on average, it would be a challenge for the developer to make the hotel rooms look spacious, especially when it is likely to be a five-star one," said Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, Cushman & Wakefield national director for valuation and advisory services.
> 
> He said five-star hotels usually have ceiling heights of more than four meters.
> 
> Charles Chan Chiu-kwok, managing director of Savills Valuation and Professional Services (Greater China) said the flats would be in demand.
> 
> "The residential portion shouldn't have too much impact on the market in the locality. The area should be able to absorb all 400 units since demand of flats on Hong Kong Island is still high."
> 
> Chan estimates the cost of developing the residential towers at HK$3,000 psf, while that for the hotel tower will come in between HK$4,000 and HK$5,000 psf.
> 
> In August, the developer won the tender for the site, having bid HK$6.27 billion, or HK$8,294 per buildable sq ft.


The skyscraper skyline of Hong Kong Island's waterfront by Graham, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Hong Kong Economic Journal
> July 26, 2017
> *Garden applies to redevelop Sham Shui Po headquarters*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The headquarters of bakery company Garden, a landmark in Sham Shui Po, is up for redevelopment.
> 
> The company is awaiting approval from the Town Planning Board. The building is located at 58 Castle Peak Road.


*Conservationists up in arms as owner plans to tear down Garden Building to make way for offices*
An application by bakery group The Garden Company to redevelop its Sham Shui Po headquarters is drawing fire from heritage conservationists
August 27, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s conservationists are speaking out against plans by developers to raze the Sham Shui Po corporate headquarters of The Garden Company, the city’s first bakery and confectionery maker that traces its establishment to 1926.

The owner of the building plans to turn the site at 58 Castle Peak Road into a 25-storey commercial and office building, according to redevelopment applications submitted to Hong Kong’s Town Planning Board.

The structure is the latest to come under the wrecking ball, after a sale in May of the first piece of land in downtown Central in 20 years set a world price record for commercial real estate, spurring many Hong Kong landlords to redevelop their existing property to capitalise on soaring prices.

The Garden Company isn’t alone. The owners of the Crowne Plaza and Excelsior Hotel have submitted redevelopment plans to transform their properties into commercial offices in the hope of getting higher returns.

Many technical and planning issues need to be taken into account in the redevelopment of The Garden Building, said Thomas Lam, head of valuation at Knight Frank.

“The redevelopment project is not 100 per cent for offices. It will include areas for teaching or exhibition,” Lam said, estimating that the commercial portion of the project could be sold for between HK$12,000 to HK$15,000 per square foot, or be rented out for between HK$25 to HK$35 per sq ft every month.

The Town Planning Board has received more than 382 comments on the development application, with more than 90 per cent opposed to the plan. Opponents were dissatisfied that the application failed to make any provision for preservation.

More : http://www.scmp.com/business/compan...ms-owner-plans-tear-down-garden-building-make


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## hkskyline

*Task force digs in to find housing land*
30 Aug 2017
The Standard _Excerpt_

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's 30-expert Task Force on Land Supply has been tasked with delivering within 18 months a plan to increase land supply including reclamation and brownfield sites.

Lam announced setting up the group to deliver on one of her promises to address Hong Kong's serious housing crisis by expanding land supply instead of taxation.

The task force, which will start working on Friday, will be responsible for starting discussions on options about increasing land supply, review the government's current short-, middle- and long-term land policies and explore land sources.

The 30 members, made up of 22 non-official and eight officials, will be in office for 18 months.

The Housing Authority's subsidized housing committee chairman, retired banker Stanley Wong Yuen-fai, who chairs the task force, said they might discuss suggestions of country park peripheral areas, land reclamation, brownfield, or even buildings above facilities such as cargo terminals and reclaiming reservoirs.

He hoped to carry out public consultation in the first half of next year before drafting a final report on priorities of land supply measures without naming specific sites.

"With such short time to enhance social participation, there's no time to choose particular locations," Wong told The Standard.

"We might point to developing country park areas with low ecological value and, if we get consensus, then we can make it a principle of development with the government following this principle to choose sites for development."

Topics such as reservoir reclamation will be examined as citizens mainly drink water from Dongjiang, he said.


----------



## hkskyline

Sept. 6, 2017 
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*1,300 home seekers scramble for four flats at Parc City*










Despite the slim odds, about 1,300 home seekers sought to buy four available units at Parc City in Tsuen Wan, forming a long queue outside the sales office at Nina Tower as early as 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

The four flats at the new residential project, near Tsuen Wan West MTR station, were offered for resale by developer Chinachem group, after their original buyers forfeited their deposits. The units have sizes ranging from 427 to 850 square feet.

The units were offered for resale at their original prices. The 427 sq. ft. unit, with two bedrooms, was sold for around HK$6.21 million, while the three other units were sold above HK$9.67 million.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong prefabricated home trials to be launched at HKU and Science and Technology Park*
Prefabricated accommodation will house employees and university students as government considers alternative solutions to housing supply problem
September 21, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The Science and Technology Park and the University of Hong Kong will be the sites for two trials of prefabricated homes for students and employees, the secretary of development has revealed.

Both the government and the construction industry welcomed the idea of relieving housing pressure in the city through use of prefabricated living units, Development Bureau chief Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Thursday morning, just a day after he said the government had no particular stance on building container homes.

The idea of using such structures as low-rent residences was raised on Wednesday by the Council of Social Service. The council has been in talks with several developers over plans to build container homes ranging from 160 to 320 sq ft in size, which could each house two to five people. These homes are to be rented at cheap rates to families on the waiting list for public housing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony for Construction Safety Week, Wong said the government had two pilot projects in mind: one called InnoCell at the Science and Technology Park in Sha Tin and the other at the University of Hong Kong in Pok Fu Lam.

The prefabricated houses would be dormitories for young employees of the park and for students at the university, the development chief said.

According to a paper handed to the Legislative Council’s panel on commerce and industry by the Innovation and Technology Bureau in July, a piece of rectangular land about 31,000 sq ft in size near the south end of the park would be used to develop InnoCell and provide about 500 cubicles in 2020. The expected monthly rent would range from HK$8,000 to HK$10,000 for a furnished unit about 190 sq ft in size, about 40 per cent cheaper than the market price for the area.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ainer-home-trials-be-launched-hku-and-science


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Legendary hotel faces end of road*
> June 6, 2017
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> 
> Mandarin Oriental International said yesterday that it plans to test market interest in the possible sale of the legendary Excelsior hotel in Causeway Bay.
> 
> The international hotel chain and member of the Jardine Matheson Group is reviewing its long-term strategic options in light of recent strong commercial property valuations in Hong Kong.
> 
> Surveyors estimate the valuation of the property, depending on how the sale is structured, could go above HK$34.2 billion.
> 
> The company obtained approval in 2015 to redevelop the hotel into a commercial building with a gross floor area of 683,508 square feet.
> 
> Leo Cheung Sing-din, Icon City head of business valuation, said the project enjoys a full harbor view and the retail portion of the property could be very valuable. He estimated that the price per square foot of the project could reach HK$40,000 to HK$50,000.
> 
> Factoring in the potential gross floor area of the project, valuation of the project would be between HK$27.3 billion and HK$34.2 billion.
> 
> "This project is a special case as it has earlier acquired approval to be redeveloped into a commercial building," said Knight Frank senior director Thomas Lam Ho-man. "The valuation will depend on how the owner plans to sell it.


*Mandarin Oriental plunges 28pc in Singapore after sale of The Excelsior scrapped*
Sept. 27, 2017 
The Standard _Excerpt_

Mandarin Oriental International tumbled 27.96 percent in Singapore after the hotel chain scrapped the sale of its legendary hotel in Causeway Bay.

In an announcement today, Mandarin Oriental International said after having considered the proposals recently received for the sale of The Excelsior, none had met fully its expectations or transaction requirements.

All options including redeveloping the property into a commercial building will be reviewed as the proposals have not provided the basis for the sale of the property at the current time, the statement said.

"The Company had announced previously that as part of a review of its long-term strategic options for The Excelsior it was to test market interest in the possible sale of the property."

The legendary Excelsior hotel, located on Gloucester Road near Victoria Park and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, was opened in 1973. It offers 848 hotel rooms and 21 suites and is popular with both visitors and locals.


----------



## hkskyline

*Will mixed-use buildings for Hong Kong starter homes create rich-poor resident divide?*
More stakeholder discussion suggested to avoid London trend of ‘doors for the poor’ in shared housing estates
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
October 4, 2017

The highly anticipated Starter Home scheme in Hong Kong may be an opportunity to develop a new mixed-used model as proposed by developers, but concerns have been raised after similar projects overseas were criticised for segregating those who were less well off. 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who will deliver her first policy address next week, has vowed not to use land reserved for public rental housing to build starter homes, aimed to provide affordable flats for young middle-class households.

This would mean the scheme may use land slated for private development. Developers said they were willing to cooperate to help first-time home buyers, the target group of starter homes.

The developers floated ideas of public-private projects, with industry analysts suggesting that these buildings could contain a certain proportion of affordably priced rental flats in exchange for government concessions.

The concept has been applied overseas. In New York, private developers provide affordable housing in exchange for tax breaks, but they are free to build different entrances to separate tenants who pay the market rate from those who don’t.

In a notorious case involving a Manhattan project, 55 out of 274 flats of a 33-storey tower were rented to lower-income families. There are no dishwashers or light fixtures in these flats.

Residents had to use a separate door to enter the building and cannot enjoy higher end facilities such as the gym and swimming pool.

In 2015, the city passed a bill to standardise entrances in such buildings, so that all residents pass through the same doors.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...-use-buildings-hong-kong-starter-homes-create


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Mandarin Oriental plunges 28pc in Singapore after sale of The Excelsior scrapped*
> Sept. 27, 2017
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> 
> Mandarin Oriental International tumbled 27.96 percent in Singapore after the hotel chain scrapped the sale of its legendary hotel in Causeway Bay.
> 
> In an announcement today, Mandarin Oriental International said after having considered the proposals recently received for the sale of The Excelsior, none had met fully its expectations or transaction requirements.
> 
> All options including redeveloping the property into a commercial building will be reviewed as the proposals have not provided the basis for the sale of the property at the current time, the statement said.
> 
> "The Company had announced previously that as part of a review of its long-term strategic options for The Excelsior it was to test market interest in the possible sale of the property."
> 
> The legendary Excelsior hotel, located on Gloucester Road near Victoria Park and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, was opened in 1973. It offers 848 hotel rooms and 21 suites and is popular with both visitors and locals.



"Traffic Light Trails" in Causeway Bay , Hong Kong by Ben Molloy, on Flickr

*Hong Kong's Property Market Gets a 'Reality Check'*
October 5, 2017
Bloomberg _Excerpt_

The scrapped sale of The Excelsior hotel in Causeway Bay may have been a “reality check” in a heated Hong Kong property market, according to Irene Lee, chairman of Hysan Development Co.

“We didn’t get it -- or we didn’t bid,” Lee said in a Bloomberg Television interview Wednesday, refusing to confirm local media reports that her firm had been among those vying for the hotel on Lot No. 1, the first land auctioned in Hong Kong in 1841.

A cycle of ever-increasing expectations for commercial property values was fueled by the record HK$23.3 billion ($3 billion) fetched by the Murray Road car park building in Central in May, according to Lee. “Maybe we’re having a mild reality check,” she said, adding that China’s move to rein in some aggressive purchasers of overseas assets, such as HNA Group Co., may also have weighed on sentiment.

As the largest commercial landlord in Causeway Bay, Hysan owns the Lee Gardens and Hysan Place retail and office properties. The firm teamed up last year with developer HKR International for a rare foray into residential development, buying land in Tai Po.

Describing the property market as “quite hot,” Lee said developers needed to be sensible and not get “carried away.” At the same time, she expects an “adjustment” or a “normalization,” not a 1997-style property crash, adding that Hysan will continue to bid for residential sites when “the numbers work for us.”

Mandarin Oriental International Ltd. last month scrapped the sale of The Excelsior, saying that bids for the 869-room hotel failed to meet its expectations and it would review options including redevelopment into a commercial property. Local media reported that the bidding level for the property could be about HK$30 billion.


----------



## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West

Sunrise/ Tsuen Wan, HK by kc ma, on Flickr


----------



## _Hawk_

*Parc Inverness*

The development is located on Inverness Road in Kowloon Tong, a traditional luxurious residential district, adjacent to Kowloon Tsai Park, Munsang College and HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, etc. The project consists of 4 towers and 5 luxury houses, which provides 134 units in total. Sky gardens situated in-between the towers at mid-elevation and 2-level basement car parking facilities provides all residents an all-rounded living environment fulfilled by recreational and supporting facilities. 



























http://www.lwkp.com/m/project/c/2/i/129


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## _Hawk_

*Mount One*

The proposed residential development at Fanling Sheung Shui Town Lot No. 202 occupies a site area of approximate 2,560 sq.m. With a total G.F.A. of approximate 12,900 sq.m.The building has 22 residential storeys plus 4 storeys of car parking floors, offering atotal of 144 residential units, sizes of whichvarying from around 88 sq.m.to 214 sq.m. plus 68 car parking space. The development is about 106 m. high, overlooking the Fanling and Sheung Shui city.It is expected to becomethe new landmark in the district.



























http://www.lwkp.com/m/project/c/3/i/223


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## _Hawk_

*Stars By The Harbour*

Located at 7 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, Stars By The Harbour is a comprehensive residential development built in the vicinity of public transport hub with full view of Victoria Harbour. The project consists of four 26-storey high-rise towers and nine 3-storey private houses, with a site area of 7,551 sq. m. and a G.F.A. of 34,003 sq. m. A clubhouse is situated on the G/F and 1/F, providing recreational facilities which include an outdoor swimming pool. 206 residential car parking spaces and 20 visitors’ car parking spaces are accommodated in the 2-storey underground car park.



























http://www.lwkp.com/m/project/c/3/i/233


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## _Hawk_

*Marinella*









http://greenbuilding.hkgbc.org.hk/eng/projects/view/35


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## _Hawk_

*ARGENTA*

It is a luxury residential tower located at mid-levels of Hong Kong enjoying close proximity to adjoining verdant parkland, Central and Soho. The 30-storey residential tower is sitting on top of 6 levels of podium floors comprising entrance lobbies at both Caine Road and Seymour Road, clubhouse, carpark and M&E supporting facilities. The podium elevation is featured by repetitive twisted aluminium strips, which are installed along the podium façade at Caine Road. It gives the podium a metallic and contemporary looking and the twisting of the strips give an interesting undulating visual effect while allowing free air ventilation for the carpark.

The plan of the tower is imitating the silhouette of a butterfly, the entire apartment is enclosed by streamlined glass façade with floor to ceiling windows and undulating shading devices and fins, which appeared like ribbons surrounding the building. It gives the building a unique character with attractive form and sculptural looking while flushing interior with sunlight and breathtaking view.

The residential tower has 30 apartments, each occupying an entire floor, each with balcony for outdoor leisure and enjoyment and with its own private lift lobby. The development has one double-storey penthouse. Apartment sizes range from 644 to 1,084 sq.m. saleable area, offering a generous living space, providing residents with views of Victoria Harbour, greenery and cityspace.


















http://www.lwkp.com/m/project/c/3/i/187


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## _Hawk_

*24 Po Shan Road*


















http://hsfacade.com/projects/residential/24-po-shan-road-mid-level/


----------



## _Hawk_

*AREZZO*


















http://hsfacade.com/projects/residential/33-seymour-road-arezzo/


----------



## _Hawk_

*Deauville*


















http://mail.maleung.com/concrete5/index.php/portfolio/portfolio02-low-rise/deauville


----------



## _Hawk_

*Whitesands* 160 South Lantau Road













































https://lantauconfidential.com/2015/11/24/luxury-living-on-lantau/


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## _Hawk_

*Castle Peak Road*









http://www.scmp.com/special-reports...article/2095762/hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge


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## el palmesano

wow!!!!!

lot of awsome projects!! thanks for posting all of them!


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## _Hawk_

*THR350 *

















http://www.archdaily.com/423205/thr350-aedas/


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## _Hawk_

*Gramercy*


















http://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/gramercy


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## _Hawk_

*The Wings II *









http://www.p-t-group.com/the-wings-ii.html


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## _Hawk_

*Skyhigh*









http://www.p-t-group.com/skyhigh.html


*No.3 Plunkett's Road*









http://www.p-t-group.com/3-5-plunketts-road.html


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## _Hawk_




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## _Hawk_

* Kensington Hill*



























https://twitter.com/INsideLWK


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## (the)

Thanks heaps Hawk! Excellent work on posting all of these amazing projects!


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## _Hawk_

*Mount Parker Residences *









https://www.flickr.com/photos/andyman2206/11669936856/


















https://www.engelvoelkers.com/blog/2014/mount-parker-residences-upping-ante-splendid/


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## the spliff fairy

Finally get to see what's going on in HK


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## hkskyline

*Consultant proposes reclamation for Sha Tin*
29 Dec 2017
The Standard _Excerpt_









_CEDD_

Opinion is divided as to whether Ma Liu Shui is a suitable site on which to reclaim land for 11,000 flats.

The area was given the thumbs up in a government consultancy study yesterday but residents fear moving more people into the area will only worsen traffic congestion.

The government yesterday published the adviser's feasibility study on Ma Liu Shui, saying a reclamation there was technically feasible.

Sixty hectares could be reclaimed at the opening of the Shing Mun River Channel to build 11,000 flats for 34,100 residents.

Sixty percent would be public housing and the remainder private. The project will provide 88 hectares, with the other 28 hectares coming from the relocation of Sha Tin sewage treatment plant to a cavern.

The report expected only minor ecological impact due to the loss of marine habitats, and recommended building a shoreline to enhance ecological value and biodiversity.

It said that with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures there would be no adverse air and water quality impact.

On transport infrastructure, the report said all key junctions will operate within capacity during peak hours in the year 2036, and no insurmountable traffic impact is expected due to reclamation.

Liber Research member Chan Kim-ching laughed off the report, saying all options are technically practical, and he said the land plot made available by the relocation of the Sha Tin sewage treatment plant should be prioritized in development.

"The government should utilize idle land or land left after existing facilities are moved away," Chan said. "The plot left after the plant is moved is large and we can construct a public housing estate there."

The vice chairman of the Task Force on Land Supply, Greg Wong Chak-yan, endorsed the reclamation plan, saying the location would be backed with well-established transport infrastructure.

"It's an ideal place because people living there can use the East Rail Line and the Tolo Highway," Wong said.


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## hkskyline

*Soft launch drawing Hongkongers to border shopping town reflects shift in retail strategy*
Outdoor outlet-style mall near checkpoint once targeted mainland visitors
December 31, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



























_Photo source : http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20171231/bkn-20171231140437379-1231_00822_001.html _

A border shopping town originally intended for mainland shoppers has shifted its retail strategy as hundreds of Hongkongers flocked to the venue for a carnival on New Year’s Eve ahead of its official launch next year.

While shops at the outlet-style mall The Boxes in San Tin – a stone’s throw away from the Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint – were expected to open in February, visitors at the event on Sunday mostly voiced optimism the venture would fare well in the long run.

Their optimism was shared by the project’s mastermind, lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong, who was “fully confident” all the unleased shops would soon be snapped up.

This was despite radical changes in Hong Kong’s retail and tourism sectors over the past few years, which saw an initial decline of mainland visitors before the numbers gradually rebounded.

Taking 30 months from planning to completion, the mall consists of 214 shops as well as restaurants and family-friendly entertainment options. It is due to open in February.

As shops raced round the clock to complete renovation works, the venue welcomed its first batch of visitors on Sunday by holding a carnival that featured game booths, a giant inflatable slide and snack stalls.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hong Kong’s nano land site in the New Territories draws interest from small developers*
> The sale has drawn mainly small developers like Wang On Properties, Chevalier International Holdings and K&K Property
> December 22, 2017
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _on.cc_
> 
> A residential site in Hong Kong’s New Territories, which is equivalent to half the size of a basketball court and the smallest plot offered by a government tender in a decade, has drawn strong response.
> 
> The Lands Department said it had received 19 bidders for the lot after the tender closed on Friday. The site is expected to fetch HK$60 million (US$7.69 million) to HK$75 million, or HK$6,500 to HK$8,000 per square foot, according to property consultants.
> 
> The sale has mainly drawn bids from small developers such as Wang On Properties, construction firm Chevalier International Holdings and K&K Property, although bigger players like Sino Land and Emperor International Holdings have also thrown their names in the hat.
> 
> The lot, in Hong Kong’s Sheung Shui’s San Lok Street, has a site area of about 2,160 sq ft, or less than half of a 4,700 sq ft basketball court.


*Sheung Shui site tender awarded to Tai Hung Fai for HK$131m*
The Standard 
28 Dec 2017 

The tender for Fanling Sheung Shui Town Lot No. 270, a site at San Lok Street in Sheung Shui, has been awarded to the highest tenderer Force Castle, a Tai Hung Fai Group Holdings subsidiary, on a 50-year land grant at a premium of HK$131.3 million, the Lands Department announced today.

The site has an area of about 200.7 square meters and is designated for non-industrial, excluding godown, hotel and petrol filling station, purposes.

The minimum gross floor area is 469 sq m while the maximum gross floor area is 866 sq m.


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## hkskyline

Dec 28, 2017
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Over century-old tea house in Central may be forced to relocate*


Lin Heung Lau 蓮香楼 by TOKO, on Flickr

A tea house that traces its history back to 128 years ago is now facing an uncertain fate.

Media reported on Wednesday that Lin Heung Tea House, located at Tsang Chiu Ho Building on Wellington Street in Central, may be forced to relocate because the building’s owner intends to demolish it and build a new one in 2019.

In response to an inquiry from Apple Daily, the Chinese restaurant, known for its authentic and traditional Chinese dim sum, said its lease will expire by the second quarter of 2019.

It prefers to renew the lease and remain at the place where it has been operating since 1996, but whether the owner has decided to redevelop the building remains unclear, according to the restaurant. Renegotiation of its lease is expected to take place six months before expiration date, it added.

Founded in Guangzhou in 1889, Lin Heung Tea House opened a branch in Hong Kong in 1918 before adding two more later. It now runs a single outlet in the city.

Popular with both locals and foreign tourists, the restaurant maintains the characteristics of a traditional Chinese tea house, such as serving dim sum on traditional trolleys, asking diners to share the tables, and providing two teacups for each diner, with a bigger one for tea making and a smaller one for drinking.

CSI Properties Limited (00497.HK) paid HK$153 million for ownership of the stores on the ground floor and first floor of the building in which it is located at the end of 2015 before it spent another HK$355 million acquiring more than 30 additional units in September this year. It now controls more than 90 percent of the property.

The company did not respond to media inquiries about reported plans to demolish and redevelop the building.


----------



## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West

tsuen wan by happytripp, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*5,000 flats could be built on Hong Kong golf course, government study finds*
Official release of results by government planners held until a lease policy review is completed, but green activists argue such land should be freed up
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 7, 2018

More than 5,000 Hong Kong flats can be built on part of a 170-hectare golf course in Fanling, if golfers and authorities holding the land are willing to let go, according to a study by planners, the Post has learned.

The revelation came amid calls for the government to develop housing on some 400 hectares of public land across the city which are rented at cheap rates for private recreation. Advocates are against using scenic and ecologically important space on the fringes of country parks for housing.

Government advisers on land supply will meet in the next two weeks to discuss whether such private recreational sites held by the Home Affairs Bureau should be considered in solving the city’s housing issues.

The latest study, conducted by the Planning Department, found that the eastern part of the golf course comprising a car park and the so-called Old Course could be used to build 5,000 to 6,000 flats, a government source told the Post.

The Post estimated that the area, close to North District Hospital and Ching Ho Estate, would be about 16 hectares, roughly a tenth of the total area of the golf course.


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## Jim856796

^^ I hope Hong Kong doesn't end up wiping out all of their good greenspaces because of its major housing issue. I think at least half of the land occupied by the Hong Kong Golf Club should be used for the new flats. The HK Golf Club (I think it's their only major golf club) has 63 holes, so I think 36 holes should be left at the very least because of the new flats (after a major revamp, possibly?).


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## hkskyline

Jim856796 said:


> ^^ I hope Hong Kong doesn't end up wiping out all of their good greenspaces because of its major housing issue. I think at least half of the land occupied by the Hong Kong Golf Club should be used for the new flats. The HK Golf Club (I think it's their only major golf club) has 63 holes, so I think 36 holes should be left at the very least because of the new flats (after a major revamp, possibly?).


They probably had to look at the golf course when there was a public outcry over developing the real country parks!


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Central site sells for record HK$23b*
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> May 17, 2017
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Henderson Land has beaten eight rivals to snap up a highly coveted commercial site on Murray Road in Central for HK$23.3 billion, or HK$50,065 per square foot.
> 
> That makes it the most expensive property ever sold by the government - and one of the world's most expensive commercial sites.
> 
> The price was about 4 percent above the upper range of market valuation. The market had valued the site at about HK$14 billion to HK$22.3 billion, or HK$30,000 to HK$48,000 per sq ft.
> 
> The site takes up an area of about 31,000 sq ft, with maximum gross floor area of 465,005 sq ft. Height limit for the site is 190 meters, and a commercial building of some 40 stories can be built.
> 
> "We are delighted to have captured this site in Central, and we plan to develop the project into another landmark commercial building following the International Financial Centre," said Henderson Land vice chairman Martin Lee Ka-shing.
> 
> Henderson Land, chaired by tycoon Lee Shau-kee, was part of the consortium that developed the commercial site at Hong Kong Station into the iconic IFC.
> 
> Henderson Land expects to invest about HK$26 billion on the Murray Road project, and to complete it in 2022.
> 
> As the site was previously a multi-story carpark, the developer winning the tender will have to provide more than 100 parking spaces for public use. The area used for carparks will have to be calculated as part of the gross floor area, but if the parking spots are set up in the basement, the developer can apply for the area taken up not to be counted in the gross floor area.


Murray Road Car Park, soon to be a US$3 Billion pile of dirt by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Oil Street _(bottom right)_
> 
> "smog and the city" by hugo poon, on Flickr


Aqua Luna 8.1.18 rainy day Hong Kong Harbour (20) by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Slated to open in 2019 : http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=4792


St. Regis update



Car L said:


> *St. Regis Hong Kong Hotel* (see post 1563)
> 
> *2017 Nov*
> 171110s_037s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> 171110s_040s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> 171110s_043s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> 171110s_045s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> *2018 Jan*
> 180115s_034s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> 180115s_030s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> 
> 180115s_032s by Genuine007, on Flickr
> __________________
> Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
> Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## hkskyline

*More than 1,000 buyers bid for 108 units at St Barths in sell-out*
Local property market shows no signs of easing, with most expensive unit measuring 979 square feet going for HK$23.13 million
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 20, 2018









_on.cc_

The frenzy of property-buying in Hong Kong showed no signs of easing on Saturday as the latest 108 apartment units from Sun Hung Kai Properties at the St Barths complex in Ma On Shan were snapped up.

More than 1,000 buyers bid for the homes, making for an oversubscription of 8.5 times availability.

Among the sales, the most expensive was a four-bedroom unit measuring 979 square feet for HK$23.13 million (US$2.95 million), according to property agents.

Average prices for the latest batch of units hit HK$23,184 per sq ft, up 38 per cent on the original amounts. After factoring in a maximum discount of 12.5 per cent, the final price came to HK$20,286 on average.

The enthusiasm greeting the latest round of offerings at St Barths signalled the market was not immediately slowing, even after the Hong Kong Monetary Authority raised interest rates and city officials warned buyers of the dangers of rising mortgage payments due to higher financing costs.

On Friday, a three-bedroom unit, or 1,125 sq ft flat on the 10th floor of the project, was sold through tender for HK$30.4 million, or HK$27,031 per sq ft, establishing a record high at St Barths. It also set a new price record by square feet for a home in Ma On Shan.


----------



## hkskyline

*Residents want public housing built on Hong Kong golf course site, survey finds*
Some 70 per cent of respondents to poll said Fanling course was taking up too much land
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 21, 2018

Close to three-quarters of residents feel that a 170-hectare golf course in Fanling is occupying too much land, while 56 per cent feel that the government should use the area for public housing, a survey has found.

The poll was conducted by the Democratic Party between December and January this year by phone. A total of 1,076 responses were recorded.

Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin said on Sunday that the survey found an overwhelming 70 per cent of respondents felt that the Hong Kong Golf Club was using land resources excessively.

Wan pointed out that the size of the Fanling golf course is equivalent to nine Victoria Parks.

On how respondents hoped the plot of land would be used, 56 per cent said it should be for public housing, 12 per cent for private residential use, 17 per cent for government or community facilities, and six per cent for other purposes. Only nine per cent said the land should remain unchanged.

The Home Affairs Bureau is now reviewing some 67 private recreational leases involving 400 hectares of land across the city.

The Fanling golf course is leased to the Hong Kong Golf Club until August 2020. The rent for 2016/17 was HK$2.4 million (US$307,000).

The survey also found that 79 per cent of respondents felt that the government should regulate the land use period for private recreational leases, such as those for golf courses. Wan said that the Home Affairs Bureau typically awards periods of 15 years or 21 years.


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## hkskyline

*‘Why can’t they find land elsewhere to build their houses?’: tour stars question government plans to bulldoze Hong Kong Golf Club*
Frequent visitors and former champions say it would be tragic to lose unique course
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 29, 2018

High-profile Hong Kong Open champions are incredulous the government is seriously considering taking some – if not all – of Hong Kong Golf Club for housing redevelopment.

Four-time winner Miguel Angel Jimenez almost choked on his trademark cigar when told the historic Fanling courses could be put to the bulldozer to make way for 5,000 homes.

Champion in 2010 Ian Poulter said it would be “simply tragic” if the courses were lost, while a spokesman for four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said he would not comment on a political issue, but made his opinion clear on golf courses being threatened.

The debate over resuming private recreational sites is raging again, with the Hong Kong Golf Club in the crosshairs, but a Task Force on Land Supply has again postponed discussion on carving up one – or all three – of the courses on the 170-hectare site at Fanling.

The charismatic and highly popular Jimenez said: “Why can’t they find land elsewhere to build their houses? Who will live in the new houses? People from the other side of the border, no? But these are not local people.

“The Hong Kong Golf Club is an amazing golf club.

“The composite course at Fanling is one of the finest tournament courses in the world. It’s a golf course that you have to play sensibly to score well and we need courses like that on the European Tour,” said the veteran Spanish player.


----------



## hkskyline

*Will influx of 4,800 subsidised flats impinge on quota for public rental housing in Hong Kong?*
Authorities reviewing initial proposal after experts fear effects of sudden and large supply 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 26, 2018

A plan to offer 4,800 cheaper, subsidised flats in the New Territories faces uncertainty after concerns were raised that this may impinge on the quota for public rental housing and further lengthen waiting times, according to a Hong Kong Housing Authority paper. 

Last year, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced in her policy address that the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Pilot Scheme – a scheme that sells government-built flats exclusively to public housing tenants at knockdown prices – should be adopted as a regular one.

Some 4,800 flats in Fo Tan, originally built for public rental housing, were considered suitable for the next batch of flats to be sold under the scheme later this year, after a preliminary assessment by authorities.

But on Friday, Stanley Wong Yuen-fai, chairman of the Housing Authority’s subsidised housing committee, said the government was reviewing the feasibility of the Fo Tan site after committee members expressed fears that such a large supply push could be risky.

Some 4,400 subsidised flats under another government scheme – the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) – are already set to be sold on the market in the beginning of this year. 

Wong said that it was “unprecedented” for more than 4,000 subsidised flats to hit the market in one go.

In the year 2016-17, some 3,000 subsidised flats were sold. An average of around 1,100 subsidised flats were sold annually before 2011, after which the government stopped production due to a market downturn.

“The 4,800 flats would almost amount to 20 per cent of the annual allocation of public rental housing. Members believe this is quite a high number and would have a considerable impact on the average waiting time for public rental housing. If we launch 4,800 at one go, it seems a little bit too aggressive,” Wong said.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ux-4800-subsidised-flats-impinge-quota-public


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong police finally defuse 450kg wartime bomb, 26 hours after it was unearthed*
No one is injured after disposal team work through the night to safely deal with explosive found buried at Wan Chai building site
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
January 28, 2018



























_on.cc_

Bomb disposal officers on Sunday finally defused a 450kg (1,000 lbs) wartime explosive buried deep below a construction site in Wan Chai, after 26 hours of road closures, mass evacuations and a delicate operation to render it safe.

It was only the second time in Hong Kong history that such a large bomb had been discovered in the downtown area, and it brought parts of the district to a standstill.

Police experts began the final process to disarm the unexploded second world war ordnance, buried 25 metres deep, at 1am and accomplished their mission 12 hours later.

Using pressurised water and sanding, they cut holes in the cigar-shaped free-fall bomb to incinerate the explosive material inside before it could be safely removed from the site. No one was injured.

“The whole process was quite complicated. It took a bit longer than we expected,” said senior police bomb disposal officer Tony Chow Shek-kin, standing next to the hollowed out American-made AN-M65, thought to have been dropped by US warplanes sometime between 1941 and 1945.

“Once we cut the first hole, we realised it would be difficult to cut holes in other areas ... as some angles were harder to approach. Because the bomb was so big, we had to cut several holes to burn off the explosives inside. The space was tight and the bomb was also slanted at an angle.”

Had it gone off, the 225kg of explosives could have sent shrapnel flying up to 2km, Chow said.

“The shock wave and impact of the bomb could easily have measured 200 to 300 metres. The windows of buildings in the area would have probably shattered and it’s possible those nearby would have collapsed,” he said.

The device, 140cm long and 45cm in diameter, was discovered by construction workers at a building site for the Sha Tin-Central rail link on Harbour Road and Tonnochy Road on Saturday morning.

Several busy thoroughfares across north Wan Chai, including most of Harbour Road and Convention Avenue, were partially shut to traffic as the bomb squad was called in. The nearby Harbour Road Sports Centre was also closed.

More than 1,300 residents, hotel guests and office workers were evacuated from the area, a process Chow said took more time than expected.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong police disarm second 450kg wartime bomb after ‘dirty, difficult and dangerous’ operation*
Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers cut through shell of device and burn off explosives inside
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
February 1, 2018









_Police footage_










Hong Kong police have described the removal of a second wartime bomb – which was stuck in the mud at a Wan Chai construction site – as a particularly “dirty, difficult and dangerous” job due to precarious on-site conditions.

After a mass evacuation of close to 5,000 people, bomb disposal officers conducted an overnight operation, which lasted about 24 hours, to safely defuse the unexploded ordnance weighing around 450kg (1,000lbs), by Thursday morning.

Construction work at the site for the Sha Tin-Central rail link resumed within three hours of the bomb being made safe.

Police also said they would not anticipate whether more bombs would be found at the site after workers discovered two there within five days.

Fifteen bomb disposal officers were deployed in the operation, which involved having to cut through the device’s casing and then burning off the explosives inside. At 10.45am, police announced that the job was done, nearly 24 hours after workers found the bomb.

“Although the handling of the bomb was more difficult than expected, the time it took [to defuse it] was actually relatively short,” said superintendent Maxim Kwok Mei-sum, police divisional commander for Wan Chai.

The operation took just a few hours less than a similar one over the weekend, which lasted at least 26 hours. An unexploded device, believed to be of the same AN-M65 model dropped by American warplanes sometime between 1941 and 1945, was discovered at the site on Saturday.


----------



## hkskyline

*MTR didn’t use metal detectors before subway digging works, despite knowing area was once a war zone*
The rail operator’s shock admission came after workers discovered two 450kg American-made bombs from the second world war during construction for the Sha Tin-Central rail link
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
February 2, 2018

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation was blasted by lawmakers on Friday for endangering public safety after it admitted to not using metal detectors before starting subway digging works in Wan Chai district, even though it knew the site was once a heavily-bombed war zone.

Instead, the rail operator merely relied on visual inspections of the site at the junction of Convention Avenue and Tonnochy Road by workers, who in the past week called police after finding two unexploded 450kg (1,000lbs) American-made wartime bombs buried 10 metres apart from each other.

Members of the Legislative Council’s subcommittee on railway matters learned this fact at a meeting to discuss construction of the Sha Tin-Central rail link, the city’s most expensive rail project ever, costing some HK$87.32 billion (US$11.17 billion).

Subcommittee chairman Michael Tien Puk-suk, a rail expert, said he was “shocked”, and other lawmakers vigorously sounded their agreement.

Given the recent finds, lawmakers had asked MTR Corp projects director Dr Philco Wong if it was likely that more bombs would be discovered.

Bomb disposal officers defused both devices without incident, after closing roads and evacuating office workers and hotel guests from the surrounding area.

Wong’s admission was unexpected.

He said that back in 2012 during the planning stage for the 17km cross-harbour link, bomb experts told them that there was a risk of unexploded munitions. American forces had bombarded Japanese shipping and docking facilities on the northern coastline of Hong Kong Island when they occupied the city from January 1942 to August 1945. The area where construction is taking place was reclaimed from the sea after the second world war.


----------



## hkskyline

*Action stations needed on bombshells*
Hong Kong Standard Editorial _Excerpt_
2 Feb 2018 

The discovery of a second massive World War II bomb within a few days served as a warning, raising a pressing question: should construction work at the MTR site in Wan Chai North be suspended to give way to a comprehensive survey for bombs that might still be lying dormant underneath?

That's a question the authorities must take seriously as the possibility of unearthing more unexploded bombs now becomes quite high in wake of the two discoveries over the past week.

Major disruptions were caused to normal activities in the affected Wan Chai section, after the two 450-kilogram bombs were found as workers excavated the ground to build a railway station to connect the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to the Sha Tin-Central Link.

Despite the large-scale shutdown, nobody is blaming the police for they did what they were expected to do, which was protect lives.

It's foreseeable that after the two incidents, there would be more shutdowns in future as construction work continues until the station is built and opened. We don't know how many times workers will be asked to leave early, and residents to seek temporary shelters because we don't know how many bombs are still out there.

Where are the remaining bombs? How deep are they? It's impossible to answer without a comprehensive survey.

If MTR Corporation Ltd could stop work to make way for archeological excavation in To Kwa Wan - at the expense of costs and timetable - there's no persuasive reason why it shouldn't do it again in Wan Chai, until the site is fully surveyed and declared safe for work to resume.

Suspending construction for as long as necessary will incur extra spending and postpone the timetable, but it's worthwhile.

It's always right to adhere to the rules to keep costs down and finish the project on time.

However, if there are unforeseen incidents that will lead to higher expenses and take more time to complete, shouldn't we be prepared to face the inevitable? After all, how can you put a value on human lives?

Wells, footpaths and building remnants of historical value are precious, but so is public safety.

Not only would a proper survey for bombs serve to clear the site for those who work on it, but also ensure the safety of commuters who will be passing through the station in future.

Who can guarantee that slumbering bombs won't be woken up one day by the moving trains?

Legislative Council railway panel chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun said excavation wouldn't cause any bombs remaining out there to explode, and he disagreed that construction should be suspended to make way for a bomb survey.

There's logic in Tien's view - but that's a dangerous logic.

Basically, it's about the economic principle to balance risks against costs.


----------



## hkskyline

*Extra land ‘not enough’ to solve Hong Kong’s housing crisis without more subsidised homes*
Major Lantau reclamation project kicks off to create space for almost 50,000 new flats, but experts say building more affordable housing is the key
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
February 6, 2018

Increasing land supply will not be enough to solve Hong Kong’s housing crisis if more subsidised flats are not built, experts said on Monday as construction work began on a major reclamation project to create space for nearly 50,000 homes.

The call for more affordable housing came as the city’s finance minister attended a ceremony to break ground on the HK$20.5 billion (US$2.62 billion) project to reclaim 130 hectares off the northern coast of Lantau Island. 

The first residents are scheduled to move in by 2023 or 2024.

The development is Hong Kong’s first major reclamation project since 2003 and is part of a plan to extend Tung Chung new town to provide 49,000 flats for 144,000 people along with about 870,000 square metres of commercial floor space. Construction is expected to be completed by 2030.

“It is one of the largest land development projects in recent years,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said at the ceremony. “It will greatly help solve the current shortage of housing.”

He said the project “symbolises the government’s resolve to spare no effort to increase land supply.” 

About 60 per cent of the flats will be public housing – both rental and homes for sale – and the remaining 40 per cent will be private.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...nough-solve-hong-kongs-housing-crisis-without


----------



## jchk

*Murray Road Site*

Apologies if this has already been posted, but according to Dezeen, the Murray Road Carpark will be replaced by a 35-storey tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, which should be completed by Q3 of 2022. While I am thrilled that the tower will be designed by a practice that can give it the flair that the site demands, I am apprehensive about how it will work with the Bank of China building... 

A reminder of what the site currently looks like:









(Photo from Dezeen)


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## hkskyline

*Needy Hong Kong families to benefit from HK$35.7 million prefabricated housing project*
Low-income families who have been waiting for public housing for at least three years can live in the 90 units for two years and pay no more than a quarter of their salaries in rent
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 2, 2018

A government task force has approved HK$35.7 million (US$4.5 million) in funding for a transitional grass-roots housing project in Sham Shui Po involving 90 stackable, prefabricated units to help low-income families waiting for public flats.

The Community Care Fund Task Force has signed off on the amount, but it is subject to approval by the Commission on Poverty, a government policy advisory body. If put in place, the plan, to be implemented by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service – an umbrella group of welfare organisations – seeks to develop a stretch along Nam Cheong Street.

The project caters to low-income families who have been waiting for public housing for at least three years. They are expected to pay no more than a quarter of their monthly salaries in rent, and can live there for two years.

A total of HK$24.8 million will be used to buy assembly units, measuring between 143 and 287 sq ft with separate bathrooms and kitchens, and HK$10.9 million will go to construction costs.

Speaking after a meeting on Friday, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong, who is also the task force’s chairman, said the cost of the project was reasonable because the prefabricated components could be reused and the risk of overspending was low.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...eedy-hong-kong-families-benefit-hk357-million


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## hkskyline

*Now you can help decide Hong Kong’s future from comfort of your own home with new online land supply survey*
Questionnaire that seeks public’s opinion on where to build new homes has already been given out to 14,000 people and is now available online
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 7, 2018

If you want to tell the government your opinion on Hong Kong’s land supply issues, a new online questionnaire will let you do so from the comfort of your own home.

Six weeks into the public consultation on the subject, a government-appointed task force has launched an online survey to ask Hongkongers how the city can get at least 1,200 hectares of land for housing and economic needs in the next 30 years.

According to the government’s planning blueprint, Hong Kong requires 4,800 hectares of land in the next three decades. Authorities have already identified 3,600 hectares of land, which means the city faces a shortfall equivalent to 342 Taikoo Shing estates.

The survey asks users to choose from 18 possible options and is available on the task force’s website until September 26. It can take as little as five minutes to finish.

https://www.landforhongkong.hk/en/index.php


----------



## hkskyline

*With vacancy tax, will Hong Kong government be smiling when the dust settles on war with developers?*
Amid runaway property prices, city faces dilemma in introducing any new levy which could spark political controversy and disrupt status quo
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 10, 2018

“The stairs are creaking but no one is coming down,” the Chinese saying goes, and that could have well described the long-talked-about property vacancy tax until, over the past week, action started speaking louder than words.

The government is now finally moving on it, but why the change of heart?

It started with Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po telling lawmakers last week that the government was at the final stage of studying a vacancy tax on developers who hoard empty flats.

With official figures showing there are about 9,000 unsold flats across the city, speculation has been rife that the government finally means business, and now it seems to be very much the case.

It is understood the controversial new tax has got the final green light from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who will announce it soon before July 1 to mark the first anniversary of her election win. An insider familiar with the study even suggested it could be next week before Lam’s Europe trip, if all the preparation work is ready.

Hong Kong’s soaring property prices no longer shock people, but there was still a jaw-dropping moment last week when a car parking space was sold for an astonishing HK$6 million (US$760,000).

Chan’s heads-up and Lam’s support have sent the latest signal that something needs to be fixed as the market keeps galloping onwards and upwards.


----------



## hkskyline

Museum of Art

The Hong Kong Museum of Art by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr

The Hong Kong Museum of Art by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

*Talk of turning Hong Kong golf course into housing dominates city’s first public forum on land supply*
Protests and scuffles mar event meant to gauge preferred ways to plug city’s shortage of 1,200 hectares for next 30 years
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 16, 2018

The controversial issue of *whether to develop a Hong Kong golf course for housing dominated the first public forum held by the task force on land supply on Saturday, with staff and consultants for the sports ground speaking up.

About 150 people took part in the discussion held in Happy Valley, which was marred by protests and scuffles. Some activists were carried out of Leighton Hill Community Hall, while others ripped up consultation documents to show their dismay with what they called a “fake” engagement exercise with the public.

The five-month consultation, which started in April, gauges views on the preferred ways to boost land supply in Hong Kong to plug a shortage of 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) as the city confronts housing and economic demands for the next 30 years.

Participants at Saturday’s event included activists, district councillors and concern group representatives.

Much of the discussion centred on whether the 170-hectare Fanling golf course – one of the 18 options put forward by the government-appointed task force for the consultation – should be used for housing.

Of the 42 people that spoke, six were affiliated with the Hong Kong Golf Club, which runs the century-old facility.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings that the golf course can only be used by its 2,000 members, but it is open to the public for use while many international players come here for competitions too,” said a man who identified himself as a Fanling course staff member.

“I hope everyone will not be so rash to make a decision in taking away the golf course,” he added. “Once it’s gone, how long would it take to build another one? Even if you don’t use it, maybe our next generation could use it.”

Two other long-time staff members also spoke up, while three people identifying themselves as consultants hired by the club said there were challenges in developing the facility.

These included how to deal with the 30,000 trees and three historical buildings on site. In addition, the area holds 150 ancestral graves or urns, with some dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Other constraints include doubts that the surrounding transport, sewage and drainage infrastructure could support an influx of people if the site were used to build housing within five to 10 years’ time.

An earlier government consultancy report said there were two options for Fanling: either developing the 32-hectare eastern course, identified as the Old Course, to provide 4,600 flats, or developing all three courses for 13,000 flats.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...hong-kong-golf-course-housing-dominates-citys


----------



## hkskyline

*Finance chief Paul Chan says Hong Kong housing crisis justifies government plan to tax property owners hoarding vacant flats*
Comments come just before officials unveil details amid property developers’ criticism that only a few thousand apartments are vacant
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 21, 2018

Hong Kong’s financial chief Paul Chan Mo-po on Thursday made a strong case for the government’s plan to tax property owners hoarding vacant flats, saying it was not to enrich its coffers but to ensure sufficient housing, as more than 28,000 new homes would be completed in the next three years.

Details are to be confirmed next week as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor marks her first year in office on July 1. The plan has been criticised by property developers who claim that only a few thousand flats are vacant.

Official figures showed some 42,942 flats, or 3.7 per cent of the citywide total, were unoccupied last year. Of these, 9,370 were unsold new flats – 5,000 of which were completed last year.

Chan dismissed objections by stressing the tax would serve the public good.

“Our goal is not to increase the government’s income,” he said. “We would rather ... not collect any tax, but ensure flats are delivered to the market for sale or rent effectively.”

Hong Kong has grappled with an acute housing shortage as property prices skyrocket beyond middle-class affordability. Lam has pledged that her administration would look at immediate and long-term solutions.

Developers insisted they would oppose the vacancy tax, arguing only 3,000 flats were actually vacant as the remaining unoccupied flats were categorised as completed and ready to be lived in. They contended they were waiting for compliance approvals from building authorities.

But the financial secretary said there were up to 18,000 private apartments that had already been completed by developers or would be finished in the next two to three years. Developers could apply for presale consent for residential projects that will be completed in the next 30 months.

Speaking to reporters during an official trip to Beijing, Chan added that about 28,000 private units in some 70 residential projects were eligible to be considered for presale consent.

Asked to comment on property developers’ criticisms that the tax would not work, Chan said: “We should roll out this vacancy tax targeting first-hand property. There is not much wrong with it. If they don’t think there would be much effect on them, they don’t need to be so noisy.”


----------



## hkskyline

*Protesters hit at footbridge plan*
June 25, 2018
The Standard _Excerpt_









_Apple Daily_

Land Justice League lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick led a protest by 100 people opposed to the construction of a HK$1.7 billion footbridge in Yuen Long yesterday.

The protesters, which also included district council members, expressed displeasure at the government's proposal to build a 540-meter-long pedestrian footbridge above Yuen Long Town Nullah, which connects Long Ping Station on the West Rail Line to the south of Kau Yuk Road, saying it is "ridiculously expensive."

The government said the footbridge would connect Yuen Long North and Yuen Long South, and also ease congestion on footpaths.

But the protesters were skeptical about it solving congestion at the bottleneck of Yuen Long Main Road and the pedestrian flow to the east and west.

Chu and the district council members said construction will last five years and cause disturbance to the community. It would also add to pollution.

The protesters said the footbridge would block the corridor between the north and south breeze path and would also result in 37 trees being uprooted.

Yuen Long District Council member To Ka-lun lashed out at the government for wasting money. "We have talked about this in the Yuen Long District Council many times," he said. "It will not solve the pedestrian congestion problem, as the real congestion appears toward the east and middle of the Yuen Long town center. Building a bridge in the west is ridiculous."

Last week, five professional construction groups - the Institute of Architects, the Institute of Planners, the Institute of Landscape Architects, the Institute of Urban Design and the Institute of Surveyors - suggested a cheaper alternative plan that would bring the cost down to HK$900 million.


----------



## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West 

Morning by kc ma, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*With land reclamation, an area the size of Sha Tin could be added to Hong Kong, housing minister says*
Frank Chan Fan described reclamation as a ‘very feasible’ way to boost land supply but green groups warned of the environmental impact of the practice
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 2, 2018

An area the size of Sha Tin could be added to Hong Kong if the government decides to go ahead with reclamation to expand land supply, the city’s housing minister Frank Chan Fan said on Monday.

Describing reclamation as a “very feasible” way to increase space, he echoed the stance of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who the day before declared that she “dared” to say the city needed to pursue the option.

But Chan’s remarks drew a backlash from green groups, who warned that the environmental impact of such large-scale reclamation could not be underestimated.

On a radio programme, Chan, who is also minister for transport, acknowledged he knew of the need to minimise harm to the environment.

“We need more land. But at the same time, we also need to do conservation work. How do we strike a balance between development and conservation? Before we carry out reclamation, we must conduct an environmental assessment and do it well,” the minister said.

“We hope that … we can keep the natural ecology in an ideal state.”

If the government went ahead with land reclamation, Chan said it could end up with a new area larger than Sha Tin New Town, which is about 3,590 hectares.

Sha Tin New Town was built on land mainly reclaimed from the Tolo Harbour in the 1970s. Chan did not give a potential time frame for when the government would make a decision.

Land reclamation is one of 18 options for Hong Kong to get 1,200 hectares of land for development in the next three decades. These options were compiled by a government-appointed task force, and a public consultation is ongoing.

Roy Tam Hoi-pong, founder of conservation group Green Sense, said the government had been playing down the impact of reclamation.

“It will not only harm the environment in Hong Kong, but [we must also consider] where you take the sand from,” he said, adding that sand from the mainland and Vietnam had been used in previous cases of reclamation.


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## hkskyline

*In reversal of veto, Hong Kong Legco approves water fountains and activities centre totalling HK$180 million*
Pan-democratic lawmakers cry foul that controversial projects generating opposition in two districts are now just one step away from securing funding
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 11, 2018

Two controversial projects totalling HK$180 million (US$22.9 million) were passed by a Hong Kong legislative subcommittee on Wednesday after being vetoed last month.

They include water fountains in Kwun Tung that cost HK$50 million and a Wan Chai activities centre whose price tag runs at HK$130 million. The approvals mean the plans are just one step away from securing funding from the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee.

Critics have said the fountains are too expensive and not environmentally friendly, while the planned Wan Chai facility has drawn fire because local volleyball courts would have to be relocated to make way for the new building.

After five years of discussion amid increasing opposition in the two districts where the projects would take shape, they were vetoed in the last public works subcommittee meeting held in June when the pan-democrats surprisingly outnumbered their pro-establishment counterparts.

The pro-establishment camp holds a majority in Legco, with 42 seats out of 68.

Officials tabled the proposals again last week after making minor adjustments to the projects, with discussion resuming on Wednesday.

“The government should have handed them back to the community for discussion,” Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said, adding he could not see why officials had reintroduced the proposals so soon after the veto “except to demonstrate their authority”.

Kwok believed the HK$180 million should be spent on pragmatic livelihood policies, not on “white elephant projects”.

Independent pan-democratic lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick slammed the government for, in his words, turning a blind eye to the veto, saying pro-establishment lawmakers “were absent from duty”.


----------



## FelixMadero

we want pics!


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## Dale

FelixMadero said:


> we want pics!


Indeed, appreciate all the hard work here. But for some reason, this thread is article heavy. Pictures and/or renders, not so much.


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## jchk

Dale said:


> Indeed, appreciate all the hard work here. But for some reason, this thread is article heavy. Pictures and/or renders, not so much.


This thread will never be quite as pretty to look at as, say, the London thread, as private commercial projects in Hong Kong don't tend to release renders until construction is well under way; official renders of Victoria Dockside (née New World Centre), the most prominent of HK's new skyscrapers, weren't released until the building was almost externally complete! 

I'm dying to see the official plans for the OMA project in Kai Tak and the ZHA project on Murray Road, but alas it might be quicker to wait for the buildings' completion...

Having said that, I might make a few SE9 style posts to liven up the thread a little :banana:


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## jchk

*Nan Fung Site (Area 1F Site 2)* | Kai Tak

Kai Tak thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676367

Project facts


Developer: Rich Union Development Limited (parent company: Nan Fung Development Limited)

Design Architect: Snøhetta 

Executive Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners 

Site Cost: US$3.16 billion

Project is currently *under construction*. Renders dug from the planning application and gist of the project:


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## jchk

*Kwun Tong Town Centre Project* | Kwun Tong

Kai Tak thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=145130571
Official Site: https://www.ura.org.hk/en/project/redevelopment/kwun-tong-town-centre-project

Project facts


Developer: Urban Renewal Authority (URA)

Height of landmark tower (whatever that means): 285m


Project is currently in *demolition* phase, and will be completed in stages between 2021 and 2026. Some renders from the planning document:

(This image is from an older planning document, and the low-rise elements have since been redesigned, but it's the only render showing the whole tower I can find)


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## jchk

*M+* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/m-4
Construction Webcam: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-d...cilities/m-4/chapter/construction-progress-76

Project facts


Architect: Herzog & de Meuron



> M+, Hong Kong’s new museum of visual culture – encompassing 20th and 21st century visual art, design and architecture, and moving image from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Asia and beyond – will be one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture in the world.


This project is currently *under construction* and scheduled for completion in 2019.

Renders:














































Construction progress (from the official site and the webcams):


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## jchk

*Xiqu Centre* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/xiqu-centre/
Construction Webcam: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-d...ies/xiqu-centre/chapter/construction-progress

Project facts


Design: Bing Thom Architects and Ronald Lu & Partners

Total area: 13 800 sq m

Grand Theatre capacity: 1073

Tea House Theatre capacity: 200

Xiqu Centre, a state of the art venue celebrating the art of xiqu (traditional Chinese opera) will be the first major venue to be completed in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The project is *nearing completion* and the venue is on track to open by the end of 2018.

Renders:



















*Grand Theatre*










*Tea House Theatre*










Construction progress:




























(M+ can be seen in the background of this shot)


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## Dale

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!


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## Munwon

not bad for a suburb of Shenzhen


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Avenue reopening delayed *
> Mar 9, 2018
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> 
> The reopening of the Avenue of Stars has been pushed back to February because the construction work has turned out to be more complicated than expected, and adverse weather has added to the problems.
> 
> Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Michelle Li Mei-sheung told district councilors of Yau Tsim Mong that supporting structures of the avenue, which have been under water in Victoria Harbour for years, were in a poor condition.
> 
> She said the original plan was to repair them, but all would now have to be replaced with new ones.
> 
> "We made the decision after considering public safety and cost efficiency," Li said. The construction project had become more complicated than expected, and the problem has been exacerbated by typhoons last summer."
> 
> The tourist attraction has been closed since October 2015 and was expected to reopen in the third quarter.
> 
> "We hope the avenue will showcase the proud history of Hong Kong movies, and become a local platform for cultural and creative activities," the department told district councilors.
> 
> Food kiosks and souvenir trucks would be added to the area to promote local culture and creativity.


Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade by tomosang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Latest Hong Kong land supply debate highlights changing views on reclamation*
Event drawing 119 randomly selected attendees included polling that showed shift after debate from slight support for controversial option to nearly even split
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
August 25, 2018

Retiree Benny Yu was initially on the fence about going forward with land reclamation to solve Hong Kong’s housing crisis, but listening to a debate on Saturday changed his mind and made him a strong supporter of the initiative.

“The fish and turtles in the sea can just move elsewhere. We humans, we don’t have a choice to move anywhere else,” Yu, 61, told the Post.

“If I had to choose between humans or fish, of course humans are more important. Not having a place to live can easily cause instability in society.”

Yu was among 119 randomly selected people attending a debate organised by government broadcaster RTHK on Saturday on the best ways for the city to increase its land supply for the next 30 years.

Before and after the debate, the University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme used a “deliberative polling” method to survey some 114 people on whether they were in favour of three different land supply options.

The method is meant to determine if the survey’s participants had any changes in stance or attitude towards key public issues before and after the poll once more informed about a topic.

Yu’s change in stance, however, actually went against the survey’s findings.

Prior to the debate, 53 per cent supported reclamation, while 29 per cent were against it. Some 17 per cent were neutral.

However, after the survey, support for reclamation dropped to 40 per cent, while opposition to it rose to 39 per cent.


----------



## hkskyline

*Group floats barge container homes idea*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Aug 29, 2018 

A group representing people in the property and construction sector has suggested container homes on barges near the Kai Tak cruise terminal as one of the short-term measures to shelter people who are waiting public housing.

According to government figures, those who apply for public housing have to wait for up to five years for allotment and end up in sub-divided flats till then, RTHK reports.

The Real Property Federation said their "floating city” proposal, costing HK$140 million, could house up to 2,000 people and it’s also much quicker than reclamation to solve short term housing need.

Derrick Yip, the vice-chairman of the federation, said these barge shelters will be safe even if there is a typhoon battering the city.

"We understand that putting the barge in the harbor next to the Kai Tak airport is relatively safe because it is a shelter area. So we don't even typhoon would create any dangerous or whatever things that would create trouble to the ship or the barge," he said.

"More importantly, we think technology nowadays are good in doing all those," Yip said. "Ships now are on the oceans and they are still safe even with people."


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## hkskyline

*WWF-Hong Kong fears lack of oversight over offshore natural gas facility as council meeting to discuss environmental impact is scrapped*
Members of government committee play down concerns, saying majority sit on subcommittee that has already vetted CLP Power’s report
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
September 10, 2018

A council meeting of government advisers to discuss the environmental impact of a planned offshore natural gas facility near Lantau Island has been scrapped, raising concerns from a green group that any decision will be “rubber-stamped”.

The Advisory Council on the Environment shelved the full council meeting as a subcommittee had already vetted CLP Power’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) thoroughly.

The EIA subcommittee – which 17 of the 22 council members sit on – gave the nod for the project, an offshore liquefied natural gas receiving terminal, on July 23, attached with six recommendations and 11 suggestions.

The terminal – estimated to cost about HK$6 billion and take at least 21 months to build – was proposed in 2016 to allow the city to buy natural gas from a wider range of sources at more competitive prices. It currently relies on a limited piped supply.

The council will make an official recommendation, pending comments and concerns from other members, and pass it onto the director of environmental protection, its chairman Stanley Wong Yuen-fai said.

But there will be no public deliberation in council, and the project’s backer will not have to present its case again.

“I’ve never heard of this happening before, at least for a project of such scale,” said WWF-Hong Kong conservationist Samantha Lee Mei-wah, whose group strongly opposes the project.

Lee’s group has argued that the facility would harm marine life and compromise a planned marine protected area nearby.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...-hong-kong-fears-lack-oversight-over-offshore


----------



## hkskyline

*A government land parcel on The Peak could be about to set a new price benchmark for the city*
September 14, 2018
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A multi-week tender process that kicked off Friday for an exclusive government land plot on The Peak is expected to generate an important price signal for the real estate market in the final quarters of the year, and may even result in a new record in the city, according to experts.

The site, located on Mansfield Road on The Peak, with a gross floor area of 404,300 square feet, is expected to go for as much as HK$105,000 (US$13,378.2) per square foot.

That translates to a total price of more than HK$40 billion, making it the most valuable plot on record in Hong Kong.

“It will become the new land king,” said Thomas Lam, senior director at Knight Frank. “Available land in this upscale district is very rare and developers would be very aggressive in bidding for the site.”

The Peak and Southern District account for only 1 per cent of the total residential land supply in Hong Kong in the coming five years, according to Lam.

Major developers are expected to make bids, particularly those who are experienced in the ultra-luxury market, even as uncertainties such as the government’s proposed vacancy tax and tightening mortgage rates affect the longer term market outlook.

“The ultra-luxury market is a completely different market, and developers’ appetite won’t be soured,” said Vincent Cheung, deputy managing director for Asia valuation and advisory services at Colliers International. “After all, deep-pocketed buyers just pay for the house they like.”

The last government land sale on The Peak, held eight years ago, was snapped up by Wheelock and Co and Nan Fung Development, a joint venture which paid HK$10.4 billion, or HK$32,014 per sq ft.


----------



## hkskyline

Ocean Terminal Extension 

Kowloon and Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong by Ella Hanchett, on Flickr

More : https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/ocean-terminal-extension/


----------



## hkskyline

jchk said:


> *Former Murray Road Car Park Site* | Central
> 
> Project summary: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/zaha-hadid-architects-iconic-office-hong-kong-architecture/
> 
> Project facts
> 
> 
> Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
> 
> Developer: Henderson Land Development
> 
> Height: 35 storeys | 190m AOD
> 
> Site cost: HK$23.3 billion (£2.2 billion)
> 
> Projected completion: Q3 2022


*No hope in sight for Hong Kong’s soaring office rents, as land supply seen as too little to match demand, experts say *
Sep 19, 2018
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong is facing a chronic shortage of grade A office supply that could spell doom for its status as a regional business hub, unless the government accelerates the release of land supply for the commercial sector, according to international property consultants.

JLL said in a report on Tuesday that failing to ensure adequate land supply for office space was a risk as the government shifted its policy focus towards the residential sector.

“Discussions around government land supply have focused on housing over the last few years,” said Joseph Tsang, managing director at JLL. “But the city’s office market is also experiencing similar issues, which is affecting the city’s position as a major business hub within Asia-Pacific.”

*Indicative of the shortages to come, JLL says only a single grade A office development is due to be completed in 2020, reflecting a 30-year low in terms of new supply. *

That contrasts with a historical average of 2 million square feet of annual absorption over the past 30 years.

Failure by the government to release adequate land for commercial development on an annual basis is one of the reasons the city has become the most expensive office market in Asia-Pacific, as the prime office vacancy rate has trended lower for the past 20 years, the consultancy said.

“If the government fails to provide a steady pipeline of commercial land supply over the long term, Hong Kong will lose its competitiveness as a regional business hub within the Asia-Pacific region,” JLL said.

Commercial land supply from future government land sales can be translated to an estimated 20.1 million sq ft of potential office space, which may be used up in 10 years if demand remains consistent, JLL said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong baker Garden gets green light for HK$2.3 billion plan to redevelop 80-year-old grade two building*
September 21, 2018 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










The 80-year-old headquarters of Garden, the Hong Kong food company known for its breads and biscuits, will be demolished and a HK$2.3 billion (US$295 million) multi-purpose commercial building will come up in its place, after the Town Planning Board approved conditional redevelopment plans on Friday.

The proposed 25-storey building at 58 Castle Peak Road in Sham Shui Po will include shops, restaurants, offices and a cooking school, requiring an estimated investment of between HK$2 billion to HK$2.3 billion.

An artist’s impression of the proposed 25-storey building that will be built on the site of Garden’s existing headquarters. Photo: Handout.
According to documents from the board, the company will be required to “preserve and incorporate the clock with the piece of red facade and two ‘bakery chef’ logos into the new building”.

The board said it approved the plan because the size was “adequate for an office tower, was unlikely to cause disruption to traffic flow or create environmental nuisance”.

Market observers said the new building would bring good returns to the company.

“At an estimated monthly rent of HK$25 to HK$35 per square feet for office space and HK$50 to HK$90 per sq ft for shops and restaurants, the long-term rental yield will be around 3.5 to 4 per cent,” said Thomas Lam, senior director of consultancy at Knight Frank.

He added that the commercial portion will be worth about HK$20,000 per sq ft.

Conservationists, however, had their misgivings about the redevelopment.

“It is sad [the board] approved it but at least they pressured [Garden] to keep the original architectural value of the building, though very lightly,” said Charles Lai, an architect who opposed the redevelopment. “But how the actual design can address opposition from conservationists and academics remains to be seen.”

The Town Planning Board approved the redevelopment plan for Garden’s headquarters in Sham Shui Po because it would not cause disruption to traffic flow or create environmental nuisance. Photo: SCMP
Lai said this case could have set a precedent on how development and rehabilitation could be balanced.

Established in 1926, Garden bought the site on Castle Peak Road in 1935 for HK$10,000 and built a 1,400 square metre factory facility, which began operations in 1938.

The existing building was listed as a grade two historical building by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in March this year, which means it deserves “special merit” and “efforts should be made to selectively preserve” it.


----------



## hkskyline

*'Quite a number' support HK$150b East Lantau Metropolis, land panel says*
Sep 24, 2018
Hong Kong Standard _Excerpt_









_Our Hong Kong Foundation_

Quite a number of people who are positive about reclamation outside the Victoria Harbour support the "East Lantau Metropolis” development, the Task Force on Land Supply said today, after hearing public views and that of other stakeholders over five months on the 18 land supply options it proposed.

The East Lantau Metropolis is estimated to cost HK$150 billion.

The five-month public engagement exercise, "Land for Hong Kong: Our Home, Our Say” represents the task force’s major task, the panel said.

Stanley Wong Yuen-fai, the chairman of the Task Force on Land Supply, says that for those ordinary citizens, representatives of the grassroots and industrial, commercial and professional sectors who support reactivating reclamation projects to create land, reclamation could provide sizeable new land for comprehensive planning, and would not involve private land resumption and rehousing.

"The option is more effective and provides better time control,'' he says.

"Many of them pointed out that reclamation is inextricably linked with the development of Hong Kong [especially new towns and major infrastructures], and the land shortage today is, to a great extent, the result of the lack of major reclamation projects in Hong Kong over the past decade or so.''

As far as the quantum of land formation and the strategic positioning of Hong Kong’s development are concerned, quite a number of those being positive about reclamation have shown support to the "East Lantau Metropolis” development, Wong says.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong under pressure to meet annual private apartment supply target, faces shortfall of 45 per cent*
More allocations for public housing hurt supply in first three quarters
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
September 27, 2018

The Hong Kong government is under pressure to meet an annual supply target of 18,000 private apartments this financial year. Land offered for sale in the nine months, or three quarters, since April 1, 2018 will yield fewer than 10,000 units, leaving a shortfall of 45 per cent.

Michael Wong Wai-Lung, the Development Secretary, said on Thursday the government will offer four plots for tender in the October to December period, taking the land supply for new private apartments to 9,840 units so far this financial year.

“The government now prioritises public housing, and this has put pressure on the target for private apartments. But we are trying hard to increase the release of land in the fourth quarter [January to March, 2019] to meet this target,” said Wong.

He said less land was available for private apartments in the October to December period because a residential site at Anderson Road Quarry in Kwun Tong, which could provide 1,160 flats, was reallocated for public housing.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on June 29 that nine government sites – three in Kai Tak and six in Anderson Road Quarry – originally earmarked for private housing had been reallocated for the construction of 10,600 public flats.

“The government is on the right track, increasing the supply of subsidised housing. Developers will have to build private homes on their farmland or redevelop old buildings, as they have to sustain their business,” said Vincent Cheung, deputy managing director, Asia, valuations and advisory services, at Colliers International.

The four plots that will be tendered between October and December – two at Kai Tak and one each in Tai Po and Lantau Island – will have a total capacity of 2,630 units. These sites could fetch the government a total of HK$28.34 billion (US$3.6 billion), according to some surveyors. Together with a fifth plot of land, which will be tendered for commercial use, the government could make HK$36.3 billion, according to analysts.


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## hkskyline

*One Hennessy *
Source : https://www.chinachemgroup.com/en/properties-leasing/office/one-hennessy

A brand-new icon in Wanchai, One Hennessy will be completed by the second quarter of 2019. This eye-catching tower rises above the podium with the core as its sole support, gradually flaring out to form the main tower body. The sculptural design revolves around the concept of a young plant sprouting from the earth and bursting into the sunlight. 

The commercial property stands 21 storeys tall and offers full sea views on the upper floors. The first two floors of the complex are dedicated to retail shops, with a convenient basement carpark.



Car L said:


> *One Hennessy (1 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai/灣仔 軒尼詩道1號) (see post 1592*)
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> __________________
> Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I or here | Part II or  here | Part III  | Part IV  | Part V
> Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings


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## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West
_Ocean Pride (far left), Parc City (shorter brown white buildings to the left of Nina Tower)_

Hong Kong Waterway by Chris Dawson, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Hotel stays in Hong Kong to cost more as Excelsior’s closure will tighten supply by nearly 1,000 rooms*
Occupancy rates of properties in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay will immediately surge by at least 6 per cent when the Excelsior closes in March, says Colliers
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
October 9, 2018










Visitors to Hong Kong could end up paying more for hotels as the closure of the iconic Excelsior Hotel next March and rising tourist arrivals are expected to drive up occupancy and room rates in Asia’s fastest growing market.

Overall hotel occupancy in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay will immediately surge by at least 6 per cent, and 2.1 per cent on Hong Kong Island, said Hannah Jeong, senior director of valuation and advisory in Asia at Colliers.

“As the 869-room Excelsior contributes 7.8 per cent of total rooms available in that district, the impact would be [really great] based on the current strong recovery of tourism market in Hong Kong,” Jeong said.

Travellers could end up paying more for accommodation as competitors such as Pullman and Regal Hotel in the district adjust their room rate upwards.

JLL expects visitor numbers to rise because of the upcoming completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge and Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which will boost demand for hotels.

It also expects hotel revenue growth to continue through the year, with Hong Kong recording the highest revenue growth per room among major hotel markets in Asia for this year, estimated to be more than 10 per cent.

Eight other hotels in Hong Kong are currently being refurbished, redeveloped or on the drawing board for the shift, representing more than 1,000 hotel rooms, according to a Colliers.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...s-hong-kong-cost-more-excelsiors-closure-will


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## hkskyline

St. Regis

St. Regis Hotel, Hong Kong by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *SHKP may face HK$200 million in vacancy tax charges for Victoria Harbour flats*
> August 9, 2018
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
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> Sun Hung Kai Properties could face HK$200 million (US$25.48 million) in charges on empty flats at its recently completed luxury residential development in North Point, after it was revealed the company is seeking a record monthly rent of HK$100 per square foot in Hong Kong East.
> 
> The developer is holding 265 flats at the 355-flat Victoria Harbour development. An occupation permit for the site was received last week.
> 
> Belinda Kuan, general manager Signature Homes, the luxury residential leasing arm of SHKP, said on Thursday that 140 units at Tower Six would be released for lease by the end of this year.
> 
> The flats, with size ranging from 361 to 1,063 square feet, would rent for HK$36,000 to HK$140,000 per month.
> 
> “The higher rents could mean higher tax to be charged on the remaining empty flats in the development,” said Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, deputy managing director for Asia valuation and advisory services at Colliers International.
> 
> For instance, a 361 sq ft flat will cost SHKP nearly HK$864,000 in charges if it remains vacant for more than six months after completion, while a HK$3.36 million levy could be assessed on the 1,063 sq ft flat, he said.
> 
> After deducting 20 per cent for general maintenance cost, he said the tax would ease to HK$700,000 for the smaller sized flat and HK$2.7 million for the bigger flat
> 
> Based on the indicative monthly rents of HK$100 per sq ft, Cheung estimated the 265 flats could cost the developer at least HK$200 million if they remain unoccupied for an extended period.
> 
> The vacancy tax was announced in June by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in a bid to unlock extra housing supply.
> 
> The tax applies to all newly-completed flats that had been left vacant for six months in a year. Flats are considered completed one year after the developer obtains an occupation permit.
> 
> The proposed tax would be equivalent to two years of rental income, calculated by government specialists and based on market rates.


DSC6066-71_Pan by Björn O, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

Oct 18, 2018 
*Govt won’t sell land cheaply, Lam says after Peak sale fails*
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_


















_Images from Apple Daily_

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor dismissed accusations that the government set the price too high for a land plot on the Peak, which developers cited as the reason for the failure of the auction for the site.

The government does not have a high land premium policy but there is also no way for it to sell land cheaply because it has responsibility to protect public funds, Lam told reporters.

The plot in question is a 189,000-square-foot site with a gross floor area of about 404,300 sq ft on Mansfield Road, which was the first site on the Peak put out to tender by the government in eight years.

It had been estimated that the government could fetch between HK$24.258 billion and HK$48.517 billion from the land auction, setting a new sale record for government-owned land, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

However, the Lands Department announced on Tuesday, four days after the bidding process ended, that the all the five tenders received for the purchase of the lot had been rejected because the tendered premiums did not meet the government’s reserve price for the site.

The land auction failure, the first since 2016, prompted the bidding developers to complain that the government was out of touch with reality by setting the asking price unrealistically high. They said their bids were based on the current market level and therefore reasonable.

Defending the Lands Department, Lam said it actually set the reserve price on the morning of last Friday when the tender closed, not two months ago as alleged by some quarters, RTHK reported.

The chief executive also refuted allegations that the government failed to take into account how a proposed vacant property tax would affect market sentiment before setting the reserve price. She said she cannot see any direct correlation between the vacancy tax and the fact that the tendered premiums did not meet the reserve price, adding that developers might have their very unique way of viewing the market.


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## hkskyline

Peak Galleria Renovation

Progress, the Peak Galleria, The Peak, Hong Kong (1) by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong should show public land acquisitions are in their interest, says father of Singapore planning Liu Thai Ker*
Liu, who oversaw the construction of more than half a million public housing units, says Hong Kong is not short of land
Hong Kong government is reluctant to make full use of Lands Resumption Ordinance, fearing a wave of judicial reviews
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
October 30, 2018

The Hong Kong government should strengthen its ability to claim private land for the city’s development by showing the public that the land will be used for their benefit, said Liu Thai Ker, known as the father of Singapore’s city planning.

Liu, 80, was speaking to the Post on the sidelines of the International Conference on New Global Cities in Nanjing on Monday.

When was asked about the Hong Kong government’s initiative to reclaim 1,700 hectares of land off Lantau Island – the size 70 per cent bigger than in the original plan – Liu said Hong Kong was not short of land, considering the ratio of its surface area to population.

“You can see in satellite images of the territory there is a lot of rural land,” Liu said. “The problem lies in whether the government can take that land back.”

Rolled out earlier this month in the second Policy Address by Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the reclamation initiative of Lantau Tomorrow has sparked much controversy, prompting thousands of people to take to the streets in protest. Opponents of the plan argued that it would drain the city’s financial reserves of HK$1 trillion and was prioritising a wrong source of land supply by spurning available brownfield sites and rural lands.

Over the past few decades, nationalised land in Singapore has increased from 30 per cent of the city’s stock to 80 per cent, according to Liu.

“Every city has laws to allow the government to take back [private] land,” he said. “We were able to achieve that because we always fulfilled our promise when planning to benefit residents.”

“The government must win people’s trust by showing them how things get done.”

Both Hong Kong and Singapore have laws enabling the government to acquire land from private owners for public use by providing compensation. But in Hong Kong, private ownership of property is protected by the city’s mini constitution the Basic Law. Lam has openly dismissed suggestions to resort to the Lands Resumption Ordinance, saying that it might prompt a wave of judicial reviews against the government.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...w-public-land-acquisitions-are-their-interest


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## hkskyline

Children's Hospital 

Hong Kong Children's Hospital by Kwok Ho Eddie Wong, on Flickr

Hopefully this will open by year-end.


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## hkskyline

*Bruce Lee’s Hong Kong mansion to become Chinese studies centre*
Charitable trust which owns the Kowloon Tong property to renovate it and use it to teach Mandarin and music
November 19, 2018
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_Image from Apple Daily _

The former Hong Kong mansion of kung fu legend Bruce Lee will become a centre for Chinese studies next year to offer courses on Mandarin and music.

The sole trustee of the charitable trust which owns it – founded by late billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin – said it would keep the external structure of the mansion at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, intact after a renovation.

Pang Chi-ping, also Yu’s grandson, said: “We will convert the mansion into a centre for Chinese studies next year, which provides courses like Mandarin and Chinese music for children.”

He said renovation work on the 5,699 sq ft property, which had recently fallen into disrepair, would start soon after the Lunar New Year and classes were expected to begin in September next year. About 400 children, from kindergarten to secondary school, will be trained at the centre every year.

He added: “We will keep the mosaic, which was left by Bruce Lee, on the back of the wall surrounding the mansion.”

The centre may also offer classes on martial arts in future. But Pang said the trust would not use Lee’s name on publicity for the renovated site because they did not possess the late kung fu legend’s image rights.

US-born Lee, who lived in Hong Kong as a child before returning to the US aged 18, taught martial arts and starred in many martial arts films. He spent his last years with his family in the Kowloon Tong mansion before his death on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.

Yu Pang-lin, who bought the house in the early 1970s for about HK$1 million, planned to sell it in 2008 to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake that year. But he scrapped the idea when fans urged him to restore and preserve the property, affectionately known by Lee as the Crane’s Nest. At that time the house was being used as a short-stay love hotel.


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## hkskyline

*Tears and happy memories abound as the iconic Excelsior hotel in Hong Kong closes its doors for the final time after 46 years of service*
Historic waterfront landmark is to be knocked down and replaced with an office building
Hundreds of guests and staff members mark occasion with one last goodbye
March 31, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



























_Images from on.cc_

After 46 years, The Excelsior turned out the lights and shut its doors for the final time on Sunday, marking the end of an era for the iconic waterfront hotel.

“I think we’re ready to call it a day,” Torsten van Dullemen, the Excelsior’s general manager, said.

Seven hundred guests and 500 staff members bid farewell to the four-star hotel in Causeway Bay before it is torn down to make way for an office tower.

To commemorate its closure, van Dullemen and one of the hotel’s most loyal guests fired the Noonday Gun, a naval artillery piece by the waterfront opposite the 34-storey building.

The gun salute has been a local tradition for the hotel, and was used to mark its 20th, 35th and 45th anniversaries.

“The support we’ve had from our most loyal guests, the passion, the commitment of our colleagues, and the support we’ve received from everyone around us really touched our hearts,” van Dullemen said. Paul Cheeseman, 55, one of the guests who flew in from London to join van Dullemen for the ceremony, said he was sad to see it go.

“It’s a great shame,” said Cheeseman, who has stayed at the hotel for 34 visits, spanning 183 nights since 1992. “I don’t know where I will stay next time, it’s become part of my life really.”

The hotel’s closure was announced last year by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a unit of the Jardine Matheson conglomerate, after a 2017 sale failed to meet the minimum price.

Instead of selling it, Jardine will spend US$650 million over six years turning it into a 26-storey Grade A office block.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...y-memories-abound-iconic-excelsior-hotel-hong


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## hkskyline

*Automated car parks, underground roads and ‘electric flying carpets’: Check out urban renewal chief’s futuristic vision for Hong Kong’s parking problem*
Automated car parks are generally equipped with a lift and a revolving platform
Six automated parking systems planned, including in Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan and Sheung Wan
April 7, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s urban renewal chief believes turning some conventional car parks into space-saving automated facilities would be the solution to the city’s chronic lack of parking.

Wai Chi-sing, the managing director of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), was bullish about the importance of automated car parks in his blog on Sunday, even as he warned of the obstacles the city could face trying to make the novel idea work.

Wai’s remarks came after the government said last week that it was planning to build automated parking systems in six locations, including Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan and Sheung Wan.

“The URA has always supported the government’s vision to turn Hong Kong into a smart city. That was why we started a nine-month feasibility study in the middle of last year to look into building an underground automated parking system,” Wai posted on his blog.

Although the study was completed last month, Wai did not say what sites had been looked at. He added, however, that another study would look at connecting underground automated car parks in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok with underground roads. If that worked, he said, it could alleviate some road traffic in the areas.

Automated car parks are generally equipped with a lift and a revolving platform. Drivers park their vehicles at the entrance, and then the car is automatically transported to a designated space.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...r-parks-underground-roads-and-electric-flying


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## jchk

*Sai Yee Street Site*

*Sai Yee Street Site* | Mong Kok

Project summary: https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/SaiYeeStreetStudy/MKE-es_en.pdf

Project facts


Design: Arup

Height of Main Tower: 65 storeys | 320mPD

Site area: 1.18 ha

Renders:


























Demolition of the Waterworks Depot (the scaffolded building on the right in the photo below) is now underway, with demolition of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department building (the white building on the left) soon to follow. All demolition works are scheduled for completion by Q3 2020.


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## jchk

*Nan Fung Site (Area 1F Site 2)* | Kai Tak

Kai Tak thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676367

Project facts


Developer: Rich Union Development Limited (parent company: Nan Fung Development Limited)

Design Architect: Snøhetta 

Executive Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners 

Site Cost: US$3.16 billion

Renders:



















Photos of the current state of the site taken earlier today by yours truly:



















The sea of cranes in the far left of the panorama is for this project.


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## hkskyline

jchk said:


> *Sai Yee Street Site* | Mong Kok
> 
> Project summary: https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/SaiYeeStreetStudy/MKE-es_en.pdf
> 
> Project facts


Observation deck!!!


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## hkskyline

*Investors, developers eye Hong Kong industrial buildings built before 1987 after city relaxes conversion policy*
Lawsgroup’s Maxwell Industrial Building expected to be the first such project, could be worth HK$5.4 billion
Prices for industrial spaces in Kwun Tong have risen by 10 per cent, number of transactions have jumped 50 per cent in first two months of 2019
Apr 10, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Property owners, investors and developers are taking advantage of a recent policy relaxation by the Hong Kong government, which seeks to encourage the conversion of old industrial buildings for commercial purposes, to generate higher rents and resale prices.

Hong Kong textiles company Lawsgroup, for instance, last week began demolition at Maxwell Industrial Building, a property it owns in Kwun Tong, after receiving approval from the city’s Town Planning Board last month. It acquired the property for about HK$1.4 billion (US$178 million) in 2017 and will redevelop it into a 33-storey office building for leasing, according to chief executive Bosco Law Ching-kit.

The redevelopment of Maxwell Industrial Building is expected to be the first such project after the policy change, which was announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in October last year. Its new direction is aimed at increasing land supply in Hong Kong.

A revitalisation plan for industrial buildings was first announced in October 2009 by the government. It allowed changes in their use for office, retail or hotel purposes but was stopped in 2016. The new scheme has been expanded and allows for an extra 20 per cent in gross floor area during the conversion of whole industrial buildings built before 1987 for commercial purposes outside residential areas.

The Maxwell project is expected to be completed in 2022. Under the new policy, Lawsgroup will also gain additional floor area of 40,000 sq ft, for a total of 270,000 sq ft, after paying a premium for conversion of land use.


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## jchk

*Freespace* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/freespace

Project facts


Architect: DLN and West 8 and ACLA

Black Box Theatre capacity: 450 (seated), 900 (staning)



> Situated right in the centre of the Art Park is Freespace, a place where the public is invited to freely explore, encounter and be inspired by new artistic experiences through innovative programming across all genres. A black box theatre will provide a flexible performance space accommodating up to 450 seated people or 900 standing. There is also a foyer where local live music will be presented in a bar and café environment and a multi-purpose function hall. Freespace sits next to the Art Park’s great lawn, where an outdoor stage can be set up for large-scale events and festivals for up to 10,000 people. Freespace is scheduled to open in 2019.


Renders:



















Some photos of Freespace I took yesterday:


Freespace I 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr


Freespace II 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr

There is a pavilion structure connected to the building that does not feature in any of the renders; perhaps this is the function hall?


Freespace (?) III 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr


Freespace (?) IV 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr

The view from the pavilion structure is rather lovely:


HK Skyline 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr


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## jchk

*M+* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/m-4
Construction Webcam: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-d...cilities/m-4/chapter/construction-progress-76

Project facts


Architect: Herzog & de Meuron

Nearest stations: Kowloon (MTR), West Kowloon (HSR)

M+, which will be one of the largest and most significant museums of visual culture in Asia, has *topped out*, and is scheduled to open in 2020.

Renders:



















Some photos I took of the project yesterday:


M+ I 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr


M+ II 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr

M+ III 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr

Despite having followed this project intensely through the webcams, I was astonished by how great the glazed ceramic facade looked in person, especially during the sunset.


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## hkskyline

*Columbarium for unborn babies opens its gates*
The Standard _Excerpt_
11 Apr 2019 













































_Photos from : https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/cc/gallery_columbarium.html _

The city's first public columbarium for fetuses - the Garden of Forever Love - will open today.

The facility at Wo Hop Shek Kiu Tau Road Columbarium in Fan Ling comes after calls for the government to adopt a more humane approach to handling miscarried or aborted fetuses under 24 weeks old.

Three hundred spaces for abortuses under 24 weeks' gestation will be available on a first-come first-serve basis for free starting today.

The Garden of Forever Love is 140 square meters and comes equipped with a stand for offering flowers, a board for placing cards and a wall for plaques.

The name - the Garden of Forever Love - means the long-lasting care and love of parents, society and the government.

Applicants have to submit relevant medical documents and an application form - found in the department's website - to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Office in Hung Hom or Happy Valley.

Successful applicants will need to place their abortus in a container made of paper or carton.

Placing any non-biodegradable objects in the container or space is not allowed, as the space will be reused after the buried abortus is fully decomposed.

Applicants can also apply to mount a plaque for free.


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## hkskyline

* 尚璽 Enchantee *
Project Website : http://www.enchantee.hk/en/index.html

This is a 22-storey development at 247 Tai Kok Tsui Road with the top floor being 25/F. Expected completion by October 2019.

Based on the 2nd price list from 2018, the cheapest unit was a 158 sq ft studio unit 6C priced at HKD $4.017 million.

Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong by Mike, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Green groups and academics outraged over new housing project near Hong Kong Wetland Park, calling it a ‘bad precedent’*
Construction to begin on 19 residential towers in Fung Lok Wai
Protected buffer area is a wintering site for black-faced spoonbills
Apr 22, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_


Fung Lok Wai by Eugene Lim, on Flickr

Academics and environmental groups have urged the government to review its wetland conservation policy after the Buildings Department approved another housing project on the edge of Hong Kong Wetland Park.

The department revealed last month that it had approved the building plans of Mutual Luck Investment, a subsidiary of property giant Cheung Kong, to build 19 residential towers with nearly 2,000 total flats in Fung Lok Wai, one of the last remaining wetland areas to the east of the nature park.

Construction of the project is set to begin after the developer pays the government a land premium.

The Mutual Luck project would be the second major residential development to be built near the Tin Shui Wai conservation and education park in recent years.

Since 2017, developer Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) has been in the process of building 76 housing towers on two sites to the west of the wetland park. The buildings are on both two sides of the park’s main entrance on Wetland Park Road.

The park, opened to the public in 2006, was intended to be a mitigation eco-reserve to make up for the wetlands that were lost when Tin Shui Wai New Town was developed in the 1990s.


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## hkskyline

*Consortium of three developers wins bid for priciest land plot in Lohas Park, signalling bullishness on outlook *
Sino Land Company, K. Wah International Holdings and China Merchants Land beat out 10 rival bids to win the 11th phase of the Lohas Park development
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Apr 26, 2019









_Ming Pao_

A consortium made up of Sino Land Company, K. Wah International Holdings and China Merchants Land beat out 10 rival bids to win the latest phase of the Lohas Park development, the project that could fetch the highest new flat prices in the community, the MTR Corp said on Thursday.

“The winning developers have great experience in residential property development and sales,” said Thomas Lam, executive director of Knight Frank. “In the long term, the supply of residential land at MTR stations is limited so the project has considerable advantage.”

Lam said completed flats at the development could fetch more than HK$17,000 per square foot (US$2,167.33), a record for the area.

The project, south of the Lohas Park station, will enable the consortium to build residential units atop a future shopping centre. The MTR did not reveal the actual figure for the successful bid, having received 11 tenders by the deadline Wednesday. The plot can accommodate up to 1,850 homes on 950,000 sq ft of gross floor area.

“It received 29 expressions of interest last week, the highest among all 11 phases, which is well received,” said James Cheung, a surveyor at Centaline Surveyors. “The 11 tenders indicates a good response and exceeded market expectations.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...-three-developers-wins-bid-priciest-land-plot


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## hkskyline

Apr 30, 2019 
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Structural safety concerns raised over new cultural center*









_on.cc_

Concerns have been raised about the structural safety of a cultural center currently under construction in Ngau Tau Kok after tests showed it has similar construction flaws found in MTR Corp.’s Shatin to Central Link (SCL) rail project, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

It was learned that some of the steel bars and couplers used in the construction of the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, which the government estimates to cost HK$4.17 billion, were substandard.

The main contractor for the cultural center is Leighton Contractors (Asia), the same company responsible for building the problematic underground platforms at the Hung Hom Station of the SCL project.

The materials in question were supplied by Dextra Pacific.

According to a report by Ming Pao, five of the 150 samples of bars and couplers used in the structural columns of the cultural center failed in safety tests commissioned by the Architectural Services Department (ASD).

Specifically, the five samples did not meet the standards for “permanent elongation”, the report said.

The ASD said Dextra had supplied 1,500 couplers and conducted threading on the steel bars used for the project.

More : http://www.ejinsight.com/20190430-structural-safety-concerns-raised-over-new-cultural-center/


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s spiralling property prices place urban renewal work in jeopardy, URA chief says*
Victor So says strategy rethink is needed or price inflation could risk busting redevelopment body’s budget
Apr 29, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The upward spiral in Hong Kong property prices threatens the work of the city’s urban redevelopment authority and a rethinking of strategy is needed, its outgoing chairman said on Monday.

Urban Renewal Authority (URA) chief Victor So Hing-woh called for a new operating model and better city planning to maximise the effectiveness of the body’s work and help it better prepare for a future market downturn.

So, who is nearing the end of his six-year tenure at the authority, said property market inflation exerted pressure on the URA.

“I have never seen an upward cycle in the market as long as this one,” he said. “And it seems like the market has not reached its peak. I’m very concerned because it has become more and more detached from people’s purchasing power.”

Low interest rates have helped fuel a decade-long boom broken only by a short downturn last year, which many analysts believe has already come to an end. So said an upward cycle normally lasted about six to seven years.

The URA, a semi-public, self-financing body, is required to pay the owners of properties more than a decade old the market rate of a seven-year-old property in the same area. Sky-high prices therefore placed pressure on the URA budget, So said. The authority is also required to compensate affected tenants and businesses.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...-kongs-spiralling-property-prices-place-urban


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## hkskyline

Apr 24, 2019 
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Containers tapped to build cultural hub in Kwun Tong*






One balmy weekend in February, local pop-rock group RubberBand electrified a youthful audience with their spirited tunes on the Kwun Tong waterfront.

The venue, a cluster of old shipping containers converted into eateries, shops and other facilities on an otherwise forsaken lot underneath the Kwun Tong Bypass, turned out to be perfect for a youth arts festival, of which the RubberBand gig was a part.

The event, organized by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, included live performances by local bands, dance numbers and free workshops. Although the place was not well-known, the affair was well-attended.

Situated along the Kwun Tong Promenade, the venue, comprising three zones, is meant to become a hub of creative, social and green activities in the district and beyond.

There you can enjoy a cup of coffee, buy a bouquet of flowers for a loved one, pick up a second-hand book (for free), take part in the various cultural activities happening in the area, or simply walk around and savor the scene.

The whole concept is called Vessel, a social innovation project aimed at spreading the value of the “human soul” through an amalgam of facilities and services in an open space.

The project belongs to the “Fly the Flyover Operation” of the Energizing Kowloon East Office of the Development Bureau.

It aims to serve as a platform for young people and their families to search for values and discover their talents through four mediums – arts, green living, social engagement and sports.

More : http://www.ejinsight.com/20190424-containers-tapped-to-build-cultural-hub-in-kwun-tong/


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## hkskyline

*Anglican Church’s plan for 25-storey hospital in Central clears huge hurdle as Town Planning Board rejects proposal for lower height limit on site*
Board agrees to stipulate height limit equivalent to around 25 storeys on historic Bishop’s House compound
Height limit enables church’s existing plan to go ahead if it passes two-month public consultation
May 10, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_


The Bishop's House in Central Hong Kong 會督府 中環半山 by Duyi_Han, on Flickr

Hong Kong’s Anglican Church cleared a major hurdle in its bid to build a 25-storey private hospital in the city’s business hub, after the town planning watchdog on Friday shot down a government proposal to impose a lower height limit on the building.

The Town Planning Board agreed to stipulate a height limit equivalent to around 25 storeys on the historic Bishop’s House compound in Central, where the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui – as the church is known locally – wanted to build the not-for-profit hospital of the same height.

The height limit enables the church’s existing plan to go ahead if it passes an upcoming two-month public consultation.

Members shot down the other option proposed by the Planning Department, which would limit the building height to around 20 storeys and warrant a major design overhaul.

“It was a tough call we had to make, between a rock and a hard place,” said a board member who requested anonymity, adding they only reached a consensus after a heated three-hour debate.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...s-plan-25-storey-hospital-central-clears-huge


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## hkskyline

Wah In Fong West
The buildings seem slated for demolition but not much about what will replace them so far.

URA site : https://www.ura.org.hk/en/project/redevelopment/staunton-street-wing-lee-street-project

Taken May 4 :


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## hkskyline

*Scheme to build HK$7.7b desalination plant for drinking water wins backing*
15 May 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Lawmakers have unanimously endorsed a HK$7.7 billion plan for the government to build a *desalination plant that will meet 5 per cent of the city's demand for drinking water.

Members of the Legislative Council's public works subcommittee yesterday also urged the government to plan for the future expansion of the plant in orderto reduce the city's reliance on Guangdong's Dongjiang, or East River, because of strategic and *pollution concerns.

But officials dismissed the idea, saying both sources would be needed to offset risks from *climate change on the city's water supply, such as severe droughts.

The project will now be passed on to Legco's Finance Committee to discuss funding, the final *hurdle.

The desalination plant, on an eight hectare site in Tseung Kwan O, is expected to produce 135,000 cubic metres of drinking water a day after it is completed in 2022, equivalent to 5 per cent of local consumption.

But officials told the meeting there was no timetable for the second stage of the plant, even though it would increase production to 10 per cent of demand.

"If there is increasing demand for drinking water in the future, we will consider the second phase, but so far we do not have any plan," said Vincent Mak Shing-cheung, deputy secretary for development.

Mak said that although the projected increase in the city's *future population meant drinking water demand would rise 10 per cent, the government had *targeted reducing average consumption per person by the same percentage, so demand would *remain stable in the long term.

At present, Hong Kong relies on the Dongjiang, and rainwater *collected in local reservoirs. It will cost an estimated HK$13 to produce a cubic metre of fresh water at the plant. Importing water from Guangdong costs HK$10.5 per cubic metre.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> It's opening next month!
> 
> https://www.ausbt.com.au/luxury-alert-st-regis-hong-kong-opens-april-11


A review from Forbes : https://www.forbes.com/sites/carriecoolidge/2019/04/23/st-regis-opens-residentially-inspired-hotel-in-hong-kong/


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## hkskyline

*Going underground to ease congestion in busy Hong Kong shopping district could disrupt city's 'green lung' for up to seven years, new proposal reveals*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
23 May 2019










A plan to create underground space below Kowloon Park could disrupt Hong Kong's "green lung” for three to seven years, according to a new government proposal.

Released on Wednesday, the proposal estimated that around 25 per cent of the 13.3-hectare Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui could be developed into three-storey underground spaces.

The spaces would provide about 9,000 square metres for community facilities and public-use areas, as well as roughly 14,000 square metres of pedestrian passages.

Those facilities would account for 40 per cent of the underground space, while about 30 per cent would be used for car parks. The remaining 30 per cent would be reserved for retail shops and restaurants.

"In formulating the proposed Kowloon Park Conceptual Scheme, consideration has been made to provide diversified space to enhance accessibility and walkability,” the Development Bureau said in a statement.

"The departments will also strive to minimise possible disruptions to the park caused by underground space development, retain ‘old and valuable trees' in the park, and preserve heritage and the Bird Lake.”

The proposal for Kowloon Park is part of a government study on how to best use the city's underground space to alleviate the city's overcrowded streets and increase the insufficient number of parking spaces.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...government-proposal-develop-underground-areas


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## hkskyline

*Sinking project at Tin Wing light rail station to resume after Hong Kong government nearly doubles acceptable subsidence level*
24 May 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_



























_Images from on.cc_

A sinking property development project above a Yuen Long light rail station has been given the go-ahead to resume construction after the government nearly doubled the level of subsidence it was willing to tolerate.

A government spokesman said on Friday that approval was given for Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) to continue building the Tin Wing project after its piling works were suspended in June last year.

The spokesman said construction would resume in phases, starting on May 31, and be contingent on proposed grouting works acting as a mitigation measure. An assessment of the effectiveness of these works would be submitted to the Buildings Department upon completion.

“The developer may only commence the remaining works having obtained the Buildings Department's satisfaction with regard to the effectiveness of the grouting works,” he said.

The project on top of the Tin Wing stop started in September 2017. In June last year, the settlement monitoring checkpoints installed at platform No 7 exceeded the subsidence limit of 80mm, leading to an immediate request by the MTR Corporation for a work suspension.

The spokesman said the developer requested a resumption of work after submitting proposed measures to alleviate potential threats to the structural safety of nearby railway facilities to the Buildings Department.

The department requested that the registered structural engineer conduct detailed analyses for each works procedure to assess the possible effects on nearby buildings and public facilities, including railway structures and facilities.

Eventually, he said, the department agreed to revise the acceptable subsidence limit from 80mm to 150mm (3.1 inches to 5.9 inches).

“The assessment has confirmed that the structural safety of the platform would not be affected within the estimated range of settlement, that is 150mm. As the proposed amendments have fulfilled the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance, the Buildings Department has accepted the preset trigger level for the platform to be revised,” he said.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ject-tin-wing-light-rail-station-resume-after


----------



## jchk

*Mariners Club' Redevelopment* | Tsim Sha Tsui

Relevant SSC Post: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=139315709&postcount=2137
Press release: https://www.aastocks.com/en/stocks/news/aafn-news/NOW.943625/2 


Address: 11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Nearest MTR Stations: East Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui

Number of storeys: 42

Target completion: H1 2023

Total cost of development: HK$6 billion (USD 764 million)

It has been announced today that the Mariners' Club building, currently undergoing demolition, will be redeveloped at a cost of HK$6 billion into a 42-storey building. The Mariners' Club will be located in the lower floors, while Hong Kong's first Kimpton Hotel will operate a hotel in the upper floors, with around 500 guestrooms. Foundation works will commence within two months, with a target completion date of the first half of 2023. (Source in Chinese)

Current state of the site, taken by Gaoloumi user PAFC last week:










Renders from HKET:


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## hkskyline

*Hotel dream of late Hong Kong property magnate Walter Kwok to be made reality by 2023 with help of InterContinental group*
Development on site of Mariners’ Club in Tsim Sha Tsui was a project that allowed tycoon to ‘fully express his own vision’, son says
New hotel will be in shape of moving sail and will include 500 rooms all facing Victoria Harbour
May 28, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The ambition of the late Hong Kong property tycoon Walter Kwok Ping-sheung to redevelop the 50-year-old Mariners’ Club in the city’s busy shopping hub into an upscale hotel will be realised by 2023, and managed by InterContinental Hotels Group.

The Empire Group, once led by Kwok, the former chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties, announced the appointment of InterContinental on Tuesday, revealing that construction of a HK$6 billion building in Tsim Sha Tsui could begin soon.

Jonathan Kwok, director of the group, remembered his late father’s excitement and enthusiasm for the project after learning the club operator, the Sailors Home and Missions to Seamen, wanted to invite a developer to help rebuild the iconic blue and white building in 2017.

Walter Kwok died last October at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, two months after being hospitalised following a stroke at the age of 68.

His daughter Lesley Kwok, also a director of the group, said the architecture of the new 42-storey building would be heavily influenced by the club’s legacy.

The club stands west of the lush Signal Hill Garden, and north of the Middle Road Children’s Playground in Tsim Sha Tsui, was constructed in 1967 to provide a place for seafarers to rest in clean and cheap accommodation, get help if necessary, and receive religious guidance. It was officially opened by colonial governor Sir David Trench.

Kwok said the new building’s V-shape would resemble the sails of a moving ship, and every one of the some 500 hotel rooms would come with a view of Victoria Harbour.

The first seven floors will be set aside for a new Mariners’ Club, while other facilities will include a chapel, three conference rooms, a pool and a sky garden.

Albert Yiu Chi-wai, the group’s executive director, said the new building would open its doors in the first half of 2023.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...-dream-late-hong-kong-property-magnate-walter


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## hkskyline

*Investors flock to Hong Kong’s industrial buildings. Even actress Rosamund Kwan is piling in*
The value of industrial properties sold to mainland developers or investors totalled HK$2.32 billion (US$295.56 million) in 2018, reflecting a rise of 44.3 per cent from a year earlier
Investment flows are related to the scheme on Revitalisation of Industrial Buildings, which was relaunched in last year’s Policy Address
May 28, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_










Chinese developers are eyeing Hong Kong’s industrial property market, which has been traditionally dominated by local investors, as they gauge the value created by the conversion and redevelopment of aged structures in the world’s least affordable housing market.

The value of industrial properties sold to mainland developers or investors totalled HK$2.32 billion (US$295.56 million) in 2018, reflecting a rise of 44.3 per cent from a year earlier, excluding revitalised buildings which underwent complete conversion, according to data from CBRE.

Last year, mainland developers and investors bought HK$3.12 billion worth of revitalised industrial properties, reflecting their first investments in the sector, according to CBRE data.

“A lot of them have expressed interest in industrial properties,” said Tony Ng, senior director of capital markets at CBRE.

The scheme on Revitalisation of Industrial Buildings was put in place from 2010 to 2016 to encourage conversion and redevelopment of aged industrial buildings. The programme, relaunched in last year’s Policy Address, enables owners of industrial buildings aged 15 years or older to apply for conversion of use. The accepted conversions include transitional housing, offices, telecommunications exchange centres, data processing and support for the creative industries. Under the original programme, the government approved 124 applications for conversion and redevelopment “to meet Hong Kong’s changing social and economic needs”.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...nd-developers-take-shine-hong-kong-industrial


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## hkskyline

*Room for each: Supply catching up with demand in Hong Kong’s high-end hotel market*
27 May 2019
The Globe and Mail _Excerpt_

Ordinarily, three high-end hotels opening within months of each other in the same city might be a problem for everyone involved. The expectation is that flooding the accommodation market with a glut of new options would lead to lower room rates and occupancy across the board.

But Hong Kong is no ordinary city, which is why no one is batting an eye at the respective arrivals of The Murray, Rosewood Hong Kong and St. Regis Hong Kong, the said trio of luxury hotels.

“I don’t think it’s abnormal,” says Rosanna Tang, Colliers International’s head of research for Hong Kong and Southern China. “The occupancy and absorption doesn’t look like it’ll be challenging.”

The hotels are merely a reaction to skyrocketing demand, she adds, the result of several massive infrastructure projects and new attractions.

Tourists and business travellers from China in particular are pouring in thanks the opening last year of a high-speed railway from nearby mainland cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen. A US$18-billion, 55-kilometre bridge – the longest in the world – that connects Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai on the mainland, which also opened last year, is another major contributor.

As a result, the number of Chinese tourists jumped 26 per cent in November compared to a year earlier, according to the Nielsen Annual Mainland Tourist Study. Hong Kong on the whole expects a record 66.4 million visitors this year, up from 65.1 million in 2018. That’s a staggering increase from just 28 million in 2008.

For the individual hotels, it helps that they’re in disparate parts of Hong Kong and that they are so dramatically different from each other.

The St. Regis is the newest of the bunch, albeit just barely, opening in April, a few weeks after the Rosewood. The St. Regis touts itself as the easternmost luxury property on Hong Kong Island, situated in Wan Chai, an area known for its bars and restaurants.

Modelled after the chain’s first location in New York, the hotel boasts an Art Deco look in its grand lobby, with 7.5-metre ceilings, marble floors and luminous chandeliers.

Appointed by esteemed Hong Kong designer André Fu, the guest rooms are meant to mesh St. Regis’s New York origins with a local sensibility. Interior doors are reminiscent of the traditional wooden panels that shop owners used to close up for the night, while light fixtures are designed to look like the gas lamps that once proliferated in Wan Chai.

Colliers, the real estate service, expects the St. Regis will benefit from a number of public works in the area, including the current construction of the new Exhibition Station subway hub that will introduce a new connection between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon across the harbour. A number of government buildings in the area are also being converted into office and convention space.

More : https://www.theglobeandmail.com/lif...tching-up-with-demand-in-hong-kongs-high-end/


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Citygate Expansion, Tung Chung
> More information : http://www.scmp.com/property/articl...continues-rash-master-planning-studies-public
> 
> 20180501-152524-A7M2 by YKevin1979, on Flickr


Here is an update. Seems the exterior is done.

https://flic.kr/p/2g5o5Xf


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## hkskyline

Museum of Art

https://flic.kr/p/2gbfwdR


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## hkskyline

*Plight of banyan trees is a blot on Hong Kong*
It is a reminder that if rules to safeguard heritage are to be meaningful, there must be effective policing and enforcement
June 10, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Sai Yee Street by James Wong, on Flickr

The preservation of heritage in Hong Kong’s constantly redeveloping urban environment has long been a sensitive and sometimes divisive issue.

Trees that have survived for half a century or more have become a treasured living part of our urban heritage. They are no longer so likely to be sacrificed for man-made “progress”.

Where they could pose a danger because of location and age, particularly in the case of wall trees – often banyans – on the city’s slopes, the government strives to strike an acceptable balance between public interest and responsible preservation of heritage.

You would not know it, however, from the plight of two Chinese banyans that have stood for at least half a century on former Water Supplies Department land near the Mong Kok East MTR station, a prime site managed by the Architectural Services Department during demolition to make way for redevelopment.

They pose no threat to anyone, and they are clearly living heritage identified in a planning report as likely to be placed on the Old and Valuable Trees list, a classification for care and protection.

But they have come under threat from piles of wreckage and waste, sparking concerns from residents and tree experts.

More : https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3013759/plight-banyan-trees-blot-hong-kong


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## hkskyline

*Central-Wan Chai Bypass elevates the fortunes of working-class neighbourhood of North Point*
Market observers say the tone has been set for North Point after residential and office projects achieve record prices
Colliers expects prime office rents in North Point and Quarry Bay to grow 4 per cent this year
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 11, 2019










In Hong Kong’s Eastern District of North Point, the old and the new blend seamlessly together. Alongside new, upscale residential projects and glass-fronted office towers, stand decades-old residential buildings, a bustling wet market and even the State Theatre, a Grade 1 historic building.

Sun Hung Kai Properties achieved HK$61,000 (US$7,777) per square foot for a flat at its new Victoria Harbour development, while Henderson Land Development’s office tower at 18 King Wah Road sold for HK$9.95 billion – both record prices in the area.

The opening in February of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass, a 4.5-kilometre infrastructure comprising a flyover and 3.7km tunnel, has cut down travel time from 15 minutes to five minutes from North Point to Central, elevating the fortunes of the working-class neighbourhood that was once considered too far.

“The opening of the bypass road and changing tenant structure of the Hong Kong East office market is having a positive impact [on North Point] as developers and investors reset their rental and pricing benchmarks for the area,” said Denis Ma, head of research at JLL.

Property consultancy Colliers International picked North Point as the most to gain from its proximity to the bypass’ exits, noting other transport facilities comparable to Central, including bus and ferry terminals, tram stations, and the second Hong Kong Island-Kowloon MTR interchange.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...n-chai-bypass-elevates-fortunes-working-class


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Consortium of three developers wins bid for priciest land plot in Lohas Park, signalling bullishness on outlook *
> Sino Land Company, K. Wah International Holdings and China Merchants Land beat out 10 rival bids to win the 11th phase of the Lohas Park development
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Apr 26, 2019
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ming Pao_
> 
> A consortium made up of Sino Land Company, K. Wah International Holdings and China Merchants Land beat out 10 rival bids to win the latest phase of the Lohas Park development, the project that could fetch the highest new flat prices in the community, the MTR Corp said on Thursday.
> 
> “The winning developers have great experience in residential property development and sales,” said Thomas Lam, executive director of Knight Frank. “In the long term, the supply of residential land at MTR stations is limited so the project has considerable advantage.”
> 
> Lam said completed flats at the development could fetch more than HK$17,000 per square foot (US$2,167.33), a record for the area.
> 
> The project, south of the Lohas Park station, will enable the consortium to build residential units atop a future shopping centre. The MTR did not reveal the actual figure for the successful bid, having received 11 tenders by the deadline Wednesday. The plot can accommodate up to 1,850 homes on 950,000 sq ft of gross floor area.
> 
> “It received 29 expressions of interest last week, the highest among all 11 phases, which is well received,” said James Cheung, a surveyor at Centaline Surveyors. “The 11 tenders indicates a good response and exceeded market expectations.”
> 
> More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...-three-developers-wins-bid-priciest-land-plot


Lohas Park Overview (right)

Untitled_Panorama1 by King Wai Foo, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Protest against controversial extradition bill casts shadow on Hong Kong’s largest property sales since early May*
Only 30 out of 251 flats at Vanke Property’s Grand Le Pont sold on Sunday
No takers for Henderson Land’s Novum East, while only one flat sold at Novum West
June 16, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_Novum East website_

Property sales were disappointing on Sunday in Hong Kong’s biggest offering since early May, as buyers stayed away amid huge protests in the city against a proposed extradition bill, and ongoing concerns over the US-China trade war.

Not only is Hong Kong sitting in the middle of a worsening US-China trade war, but also its own political turmoil as protesters took to the streets on Sunday for a third time in a week against a proposed extradition law that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China. They are demanding that Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdraw the bill and resign.

Only 30 out of 251 flats at Grand Le Pont in Tuen Mun, the New Territories, were sold by around 6pm, according to Sammy Po, chief executive at Midland Realty’s residential department.

The flats were put up on sale by Vanke Property, the Hong Kong unit of China’s most valuable developer. Of the 251 units, 162 units were on open sale and 89 for tender.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...sial-extradition-bill-casts-shadow-hong-kongs


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## hkskyline

*ESF to start building new $1 billion Island School campus*
The Standard _Excerpt_
20 Jun 2019 









_Source : https://www.esf.edu.hk/2019/06/19/is-demolition/_

Island School started demolishing its old campus on Borrett Road in Mid-Levels yesterday to make way for a new HK$1 billion campus that will be completed by the start of the school year in 2022.

The Legislative Council had approved HK$536 million in funding for the construction of the campus last year.

The cost for extra facilities, which is around HK$600 million, will be paid by the English Schools Foundation.

Upon completion, the new campus will be able to cater to 1,200 students on a site that spans over 12,142 square meters.

Belinda Greer, the foundation's chief executive, said the demolition work of Island School was not about eradicating the past, but building a new future.

"I am hugely grateful to the Hong Kong government for the way in which they have backed our vision for the new Island School - and I am equally as grateful to our neighbors on Borrett Road for the way in which they have worked with us to get us to this point," she said.

"ESF is a world-class education system, but we have ambitions to go beyond that - to be world leaders. This new school is the embodiment of the scale of those ambitions."

The school's principal Stephen Loggie said students are excited for the state-of-the-art campus. "The project has been many years in the making - so for us to reach this important milestone is of real significance for the current students - and the generations who have preceded them," he said.

"We are enjoying our temporary home in Sha Tin and we are delighted that the local community has embraced us so warmly. However, Borrett Road is our true home - and we cannot wait to get back."

According to documents submitted to the Education Bureau and the Central and Western District Council, the old campus's ceiling and facade had exfoliated defective concrete falling off from time to time due to aging.

After reviewing the structural condition of the old campus, the English Schools Foundation decided to build a new one since maintenance will not stop the building from aging and the cost of keeping it would be too high.

The school also plans to keep the 93 out of the 144 trees within its original campus, and will plant the remaining 51 trees in other places.


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## hkskyline

Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
Jun 24, 2019 
*Ngong Ping’s ‘Wisdom Path’ undergoes an upgrade*

Photos : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201906/23/P2019062200798.htm

The “Wisdom Path”, one of Ngong Ping’s attractions, has recently undergone improvement works with new facilities such as a commemorative plaque for the late Professor Jao Tsung-I.

The improvements also include a site map, benches and QR codes, allowing easy access to the updated site information on the web.

“Visitors can have a better understanding of the history and background of the ‘Wisdom Path’ from the commemorative plaque which displays the biography and academic achievements of the late Professor Jao,” a Tourism Commission spokesman said.

He was referring to the late scholar and academic who donated an original calligraphy featuring the “Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra” (Heart Sutra) to the Hong Kong government in 2002.

Visitors can now also scan QR codes on the newly-added facilities and viewing platform with their mobile phones, which will redirect them to the website of the Tourism Commission on the attraction, the spokesman said.

In addition, improved trails and directional signage also bring more convenient travel experiences to the public and tourists.

The “Wisdom Path”, which opened to the public in May 2005, has become one of the top tourist attractions in Ngong Ping village on Lantau Island.

More : http://www.ejinsight.com/20190624-ngong-pings-wisdom-path-undergoes-an-upgrade/


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Lohas Park Overview (right)
> 
> Untitled_Panorama1 by King Wai Foo, on Flickr


July 2018

Tseung Kwan O / Hong Kong / Aerial Photography by King Wai Foo, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

Pak Tin Estate Redevelopment

More Public Housing by Tomas Wiik, on Flickr

Government Press Release : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201708/30/P2017083000339.htm


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s government releases smallest allotment of land for homes in five quarters as real estate bull run stumbles *
Two plots of land that can yield 1,350 apartments were released for the second fiscal quarter ending in September, 35.7 per cent less than the previous quarter
Altogether, four plots valued at a combined HK$152.19 billion were released, including a commercial parcel and a hotel site
June 28, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong released the smallest allotment of land for private residential housing in five quarters, as the city’s legislative agenda was disrupted by nearly three weeks of sporadic street protests.

Two land plots in Kai Tak and Tuen Mun that can yield 1,350 apartments were released for sale on Friday, along with a commercial parcel and a hotel site valued at a combined HK$152.19 billion (US$19.5 billion), according to the city’s Development Bureau. The yield on the residential plots for the second fiscal quarter ending in September fell by 35.7 per cent from the 2,100 units in the previous three months.

“In the first two quarters, we have met 40 per cent of the [land supply] target, compared with just about 30 per cent in the same period in the last financial year,” said the bureau’s chief Michael Wong.

The slower pace of release puts the administration of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on track to miss its target of releasing enough land to build 13,500 flats for the fiscal year that began in April. The current year’s target is already 25 per cent lower than the last fiscal year because of a shift in allocation in favour of public housing.

The smaller-than-expected land release came on the day when the city’s street protests since June 9 around a contentious extradition bill became a talking point between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 summit in Osaka.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...ts-residential-land-supply-uncertainty-around


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## hkskyline

*Demand for Hong Kong developer Wing Tai’s Oma Oma project pushes residential property sales to ‘one of the best weekends this year’*
Wing Tai Properties receives 800 bids for 193 units at Oma Oma in Tuen Mun
On Saturday, Wheelock Properties sold all 504 Grand Montara flats in Tseung Kwan O
June 30, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_on.cc_

Hong Kong property developer Wing Tai Properties said on Sunday it had sold about 70 per cent of apartments on offer at its new Oma Oma development in Tuen Mun, rounding off what could be one of the most successful weekends for residential property sales in the city this year.

Buyers had snapped up 130 units out of the 193 on offer at Oma Oma as of 5pm, a day after Wheelock Properties sold all 504 Grand Montara apartments in Tseung Kwan O, in Hong Kong’s third-biggest weekend launch this year.

News of a truce in the year-long US-China trade war has lifted sentiment and boosted confidence, and could signal the beginning of a shift in market mood.

“Property sales will probably continue to heat up over the next few days, thanks to the good news from G20,” said Louis Chan Wing-kit, vice-chairman for Asia-Pacific at Centaline Property Agency. “The sale result [at Oma Oma] has been much better than we expected,” he added.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...-wing-tais-oma-oma-project-pushes-residential


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## hkskyline

Madison Park 
Development Website : http://www.madisonpark.hk/en/
1 Kowloon Road
# Floors - 24 (omitting 4, 13, 14, and 24/F)
Expected Completion : November 2020

Sham shui po by Eric Su, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Museum of Art
> 
> https://flic.kr/p/2gbfwdR


DSC_3125_5788 by inchpebble, on Flickr

Scheduled to re-open in November ! 

https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/rennovation.html


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## hkskyline

*Developer slashes prices of T-Plus flats by 38 per cent to get first-home buyers to give Hong Kong’s smallest abodes a look-in*
Smallest unit of 128 square feet will be offered at a starting price of HK$1.73 million 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
5 July 2019































































_Reported on on.cc_

The developer of a micro flat project in Hong Kong has cut the price of flats that are smaller than a car parking space by 38 per cent, after managing to sell only two units during the initial launch in December.

Prices were unveiled on Thursday for 36 flats at the T-Plus project in Tuen Mun, jointly developed by *Jiayuan International Group and Stan Group,starting at HK$1.73 million (US$222,200), which makes it the cheapest property in the city since CK Asset Holdings sold 165 sq ft units at Mont Vert in Tai Po for HK$1.65 million in 2014.

The shoebox-size units feature an 88 sq ft living room and open kitchen.

Of these 36 units, 12 flats measure 128 sq ft each, which will be sold for as low as HK$13,577 per sq ft after discount. The new price is 37.6 per cent lower on a per square foot basis than a 131 sq ft studio, which the developer put on the market for HK$2.85 million last November.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...tuen-mun-slashed-38-cent-developer-looks-lure


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon Park underground zone 'should boost local brands' say Hong Kong *legislators
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
25 June 2019

A planned underground zone beneath a major Hong Kong park should set aside shops for local companies and be linked to a nearby arts hub, legislators said on Tuesday.

During a Legislative Council development panel meeting, lawmakers supported a government proposal to develop a 538,000 sq ft, three-storey space under Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The development, on an area covering about 25 per cent of the 13-hectare park, will create all-weather pedestrian walkways, community facilities, shops, restaurants and car parks.

But some lawmakers said the plan could be improved. One said most of the shops and restaurants should be reserved for Hong Kong brands.Hong Kong's traditional shopping districts are all dominated by these shops and it's not diverse at all. How can Hong Kong survive in the long term if we can't develop our own brands?Michael Tien, legislator

“If it's not jewellery shops, watches, it's international luxury brands [in the local area],” Michael Tien Puk-sun said.

“Hong Kong's traditional shopping districts are all dominated by these shops and it's not diverse at all. How can Hong Kong survive in the long term if we can't develop our own brands?”

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...nderground-zone-should-boost-local-brands-say


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## hkskyline

*Rail plan with huge costs gets new life*
The Standard _Excerpt_
11 Jul 2019 

A shelved HK$110 billion plan to build the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line has been given new life after the government says it will cooperate with the mainland in researching its feasibility.

But there is no timetable for constructing the railway, the Transport and Housing Bureau said yesterday.

The original plan for the link includes three sections - two cross-border and one domestic.

The first connects the Hong Kong and Shenzhen airports and the second runs between Qianhai and Yuen Long. The third runs between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung.

It was shelved by the government in 2014 due to low demand and the high construction cost of more than HK$110 billion for just the Hong Kong section.

It was put on hold until 2031 at the earliest.

However, some web users and concern groups recently discovered that the infrastructure project appeared in a Greater Bay Area blueprint.

That triggered questions over whether the line would be revived.

The project was mentioned in a Greater Bay Area three-year plan announced by the Guangdong government in May, which stated that provincial authorities will "cooperate with Hong Kong in pushing the planning and construction of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line."

In response, a Transport and Housing Bureau spokesman said yesterday the government has been closely monitoring the development in Qianhai - a special economic zone in Shenzhen - and is keeping an eye on demand for additional cross-border transport channels.

"The government will jointly conduct studies and research with relevant mainland authorities to look into the feasibility of the railway, as well as its need, position and cost-effectiveness," he said.

"Such research is a long-term plan. There is no actual timetable or detailed plan for now. We will have to wait until research results come out to make considerations about development in the future."

Yeung Ha-chi from the Liber Research Community said the Shenzhen government has listed the project in its 13th five-year plan back in 2015.

"We can see from here and there that the mainland government has not given up on the railway construction," he said.

More : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=209513&sid=11


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## jchk

*41 King Yip Street* | Kwun Tong

Project planning application: https://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan...zuF6TpgTSX8KOQVmHsqqXNfXMtH4EbxP7L8XsUY7s3OMY

Project facts


Height: 32 storeys | 126mPD 

Site cost: HK$1.6 billion (US$204 million)

Stumbled upon the planning application for this mid-rise project by the King Yip Street nullah (a.k.a. Tsui Ping River) earlier today; if it looks anything like its renders, it will be an excellent addition to the Kwun Tong and East Kowloon skyline.

Images below are from various planning documents (the first first and fourth images are from a more recent planning document and feature a redesigned corner set-back no street level):


----------



## hkskyline

*Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion to be torn down to make way for Chinese studies centre*
Charitable trust that owns building says demolition necessary because deteriorating concrete would threaten future students
Kung fu legend’s home, called The Crane’s Nest, was spared by fans when billionaire philanthropist wanted to sell in 2008
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 13, 2019

The owner of Bruce Lee’s former mansion will begin demolishing the kung fu legend’s old home in two weeks to make way for a Chinese studies centre, the Post learned on Friday.

The plan marks a departure for the charitable trust that owns the building at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, and had pledged to keep it intact and improve it.

Joey Lee Man-lung, vice-chairman of the management committee of Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, said structural problems had been discovered in the building that made maintaining it unfeasible. He said a colourful mosaic left by Bruce Lee would be kept on the wall outside the mansion – as would four window frames in the two-storey building.

The demolition and redevelopment of the mansion was expected to be finished by the end of next year. The Yu Panglin Charitable Trust was founded by billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin who died in 2015.

Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, had called for the building to be turned into a museum since 2008. He said on Friday he was disappointed the mansion would be torn down.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...er-kowloon-tong-mansion-be-torn-down-make-way


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong protests fail to dampen demand for micro flats as T-Plus project in Tuen Mun sells nearly all available units*
The development included a dozen units smaller than a parking space, all of which sold for HK$1.73 million (US$222,200)
By 9pm on Sunday, all but five of 344 units on sale at T-Plus had found buyers
July 14, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The allure of a property “bargain” in Hong Kong may be stronger than concerns about the recent social unrest that has rocked the city if sales of tiny, heavily discounted, flats at a major project in Tuen Mun today were anything to go by.

By 9pm on Sunday, 339 of the 344 units – worth over HK$1 billion (US$130 million) – on offer at T-Plus had been bought, making it the largest weekend property sale since the huge rallies against the government’s proposed extradition bill began last month. Sales are set to continue until 11pm and resume on Monday.

The project, jointly developed by Jiayuan International Group and Stan Group, included a dozen so-called micro flats with a price tag of HK$1.73 million (US$222,200), the cheapest new properties to come to market in the city in the last five years. Measuring just 128 square feet, the flats are smaller than a car parking space and are aimed at first-time buyers.

Their dinky size did not put people off; all 12 were snapped up on Sunday. The five unsold units were all larger, two-bedroom flats, agents said.


----------



## hkskyline

Even Miss HK has to settle for a small flat, although she bought 3 : http://www.ejinsight.com/20190715-miss-hong-kong-buys-three-of-the-smallest-flats-in-the-city/


----------



## jchk

*The Peak Galleria* | Victoria Peak

Address: 118 Peak Road, The Peak
Source 1 | Source 2


Project facts

Having partially closed for refurbishment back in 2017, the Peak Galleria will officially reopen in Q4 2019, with the world’s first Monopoly-themed attraction, a branch of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant chain Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, and HK's first branch of the Japanese steakhouse 37 Steakhouse and Bar among its many new attractions. 

Some renders:



















UPDATE:

A friend of mine happens to be visiting HK at the moment, who kindly took some photos of this project for me while exploring the Peak:


----------



## hkskyline

Hope the rooftop terrace will continue to be free!


----------



## hkskyline

*Yuen Long clashes cast pall over Sun Hung Kai’s weekend home sales even as Great Eagle’s project drew buyers with cheaper prices*
Sun Hung Kai Properties managed to sell seven units out of 145 flats on offer at its Park Yoho Napoli project in Kam Tin, a mere 3km from Yuen Long, where police fired tear gas to disperse an estimated 100,000 protesters marching through the suburb
Great Eagle sold all of the 238 flats at its Ontolo project in Pak Shek Kok, sales agents said
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 27, 2019

A weekend apartment sale by Sun Hung Kai Properties flopped in Kam Tin, near Yuen Long where the police clashed with protesters, as nearly two months of incessant public unrest left their impact on Hong Kong’s real estate.

Sun Hung Kai sold only seven of 145 units of its Park Yoho Napoli project in Kam Tin, a mere 3km from Yuen Long, where tens of thousands of protesters marched today in protest against a July 21 mob attack on commuters. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters.

Escalating social unrest is increasingly testing the sentiment in Hong Kong’s housing market, the least affordable in the world.

Demonstrations have sprang up in all corners of the city – including the airport – over the past seven weeks, initially triggered by the government’s push for a controversial bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China. Protesters have broadened their demands to universal suffrage from the withdrawal of the bill.

Yuen Long’s unrest was ignored in Pak Shek Kok in the eastern part of the New Territories, where Great Eagle sold all of the 238 flats on offer in the first batch of its Ontolo project, according to sales agents. 

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...ll-over-sun-hung-kais-weekend-home-sales-even


----------



## hkskyline

*City's Stock of unsold flats hits 10-year high*
27 July 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Construction likely to slow as inventory amounts to 10,000 units at the end of the second quarter while a proposed vacancy tax is due to kick in

Hong Kong's inventory of unsold residential property has risen to the highest in more than a decade as uncertainties brought by the US-China trade war and the city's ongoing political unrest deterred buyers.

The number of unsold homes stood at 10,000 at the end of the second quarter, 1,000 more than at the end of March, according to data from the Transport and *Housing Bureau.

The growing inventory came after a proposal by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to tax developers who leave finished properties unsold to bring housing supply into line with *demand and help rein in prices. It also added fuel to forecasts of an imminent peak in home prices as supply shows signs of outstripping demand.

"Developers still need to *proactively sell completed new projects to avoid special rates," Centaline Property Agency senior associate research director Wong Leung-sing said, referring to the vacancy tax. "The 10,000 completed unsold homes has just reached the warning level: do not let the number rise."

The proposed tax, if and when passed by the legislature, will slap a duty of about 5 per cent of a property's value on the developer if it remains unsold a year after completion.

In response, developers had accelerated sales to clear as much stock as possible before the proposed tax kicked in, said Cliff Tse, JLL's senior director of valuation advisory services.

"Although it is yet to be passed by the [legislature], developers are expected to be more sensitive to market sentiment in adjusting the construction progress," said Tse, whose firm expects average prices to drop 5 per cent this year.

"They might slow the construction work of their new projects if market sentiment and outlook are not optimistic. A *slowdown in construction could mitigate the burden of paying special rates if they foresee *difficulty in selling new units."

Marketing and sales *campaigns ran into headwinds in May and June, when the year-long US-China trade war went up a notch, while Hong Kong was rocked by an unprecedented level of public unrest and civic strife that resulted in street protests.

Wang On Properties sold just two of 104 flats at its Maya by *Nouvelle project in Yau Tong on May 25, the second consecutive weekend of flops, as an unexpected deterioration in US-China *relations gave buyers cause for pause.

Wing Tai Properties and China Overseas Land & Investment managed to sell only a quarter of the 442 flats on offer in Tuen Mun and Tai Po earlier this month, as *buyers gave their collective cold shoulder to the biggest sale of new homes in a month.

Fullsun International Holdings Group also postponed the sale of the first 30 of 79 flats at its La Salle Residence project in Kowloon Tong, citing "a change in market *sentiment".

"Overall home sales in late June have obviously slowed," *Ricacorp Properties research head Derek Chan said.

Most of the flats that were left empty were luxury residences, *defined as those that cost at least HK$20 million, he said.

Some developers slowed their construction as inventory rose. Commencements shrank 26 per cent to 1,700 in the three months to June, marking the slowest *quarterly pace since the third quarter of 2017.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...-residential-property-rises-decade-high-10000


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion to be torn down to make way for Chinese studies centre*
> Charitable trust that owns building says demolition necessary because deteriorating concrete would threaten future students
> Kung fu legend’s home, called The Crane’s Nest, was spared by fans when billionaire philanthropist wanted to sell in 2008
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> July 13, 2019
> 
> The owner of Bruce Lee’s former mansion will begin demolishing the kung fu legend’s old home in two weeks to make way for a Chinese studies centre, the Post learned on Friday.
> 
> The plan marks a departure for the charitable trust that owns the building at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, and had pledged to keep it intact and improve it.
> 
> Joey Lee Man-lung, vice-chairman of the management committee of Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, said structural problems had been discovered in the building that made maintaining it unfeasible. He said a colourful mosaic left by Bruce Lee would be kept on the wall outside the mansion – as would four window frames in the two-storey building.
> 
> The demolition and redevelopment of the mansion was expected to be finished by the end of next year. The Yu Panglin Charitable Trust was founded by billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin who died in 2015.
> 
> Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, had called for the building to be turned into a museum since 2008. He said on Friday he was disappointed the mansion would be torn down.
> 
> More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...er-kowloon-tong-mansion-be-torn-down-make-way


*Bruce Lee home all set to face wrecking ball*
29 July 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Bruce Lee's former mansion is entering its final countdown as the owner is expected to begin *demolishing the kung fu legend's old home as early as this week.

Joey Lee Man-lung, vice-chairman of the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, which owns the house, said the trust had not received any new proposal from the government to preserve the block after revealing plans two weeks ago to demolish the structure.

The trust told the Post that it would begin demolishing the two-storey block to make way for a Chinese studies centre.

"We had promised the Bruce Lee Club to postpone the demolition for two weeks and the deadline [expired yesterday]. Yet no government department has contacted us so far," Lee said.

"We will begin tearing down the building as early as [this week]."

Structural problems with the building meant that maintaining it had become unfeasible, according to the trust.

A mosaic left by Bruce Lee would be preserved on the wall outside the mansion at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong - along with four window frames from the two-storey building.

Temporary supporting piles had been erected inside the house and the demolition would start soon following consent from the Buildings Department, Lee said. A spokesman for the department said it had not received any *application for consent to commence demolition works on the building.

Lee said it was a procedural matter being handled by a construction consultancy hired by the trust to conduct the demolition. He said he had approached the Development Bureau in the middle of last year and asked if the government had any plan to preserve the building.

"The bureau replied at the time it had no plan to do so. We have heard nothing new from the bureau and other government departments in the past two weeks."

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said they had not received any conservation proposal from the owner of the mansion, which was not a graded historic building.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...g-out-bruce-lees-hong-kong-mansion-developers


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## hkskyline

Microflats at T Plus may have been sold at a loss to avoid vacancy tax : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...some-hong-kongs-smallest-abodes-may-have-sold


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## hkskyline

Tai Kok Tsui Redevelopments

8/4


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## hkskyline

*Buyers shrug off Hong Kong rallies to snap up Aurora flats in Tsuen Wan, offered at 10 per cent discount to the neighbourhood*
Billion Development & Project Management sold all 354 flats on offer at The Aurora in Tsuen Wan, for a total sales value of HK$2.83 billion
Prices start at HK$17,558 per square foot, or HK$3.81 million (US$485,720) for a 217-square foot (20 square metre) flat, almost 10 per cent cheaper than prevailing prices in the neighbourhood
17 Aug 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Homebuyers shrugged off a downpour and Hong Kong’s 11th week of street protests to snap up the flats offered at a discount by Billion Development & Project Management in Tsuen Wan.

Billion sold all 354 available units on offer at The Aurora for a total sales value of HK$2.83 billion, sales agents said.

Prices at The Aurora start at HK$3.81 million (US$485,720), or HK$17,558 per square foot, for a 217-square foot (20 square metre) flat, almost 10 per cent cheaper than prevailing prices at lived-in homes in the neighbourhood. By comparison, a 598 sq ft unit at the 12-year-old Vision City next to The Aurora recently sold for HK$9.9 million, or HK$19,488 per sq ft.

“The sale today was really good, considering the ongoing social instability,” said Louise Chan, vice-chairman of Asia-Pacific and chief executive of residential division at Centaline Property Agency. “The cheaper prices have successfully wooed buyers who are looking for homes for their own use.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...s-snap-aurora-flats-tsuen-wan-offered-10-cent


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## hkskyline

Aug 21, 2019
Hong Kong Economic Journal _Excerpt_
*Kowloon Park underground space devt plan faces opposition *

The government is facing questions over its proposal to develop underground space at Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, with a non-profit group saying it doesn’t believe the plan will achieve its stated goals, which include alleviating the overcrowded street-level walking environment and improving the pedestrian connectivity.

Paul Zimmerman, chief executive of Designing Hong Kong, a non-profit organization that aims to promote “sustainability, quality of life and good design as core values in planning, development and governance”, said on Tuesday that the government has shown that it fails to understand the root of the problem as it pursues an underground space development plan.

Commenting on the matter a day before the second phase of public consultation on a pilot study of the plan ends, Zimmerman said his group opposes the proposal.

In June 2015, the government began studies to explore the feasibility of developing underground space development in four selected strategic urban areas (SUAs), namely Tsim Sha Tsui West, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, and Admiralty/Wan Chai, through evaluations and consultations before it recommended giving priority to the Kowloon Park Conceptual Scheme.

Under the proposal, the scheme will involve an underground area of more than 340,000 square feet with five stories of facilities that will offer a combined floor area of more than 540,000 sq. ft. Of this, 30 percent will be provided for retail and catering while 40 percent will be for community facilities, pedestrian passages and public space.

More : http://www.ejinsight.com/20190821-kowloon-park-underground-space-devt-plan-faces-opposition/


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## jchk

*M+* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/m-4
Construction Webcam: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-d...cilities/m-4/chapter/construction-progress-76

Project facts


Architect: Herzog & de Meuron

Nearest stations: Kowloon (MTR), West Kowloon (HSR)

M+, which will be one of the largest and most significant museums of visual culture in Asia, has *topped out*, and is scheduled to open in 2020. It has also just invited Expressions of Interest for restaurant operators, and has revealed that there will be an all-day dining restaurant and bar and a tea and coffee bar in the main hall, a destination restaurant and lounge on the third floor, and a member's lounge on the 11th floor.

Renders:



















Some recent photos of the museum as it slowly inches towards structural completion:


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB1djQkEFL5I/


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## jchk

jchk said:


> *Freespace* | West Kowloon Cultural District
> 
> West Kowloon Cultural District thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676377
> Official Site: https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the-district/architecture-facilities/freespace
> 
> There is a pavilion structure connected to the building that does not feature in any of the renders; perhaps this is the function hall?
> 
> 
> Freespace (?) III 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Freespace (?) IV 20190410 by jezze0410, on Flickr


I have since discovered that this structure is the site of the first two F&B offerings in the western part of the district: 



> REST is a cafe by day and a bar by night serving original coffee flavours, alcoholic beverages, snacks and customised drinks for every taste; and Pet-friendly Hooman serves specialty coffee, delicious snacks and doggie treats.
> Source


Some photos of REST:


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB0GhE-nBhRr/


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FBzgBibvnZYk/


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB1I31yxgOZN/

Some of Hooman:


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB0nyfvXj6_n/


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB0_Jem7Dosr/


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB1S1iIwAQ71/


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## jchk

*Nan Fung Site (Area 1F Site 2)* | Kai Tak

Kai Tak thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=149676367

Project facts


Developer: Rich Union Development Limited (parent company: Nan Fung Development Limited)

Design Architect: Snøhetta 

Executive Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners 

Site Cost: US$3.16 billion

Renders:



















Recent photos of the site by Gaoloumi user PAFC:









Yay tower crane


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## hkskyline

*Tuen Mun residential site draws 18 bids*
23 Aug 2019 
The Standard 









_on.cc_

The Tuen Mun town lot No. 549 at the junction of King Sau Lane and King Fung Path in Tuen Mun, New Territories, received at least 18 tenders before bids closed at noon.

Developers who made offers include K&K Property, Chevalier International (0025), Emperor International (0163), Far East Consortium International (0035), Wang On Properties (1243) and Chinese Estates (0127), Sino Land (0083), and K. Wah International (0173).

The residential site has an area of about 11,000 square feet. The maximum gross floor area is 38,000 sq ft. Surveyors have previously valued the site at between HK$170 million and HK$230 million, or HK$5,000 to HK$6,000 per sq ft.


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## hkskyline

Pier improvements around the city : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=211007&story_id=50042443&con_type=1&d_str=20190826&sid=4


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## jchk

*Former Murray Road Car Park Site* | Central

Project summary: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/zaha-hadid-architects-iconic-office-hong-kong-architecture/

Project facts


Design: Zaha Hadid Architects

Developer: Henderson Land Development

Height: 35 storeys | 190m AOD 

Site cost: HK$23.3 billion (£2.2 billion)

Projected completion: Q3 2022

Some photos taken by Gaoloumi user PAFC in early October:


----------



## hkskyline

*Nullah park wins approval*
7 Nov 2019

Kwun Tong residents will get closer to water in a HK$1.76 billion nullah-cum-river park after a Legislative Council subcommittee gave the green light to the project in Kwun Tong yesterday.

The Tsui Ping River project aims to revitalize the King Yip Street nullah by resurfacing part of the nullah bed with natural materials and introducing aquatic plants, as well as deepening the river bed to ensure its drainage capacity.

The project proposes features along the riverside such as artificial wetlands, landscaped decks and a floating pontoon, with a vision to let people play with the water.

The government also plans to install a smart water gate that can adjust with the tides downstream to regulate water levels, but lawmakers questioned the cost of this feature.

The Neo Democrats' Gary Fan Kwok-wai questioned the function of the HK$58 million smart water gate, concerned that the special compartments required to build such a gate would be more expensive than an ordinary one.

The director of drainage services, Lo Kwok-wah, said the smart water gate is one of the facilities to ensure water flows in the river at low tide.

Lo said under the tidal effect, the river's lowest water level is 0.2 meters and the highest level is 2.5 meters. Most places upstream are relatively dry during low tide.

More : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=213307&story_id=50044670&d_str=20191107&sid=4


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## hkskyline

*Fit-out costs for offices lower in Hong Kong *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 6, 2019

The cost to fit out a new office in Hong Kong is cheaper than in six major Japanese or Australian *cities, a study shows, although that is a small consolation for *prospective tenants in a city with the highest rents in the past four years.

At US$130 per square foot, Hong Kong ranks seventh among 28 gateway cities in Asia-Pacific, according to the inaugural fit-out guide published by property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield. This works out to be 35.6 per cent lower than US$202 in Tokyo, and 16 per cent below US$154 in Sydney, the ranking shows. At US$70, Taipei is the most economical.

"Cheaper labour costs, *furniture, fixtures and equipment and construction materials are the main drivers for lower *office fit-out costs in Hong Kong" *compared with those in Japan and Australia, said Tom Gibson, managing director of project and development services.

Hong Kong holds the unenviable record as the most expensive city for office space, and rents in prime buildings in Central have topped any city in the world for a fourth straight year, real estate services group CBRE said in June.

Supply shortages and demand from banks and mainland *companies have pushed up *rentals in recent years.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hong Kong baker Garden gets green light for HK$2.3 billion plan to redevelop 80-year-old grade two building*
> September 21, 2018
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> The 80-year-old headquarters of Garden, the Hong Kong food company known for its breads and biscuits, will be demolished and a HK$2.3 billion (US$295 million) multi-purpose commercial building will come up in its place, after the Town Planning Board approved conditional redevelopment plans on Friday.
> 
> The proposed 25-storey building at 58 Castle Peak Road in Sham Shui Po will include shops, restaurants, offices and a cooking school, requiring an estimated investment of between HK$2 billion to HK$2.3 billion.
> 
> An artist’s impression of the proposed 25-storey building that will be built on the site of Garden’s existing headquarters. Photo: Handout.
> According to documents from the board, the company will be required to “preserve and incorporate the clock with the piece of red facade and two ‘bakery chef’ logos into the new building”.
> 
> The board said it approved the plan because the size was “adequate for an office tower, was unlikely to cause disruption to traffic flow or create environmental nuisance”.
> 
> Market observers said the new building would bring good returns to the company.
> 
> “At an estimated monthly rent of HK$25 to HK$35 per square feet for office space and HK$50 to HK$90 per sq ft for shops and restaurants, the long-term rental yield will be around 3.5 to 4 per cent,” said Thomas Lam, senior director of consultancy at Knight Frank.
> 
> He added that the commercial portion will be worth about HK$20,000 per sq ft.
> 
> Conservationists, however, had their misgivings about the redevelopment.
> 
> “It is sad [the board] approved it but at least they pressured [Garden] to keep the original architectural value of the building, though very lightly,” said Charles Lai, an architect who opposed the redevelopment. “But how the actual design can address opposition from conservationists and academics remains to be seen.”
> 
> The Town Planning Board approved the redevelopment plan for Garden’s headquarters in Sham Shui Po because it would not cause disruption to traffic flow or create environmental nuisance. Photo: SCMP
> Lai said this case could have set a precedent on how development and rehabilitation could be balanced.
> 
> Established in 1926, Garden bought the site on Castle Peak Road in 1935 for HK$10,000 and built a 1,400 square metre factory facility, which began operations in 1938.
> 
> The existing building was listed as a grade two historical building by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in March this year, which means it deserves “special merit” and “efforts should be made to selectively preserve” it.


----------



## hkskyline

*Land contributed by third-largest developer can house “some 40,000” people in transitional housing*
Nov 2, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Henderson Land Development, the third-largest developer in the world’s most expensive housing market, is to lend a parcel of land in the New Territories to the government for seven years for HK$1 to build 2,000 transitional housing units, confirming the Post's report on Friday.

The goal for the social housing project on the 428,000 sq ft parcel in Kam Tin’s Kong Ha Wai, which it calls “the biggest [such project] in Hong Kong ever”, is to house almost 10,000 families, for a total of some 40,000 people, according to Henderson, the biggest hoarder of farmland.

“The company is the first to support social housing, having provided 200 units in the urban area so far and lent a construction project in Nam Cheong Street last year to build Hong Kong’s first modular housing project,” said Martin Lee Ka-shing, co-chairman and managing director of Henderson Land Development on Saturday.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...ibuted-third-largest-developer-can-house-some


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## hkskyline

*Half empty or half full?*
9 November 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Owners of electric cars are enthusiastic about a HK$2 billion scheme to add charging stations at private estates, but it is only one step towards boosting emission-free driving

Alex Hung Man-ching bought an electric car three years ago, but has been frustrated by the difficulty in getting its battery charged.

He was given the brush-off when he asked the owners' corporations of two housing estates where he has lived to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at their car parks.

To power up his Tesla Model X limousine, he has to go to other car parks or a shopping centre, and sometimes that means waiting an hour in a queue.

"There have been several times when my car ran out of electricity and I was forced to call a taxi," says Hung, 47, founding chairman of the Hong Kong New Emerging Technology Education Association.

So he was pleased last month when the government announced a HK$2 billion subsidy scheme to upgrade the parking facilities at old private estates and add charging stations.

The pilot scheme, which aims to promote green vehicles, is expected to cover 60,000 parking spaces over the next three years.

The subsidy will help residential building owners overcome financial or technical hurdles for installing charging infrastructure, and allow owners to charge their e-cars where they live.


----------



## hkskyline

Murray Road Car Park 

Central, Hong Kong 2019 by Tony Shi, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

* City must prepare for the changing climate *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 10, 2019

Hong Kong has, thankfully, been spared serious storms and flooding this year. But we have seen how super typhoons Mangkhut and Hato wreaked havoc over the past two years. While the government has stepped up efforts to protect the city against damage caused by extreme weather, are we really prepared for the challenges arising from global warming?

The new findings by the US-based Climate Central have renewed concerns over our preparedness in this regard. As a result of heat-trapping pollution, the group warned that rising sea levels could within three decades push chronic floods higher than land currently home to 300 million people around the world. In Hong Kong, the coastal areas that are now home to 850,000 people could be under the water by the end of the century. The places to be inundated include the airport, West Kowloon, Kai Tak and Northeast New Territories.

The study is not the first of its kind. The Hong Kong government has had its own projections in the past, although not as alarming as the latest one. Understandably, the findings are affected by the parameters and assumptions. Whatever the scale of the potential impact, no authorities can dismiss the threat of rising sea level caused by global warming. In the case of Hong Kong, what used to be the worst floods in a century have seemingly become more common in recent years. Even if the future is not going to be as bad as projected, the need for better safeguards remains unchanged.

Creating more oyster reefs along the city's coastline has been touted as a possible solution. According to the body overseeing a shellfish project in northeast New Territories, oyster reefs could rise up to a few metres and act as a first barrier to slow storm surges and reduce damage to coastal communities. 

More : https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037062/city-must-prepare-impact-climate-change


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## Mr Bricks

hkskyline said:


> * City must prepare for the changing climate *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Nov 10, 2019
> 
> The study is not the first of its kind. The Hong Kong government has had its own projections in the past, although not as alarming as the latest one. Understandably, the findings are affected by the *parameters and assumptions*. Whatever the scale of the *potential impact*, no authorities can dismiss the threat of rising sea level caused by global warming. In the case of Hong Kong, what used to be the worst floods in a century have *seemingly* become more common in recent years. Even if the future is *not going to be as bad as projected*, the need for better safeguards remains unchanged.


I'm not against taking sensible precautions but they seem to have no clue what they are talking about.


----------



## hkskyline

The Hong Kong Museum of Art, TST, Kowloon, Hong Kong by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Panasonic 10-25mm F1.7 by Alex Leung, on Flickr


Madison Park

Garden Hill by tomosang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong records worst weekend sales of homes since June as intensifying violence keeps buyers away *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 18, 2019

Hong Kong residential property sales on Sunday recorded their worst performance since the social unrest started in June after buyers stayed away amid intensifying protests.

Only four out of 144 units at Chinachem Group’s Sol City development in protest hotspot Yuen Long were sold as of 6pm, according to agents. Less than 10 potential buyers were at the sales office at Nina Tower in Tsuen Wan when sales commenced at 10am.

Another new project, Crescent Green, launched by Road King Infrastructure in the same district on Friday fared poorly as only 29 out of 67 units were sold.

Two weeks earlier, on November 2 and 3, only 35 per cent of 435 units offered by five developers found buyers.

“Most of the clients are in no mood to venture out because of safety concerns and traffic disruptions as the clashes between protesters and police have escalated in the past few days,” said Sammy Po, chief executive of Midland Realty’s residential department. “It is the poorest weekend sales performance since June.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...eekend-sales-homes-june-intensifying-violence


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## hkskyline

*Housing move sparks anxiety for squatters *
18 November 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_


Ngau Chi Wan, Hong Kong by Mike, on Flickr

Ngau Chi Wan village redevelopment plan leaves some residents worrying that they will be forced to leave their homes without any compensation

Chou Chiu-soon, 73, wakes up at 4am to leave his home in the New Territories to get on a night bus that takes him to Ngau Chi Wan village in Kowloon.

By 7am, he opens the Po Fook Cha Chaan Teng, a traditional cafe serving beef and macaroni soup, coffee and tea to workers and residents from the area.

Everyone calls him "Boss Chou", and this has been his daily routine for more than half a century, since he first arrived to help his father, who opened the cafe.

All this is set to change as Ngau Chi Wan, a compact cluster of small shops, squatter huts and narrow streets, has been earmarked by the government to make way for public housing.

The village, next to Choi Hung MTR station, is expected to go within the next decade.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...-squatter-village-goes-new-homes-some-anxiety


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s higher mortgage cap deters at least one developer from building micro-flats as buyers can now afford larger homes*
Nov 20, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

The boom in Hong Kong’s micro-apartments appears to be over, as the first easing in mortgage entitlements in a decade has helped buyers to afford larger homes, causing at least one developer of shoebox-sized property to quit the market.

Micro-apartments, defined as those smaller than 200 square feet (18.6 square metres), are unsustainable as investments, and are the most prone to any declines in property prices, said Rykadan Capital, the developer that recorded HK$390 million of sales from 66 units of The Paseo, from a site no bigger than a basketball court in the Jordan neighbourhood in Kowloon.

“We did pretty well at that time [of the project’s launch in 2015], but we [are not building any more] since then because we thought it might not be sustainable,” said Rykadan’s chairman and chief executive William Chan, adding that the developer has turned instead to building offices. “There was growth in the micro [flats market], but in the [current] market condition, they will be the first to feel the impact.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...cap-deters-least-one-developer-building-micro


----------



## hkskyline

Museum of Art 
11/16


----------



## jchk

*HKIA Three Runway System* | Chek Lap Kok

Airport thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=69484
Official website: https://www.threerunwaysystem.com/

Project facts


650 hectares of reclamation

New passenger concourse with a floor area of more than 280 000 sq metres

Terminal 2 expanded into a full service terminal providing both arrivals and departure services

New 2600m-long Automated People Mover connecting the new concourse with T2

New Baggage Handling System transporting baggage from the new concourse to T2 at 7 to 10 m/s

Estimated construction cost of HK$141.5 billion (US$8 billion)

GIF of the progress of the land reclamation for the three runway system between 7/9 and 21/11:


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s biggest land auction attracts three bids as Kowloon site near protest flashpoint loses value *
Nov 22, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s biggest land auction, involving a site that became the latest flashpoint in more than five months of anti-government protests, has attracted three bids from among the city’s richest developers.

Sun Hung Kai Properties and CK Asset Holdings have submitted bids for the 5.88-hectare commercial plot atop the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus, company officials told the South China Morning Post. A consortium comprising Wharf Holdings, Sino Land, Henderson Land Development, Chinese Estate Holdings and Lifestyle International Holdings also lodged a bid. The Lands Department spokesperson confirmed the number of bids by phone when contacted by the South China Morning Post.

The auction may test investor appetite and underline the extent of damage to market valuation over the past six months as anti-government protests turned off buyers and pushed the economy into a recession. Since the government unveiled the site as part of its 2019-2020 auction programme in March, the value of the site has shrunk by as much as 63 per cent based on analyst estimates.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...d-auction-attracts-least-three-bids-site-near









_Posted on Ming Pao_


----------



## hkskyline

Nov 23, 2019
* Residential sales remain sluggish as Hong Kong homebuyers ‘stay on the sidelines’ to wait out anti-government protest crisis *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_









_Ming Pao_

Hong Kong homebuyers remain wary of the housing market as underperforming residential sales show the damage inflicted by months of citywide protests.

CK Asset Holdings, the city's second-largest developer, on Saturday sold only six out of 180 available flats at its Seaside Sonata project in Cheung Sha Wan.

The poor sales as of 6pm were evidence of the grim sentiment of homebuyers as the worst political crisis in Hong Kong’s history continues to roil the city.

The sluggish residential sales have become a trend despite the government’s initiatives to relax mortgage lending rules for first-time buyers.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...les-remain-sluggish-hong-kong-homebuyers-stay


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## hkskyline

Lee Nam Road, Ap Lei Chau
https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...elopers-logan-kwg-win-residential-site-ap-lei

11/23


----------



## jchk

*Opening Date and Programme*

*Hong Kong Museum of Art Renovation* | Tsim Sha Tsui

Official Site: https://hk.art.museum/en_US/web/ma/home.html

Project facts


Duration of renovation: 4 years

Cost of renovation: HK$934 million (US$119 million)

Total exhibition area after renovation:10 000 sq m












hkskyline said:


>


The HKMoA finally has a reopening date: November 30.

Excerpt from the press release:



> After major expansion and renovation, the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) will be ready for public visits on November 30.
> 
> A total of 11 exhibitions will be held. They include a series of collection exhibitions representing the cultural legacy in the museum's holdings, namely "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong", "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", "The Wisdom of Emptiness: Selected Works from the Xubaizhai Collection", "Lost and Found: Guardians of the Chater Collection" and "The Best of Both Worlds: Acquisition and Donation of Chinese Antiquities".
> 
> Another series of exhibitions and displays on Hong Kong art, namely "Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint", "Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment", "The Breath of Landscape" and "Rediscovering Landscape", will display the lineage of local art. An international blockbuster exhibition, "A Sense of Place: from Turner to Hockney" will also be ready for public appreciation.


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai pays a record HK$42.23 billion for Austin Road commercial plot in Hong Kong’s costliest land tender *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 27, 2019

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by value, has won the biggest parcel of commercial land ever sold in the city for a record HK$42.23 billion (US$5.4 billion).
The commercial site is located at Austin Road atop the West Kowloon High-Speed Rail station. 

The winning bid of HK$13,345 per square foot was at the low end of a valuation range of between HK$41.1 billion and HK$63 billion, or between HK$13,000 per square foot and HK$20,000 per sq ft.

“It is definitely at the low end. It is mainly because the market is not good,” said Alex Leung, senior director at CHFT Advisory And Appraisal, who attributed the downbeat sentiment to the civil unrest gripping Hong Kong and the US-China trade war. “When the market is not good and there is an uncertainty, then investors will certainly be very conservative.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...k422-billion-austin-road-commercial-plot-hong


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## hkskyline

* Lawmakers raise questions over relocation in Hong Kong government’s plan to redevelop brownfield sites in New Territories for public housing *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 26, 2019

Lawmakers have raised questions over technical problems in relocating industrial operators from 450 hectares (1,112 acres) of brownfield sites in northern New Territories which the Hong Kong government plans to redevelop for public housing.

At the Legislative Council’s development panel meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers grilled officials over the uncertainty surrounding the brownfield plan, as the latter unveiled details on the progress of the study.

While the long-drawn-out process to source land for public housing from brownfield sites is open to question, latest data shows the government is also struggling to meet the short-term target of housing supply. On Monday, the Housing Authority forecast 100,700 public-sector flats would be completed in the coming five years, reaching only about 64 per cent of the target.

In her policy address last month, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor proposed resumption of brownfield sites – abandoned agricultural land occupied for industrial, storage, logistics, and parking uses – as one of the ways to source more land for public housing.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ers-raise-questions-over-relocation-hong-kong


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong Museum of Art to reopen to public on Saturday after four years of expansion and renovations *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 30, 2019

After more than four years of expansion work and renovations, the Hong Kong Museum of Art on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront reopens to the public on Saturday, with 11 new exhibitions and collections comprising more than 17,000 items in total.

The museum closed in August 2015 for work to increase exhibition space and upgrade facilities.

The exhibition area expanded by about 40 per cent from around 7,000 square metres (75,350 sq ft) to about 10,000 square metres, while the number of galleries increased from seven to 12.

“We are happy to present to the public 11 new exhibitions representing our museum’s four core collections together,” says museum director Maria Mok Kar-wing.

The city’s first public art museum, established in 1962, has built a rich collection of works encompassing four main areas – Chinese painting and calligraphy, Chinese antiquities, China trade art, and modern and Hong Kong art.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...m-art-reopen-public-saturday-after-four-years


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai offers 421 flats in Kennedy Town and Central for rent, offering help to ease housing shortage as vacancy tax kicks in *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 5, 2019

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s largest developer, is offering 421 flats for lease with terms as short as one month to cater for the younger population ahead of the impending vacancy tax to stop developers hoarding empty units.

The apartments are located in Kennedy Town in the western district of Hong Kong Island and near Central, and are aimed at younger professionals and expatriates on short-term stays in the city. Townplace Kennedy Town, formerly known as The Kennedy on Belcher’s, was launched last year while Townplace Soho is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of next year.

A total of 421 units will be available for rent at the two projects, ranging from studio flats to four-bedroom apartments with saleable area starting from 286 square feet, going up to 1,092 sq ft (101.4 square metres). The minimum leasing term is one month, and yearly leasing plans are also offered.

The launch comes as Hong Kong average residential rents have declined for three straight months to HK$36.39 per sq ft in October, according to Ricacorp Properties. Home prices are also projected to drop by 5 per cent next year, according to Knight Frank.

Sun Hung Kai is resorting to such a strategy to avoid a vacancy tax that may be implemented as soon as this month, said Sam Chi-yung, strategist at Springwaters Financial Securities, adding that the city’s technical recession may also prompt the developer to adjust its sales and leasing strategy.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...s-kennedy-town-and-central-rent-offering-help


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## hkskyline

Pak Tin Estate Redevelopment

Garden Hill by tomosang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

Technology in improving our city infrastructure : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3041289/hong-kong-government-says-new-technology


----------



## hkskyline

* Panel suggests smart lampposts sans surveillance cams *
The Standard 
Dec 10, 2019










The government should continue with the smart lamppost project after removing cameras, considering the rollout of the fifth generation mobile services in the near future, an advisory panel says.

“Hong Kong must catch up at full steam in smart city development. We will also continue to open up city data collected by smart lampposts to drive smart city development," the Government Chief Information Officer, Victor Lam, said.

The first 50 "smart lampposts" were installed in Kwun Tong and the Kai Tak Development Area.

About 20 were destroyed in protests in Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay in late August over spying suspicions.

The original design included panoramic cameras to collect real-time traffic data and traffic snapshot images, and surveillance cameras which aim to monitor traffic conditions and tackle illegal dumping of construction waste.

Source : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=138296&story_id=138296&d_str=20191210&sid=4


----------



## Shenkey

Only microphones in this ones


----------



## hkskyline

The Excelsior Demolition Works 
12/8


----------



## hkskyline

*Gaw Capital says Hong Kong protests affected renovation schedule of its newly opened mall*
Dec 13, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong private equity fund Gaw Capital Partners, which owns and operates 29 shopping centres and car parks in the city, said that the ongoing protests have affected its tenants and renovation efforts.

Gary Wong Chi-him, public affairs and marketing director at Gaw Capital, said that “businesses in a few of our malls have been affected since the start of the third quarter and we will consider what discounts can be offered, [although] there is no one-off plan”.

“Some tenants told me there were a lot fewer patrons. Because of the social movement, people have been going out less, particularly during the weekends,” said Wong, adding that areas such as Wong Tai Sin have been affected more than others because of frequent clashes between police and protesters.

Gaw Capital and its partners have acquired the portfolio worth HK$35 billion (US$4.48 billion) worth of neighbourhood malls and car parks since March 2017.

Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, recently said that shops and eateries had lost an estimated HK$10.5 billion worth of business between June and October.

He added that retailers were not particularly optimistic about the Christmas shopping season.

Gaw said that the protests had delayed the renovation of Lai Kok Shopping Centre in Cheung Sha Wan, the first of its 29 shopping centres to be overhauled. The work was to be completed in “early fourth quarter” but it was delayed to late November as some workers could not get to work and it took longer to complete, said Wong.

The company is renovating four other shopping centres. Wong said that although the work is expected to be completed in mid 2020, the completion date may be pushed back if the protests continue.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...-says-hong-kong-protests-have-hit-tenants-its


----------



## hkskyline

Pak Tin Estate Redevelopment

Garden Hill by tomosang, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Hong Kong’s biggest land auction attracts three bids as Kowloon site near protest flashpoint loses value *
> Nov 22, 2019
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> Hong Kong’s biggest land auction, involving a site that became the latest flashpoint in more than five months of anti-government protests, has attracted three bids from among the city’s richest developers.
> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties and CK Asset Holdings have submitted bids for the 5.88-hectare commercial plot atop the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus, company officials told the South China Morning Post. A consortium comprising Wharf Holdings, Sino Land, Henderson Land Development, Chinese Estate Holdings and Lifestyle International Holdings also lodged a bid. The Lands Department spokesperson confirmed the number of bids by phone when contacted by the South China Morning Post.
> 
> The auction may test investor appetite and underline the extent of damage to market valuation over the past six months as anti-government protests turned off buyers and pushed the economy into a recession. Since the government unveiled the site as part of its 2019-2020 auction programme in March, the value of the site has shrunk by as much as 63 per cent based on analyst estimates.
> 
> More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...d-auction-attracts-least-three-bids-site-near
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Posted on Ming Pao_


* Hong Kong’s Kwok family boosts city with HK$9.4 billion cheque for stake in Sun Hung Kai towers atop West Kowloon station *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 16, 2019

Hong Kong’s Kwok family will invest HK$9.4 billion (US$1.2 billion) for a 25 per cent stake in office towers to come up on a plot of land won by Sun Hung Kai Properties last month. The family is the company’s controlling shareholder and its investment is being viewed as a show of confidence in the city’s economy.

Hong Kong’s economy entered a technical recession in the third quarter amid anti-government protests that started in June and have since derailed its tourism, aviation as well as property sectors.

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market value, won the plot on Austin Road atop the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station – the biggest plot ever sold in the city – for a record HK$42.23 billion in November. It said on Monday that the Kwok family’s investment exhibited the family’s belief in Hong Kong’s prospects.

It said it “expects to bring in proper long-term investors to add value to the landmark project by taking advantage of all the resources and strength [available with] the new shareholders,” Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, the company’s chairman, said in a statement.
The project will include both retail and office portions, and SHKP will “form a synergy” with the International Commerce Centre it operates nearby, Kwok said last month after winning the bid.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/compa...ily-boosts-city-hk94-billion-cheque-stake-sun


----------



## hkskyline

Tsuen Wan West

20191122 by Sailisa Li, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

Dec 18, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*State-backed conglomerate Citic Pacific wins bid for Tai Hang luxury residential site for HK$3.2 billion*

Hong Kong-listed and Chinese state-backed conglomerate Citic Pacific has won a luxury residential plot in Tai Hang, southeast of Causeway Bay, for HK$3.2 billion (US$410.8 million), the city’s Lands Department said on Wednesday.

The company beat 24 other bidders for the plot, which was initially expected to go for a bid between HK$1.7 billion and HK$5.41 billion (US$218 million and US$694 million), according to market observers.

The winning bid is being viewed as indicative of the cautious outlook prevailing in Hong Kong’s property market following seven months of anti-government protests as well as the more than a year old US-China trade war.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...-conglomerate-citic-pacific-wins-bid-tai-hang


----------



## hkskyline

*First prefabs early*
16 December 2019
The Standard _Excerpt_









_發展局局長網誌_

The first local building constructed using prefab technology - a firemen's living quarters at Tseung Kwan O - will be completed ahead of schedule.

"The disciplined services quarters for the fire services department at Pak Shing Kok, which started construction in August last year, is expected to be completed by the end of 2020," Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun said in his blog. "It was originally scheduled for the second quarter of 2021."

This is Hong Kong's first attempt to use modular integrated construction, where free-standing integrated modules completed with finishes, fixtures and fittings are manufactured in a prefabrication factory and then transported to a site for installation.

Wong said the method improves productivity, construction safety, sustainability and cost-efficiency.

The project comprises five buildings - one 17 stories and four 16 stories. There are altogether 648 three-bedroom flats measuring 538 square feet each, with eight units on each floor.

Project director Ngan Siu-tak said that over 80 percent of the interior decoration is completed off-site and the assembly of 3,800 components requires precise calculation.

More : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=214519


----------



## jchk

*Logan Property Site* | Ap Lei Chau

Project facts


Site Cost: HK$16.86 Billion ($2.2 Billion) 
Architect: Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man Architects

Stumbled upon this little known, then-record-shattering seaside site in Ap Lei Chau.


20191223 Logan Ap Lei Chau I by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191223 Logan Ap Lei Chau II by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191223 Logan Ap Lei Chau III by jezze0410, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Hong Kong’s Kwok family boosts city with HK$9.4 billion cheque for stake in Sun Hung Kai towers atop West Kowloon station *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Dec 16, 2019
> 
> Hong Kong’s Kwok family will invest HK$9.4 billion (US$1.2 billion) for a 25 per cent stake in office towers to come up on a plot of land won by Sun Hung Kai Properties last month. The family is the company’s controlling shareholder and its investment is being viewed as a show of confidence in the city’s economy.
> 
> Hong Kong’s economy entered a technical recession in the third quarter amid anti-government protests that started in June and have since derailed its tourism, aviation as well as property sectors.
> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market value, won the plot on Austin Road atop the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station – the biggest plot ever sold in the city – for a record HK$42.23 billion in November. It said on Monday that the Kwok family’s investment exhibited the family’s belief in Hong Kong’s prospects.
> 
> It said it “expects to bring in proper long-term investors to add value to the landmark project by taking advantage of all the resources and strength [available with] the new shareholders,” Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, the company’s chairman, said in a statement.
> The project will include both retail and office portions, and SHKP will “form a synergy” with the International Commerce Centre it operates nearby, Kwok said last month after winning the bid.
> 
> More : https://www.scmp.com/business/compa...ily-boosts-city-hk94-billion-cheque-stake-sun


* Kwoks show faith with $9b West Kowloon buy *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 17, 2019

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) yesterday said it would sell a 25 percent share of its land above the high-speed rail West Kowloon Station to companies owned by the Kwok family - who are SHKP's main shareholders - for HK$9.4 billion.

The commercial part of the site will be retained by SHKP, it said.

Last month, SKHP paid HK$42.23 billion to secure the commercial site atop the high-speed rail terminus in a tender that attracted just three bidders, including a consortium. At HK$13,345 per square foot of floor area, it became the most expensive piece of land in Hong Kong's history.

Chairman and managing director Raymond Kwok Ping-luen also reaffirmed that SHKP is looking for strategic investors to join in the development of the project. 

More : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=214547


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## hkskyline

* Once-bustling Hakka village awaits news of change *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 9, 2019









_Ming Pao_

Wearing a grandfatherly smile, Yau So is always ready to tell visitors stories about his corner of the city - Cha Kwo Ling village, at the eastern end of Kowloon.

The 74-year-old has been village head for decades. These days, his stories end on an uncertain note, with no happily-ever-after, as time is ticking.

Cha Kwo Ling has been earmarked for redevelopment by the government, which plans to build 3,000 new public flats. Two other urban squatter villages are also being taken back by the government for public housing.

A hub of granite quarry activity from the 19th century to the *period before World War II, the 4.65-hectare village in Kwun Tong district is home to just 400 people.

Built at the foot of a hill and along the coast, it has been a *Hakka settlement for several generations. The place is somewhat run-down and quiet now, as many residents have moved to public housing estates elsewhere.

Most of those still living there are the elderly and some new *arrivals from the mainland.

The villagers seem resigned to their days there being numbered, but Yau says: "We just have some demands: to keep our historic landmarks and treasures, village office, Tin Hau temple, school and our dragon boat. We also request appropriate compensation from the government.

"I love the village. I know it's not within my control, but I hope to settle things before I die."

So far, however, the villagers are in the dark about what will happen, and when. Yau says nobody has come to explain since Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor included the plan to take back the villages in a raft of measures she announced in October to boost Hong Kong's land and housing supply.

Yau is filled with pride as he *relates how the villagers worked at the granite quarry from the mid-19th century, producing rocks used for buildings coming up as the city developed.

Stone from the village was used for landmarks such as the Old Supreme Court in Central - now the Court of Final Appeal - as well as some buildings in southern China. In the village itself, the Tin Hau temple, dedicated to the Chinese goddess of the sea, is still standing, built with local stone.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ity-descends-once-bustling-cha-kwo-ling-hakka


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## jchk

*Hopewell Centre II* | Wan Chai
Official Site: http://www.hopewellcentre2.com/eng/index.htm

Project facts


Height: 207m
Number of hotel rooms: 1024

Model:





Two quick shots from today, taken from the panoramic lift in Hopewell Centre:


20191224 Hopewell 2 I by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191224 Hopewell 2 II by jezze0410, on Flickr


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## jchk

*Former Murray Road Car Park Site* | Central

Project summary: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/zaha-hadid-architects-iconic-office-hong-kong-architecture/

Project facts


Design: Zaha Hadid Architects

Developer: Henderson Land Development

Height: 35 storeys | 190m AOD 

Site cost: HK$23.3 billion (£2.2 billion)

Projected completion: Q3 2022

Took a few photos of the site today; it was incredible busy despite it being Christmas Eve!


20191224 Murray Road I by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191224 Murray Road II by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191224 Murray Road III by jezze0410, on Flickr


20191224 Murray Road IV by jezze0410, on Flickr


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## Munwon

^rendering?


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## jchk

Munwon said:


> ^rendering?


Still no renderings. I had a walk around the perimeter of the site and there really is no information about the scheme at all.


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## penwick

jchk said:


> Still no renderings. I had a walk around the perimeter of the site and there really is no information about the scheme at all.



maybe they really wanna surprise everyone


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## hkskyline

penwick said:


> maybe they really wanna surprise everyone


Most major projects in the city are like that nowadays.


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## hkskyline

Museum of Art

DJI_0102-Pano by 小影, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*Sun Hung Kai Properties prices new Tin Shui Wai project 9 per cent higher than used homes nearby as trade-war breakthrough boosts confidence*
Dec 26, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s largest developer, has taken advantage of the breakthrough in US-China trade talks by pricing its new project in Tin Shui Wai around 9 per cent higher than used homes in nearby Kingswood Villa.

The Wetland Seasons Park will be the first project to go on sale in 2020, and the first new project in Tin Shui Wai in 10 years.

“There has been progress in the US-China trade talks, and the stock market has also gone up. Although the social unrest in Hong Kong has made buyers take a wait-and-see approach in the second half of the year, market sentiment has improved and I believe consumer confidence will return,” said Victor Lui Ting, deputy managing director at Sun Hung Kai Properties.

“I believe the housing market won’t fluctuate as much in 2020 and will stay steady and healthy.”

He predicted housing prices in the city would see a mild rise in the coming year.

The new batch of 142 flats at Wetland Seasons Park, which could be put on sale as early as next week, will be sold at an average of HK$11,388 per square foot.

More : https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-...-properties-prices-new-tin-shui-wai-project-9


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s historic gas lamps along Duddell Steps reinstalled 15 months after they were shattered by Typhoon Mangkhut*
Dec 29, 2019
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Four historic gas lamps at the heart of Hong Kong’s busiest district are lit up again after a 15-month repair, as the government overcame the challenges in obtaining accessories and skills essential for the century-old monuments.

Technicians from Town gas, the company in charge of maintaining the lamps, were on Friday morning putting their finishing touches to the lamps, which had been shattered by Typhoon Mangkhut in September 2018.

The lamps, known as a heritage landmark in Central, will again be lit from 6pm to 6am everyday. Handrails and balustrades accompanying them have also been returned to their old looks.

Located at the end of Duddell Street, the gas lamps have been the only functioning street lamps of their kind in the city since 1967. The lamps, together with the Duddell Steps, were both declared monuments in 1979, ensuring the structures protection by the government.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...-kongs-historic-gas-lamps-along-duddell-steps


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## hkskyline

Seaside Sonata, Sham Shui Po
12/22


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## hkskyline

December 28, 2019 
*CE eyes art museum to help improve HK's art, culture*
Xinhua _Excerpt_

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Friday she expects the revamped Hong Kong Museum of Art to help improve Hong Kong's art and culture.

The museum, along with two world-class museums under construction, namely the M+ Museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, will stand as unique landmark for culture, arts and tourism on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, raising Hong Kong's art and culture to a higher level, Lam said during a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Having been closed since August 2015 for a major expansion and renovation, the Hong Kong Museum of Art reopened on Nov 30.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/199/117/242/1577504528947.html?newsId=116943


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## hkskyline

* Wheelock to lease land for homes at nominal $1 per site *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 31, 2019

Wheelock and Co plans to lease out 500,000 square feet of land to build more than 2,000 transitional homes, benefiting over 6,000 households, or 20,000 people.

This comes after Henderson Land Development and New World Development announced plans to hand over part of their land banks for social housing as the unrest takes a toll on the city.

Wheelock intends to rent out sites in Tai Po, Tuen Mun and Tung Chung to non-profit organizations for a nominal sum of HK$1 each for eight years.

Upon completion, the projects will be operated by the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society in Kowloon and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, said the company.

Wheelock said it will pay the early-stage costs in planning and construction and expects the units could be completed in a year following the start of a project.

The Legislative Council hasn't earmarked the HK$5 billion for meeting the cost of transitional housing units that was proposed in the policy address this year.

The sites represent 10 to 12.5 percent of the developer's total land reserve, which is close to five million sq ft, says Stewart Leung Chi-kin, vice chairman of the group.

The largest portion of the sites are in Tai Po, near the industrial estate, said Leung.

More : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=214942


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong may miss annual homes supply target as protests delay land sales*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 31, 2019

Hong Kong may fall short of its annual target of supplying new private homes to in the city as street protests and an economic recession disrupted its efforts to alleviate a housing shortage in the worlds expensive residential market. The government and the private developers have provided enough land bank to build 9,820 homes in the nine months to December 31, Secretary for Development Michael Wong said on Tuesday. It will only release land to accommodate another 2,030 units in the next three months, indicating about 10 per cent deficit versus its 13,500 target for the year to March 31.

"We are almost meeting 90 per cent of our annual target based on existing and future land provision, Wong said, blaming part of the shortfall on the smaller contribution from private developers. Achieving its full-year target will depend on whether additional supply can be provided by private developers, he added.

For its part, the government has earmarked two residential land parcels in Mong Kok and one in Kwun Tong (1,850 units of homes) for tender between now and March 31. The Urban Renewal Authority will separately invite bidders for a parcel of land in Sham Shui Po, capable of providing 180 units of homes.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...homes-supply-target-protests-delay-state-land


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## hkskyline

Jan 2, 2020 1:29pm
EJ Insight _Excerpt_*
How building new key roads can cut congestion*









_Source: https://www.trunkroadt2.gov.hk/en/overview.html_

Hong Kong, like many cities across the world, is grappling with growing congestion and inadequate transport systems. Even though 90 percent of all passenger trips in Hong Kong are made on public transport each day, the highest percentage in the world, the number of private cars on the road is growing – and if you’re trying to get back from Hong Kong Island through one of the harbour tunnels at rush hour, you’ll know this first-hand.

There is, of course, the argument that people should be using public transport, but until cities have a fully integrated, end-to-end system, some people will always need to drive. While it’s right to prioritize mass transport, the number of private cars and vans in Hong Kong has risen by 45 percent to about 616,000 in the last 10 years, and their drivers need to get from A to B.

As part of a diverse approach to people-centric mobility, strategic roads and highways can alleviate congestion caused by long-distance and freight traffic, while also offering high-speed connections between business and cultural hubs. New developments in Hong Kong and Singapore are pointing to the importance of highway infrastructure in improving overall citizen mobility.

Strategic thinking in Hong Kong has laid plans for the construction of an express link that will improve connectivity across the city’s Kowloon district. Set to open in 2026, “Trunk Road T2” will utilize new technologies to alleviate traffic congestion, while minimizing environmental impacts and disruption to the surroundings during construction.

In combination with the Central Kowloon Route and the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel, Trunk Road T2 will form an East-West link across the Kowloon Peninsula and connect West Kowloon to the new developments in Tseung Kwan O. Formerly a fishing village, Tseung Kwan O now houses around 400,000 people.

After the construction of Trunk Road T2, the completed Route 6 will effectively cut driving time between West Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O by more than half, from 60 minutes during peak hours to just 15 minutes, and greatly improve connectivity for citizens traveling by bus or car in this densely developed area.

More : http://www.ejinsight.com/20200102-how-building-new-key-roads-can-cut-congestion/


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong developers set to vie for buyers’ affection as a glut of new flats floods the market *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 7, 2020

Hong Kong developers could come under pressure to reduce prices amid a spate of new project launches, according to market observers.

Centaline Property Agency said on Monday that six developers who hold 5,120 unsold flats since 2016 are likely to speed up sales to avoid the soon-to-be introduced vacancy tax.

Combined with Midland Realty’s forecast two weeks ago of 27,000 new flats likely to go on sale in 2020, the overall supply would rise to 32,120 units.

Sammy Po, chief executive of Midland Realty, said that since it is such a large pipeline of new flats “developers will be under pressure to launch projects at lower prices”.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...buyers-affection-glut-new-flats-floods-market


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## hkskyline

Tuen Mun

Castle Peak, Tuen Mun by tomosang, on Flickr

Castle Peak, Tuen Mun by tomosang, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong faces HK$10 billion potential shortfall in land sales revenue as city faces first fiscal deficit in 15 years *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 8, 2020

Hong Kong is likely to miss its target of collecting HK$143 billion (US$18.3 billion) from land sales and premium revenue in the current financial year to March 31, likely contributing to the city’s first budget deficit in 15 years.

The government has generated HK$113.8 billion of such revenue between April 1 and December 18, 2019, according to calculations based on Lands Department records. Land sales earmarked for the rest of current year could only possibly raise the tally to about HK$133 billion, analysts said.

Five analysts expected a shortfall against the budgeted figure, while one expect collection to surpass the target, according to a survey conducted by the South China Morning Post last week.

Hong Kong raised this year’s land sales and premium target by 22 per cent to HK$143 billion, a level that has come under severe pressure since June when anti-government protests gathered momentum and occasionally turned violent. The beleaguered economy fell into a technical recession in the third quarter, and Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said its first fiscal deficit since 2004 is “unavoidable.”

Revenue will be “slightly lower than the budget estimate since some parcels of land were withdrawn from sale,” said Thomas Lam, an executive director at Knight Frank, who sees a likely outcome of HK$130 billion to HK$135 billion.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...n-potential-shortfall-land-sales-revenue-city


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## hkskyline

*The Works：Reopening of the Museum of Art & in the studio: pianists Warren Lee and Colleen Lee*
RTHK


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai joins drive to resolve city's housing *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Jan 10, 2020









_Posted on Ming Pao_

Sun Hung Kai Properties — Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market value — has joined in the push to ease the city’s acute housing problem by offering three plots of farmland in the New Territories to build transitional homes.

The property giant, controlled by the Kwok family, said on Friday it will offer three sites — at Long Ping in Yuen Long, Kam Tin and Kwu Tong in Fan Ling — for the projects.

The Tung Tau site, covering 300,000 square feet, will be leased to the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council for a nominal fee of HK$1 to operate 1,600 units, which are due to be completed by early 2022.

SHKP is seeking other partners to run the other two projects at Kam Tin and Kwu Tong, covering a total of 100,000 square feet. On completion, the three projects are expected to house a total of 6,000 families. 

“We hope to improve the living conditions of the grassroots through these projects, and there’ll be markets around those housing units to cater to the needs of the residents,” SHKP Executive Director Adam Kwok Kai-fai said.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/article/118214#Sun-Hung-Kai-joins-drive-to-resolve-city's-housing-woes


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong buyers snap up SHKP’s Wetland Seasons flats in Tin Shui Wai for the second weekend as sentiments improve*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 11, 2020









_Posted on on.cc_

Hong Kong’s homebuyers piled into the first major residential property project to be launched in Tin Shui Wai in a decade, as they snap up most of the 335 homes offered by Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) at the Wetland Seasons Park project.

SHKP sold 70 flats shortly after kicking off the sale, agents said. With nearly 18 buyers bidding for every available flat, the batch is expected to sell out, making it the second consecutive sell-out weekend for the city’s biggest developer by capitalisation, agents said.

“Potential homebuyers are quick to snap up flats, as market confidence has returned,” said Midland Realty’s residential division chief executive Sammy Po, who estimated that 80 per cent of the bidders are buying the flats for their own use. “The property market has been boosted by the rising stock market, as a trade deal is about to be signed between the US and China, and the social movement in the city seems to have cooled down a bit.”

Source : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...kps-wetland-seasons-flats-tin-shui-wai-second


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## hkskyline

* Luohu port pushed to become co-location site *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 30, 2019

Luohu port in Shenzhen could be the next border point enforcing co-location immigration clearance on mainland soil in a plan to revamp the 35-year-old border district.

The proposal by Shenzhen government - which has yet to be formally presented to the Hong Kong government - seeks to extend Hong Kong's East Rail Line beyond Shenzhen River into Shenzhen.

It would take the future Lo Wu MTR stop closer to Shenzhen Metro's Luohu station, shortening the traveling time for commuters, Sing Tao Daily, The Standard's sister paper, reported.

The Hong Kong immigration counters in Lo Wu would also move into Shenzhen territory.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said Shenzhen has yet to present any of the proposal.

"After receiving formal proposals, relevant bureaux would look into their feasibility and cost effectiveness," the spokesman said.

Under existing arrangements at Lo Wu, travelers disembark from the Lo Wu MTR station and go through Hong Kong immigration checks before they cross Shenzhen River over a bridge towards mainland immigration counters in Shenzhen.

It takes about 11 minutes to walk from Lo Wu MTR station to Shenzhen's Luohu metro station. That prompted Shenzhen to consider moving the two stations closer together so that traveling time can be halved to five minutes.

Immigration clearance will shift to the co-location model adopted in Shenzhen Bay port in 2007 - meaning the mainland will designate a spot for co-location within its territory.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Hong Kong’s Kwok family boosts city with HK$9.4 billion cheque for stake in Sun Hung Kai towers atop West Kowloon station *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Dec 16, 2019
> 
> Hong Kong’s Kwok family will invest HK$9.4 billion (US$1.2 billion) for a 25 per cent stake in office towers to come up on a plot of land won by Sun Hung Kai Properties last month. The family is the company’s controlling shareholder and its investment is being viewed as a show of confidence in the city’s economy.
> 
> Hong Kong’s economy entered a technical recession in the third quarter amid anti-government protests that started in June and have since derailed its tourism, aviation as well as property sectors.
> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market value, won the plot on Austin Road atop the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station – the biggest plot ever sold in the city – for a record HK$42.23 billion in November. It said on Monday that the Kwok family’s investment exhibited the family’s belief in Hong Kong’s prospects.
> 
> It said it “expects to bring in proper long-term investors to add value to the landmark project by taking advantage of all the resources and strength [available with] the new shareholders,” Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, the company’s chairman, said in a statement.
> The project will include both retail and office portions, and SHKP will “form a synergy” with the International Commerce Centre it operates nearby, Kwok said last month after winning the bid.
> 
> More : https://www.scmp.com/business/compa...ily-boosts-city-hk94-billion-cheque-stake-sun


* Ping An ponders West Kowloon project stake *
The Standard
Jan 14, 2020

Ping An Insurance (2318) is considering joining Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) in developing the record-breaking HK$42.23 billion commercial site atop West Kowloon station, local media reported.

Ping An may want to own one of the three buildings to be built on the site, which was secured by SHKP in November last year.

Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, chairman and managing director of SHKP, invited long-term investors to join in the development of the Austin Road project in November. Kwok's family has invested HK$9.4 billion for a 25 percent interest in the project.

Source : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/break...75/Ping-An-ponders-West-Kowloon-project-stake


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Seaside Sonata, Sham Shui Po
> 2/21
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6/10


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## hkskyline

6/12 - Seaside Sonata


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## hkskyline

* Ambitious plan to redevelop 3,300 buildings in heart of Hong Kong runs into financial problems * 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 18, 2020

A plan to redevelop more than 3,000 buildings in two densely packed districts of Hong Kong will be too costly to implement fully, the Urban Renewal Authority has revealed.

The concerns came as the semi-public body recorded a massive drop in its surplus for the past financial year and estimated it would run a HK$100 million (US$12.9 million) deficit in the current one, raising fears over its long-term sustainability.

“We have a budget deficit for the coming financial year, but there’s no need to be overly concerned,” URA chairman Chow Chung-kong told the media on Wednesday.

“We are hopeful that there will be cash inflow arising from some new sites [put] out for tender next year. But in the near future, as we will be planning for larger and more extensive redevelopment projects, there might be shortages of cash flow and the authority might need to look for ways to finance ourselves by that time.”

The authority has been working on redeveloping parts of Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, involving 3,300 buildings, 80 per cent of which are three decades or older, to make better use of the land and generate housing.

More : URA admits financial problems with Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok redevelopment


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## hkskyline

* Can CK Asset’s flexible payment terms drum up sales for new Sea To Sky project in Lohas Park? *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 23, 2020

Saturday was an extraordinarily hot day, but not everyone was staying indoors to avoid the heat. About 50 property agents were scattered around the entrance of the Lohas Park MTR station in Tseung Kwan O, inviting passers-by to visit the area’s latest residential project to go on sale.

“By putting down only 5 per cent of the flat price as an initial deposit, you can become a homeowner,” said Louis Wong, an agent with Hong Kong Property Services (Agency), one of the brokers selling flats at Sea To Sky, the latest offering by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s CK Asset Holdings and Lohas Park’s biggest new residential project in about two years. He was trying to keep the 33-degree heat at bay with a handheld electric fan, standing next to the construction site where three 44 to 55-storey towers rise within a 5 minute’s walk from the station.

The project, a joint venture between CK Asset Holdings and MTR Corporation, which operates Hong Kong’s railway system and is also a major property developer and landlord, comes at a time when Hong Kong home prices have fallen 5.4 per cent since a peak in May last year. Moreover, analysts believe property values will fall 10 per cent to 20 per cent this year amid prolonged economic weakness and rising unemployment.

More : Can flexible payment terms drum up sales for new Lohas Park project?

Project website : Sea To Sky






_Video with renderings and site photos from Ming Pao (Cantonese)_


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## hkskyline

*Sol City (Long Ping Station)*
4 towers (29, 29, 29, 19 stories)
Expected Completion : 2020
Website : Sol City

6/26


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## LivinAWestLife

AIRSIDE, Grade-A Office & Retail Development at Kai Tak by Nan Fung Group - Arup


AIRSIDE, Grade-A Office & Retail Development at Kai Tak developed by Nan Fung Group, Arup’s Planning, Façade, Traffic, Sustainability and Building Services teams jointly engineered a 178,000m2 landmark Grade-A office and retail development, which is also a top-rated green and smart...




www.arup.com





*AIRSIDE (Formerly NKIL 6556)








*

Nan Fung acquired the land parcel called NKIL 6556 and developed it into the AIRSIDE. Nan Fung strives to create more value for the 1.7ha site with a people-oriented environment and social inclusive community. In collaboration with our client, Arup’s planning, structure, façade, traffic, sustainability, fire engineering, ICT and building services teams jointly engineered a 178,000m² landmark Grade-A office and retail development, which is also a top-rated green and smart commercial development and neighbourhood hub in this new CBD.

Our holistic approach turned the project into Hong Kong’s first private development to achieve the top Platinum rating under BEAM Plus Neighbourhood scheme. Moreover, it is targeting Platinum ratings in BEAM Plus New Buildings, LEED and WELL, as well as 3-star rating under China’s CGBL scheme. Our experience in planning approvals in the territory will enable us to facilitate the local authority approval of the master layout plan and realise the green vision.


*A neighbourhood open for all*
Surrounded by lush greenery covering 33% of the site area, including vertical green walls of over 1,000m², this project will significantly improve the neighbourhood by enhancing people’s wellbeing. Moreover, there will be a 20m setback along Kai Tak River to create a wider promenade. Together with an open plaza for activities and events, this place is indeed an inviting space for everyone to enjoy.

Microclimate studies were also conducted to shape the building form with an urban window to enhance outdoor comfort and local wind environment. Water features will be crafted to reduce the heat island effect in compact urban environment.


*Linking the heart of CBD*
There will be abundant choices within the neighbourhood’s low-carbon mobility network – bus, MTR, the proposed Environmentally Friendly Linkage System (EFLS), bike, electric car or on foot. In particular, the development will provide premium end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, including an automatic underground bicycle parking system, the first-of-its-kind in Hong Kong.

As the focal point of the Kai Tak area Arup will manage the design and planning of the transport facilities including ingress/egress, internal traffic circulation, parking, loading/unloading and pedestrian connectivity to the public transports and elevated walkways. Utilising our teams’ experience, Arup will enhance the transport planning and traffic engineering designs to optimise the intrinsic and real value of the development.

*Setting new environmental benchmark*
This development is set to achieve exemplar environmental performance through passive design, energy-efficient infrastructure and renewable energy system. A high-performance façade system with solar and glare responsive design can reduce thermal transfer and air conditioning use. The building will also be connected to the Kai Tak District Cooling System (also realised by Arup), and an onsite photovoltaic system covering over 15,000ft² to produce 270MWh of electricity each year.

We will also adopt an automatic refuse collection system to sort waste at source and facilitate the implementation of mandatory waste charging scheme. Other environmental initiatives include rainwater recycling, extensive landscape and man-made wetland. Arup-engineered Air Induction Unit (AIU) will also be used on G/F to provide cooling effect for occupants’ comfort.

*Daily operations – smart and green*
A number of innovative approaches will be adopted for enhancing the green experience of tenants and occupants. These include sub-metering, IoT-based smart urban farm, waste volume monitoring and parking app for carpark navigation and slot booking.

Apart from energy efficiency, real-time analysis and preventive maintenance enabled through artificial intelligence and machine learning, it will also help building a smart community platform to bring a unique retail experience with a personal touch for both tenants and mall-goers.


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## hkskyline

*Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on*
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 19, 2020










More luxury homes have been sold, including two units in Dukes Place at Jardine's Lookout for HK$438 million, a unit at Trafalgar Court for HK$90 million and a house in Kowloon by China Overseas Land & Investment (0688) for HK$153 million as market sentiment brightens.

Dukes Place is jointly developed by CSI Properties (0497) subsidiary Couture Homes Properties, Asia Standard International and Grosvenor Asia Pacific.

A total of 980 primary home units have been sold this month with a recovery in the property market, the largest number in a month since the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the would-be buyers of 12 new flats have forfeited their deposits in May.

Chevalier International (0025) has named its new project at Tai Kok Tsui, jointly developed with the Urban Renewal Authority, as Sablier.

The project offers 144 home units, more than 60 percent of them single-room flats.

More : Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on


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## hkskyline

* Koko Hills: Wheelock prices Kowloon East project at a premium, bets on national security law to boost market *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
July 3, 2020






_信報_

Wheelock Properties, pinning its hopes on the newly passed national security law to bring stability to Hong Kong and boost the housing market, has priced its upcoming residential project at a huge premium.

The developer is expected to launch the first batch of 83 flats at Koko Hills in Kowloon East as early as next week, with prices starting at HK$19,264 (US$2,485) per square foot. It is likely to be the first project to go on sale after the new law was introduced on Tuesday.

“We’re seeing an enthusiastic response to Koko Hills, with more than 4,000 inquires in the last couple of days already,” said Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu, managing director of Wheelock Properties. “The impact of the pandemic has eased, and we expect the housing market to be boosted in the second half.”

More : Wheelock pushes the envelope on pricing of upcoming residential project


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 6/12 - Seaside Sonata


Sham Shui Po by Alex Mak, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on*
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> May 19, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> More luxury homes have been sold, including two units in Dukes Place at Jardine's Lookout for HK$438 million, a unit at Trafalgar Court for HK$90 million and a house in Kowloon by China Overseas Land & Investment (0688) for HK$153 million as market sentiment brightens.
> 
> Dukes Place is jointly developed by CSI Properties (0497) subsidiary Couture Homes Properties, Asia Standard International and Grosvenor Asia Pacific.
> 
> A total of 980 primary home units have been sold this month with a recovery in the property market, the largest number in a month since the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the would-be buyers of 12 new flats have forfeited their deposits in May.
> 
> Chevalier International (0025) has named its new project at Tai Kok Tsui, jointly developed with the Urban Renewal Authority, as Sablier.
> 
> The project offers 144 home units, more than 60 percent of them single-room flats.
> 
> More : Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on


7/7


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Koko Hills: Wheelock prices Kowloon East project at a premium, bets on national security law to boost market *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> July 3, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _信報_
> 
> Wheelock Properties, pinning its hopes on the newly passed national security law to bring stability to Hong Kong and boost the housing market, has priced its upcoming residential project at a huge premium.
> 
> The developer is expected to launch the first batch of 83 flats at Koko Hills in Kowloon East as early as next week, with prices starting at HK$19,264 (US$2,485) per square foot. It is likely to be the first project to go on sale after the new law was introduced on Tuesday.
> 
> “We’re seeing an enthusiastic response to Koko Hills, with more than 4,000 inquires in the last couple of days already,” said Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu, managing director of Wheelock Properties. “The impact of the pandemic has eased, and we expect the housing market to be boosted in the second half.”
> 
> More : Wheelock pushes the envelope on pricing of upcoming residential project


* Buyers shrug aside Covid-19 relapse for Wheelock’s Koko Hills flats in Lam Tin, giving legs to Hong Kong’s home bull run *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 11, 2020

Hong Kong’s property buyers shrugged aside a relapse of coronavirus infections to snap up new homes launched in two locations, giving legs to a tentative recovery in the city’s residential real estate market.

Wheelock Properties sold 85 flats at the Koko Hills project in Lam Tin for a total haul of HK$1.02 billion at 6:30pm, or 53 per cent of the 160 units offered, even as the project’s average price of HK$19,995 per square foot was about 15 per cent higher than the most recent new launch in the neighbourhood. Separately, CK Asset Holdings managed to clear 97 of 285 apartments in the third round of sales at its Sea To Sky complex at Lohas Park in Tseung Kwan O, according to sales agents.

“The recent home price index is already higher than the beginning of this year, so the [adverse] impact of the [coronavirus] outbreak on home price has been over,” said Wheelock’s Managing Director Ricky Wong. “The economy may rebound from the bottom in the second half of this year. What’s more, the low-interest environment still prevails and the stock market has performed well recently, creating a wealth effect” that stimulates demand, he said.

More : Home buyers shrug aside Covid-19 relapse for Wheelock’s new flats


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai Properties’ use of ‘smart helmets’ for construction workers cuts down accidents at its construction site to zero *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 14, 2020

Developers should make the use of protective gear mandatory and improve supervision of safety measures to minimise accidents as mishaps at Hong Kong’s smaller construction sites remain worryingly high, said industry observers.

Sun Hung Kai Properties, the city’s largest developer by market cap, meanwhile has placed the most notable bet on new technology to take the lead and optimise the safety of its construction sites.

“In recent few years, the number of deaths … has remained at around 20,” said Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive at Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, a non-governmental organisation that provides support for victims of industrial accidents.

“This is not satisfactory. I think there is still room for improvement, [such as] in terms of penalty. Some [workers] are still using simple ladders or not wearing safety belts while making scaffolding. This is still quite common.”

She added that unless safety equipment is used widely and awareness is raised among the workers and companies, accidents will continue to happen.

More : ‘Smart helmets’ cut down construction accidents to zero


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## hkskyline

* China Mobile outbids Hong Kong tycoons, Singapore rival with record price for Sha Tin industrial land in sign of market revival *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 9, 2020



























_Ming Pao_

China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator, has agreed to pay a record price for a parcel of industrial land in Hong Kong to outbid a handful of Hong Kong tycoons, possibly signalling the return of powerful mainland buyers to the city’s property market.

The telecommunications group offered HK$5.6 billion (US$722.6 million) for the 98,792-square foot (9,178 square metres) site in Sha Tin, New Territories with a 50-year lease, according to tender results published by the Lands Department late Wednesday. The plot is also the biggest piece to come to the market since 1998, according to surveyor CHFT Advisory and Appraisal.

At HK$5,967 per square foot, the price tag surpassed the previous record of HK$3,617 psf for a Fanling industrial site in 2018, according to government land sale records. It also exceeded the HK$2.35 billion to HK$3.75 billion range estimated by property analysts before the tender.

More : China Mobile outbids Hong Kong tycoons, Singapore rival in Sha Tin land sale


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## hkskyline

*Central Kowloon Route - Yau Ma Tei Interchange*
Map : Scope

7/12


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai Properties adopts premium pricing strategy for Regency Bay, tags it 40 per cent higher than new projects in Tuen Mun *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 17, 2020

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market cap, has priced its latest project in Tuen Mun nearly 40 per cent higher than new launches in the New Territories, paying no heed to the third wave of coronavirus outbreak currently sweeping the city.

The developer has priced the first batch of 88 flats at its Regency Bay residential development at HK$17,377 (US$2,241) per square foot after discount, the highest among new projects launched in the district recently. Prices start at HK$4.68 million after discounts for a flat measuring 261 sq ft. SHKP has yet to announce the sales launch date of the flats.

“The developer is testing waters [as] it is the first new project priced amid the third wave of coronavirus outbreak,” said Louis Chan, vice-chairman of Asia-Pacific and chief executive of residential division at Centaline Property Agency. “The pricing of the first batch is aggressive.”

More : Sun Hung Kai Properties’ Regency Bay project not for the fainthearted


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## hkskyline

*Seaside Sonata, Sham Shui Po*
4 towers - 29 fl, 35 fl, 37 fl, 37 fl

DJI_0223 by Egg Jeffrey, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

* National security law prompts more mainland firms to bid for Hong Kong land as China Vanke unit wins residential plot in Tai Po *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 30, 2020



























_Ming Pao_

Mainland Chinese developers, emboldened by the new security law, will become more active buyers of Hong Kong land as local firms back off amid political turmoil and recession, surveyors predict.

The forecast came as a mainland-based consortium won a parcel of land in Tai Po earmarked for over 1,000 “mid-to-low density” flats. It was the second plot to go to mainland developers this month following Beijing’s imposition of the new national security law in Hong Kong.

The consortium formed by Vanke Property (Hong Kong) and real estate company CNQC International Holdings agreed to pay HK$3.71 billion (US$478.69 million) for the site on Ma Wo Road in northern Hong Kong, the Lands Department said on Wednesday evening.

More : Security law prompts more mainland firms to buy Hong Kong land


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Koko Hills: Wheelock prices Kowloon East project at a premium, bets on national security law to boost market *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> July 3, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _信報_
> 
> Wheelock Properties, pinning its hopes on the newly passed national security law to bring stability to Hong Kong and boost the housing market, has priced its upcoming residential project at a huge premium.
> 
> The developer is expected to launch the first batch of 83 flats at Koko Hills in Kowloon East as early as next week, with prices starting at HK$19,264 (US$2,485) per square foot. It is likely to be the first project to go on sale after the new law was introduced on Tuesday.
> 
> “We’re seeing an enthusiastic response to Koko Hills, with more than 4,000 inquires in the last couple of days already,” said Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu, managing director of Wheelock Properties. “The impact of the pandemic has eased, and we expect the housing market to be boosted in the second half.”
> 
> More : Wheelock pushes the envelope on pricing of upcoming residential project


* Hong Kong developer Wheelock sells most expensive unit at its Koko Hills development for US$8.1 million *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 27, 2020

Wheelock Properties sold the most expensive flat at its Koko Hills project in Hong Kong’s Lam Tin neighbourhood through a bidding process on Sunday. The flat was offered separately from a batch of 34 units available for sale on the day. Of these, only one found a buyer.

The 2,024 sq ft flat was sold for HK$62.74 million (US$8.1 million), and its sale suggests that strong buying interest for high-priced residential units remains intact in the world’s priciest residential property market despite a resurgence in coronavirus cases.

On July 11, Wheelock sold 85 flats, or 53 per cent, of the 160 units offered as part of a second batch of flats at Koko Hills. The project’s average price of HK$19,995 per square foot is about 15 per cent higher than the most recent new launch in the neighbourhood.

More : Wheelock sells most expensive unit at Koko Hills for US$8.1 million


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s homebuyers defy 11 days of triple-digit coronavirus cases to snap up Henderson’s Seacoast Royale flats in Tuen Mun *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
August 1, 2020













































_Ming Pao_

Hong Kong's property buyers defied a tropical cyclone and the 11th day of triple-digit confirmed coronavirus cases to snap up new homes launched by one of the city's largest developers, underscoring the resilience of the real estate bull market.

Henderson Land Development sold all 185 units offered at its Seacoast Royale project in Tuen Mun as at 7:30pm, agents said. As many as 8,563 registrations of intent were received, which means an average of 46 people put down deposits to qualify to bid for each of the flats on offer.

“Flats of such pricing are popular among buyers,” said Sammy Po, chief executive at residential division at Midland Realty. “They kept submitting registrations of intent, despite the third wave of virus infections. They still came out to [view and bid for] the flats today.”

The overwhelming response for Henderson’s new project goes some way to illustrate why Hong Kong’s property prices have held up against the city’s worst economic recession on record, as a flood of cheap financing unleashed by global central banks including Hong Kong’s monetary authority attracted investors to park their money in fixed assets. June’s price index of lived-in homes rose to a 10-month high on Friday, according to government data.

Prices of the 611-unit Seacoast Royale project, developed by Empire Group Holdings and Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings), start at HK$2.91 million (US$375,000) for a studio unit measuring 207 square feet (19.2 square metres), the cheapest price for new projects in 18 months.

More : Hong Kong buyers snap up all of Henderson’s flats in Tuen Mun


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on*
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> May 19, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> More luxury homes have been sold, including two units in Dukes Place at Jardine's Lookout for HK$438 million, a unit at Trafalgar Court for HK$90 million and a house in Kowloon by China Overseas Land & Investment (0688) for HK$153 million as market sentiment brightens.
> 
> Dukes Place is jointly developed by CSI Properties (0497) subsidiary Couture Homes Properties, Asia Standard International and Grosvenor Asia Pacific.
> 
> A total of 980 primary home units have been sold this month with a recovery in the property market, the largest number in a month since the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the would-be buyers of 12 new flats have forfeited their deposits in May.
> 
> Chevalier International (0025) has named its new project at Tai Kok Tsui, jointly developed with the Urban Renewal Authority, as Sablier.
> 
> The project offers 144 home units, more than 60 percent of them single-room flats.
> 
> More : Sentiment brightens as luxury homes move on


8/8


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Hong Kong homebuyers show up for third weekend sale in a row, shrugging aside Trump’s threat amid rising US-China tension *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> June 6, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ming Pao_
> 
> Hong Kong’s real estate buyers turned out in droves for the third consecutive weekend, as they shrugged aside the Trump administration’s threat to strip the city of its special trade status amid escalating US-China tension.
> 
> Sales results were mixed at two developments in different parts of the city. Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), the city’s largest developer by market capitalisation, extended last weekend’s sell-out streak and sold 200 of the 209 flats offered in the third batch of Phase II of its Wetland Seasons Park project in Tin Shui Wai as of 8:30pm, according to Midland Realty. Wheelock & Co., the fourth-biggest developer, managed to find buyers for only three of the 101 apartments at the more expensive Ocean Marini complex in Tseung Kwan O, agents said.
> 
> “Wetland Seasons Park sold well, reflecting real demand from the market, said Midland’s residential department chief executive Sammy Po, adding that he expects the current batch to sell out. “Those on offer at Ocean Marini are the last batch of the project, which has been up for a while. That’s why the response is [lacklustre].”
> 
> More : Hong Kong homebuyers turn out to give mixed response to two sales launches


* Hong Kong homebuyers return in droves for a sell-out weekend of flats offered by Sun Hung Kai and Henderson Land *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 19, 2020

Hong Kong’s homebuyers turned up in droves to snap up new flats at two projects on Saturday, shrugging aside concerns about the city’s unemployment and the worst economic recession in decades, as social-distancing regulations eased.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by value, sold 126 of 133 flats, or 95 per cent of the units offered in the first batch of the third phase of its Wetland Seasons Park project in Tin Shui Wai as of 9pm today. As many as 22 buyers registered for each available flat.

In Sai Ying Pun, Henderson Land Development sold 96 per cent, or 77 of the 80 units offered at Two Artlane, with around nine bidders vying for each flat, agents said.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers return in droves for a sell-out weekend

Wetland Seasons Park website : https://www.wetlandseasonspark.com.hk/
Two Artlane website : https://www.two-artlane.com.hk/


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Sun Hung Kai, Kwok family sell 30 per cent stake in office space at Hong Kong’s most expensive commercial site to Ping An Life for US$1.45 billion *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Apr 29, 2020
> 
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> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) and its controlling shareholder, the Kwok family, are to sell 30 per cent of the office portion of Hong Kong’s most expensive commercial project.
> 
> Ping An Life Insurance will buy the space on top of the West Kowloon high-speed rail station for HK$11.27 billion (US$1.45 billion), SHKP said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
> 
> SHKP won the biggest parcel of commercial land ever sold in the city for a record HK$42.23 billion (US$5.4 billion) in November last year.
> 
> “Local property firms are unlikely to increase their [borrowing for expansion] in these market conditions, but mainland investors are still keen to invest in Hong Kong,” said Raymond Cheng, head of Hong Kong and China research at CGS-CIMB Securities.
> 
> More : SHKP sells office space at Hong Kong’s priciest commercial site for US$1.45 billion


* Sun Hung Kai Properties makes massive changes to West Kowloon project, drops one tower and adds more open space *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 18, 2020

Sun Hung Kai Properties, which paid HK$42.2 billion (US$5.45 billion) for the huge plot of land at the High Speed Rail terminus in West Kowloon, has made several changes to its original plan approved by the Town Planning Board.

According to the developer’s new plan submitted to the board recently, the number of commercial towers will be reduced from three to two, and the amount of open space and green cover will be increased considerably.

“The Approved Scheme with three towers is quite dense and provides limited open space,” Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market capitalisation said in the document released on Friday. “The design does not meet current requirements for Grade A office development.”

More : Sun Hung Kai Properties makes wholesale changes to West Kowloon project


















_Renderings and images from the developer_


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong developers rebuild cash hoard to prepare for new opportunities amid biggest market correction in four years *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 20, 2020

Some of Hong Kong’s biggest developers are building up their cash hoard by selling noncore assets, a move seen as readying themselves for acquisition opportunities amid the biggest market correction since at least 2016.

This year, groups including Wheelock Properties, Chinachem and New World Development have raised more than HK$4 billion (US$516 million) from the sale of retail, office and car parking spaces across the city, according to company announcements and government land records.

While those proceeds are relatively small, higher targets have been mentioned. They also added to anecdotal signs from other veteran investors who have bailed out of their holdings to prepare for better values from the current weakness. Hong Kong’s office and retail asset prices have slumped over the past four quarters in the market’s longest slide since at least 2016, according to government data.

More : Hong Kong developers rebuild cash hoard, eye bargains on market correction


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## hkskyline

Another querky island reclamation plan to solve our housing woes.

* Island near Zhuhai proposed for HK housing *
The Standard
Sep 21, 2020

The Hong Kong Real Property Federation proposed a reclamation and development plan for Zhuhai's Guishan Island, which is located to the southwest of Lantau Island and is estimated to provide a total of 753.47 million sq ft of land to accommodate 800,000 people.

It takes 30 minutes to travel by water from Central or Tsim Sha Tsui, the HKRPF said.

The land developed under the project and the surrounding waters are owned by the mainland government but law enforcement and judicial powers would be undertaken the SAR government, the HKRPF said.

Source : Island near Zhuhai proposed for HK housing

Full report in English : http://www.hkrpf.org/documents/GIB_eng_text.pdf


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## hkskyline

* Developers eye Guishan Island’s reclamation to augment Lantau plan in easing Hong Kong’s land woes in test for Greater Bay Area *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 23, 2020









_Ming Pao graphic_

A guild of developers and real estate professionals have proposed to reclaim several islands lying in the sea between Lantau Island and Macau to augment the Hong Kong government’s HK$624 billion (US$80 billion) Lantau Tomorrow reclamation project for alleviating the city’s land shortage.

The proposal by the 229-member Hong Kong Real Property Federation (HKRPF), would reclaim 60 square kilometres of land on three sets of islands around Guishan, and free up the equivalent of 500 hectares of land in Hong Kong for housing 800,000 residents, according to a proposal unveiled on Monday. The plan may be handed over to city authorities, as well as the government in the Guangdong provincial city of Zhuhai, under which Guishan is administered.

The Guishan proposal, to be implemented in three phases until 2049, is the most ambitious plan to untie the Gordian knot of housing affordability in the world’s most expensive urban centre ever since Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor signed off on the Lantau Tomorrow Vision last year. Unlike the Lantau project that falls completely under Hong Kong’s jurisdiction, the Guishan plan sets a more ambitious goal by combining land under the administrative authority of Zhuhai with the needs of Hong Kong.

More : Can Guishan help Lantau plan in easing Hong Kong’s land woes?


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## hkskyline

* Some of Hong Kong's poor finally feel at home in 290 sq ft modules *
_Excerpt_
Sep 29, 2020









_Source : Current Projects | Modular Social Housing Project _

HONG KONG (Reuters) - When Lau Kai Fai, his wife and teenage son moved into a new Hong Kong flat last month, he thought the 290 square feet (27 square metres) of space in his “module home” felt like “winning the lottery.”

Among the first Hong Kongers to move into such prefabricated dwellings, built as a transition for people awaiting public housing, Lau’s family more than tripled the space they had squeezed into. Now they sit together for meals, rather than eating in turns.

While tiny by the standards of many cities in rich countries, the new home represents a big step up - even if temporary - for Lau, 70, in one of the most crowded urban areas in the world.

“It feels like a home,” Lau said. “The previous flat was only a place to sleep.”

Lau is the beneficiary of Hong Kong’s latest initiative to ease a housing shortage, where more than 200,000 people living in subdivided flats are waiting an average 5.5 years to get public housing.

More : Some of Hong Kong's poor finally feel at home in 290 sq ft modules


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## hkskyline

* Peak site on sale again amid fresh housing concerns *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Sep 28, 2020









_on.cc_

A luxury residential plot at the Peak which the government failed to sell two years ago has been included in the administration's land-sale programme for the October-to-December quarter as the Development Secretary played down concerns that the full-year housing target may not be met.

Michael Wong announced on Monday that two residential sites – at the Peak and Kai Tak – will be sold by tender in the third quarter of the 2020-21 financial year, generating 630 flats in total.

The government had offered to sell the Mansfield Road plot at the Peak in 2018, but the tender was withdrawn after the bidders failed to meet the government's reserve price.

This time, the site will be divided into two parcels for disposal.

More : Peak site on sale again amid fresh housing concerns - RTHK


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Hong Kong’s InterContinental hotel to lay off 500 employees as it embarks on two-year renovation programme *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Apr 2, 2020
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The InterContinental hotel on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong will lay off about 500 employees as it embarks on a two-year renovation project, a labour union has said.
> 
> Alex Tsui, chairman of the Hong Kong Hotel Employees Union, said the workers would have their last working day on May 1.
> 
> A small number of staff will be retained to run a Chinese restaurant, Yan Toh Heen, which will remain open during the renovation.
> 
> The 503-room hotel will close its doors on April 20 to make way for the facelift.
> 
> “The workers learned about it today,” Tsui said. “They felt helpless.”
> 
> He said the union was assisting the workers on their compensation.
> 
> More : InterContinental hotel to lay off 500 employees as it starts renovations
> 
> More info from 2018 news article : Hong Kong hotel’s rebrand will see room prices jump 40 per cent


9/19


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong may miss private home supply target again as recession slows land sale, development plans *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 28, 2020

Hong Kong’s government may miss its annual private home supply target yet again to help ease the housing shortage because the amount of land available for development is insufficient, analysts said.

The government and MTR Corporation will put three residential sites up for sale in the quarter ending December 31, Michael Wong, Secretary for Development, said on Monday. Those sites, together with expected contribution from private developers, could add 2,780 units to the market, he added.

They will bring the projected units in the nine-month period to 7,400 units. The government had set an annual target of adding 12,900 new private homes to the city’s residents for the year to March 31 next year. It has also failed to achieve its annual targets in the previous two years.

More : Hong Kong may miss private home supply target as recession slows land sales


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## GeneratorNL

Hkskyline, do you have any renders of the InterContinental renovation? I would love to see what it's going to look like!


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## hkskyline

GeneratorNL said:


> Hkskyline, do you have any renders of the InterContinental renovation? I would love to see what it's going to look like!


Here is one posted by a forumer in the Hong Kong section.



ChaoticTranquility said:


> Rendering of the upcoming Regent Hong Kong below, courtesy of IHG's Regent development brochure.
> 
> - K
> 
> ***
> View attachment 82752


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## hkskyline

jchk said:


> *Mariners Club' Redevelopment* | Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> Relevant SSC Post: HONG KONG | Projects & Construction
> Press release: No related news.
> 
> 
> Address: 11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> 
> Nearest MTR Stations: East Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> 
> Number of storeys: 42
> 
> 
> Target completion: H1 2023
> 
> 
> Total cost of development: HK$6 billion (USD 764 million)
> It has been announced today that the Mariners' Club building, currently undergoing demolition, will be redeveloped at a cost of HK$6 billion into a 42-storey building. The Mariners' Club will be located in the lower floors, while Hong Kong's first Kimpton Hotel will operate a hotel in the upper floors, with around 500 guestrooms. Foundation works will commence within two months, with a target completion date of the first half of 2023. (Source in Chinese)
> 
> Current state of the site, taken by Gaoloumi user PAFC last week:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Renders from HKET:


10/2


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## hkskyline

* HK$500b to help public works get under way *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 29, 2020

About HK$500 billion in public works will be accelerated over the coming five years to pull the city out of recession, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has pledged.

Bigger projects in housing, rail and roads would be divided up so smaller contractors would be eligible for tender, Lam said yesterday, unveiling an annual HK$100 billion lifeline for the struggling construction sector.

While more tenders would be available, the government would also speed up and simplify the approval process, she added.

"The construction sector is an example of our approach to revive the economy, and we are going to apply the same mentality to other sectors," the city leader said before her weekly Executive Council meeting. "During an economic downturn, construction costs have come down as reflected in government tenders. This is a good time to expand public works as well."

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction sector has been hit with an unemployment rate of 11.1 per cent and 8.1 per cent for underemployment, higher than the city's overall mark of 6.1 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively between June and August.

The industry's jobless rate so far this year is the worst since the post-global financial crisis in 2009. "We want to create more job opportunities and help the industry retain jobs," Lam said.

More : HK$500 billion in public works over five-year lifeline for Hong Kong


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## hkskyline

With the site clearance work is well under way, I've moved posts related to the *Murray Road Car Park* redevelopment to its dedicated thread in the Proposed Highrises section. Once we see the building start popping out, I'll move to the Highrises thread. Thanks for your support.









HONG KONG | The Henderson | 190m | 623ft | 36 fl | U/C


Former Murray Road Car Park Site | Central Project summary: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/zaha-hadid-architects-iconic-office-hong-kong-architecture/ Project facts Design: Zaha Hadid Architects Developer: Henderson Land Development Height: 35 storeys | 190m AOD Site cost: HK$23.3...




www.skyscrapercity.com


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong group plans expansion of D2 Place with redevelopment of industrial building into office tower amid retail slump *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2020

Lawsgroup is pushing ahead with the redevelopment of industrial buildings into offices and shopping centres even as Hong Kong’s economy and retail sector still reel from the coronavirus outbreak.

The building in Lai Chi Kok, West Kowloon, right next to its D2 Place One and Two shopping malls, will be redeveloped into an office tower with a major retail component, said Bosco Law Ching-kit, deputy chairman and chief executive of the closely held Lawsgroup, adding that he hopes to link the three buildings with a footbridge, turning it into one big complex.

“It would be ideal to connect the buildings with a sky bridge on the second or third floors. It would benefit the neighbourhood as a whole,” said Law, whose company has interests in textiles, retail and property.

More : Hong Kong group to redevelop industrial building amid economic slump


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## hkskyline

* Jardine’s property in Hong Kong’s Shek O ‘Tycoon Village’ gets the redevelopment nod that may turn it into a HK$918 million mansion *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2020

The plans are being drawn for another US$100 million mansion in Hong Kong, as the ultra rich in one of the world’s most expensive residential property markets managed to thrive amid the city’s worst recession in decades.

Descendants of the Keswick family, taipans of Hong Kong during the British colonial era and most closely associated with the Jardine Matheson Group, received approvals in July to demolish a property at 9 Big Wave Bay Road on the Shek O peninsula. The family and Jardine’s 50.4-per cent owned Hongkong Land Holdings plan to redevelop the property into a single-storey mansion measuring 15,306 square feet (1,421 square metres), according to the city’s Buildings Department.

“Such a huge house will attract the super-rich from mainland China if the owners plan to sell it after the completion of the redevelopment,” said Knight Frank’s executive director Thomas Lam, who estimates a mansion of such a scale to be worth at least HK$918 million (US$118.4 million), or HK$60,000 per square foot. “Its uniqueness plus prestigious location will definitely fetch a premium price.”

More : Jardine gets nod for US$100 million mansion in Hong Kong’s ‘Tycoon Village’


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## LivinAWestLife

It's a bit odd to report on these mansions in rural Hong Kong that the average HKer will likely never interact with, since its private property. So even if I cared about this development I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. 

The fact that the mansion is a single story with a large footprint is a bit of a shame.


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## hkskyline

I was surprised Jardine had a home in there, and these houses are rare to get on the news until redevelopment comes knocking. Looking at the expected price tag, it'll triumph even the more higher-end skyscraper residences u/c in the city.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Sun Hung Kai Properties makes massive changes to West Kowloon project, drops one tower and adds more open space *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Sep 18, 2020
> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties, which paid HK$42.2 billion (US$5.45 billion) for the huge plot of land at the High Speed Rail terminus in West Kowloon, has made several changes to its original plan approved by the Town Planning Board.
> 
> According to the developer’s new plan submitted to the board recently, the number of commercial towers will be reduced from three to two, and the amount of open space and green cover will be increased considerably.
> 
> “The Approved Scheme with three towers is quite dense and provides limited open space,” Hong Kong’s biggest developer by market capitalisation said in the document released on Friday. “The design does not meet current requirements for Grade A office development.”
> 
> More : Sun Hung Kai Properties makes wholesale changes to West Kowloon project
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Renderings and images from the developer_


*Residents slam 'altered' West Kowloon Station plan *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Oct 9, 2020

A group of residents and district councillors across the political divide have filed petitions against a proposed change to the development project atop West Kowloon Station, saying Sun Hung Kai Properties altered the original plan dramatically.

They said the developer is now trying to build commercial towers of 180-metres in height – 50 percent taller than the original plan, which was approved in 2010.

The councillors and residents say under the original proposal, the plan was to build three towers with a maximum height of 120 metres. But now the developer wants to build two towers of 181 metres.

The residents and councillors have submitted a petition to the planning department over this as the three-week long public consultation on the project comes to and end on Friday.

They said they fear the newly planned higher buildings with its glass walls will trap the heat and affect the environment of the area. Sun Hung Kai's plan has also altered the land use ratio and there will be a higher percentage for retail shops in the buildings, they complained.

More : Residents slam 'altered' West Kowloon Station plan - RTHK


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## LivinAWestLife

Oh god, not the NIMBYs, they're here too?
Anyone living in Hong Kong should not give a single **** about buildings being too tall. Plenty of buildings have glass walls. If the environment was going to be heated, it would've already been with the 3 tower plan.

Hope the developer is able to see this one through. Given Sun Hung Kai's clout I dont think these petitions will amount to much.

Also, we could really use that extra open space.


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## hkskyline

They paid a fortune for the luxury flats at Kowloon Station so we'd expect they have plenty of resources to make a loud buzz with their lawyers.


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## jchk

*Tak Shing House Redevelopment* | 20 Des Voeux Road Central, Central

Stumbled upon some information on this project, last mentioned here. From a post by Aedas on Facebook:

"Designed by Aedas Executive Director Cary Lau, Tak Shing House Redevelopment project is located near Theatre Lane in the heart of Hong Kong’s CBD. The Grade-A office tower will refresh the urban neighbourhood.

As the preface of the development, Aedas creatively designs an elegant construction hoarding to blend the site into Hong Kong’s most prestigious central business district. Located at Theatre Lane, a street named after the former Queen’s Theatre, the design was inspired by the district’s glamour through the use of lights and shadows.

A poetic design approach is adopted in addition to fulfilling the function of ensuring public safety. An intimate ambience light is created in respite of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. The architectural form of this hoarding reflects the future Tak Shing House, awaiting its unveiling."

This pretty much confirms that the rather ridiculous SOM proposal for the site that has been floating around the internet will not materialise.

The post also contains some photos of the rather extravagant site hoardings:


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## hkskyline

I had thought that structure is just a fancier covering for a construction site - the typical cover above the sidewalk, but enhanced for the Central crowd.

I took this on 15 Aug :


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## hkskyline

* World’s costliest office market shows first signs of weakness, as Hong Kong withdraws biggest commercial site this year, developer cuts rent at Kai Tak tower by 20 per cent *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Oct 21, 2020









_Ming Pao_

In the first signs of a slowdown in Hong Kong’s office property market, the government withdrew this year’s largest commercial site from tender, while Nan Fung Development lowered the asking rent for a grade A office tower under construction at Kai Tak by up to 20 per cent.

Bids for the site in Tung Chung, close to Hong Kong International Airport, were received from Sun Hung Kai Properties, CK Asset Holdings and a joint venture of Sino Land and Kerry Properties. About 90 per cent of the project’s floor space was earmarked for office development, according to the government’s land sale document.

“All three tenders received for the sale of a commercial site in Tung Chung have been rejected, as their tendered premiums did not meet the government’s reserve price for the site,” the Lands Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

More : Hong Kong withdraws Tung Chung site, rents cut at Kai Tak tower


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Deja vu craze seen in Tai Wai home project *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Oct 16, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ming Pao_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _頭條_
> 
> The Pavilia Farm in Tai Wai, developed by New World Development and MTR Corp, has received more than 22,700 checks from potential buyers - the largest number since 1997 - before the official launch this weekend.
> 
> This represents a 57 times oversubscription of the first two batches of 391 units to be on sale.
> 
> A total of more than HK$2.27 billion has been frozen in less than six days, if counted at an average HK$100,000 deposit for each check.
> 
> More : Deja vu craze seen in Tai Wai home project


* Buyers check in for all units at Pavilia Farm *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Oct 27, 2020

Hong Kong's residential property market remained robust over the long weekend as home-buyers snapped up all 378 units on offer at The Pavilia Farm phase one in Sha Tin and the secondary market recorded more deals in Tung Chung.

New World Development (0017) has collected about HK$8.4 billion after selling all 767 units at the project over the past two weeks, bringing the group's total contracted sales in Hong Kong to almost HK$10 billion, said the executive vice-chairman and chief executive, Adrian Cheng Chi-kong.

The group has accomplished nearly half of the HK$20 billion sales target for the 2021 fiscal year, he added.

NWD expects to release the first price list of The Pavilia Farm phase two this week.

The project has received more than 22,700 registrations of interest, the largest number since 1997.

More : https://www.thestandard.com.hk/sect...Buyers-check-in-for-all-units-at-Pavilia-Farm


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## hkskyline

The *Haiphong Road Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar* recently reopened after renovations, bringing back some of the original restaurants to re-open at the same location. These were taken Nov 7 :


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## LivinAWestLife

The CTBUH made a *massive* update on their database of buildings in Hong Kong, boosting up the number of skyscrapers from 356 to *480* - And correcting the number of skyscrapers under construction from 3 to *27* (507 skyscrapers in total). 

Check it out here:





Hong Kong - The Skyscraper Center







www.skyscrapercenter.com





I will be updating the list of U/C buildings on the Hong Kong forum with the new information on the height of such buildings, many of which are private condominiums.


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## Munwon

LivinAWestLife said:


> The CTBUH made a *massive* update on their database of buildings in Hong Kong, boosting up the number of skyscrapers from 356 to *480* - And correcting the number of skyscrapers under construction from 3 to *27* (507 skyscrapers in total).
> 
> Check it out here:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hong Kong - The Skyscraper Center
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.skyscrapercenter.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I will be updating the list of U/C buildings on the Hong Kong forum with the new information on the height of such buildings, many of which are private condominiums.


Incredible! Hong Kong now has almost 100, 200 meter + skyscrapers built or under construction. Only Shenzhen has more!


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## LivinAWestLife

Yep, and it turns out that New York and Shenzhen was further behind HK than we thought. I think either Hong Kong or Shenzhen will have the most 150m+ buildings by 2030.

Anyway, I meant to post this as well:

While there is little information available about them yet, CTBUH states that 2 towers, part of the Millennium City development in Kwun Tong, are under construction with a date of completion at 2023. They will be 160 metres tall each, and offer office and retail services, similar to the rest of the Millennium City development. This is stated to be Millennium City Phase 8.

They will be located at 98 How Ming Street. This is right next to the Landmark East Tower (AXA Tower), the 2nd-tallest building in Kwun Tong.

Here's how the site looked like in 2019:
View attachment 723390


Now U/C:
View attachment 723396


A video of drone footage on the site:


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## Munwon

Shenzhen has almost 200, 200m+ skyscrapers prep, UC or built. Shenzhen is the undisputed king. 2030 probably be Shenzhen still, maybe Guangzhou, Chengdu or Nanjing 2nd, Hong Kong maybe not even the top 10.


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## saiho

Well CTBUH is still missing a lot of +150m for Shenzhen although HK is most likely still missing a lot too. Let's just say both are the skyscraper capitals of the world.


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## hkskyline

LivinAWestLife said:


> Yep, and it turns out that New York and Shenzhen was further behind HK than we thought. I think either Hong Kong or Shenzhen will have the most 150m+ buildings by 2030.
> 
> Anyway, I meant to post this as well:
> 
> While there is little information available about them yet, CTBUH states that 2 towers, part of the Millennium City development in Kwun Tong, are under construction with a date of completion at 2023. They will be 160 metres tall each, and offer office and retail services, similar to the rest of the Millennium City development. This is stated to be Millennium City Phase 8.
> 
> They will be located at 98 How Ming Street. This is right next to the Landmark East Tower (AXA Tower), the 2nd-tallest building in Kwun Tong.
> 
> Here's how the site looked like in 2019:
> View attachment 723390
> 
> 
> Now U/C:
> View attachment 723396
> 
> 
> A video of drone footage on the site:


11/7


----------



## hkskyline

* New World’s Harvard-educated scion upends his grandfather’s ‘build and sell’ business model as Hong Kong sits at crossroads *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 14, 2020

Cheng Yu-tung, one of Hong Kong’s best-known tycoons, spared no expense when he led a 1985 effort to build a harbourfront convention centre to host the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty 12 years later.

Construction activity on the US$322 million project was a gesture of confidence in a city clawing its way out of recession, buffeted by the exchange of barbs between Chinese negotiators and the city’s then colonial master, Britain.

Nearly four decades later, Hong Kong is mired in its worst recession on record and confidence is near breaking point, as the city again finds itself caught in a tussle between two superpowers: its new political masters in China, and the United States. The city’s sociopolitical fabric has also been torn by a search for identity – expressed through more than a year of anti-government protests – under Beijing’s administration, deterring mainland Chinese shoppers and investors who undergird Hong Kong’s retail and real estate markets.

his time, the late magnate's eldest grandson, Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, is charting a different course to restore the community's confidence. New World Development, a HK$102 billion conglomerate with 44,000 employees working in a range of businesses that touch on everything from education and health care to property and insurance, is evolving, said Cheng, who turned 41 this month.

Cheng, who read East Asia Studies at Harvard University, wants to disrupt the "build and sell" business model that had made his family business one of Hong Kong's most dominant conglomerates for half a century. Since being appointed vice-chairman and general manager in 2017, the younger Cheng's path has been one of constructive disruption: he wants to engage more with stakeholders through artistry and culture.

"Developers usually focus on how to increase gross floor area and maximise profits. We also make profits and we gain premiums [for shareholders], but we have a balance," Cheng said. "We are still a property developer, but we are a developer of hardware and software services that enrich our customers' lives."

Cheng took over in May as chief executive of New World from his father Henry Cheng Kar-shun, and is part of the third generation of entrepreneurs holding the reins of some of Hong Kong's largest business empires. His grandfather had started out in the jewellery business.

More : How a Hong Kong property scion is upending his grandfather’s business model


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon City Plaza* is slated for redevelopment into residentials. These were taken from its rooftop parking lot on Nov 16 :


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *St. George's Mansions* (CLP Power)
> 24A Kadoorie Avenue
> Project website : St. Georgeâ€™s Mansions | 24A Kadoorie Avenue
> 3 towers of 20 stories each
> Estimated completion (material date) August 2022
> 
> Project site - 9/6


11/18


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## hkskyline

* Jordan flats set for launch *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 19, 2020 

Henderson Land Development (0012) will launch 50 apartments at Arbour in Jordan as soon as Saturday, with an average price of HK$23,928 per sq ft.

The cheapest flat, measuring 256 sq ft, is priced at nearly HK$5.75 million, or HK$22,453 per sq ft, after discounts.

Mark Hahn, General Manager of Sales (2) Department at Henderson Land Development, said the first batch was close to the market price, a discount of about 2 to 3 percent

The show flat in Tsim Sha Tsui is available to the public at 4 pm and the project kicks off subscriptions on Saturday.

More : Jordan flats set for launch

Project website : http://www.arbour.com.hk/


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 8/8


Sablier - 10/21


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## hkskyline

* New World Development land donation helps young people in need to also help themselves *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 13, 2020









_Ming Pao graphic_

A social enterprise that aims to tackle Hong Kong’s chronic shortage of housing and opportunities caused in part by the Covid-19 pandemic will shortly ask the Town Planning Board to approve plans for its innovative new village, organisers say.

Light Be hopes that its Light Village, a new youth social housing community, will be completed as early as 2022. The project is being developed with the aid of New World Development, which has donated around 30,000 sq ft of land in Tin Shui Wai. New World Development is taking the initiative in response to a surge in unemployment and economic distress due to the impact of the pandemic.

Noting a shift in Hong Kong’s economic structure, Light Be has identified a new breed of people in need among the community. The social enterprise says these people are characterised by having achieved a certain level of education and work experience, and so have the potential to start anew. As well as housing, Light Village will offer its tenants training and support services to help them change their circumstances.

More : New World Development land donation helps young people in need to also help themselves


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Some of Hong Kong's poor finally feel at home in 290 sq ft modules *
> _Excerpt_
> Sep 29, 2020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Source : Current Projects | Modular Social Housing Project _
> 
> HONG KONG (Reuters) - When Lau Kai Fai, his wife and teenage son moved into a new Hong Kong flat last month, he thought the 290 square feet (27 square metres) of space in his “module home” felt like “winning the lottery.”
> 
> Among the first Hong Kongers to move into such prefabricated dwellings, built as a transition for people awaiting public housing, Lau’s family more than tripled the space they had squeezed into. Now they sit together for meals, rather than eating in turns.
> 
> While tiny by the standards of many cities in rich countries, the new home represents a big step up - even if temporary - for Lau, 70, in one of the most crowded urban areas in the world.
> 
> “It feels like a home,” Lau said. “The previous flat was only a place to sleep.”
> 
> Lau is the beneficiary of Hong Kong’s latest initiative to ease a housing shortage, where more than 200,000 people living in subdivided flats are waiting an average 5.5 years to get public housing.
> 
> More : Some of Hong Kong's poor finally feel at home in 290 sq ft modules


11/19


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## hkskyline

* Chinachem shifts focus to mass housing from luxury projects in ‘noble target’ set by former chairwoman Nina Wang *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 25, 2020

Chinachem Group is changing its land-bidding strategy to focus on mass housing and move away from super-luxury trophy projects as the Hong Kong developer marked its 60th anniversary in the business.

The developer now enjoys the liberty of elevating social and environmental objectives to the same level of importance as profit motives, away from the scrutiny of public shareholders as part of late billionaire Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum’s family trust. Thus, it has no plan to bid at the upcoming government tender for a site on Mansfield Road on the Peak.

“We have a more noble target about serving the community,” chief executive Donald Choi said after a briefing on its anniversary on Tuesday. “We will not bid for super-luxury housing, [for] several houses on The Peak” , instead using the funds for more mass-end developments, he added.

More : Developer Chinachem chases ‘noble target’ of serving community


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## hkskyline

*Four plots up for sale in new year *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 30, 2020

Hong Kong's government, staring at its biggest fiscal deficit in years, faces a potential HK$60 billion shortfall in land sales revenue as developers' cautious approach to investment forced several commercial sites to be withdrawn from tender.

The government is pressing ahead with selling four parcels of land in the last quarter of the current financial year ending March 31 as it looks to narrow its overall budget shortfall of HK$300 billion.

Four sites - three residential and one commercial - would be offered for tender between January and March, Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun said yesterday.

The three residential sites are Kai Tak Area 4E Site 2, the second part of Mansfield Road on The Peak, and one in Kwu Tung, near Fanling in the New Territories. These plots were expected to yield a total of 2,240 flats, Wong said.

The sole commercial site that will be offered for tender is in Caroline Hill, Causeway Bay.

More : Hong Kong to sell four land plots to plug HK$60 billion revenue shortfall


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## LivinAWestLife

*Montego Bay *| Yau Tong

Developer: Minmetals Land
Address: 18 Shung Shun Street, Lei Yue Mun, Yau Tong, Kwun Tong District
Size: 668 Units
Height: 4 towers, 23 fl x 2, 29 fl x 2
Completion: March 2023 

Project website: 蔚藍東岸 MONTEGO BAY

2020/12/31:

































Renders:


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Grade-A industrial building assembles creative professionals to Tuen Mun *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Dec 7, 2020
> 
> _Project website : 99 Commons_
> 
> Shining amongst the old industrial buildings in Tuen Mun, 99COMMONS, a Grade-A property project presented by SAGE Properties Limited, aspires to become a conspicuous landmark in New Territories West to generate fresh impetus to the cultural and creative industries.
> 
> Situated in the heart of Tuen Mun, 99COMMONS is the first new industrial building development in the district in nearly 20 years. It has redefined industrial building specifications, bringing a breakthrough Central Business District (CBD) product to a traditional non-CBD area.
> 
> Partnering with a top design team, the building takes inspiration from the nearby Castle Peak and surrounding greenery. With its wall randomly pieced together with distinct green Japanese tiles and metallic, the green building highlights an abstract connection between land and sky.
> 
> “It shines under the sunlight, and the outlook varies from different angles and in different times,” says Anna Mae Koo, Director of SAGE Properties Limited. “We want to add some sparkles to the building, as it represents our hope that 99COMMONS can be a gleaming landmark in this industrial area.”
> 
> Its name and logo, 99COMMONS, implies the meaning of ‘CO’, to connote the concepts of ‘Collaborate’, ‘Co-create’, and ‘Community’; as well as embodying its five philosophies: create, live, play, sound, and online.
> 
> More : Grade-A industrial building assembles creative professionals to Tuen Mun


----------



## pookgai

jchk said:


> *Cheung Kong Center II *| Central
> 
> According to the hoardings, this 41-storey tower that has hitherto been referred to as "Hutchison House Redevelopment" is now officially *Cheung Kong Center II*.
> 
> Photos from today:
> View attachment 872667
> View attachment 872668
> View attachment 872669


Are there renders?


----------



## jchk

pookgai said:


> Are there renders?


None have been released, alas. However, the folks over at Gaoloumi have noticed that in some official renders of the Hadid 2 Murray Road building, there is an unknown building occupying the Cheung Kong Center II plot that is consistent with the description of the new building as a mini version of the original Cheung Kong Center; even if it is not an accurate depiction of the tower’s final design, it should give a good idea of its proportions and scale:
















(Source: https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/2-murray-road/)

I hope it’s just a placeholder, as it would be somewhat disappointing to have a bland glass box, albeit one likely to be of excellent quality, block the view of not only the Hadid tower but also Pei’s Bank of China tower.


----------



## hkskyline

* Rise of nano flats in Hong Kong has led to fall in living standards, with government policies to blame, land use group says *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
Jan 4, 2021

Hong Kong private developers have built more than 8,500 nano flats that were each sold for millions of dollars over the past decade, according to a research group, which called for the government to impose a minimum size requirement on homes to improve living standards.

The supply of such flats – defined by the group Liber Research Community as those not bigger than 260 sq ft – has been on the rise. Production in 2019 made up 13 per cent of the total private housing supply that year.

In a new report, Liber, a civic group that focuses on housing and land issues, argued that government policies were to blame for the increase in nano flats, and it should follow overseas examples such as Singapore and Britain to discourage the construction of shoebox homes.

More : Open plan, ‘dark toilets’: how nano flats have lowered Hong Kong living standards


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Ming Wah Dai Ha Redevelopment *
> 
> The Housing Society commenced the redevelopment of Ming Wah Dai Ha by three phases according to the Integrated Redevelopment Model in 2011. The first phase is expected to complete in 2020 to provide 966 rental units
> 
> Source : Ming Wah Dai Ha - Hong Kong Housing Society
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Source : Ming Wah Dai Ha - Hong Kong Housing Society
> 
> 4/25


1/4


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s worst recession on record points to bleak outlook in 2021 for residential property and commercial real estate prices *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
Jan 2, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic will continue to weigh on all segments of Hong Kong’s property market this year. From mass housing to luxury residences, from offices to shops, no major segment will be spared from the recession and rising unemployment, analysts say.

A straw poll of 20 analysts, agencies and developers by the South China Morning Post on housing prices in 2021 showed six expect them to drop, seven were unsure. Only seven predicted outright gains.

“The uncertain economic and business outlook and weakness in labour market conditions are likely to impact mass residential severely despite very supportive borrowing costs and fundamental demand-supply imbalance,” said Harry Tan, head of research for real estate in Asia-Pacific at Nuveen. The firm is among the most pessimistic in the poll by calling a 5 to 10 per cent drop in mass residential prices in 2021.

More : Bleak outlook in 2021 for Hong Kong real estate as recession drags on


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## hkskyline

*Shek Lei Estate*'s wet market went through a renovation and re-opened in October 2020 with a nostalgic theme.























































More photos : Hong Kong Photo Gallery - Kwai Chung


----------



## hkskyline

_A 43,000 square foot industrial plot in Fanling was sold for HKD$813 million, a record high by price per square foot. _

* 粉嶺工業用地以8.13億元批出 呎價創北區新高 *
RTHK _Excerpt_ 
Jan 13, 2021

地政總署公布，粉嶺安樂門街、安全街與安居街交界的工業用地，由新加坡淡馬錫旗下的豐樹產業，以約8.13億元投得，略低過市場預期下限，但每呎樓面地價3750元，創北區工業地呎價新高。

地盤面積約4.3萬平方呎，最高可建樓面約21.7萬平方呎，可用作倉庫、研究所、藝術工作室、數據中心等。

More : 粉嶺工業用地以8.13億元批出　呎價創北區新高 - RTHK

_Below from Ming Pao_ :


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Wrapping's off!
> 
> 12/2


*Sablier*
1/14

28 storeys (up to 30/F)
Expected material date - Nov 2021


----------



## hkskyline

* How Hong Kong’s housing crisis is fed by the small-house policy * 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 19, 2021

According to the Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, sometimes famines happen not because there is not enough food, but because some people do not have the “entitlement” to enough food. Similarly, the irony in Hong Kong is that the housing crisis has arisen not because there is not enough land, but because many Hongkongers do not have the “entitlement” to decent living space. The small-house policy is a case in point (“Small-house policy is an unsustainable burden”, January 17).

As the Court of Appeal recently upheld building small houses via private treaty grants and land exchanges as constitutional, at least 900 hectares of government land will continue to be reserved for small-house development, not to mention how many more land resources will be zoned in a similar way endlessly. The court ruling is no doubt a victory for the Heung Yee Kuk, but a debacle for most Hong Kong citizens.

Even the Court of Appeal recognised that the policy is inherently discriminatory. In fact, it has become a means of profiteering, given the widespread illegal selling of small-house rights to developers. Its long history does not make it any less feudal and selfish, particularly when more than 120,000 households are struggling in inadequate housing.

More : How the small-house policy has fed Hong Kong’s housing crisis


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong developers Wharf, CK Asset gear up to launch luxury projects as surging stock market creates vast new wealth * 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 20, 2021

Some of Hong Kong’s biggest developers are seizing the moment to launch their super deluxe projects to capitalise on a surging stock market and the prospect of a market recovery in the second half of the year.

Wharf (Holdings) and CK Asset Holdings are lining up to release their new developments on The Peak and in the Mid-Levels soon, with one house carrying an estimated price tag of HK$812.68 million (US$104.83).

Wharf is going to offer its second project on The Peak, on Peak Road, for sale after it paid a record HK$12 billion for another parcel of land in nearby Mansfield Road via government tender last month. The total investment in its Mansfield Road site could total HK$15 to HK$16 billion, according to property consultants.

More : Hong Kong developers launch luxury projects as surging stocks create wealth


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## hkskyline

* Govt unveils plan to ease Kwun Tong traffic jams *
RTHK _Excerpt_ 
Jan 20, 2021 









_ISD_

The government has proposed building a network of elevated moving walkways in Kowloon East as part of a plan to ease traffic congestion and "shape a green community" in the area.

The proposal was revealed in papers submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, after the Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, announced last November that it will give up the idea of a monorail system the government first touted in 2007.

The proposed walkway network consists of three parts: one connects the Kwun Tong waterfront with the Kai Tak Runway Park as it lies astride the typhoon shelter; another links the redeveloped areas in Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong along Wai Yip Street, and a third and shorter session is right above the redevelopment area in Kowloon Bay.

The Development Bureau said the proposed walkway over the typhoon shelter would form "an iconic structure with magnificent architectural design to express its prominent location".

More : Govt unveils plan to ease Kwun Tong traffic jams - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

1/16
*Montego Bay, Yau Tong*


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kowloon City Plaza* is slated for redevelopment into residentials. These were taken from its rooftop parking lot on Nov 16 :


2/3


----------



## hkskyline

* Property Tycoons Ignore Flood Risk on Hong Kong's Last Frontier *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Feb 9, 2021

For Hong Kong tycoons like Li Ka-shing, the New Territories is the final frontier. The verdant stretch in the west end offers one of the last relatively undeveloped patches in the cramped city, a gold mine for development in the world’s most expensive housing market.

But for environmentalists watching the billion-dollar projects unfold, the expansion ignores a major risk: The district has a greater chance of flooding than almost anywhere else in Asia as global warming pushes sea levels higher.

In an Asian financial hub that already faces high flood risks, no area is more exposed than the northwest edge of the New Territories that juts into the Pearl River Delta toward Macau. In just a few decades, residents in the fledgling district could face life-disrupting flooding caused by storm surges that are set to become more frequent.

“Apart from affecting the ecology, it is actually creating new risks for people,” said Lam Chiu-ying, an environmentalist and former head of the Hong Kong Observatory that tracks weather and climate change. “But the property sellers wouldn’t care about this. I hope people do not pour their lifetime savings into a place that could be flooded in the future.”

Despite being a coastal city, Hong Kong lacks awareness when planning developments in low-lying areas, critics like Lam say. The city of 7 million ranks fifth among Asian cities most at risk from higher sea levels, according to China Water Risk, a Hong Kong-based think tank. Only Tokyo, Macau, Nagoya and Taipei rank higher.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 11/18


2/3


----------



## hkskyline

* Wharf (Holdings) breaks own record set less than two months ago for residential plot on The Peak *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
Feb 9, 2021









_on.cc_

A consortium led by a subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) outbid four rivals to win a second parcel on The Peak for HK$7.25 billion (US$935.2 million), smashing a record it set less than two months ago and enlarging its land holdings in Hong Kong’s most exclusive housing enclave.

The Lands Department on Tuesday awarded the site on 9 and 11 Mansfield Road, which could yield a total gross floor area of 144,970 sq ft, to Active Pursuit comprising some of the city’s richest real estate tycoons.

The consortium includes Wharf Development, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) controlled by the family of Hong Kong billionaire Peter Woo Kwong-ching; Boswell Holdings, controlled by Sino Land chairman Robert Ng Chee Siong; Cheung Chung-kiu, owner of the historic Ho Tung Gardens on The Peak; Chan Hoi Wan, wife of property tycoon Joseph Lau Luen-hung and his brother Thomas Lau.

More : Wharf breaks own record set less than two months ago for Peak plot


----------



## jchk

*Hong Kong Palace Museum* | West Kowloon Cultural District

West Kowloon Cultural District thread: HONG KONG | West Kowloon Cultural District Development News
Official Site: Hong Kong Palace Museum

Project facts

Hong Kong branch of Beijing's Palace Museum
over 7,800 square metres of gallery space
Design Consultant: Rocco Design Architects
Scheduled Opening: Mid-2022
Render:









Construction updates:
















The HKPM in the context of the whole Cultural District:


----------



## Claps

Frenchlover said:


> Can somebody explain why they don't work with neighbouring Shenzhen to provide housing for the Hong Kongers as there are excellent transportation links between them ?


The shortage of land in Shenzhen is more serious than that in Hong Kong


----------



## hkskyline

* Here’s how transferable development rights outweigh Lantau reclamation plan in ending Hong Kong housing crisis *
Mar 31, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 










Housing in Hong Kong is among the least affordable in the world. And the problem is not lack of land, but lack of development. Three quarters of the city's land is vacant, and much of this is reasonably buildable territory.

In particular, the city contains 1,414 hectares of brownfield sites and another 1,200 hectares of country development land reserved for indigenous villagers of the New Territories that is suitable for high-density residential construction.

Despite this readily available land for housing, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's Lantau Tomorrow Vision is focused on reclaiming 1,000 to 1,700 hectares from the ocean at the huge cost of HK$624 billion.

Why reclaim new land at such high cost when existing land is just sitting there ready for new construction? The problem is the absence of an efficient bargaining process, by which low-value uses can be converted into uses that would be valued more highly.

For decades, developers, indigenous villagers, and the government have been locked in endless dickering over how to divide the gains from converting land, with the result that nothing gets done.

Opposition to new construction also comes from existing property owners, who are fearful that increasing housing supply might lower the value of their investment. The most dramatic expression of such opposition was property owners' protest against former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's plan to build 85,000 housing units. We suggest that this deadlock could be solved using transferable development rights or TDRs. Under our proposal, the government would give every Hong Kong citizen 50 square feet of TDRs.

More : There’s a better plan than Lantau Vision to end Hong Kong housing crisis


----------



## hkskyline

Frenchlover said:


> Can somebody explain why they don't work with neighbouring Shenzhen to provide housing for the Hong Kongers as there are excellent transportation links between them ?


Nobody wants the hassle of crossing the border daily, potentially paying taxes on both sides, lose their social benefits and access to international media/social media.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *East Kowloon Cultural Centre*
> 
> 11/27


* Hong Kong a future art tech leader? East Kowloon Cultural Centre to serve as a test bed for experimental uses of technology in performances *
Apr 12, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

The West Kowloon Cultural District may be the cultural venue in the limelight in Hong Kong but just 9km (5.6 miles) to the east, another one is quietly taking shape.

The East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC) lacks the former’s scale and international ambition, but it, too, aims to shake things up in the cultural sphere by turning Hong Kong from a laggard into a front runner in embracing digital technology for the arts.

The EKCC is a sprawling, more than HK$4 billion (US$510 million) structure spread over two hectares in a site created after the Lower Ngau Tau Kok public housing estate in Kowloon was knocked down.

More : East Kowloon Cultural Centre aims to turn Hong Kong into art tech leader


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong developers, analysts warn against government pushing ahead with vacancy tax to solve city’s housing crisis *
Apr 15, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong’s developers and analysts have warned it is not a good time for the government to revisit a shelved vacancy tax proposal for unsold homes, even as the idea received backing from lawmakers amid the city’s housing shortfall.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan told legislators on Wednesday he “would not rule out the possibility of proposing a vacancy tax again”, while the government is collecting more detailed data of unsold units and their sizes.

His remark was in response to lawmaker Leung Che-cheung, who expressed concern over the government’s withdrawal of the vacancy tax bill on flats last year. Leung asked whether authorities would consider reviving it.

More : Developers, analysts warn against trying to solve housing crisis with vacancy tax


----------



## hkskyline

*50pc of luxury home buyers from mainland *
Apr 20, 2021
The Standard _Excerpt_ 

Mainland-born "new Hongkongers" constituted nearly half of the buyers of the new homes worth between HK$50 million and HK$100 million in the first quarter, according to Midland Realty.

In recent years, local media have used the term "new Hongkongers" to refer to people who came from other places and subsequently acquired permanent resident status in Hong Kong. The majority of those in that group are mainlanders.

Mainland-born "new Hongkongers" also accounted for 11 percent of new home buyers in the primary market in the first quarter, up from 8.7 percent in the second quarter last year, according to Midland Realty.

Midland Realty expects home prices in Hong Kong to rise by 10 percent this year.

In the primary market, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) released 42 flats in the third price list of Regency Bay II in Tuen Mun, at an average price of HK$19,165 per sq ft after discounts - 2.3 percent higher than the second price list. SHKP received about 1,000 checks for 172 units in the first three price lists as of 7.30 pm yesterday, making them 4.8 times oversubscribed.

More : 50pc of luxury home buyers from mainland


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong buyers pile into Sun Hung Kai’s new flats in Tuen Mun on hopes of a speedy recovery *
Apr 24, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_






_Aerial footage source : Youtube_

Hong Kong’s property buyers flocked to new flats on offer at Tuen Mun, as the wealth effect from the stock market and an expanded roll-out of vaccinations bolstered expectations of an economic recovery and lifted sentiments.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) sold 117 flats, or 90 per cent of the first batch of 129 units on offer, at the Regency Bay II project as of 7.30pm on Saturday, according to sales agents. It is the first new property project launched in 2021 by the biggest local real-estate developer by market capitalisation.

The developer raised the average price of the second phase of Regency Bay to HK$18,419 (US$2,372) per square foot, almost 6 per cent above the catalogue price of the first phase released last July. The units on offer were priced between HK$5.68 million and HK$8.6 million, for flats measuring from 299 square feet (27.8 square metres) to 448 square feet. The phase two project will feature 406 flats when it is completed in June.

More : Hong Kong buyers snap up Sun Hung Kai’s Tuen Mun flats on recovery hopes


----------



## hkskyline

*Sun Hung Kai and think tank call for the increase of plot ratio in wetland buffer to increase land supply for affordable homes *
Apr 28, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong’s largest developer by capitalisation and a prominent think tank are urging the local government to allow areas with low ecological value within the city’s wetlands buffer area to be developed into higher-density housing projects to alleviate housing shortage.

Building density in the Wetland Buffer Zone, a strip of land measuring about 1,200 hectares (2,965 acres) about 500 metres away from the Deep Bay Wetland Conservation Area in the northwestern corner of Hong Kong’s New Territories near the border with Shenzhen, could be higher to accommodate medium-height apartments of about 15 stories, said Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP)’s planning and development project director Spencer Lu.

The current plot ratio – the total built-up area of a development divided by the total site area – in the buffer zone is between 0.2 and 0.4 times, which limits the versatility of the land in the area, forcing developers to build million-dollar villas such as the Palm Springs development to remain profitable.

More : Developer, think tank urge a rethink of wetland buffer plot ratios for homes


----------



## hkskyline

*CK Asset, Wheelock, Sun Hung Kai Properties among six bidders for massive Causeway Bay commercial site*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
May 7, 2021









_Ming Pao_

A large commercial plot in Causeway Bay, the first to be offered by the government in the area in 24 years, attracted six bids on Friday.

Bids for the 286,140 sq ft site on Caroline Hill Road have been placed by a partnership between Hysan Development, the largest landlord in Causeway Bay and Chinachem Group, while Sino Land is bidding as part of a consortium that includes Lifestyle International Holdings, Kerry Properties and CC Land Holdings.

Offers have also come from Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong’s largest developer by value; CK Asset Holdings, Hong Kong’s second-biggest developer; Wheelock Properties; and Link Reit, Asia’s largest real estate investment trust.

More : Hong Kong’s top developers bid for Causeway Bay commercial plot


----------



## jchk

*AIRSIDE* | Kai Tak
Kai Tak thread: HONG KONG | Kai Tak Airport Development News
Official Site: AIRSIDE – A New Landmark at Kai Tak | Nan Fung Group

Project facts

Developer: Rich Union Development Limited (parent company: Nan Fung Development Limited)
Design Architect: Snøhetta
Executive Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners
Site Cost: US$3.16 billion
GFA: 1.9 million sq ft
Height: 200mPD (47 storeys)
Renders:













This project has now *topped out*.



> AIRSIDE, a 1.9 million sq. ft mixed-use commercial development in the Kai Tak area, topped out successfully on 7 May, revealing an iconic landmark in Hong Kong.
> AIRSIDE embraces a new urban lifestyle concept of *wholeness*, welcoming the community to gather at a place where one can connect to others and enjoy a sense of nature. AIRSIDE offers cascading greenery, an open-air rooftop, terraces and surrounding grounds that will constitute 33% of the site area. The 18,000 sq. ft. of green landscape provides serene spots for visitors to escape, significantly improve the neighbourhood by enhancing people’s wellbeing. Moreover, there will be a 20m setback along Kai Tak River to create a wider promenade. Together with an open plaza for activities and events, this place is an inviting space for everyone to enjoy.
> Connected with a major public transport interchange, the project will be a sustainable and publicly accessible landmark that serves as an important gateway to the Kai Tak area. The project is expected to open in Q4 2022. (Source)











(Photo from Arup)








(Screenshot from this excellent video by Youtuber Drone Skyview Hong Kong)


----------



## hkskyline

*St. George's Mansions*
Project website with sales brochure : St. Georgeâ€™s Mansions | 24A Kadoorie Avenue
2A Kadoorie Avenue
3 towers of 20 stories (up to 23/F)
Expected material date : 31 August 2022



hkskyline said:


> 2/3


----------



## hkskyline

*Central Kowloon Route - Yau Ma Tei section*
5/10


----------



## hkskyline

*Redeveloped industrial estates to provide 4,800 housing units *
May 24, 2021
The Standard _Excerpt_ 

The Housing Authority expected some 4,800 housing units could be provided by redeveloping four industrial buildings across the city. 

The department has been conducting research on rebuilding six industrial buildings for housing purposes. 

Studies showed that Yip On Factory Estate in Kowloon Bay, Sui Fai Factory Estate in Fo Tan and Wang Cheong Factory Estate in Cheung Sha Wan could be developed into housing blocks on technical terms. Primary assessments expected the three factories to provide about 4,200 units in 2031. 

For Kwai On Factory Estate in Kwai Chung, although there exist environmental limitations, it is still possible to be rebuilt into housing blocks. The building is expected to provide about 600 units. 

However, as the proposed draft in Kwai Chung is affected by judicial review, it is still unknown whether the project can successfully commence and when it will be finished. 

More : Redeveloped industrial estates to provide 4,800 housing units


----------



## _Hawk_

*Monterey — O’South


















































Monterey O’South - WCWP







wcwp.hk




*


----------



## _Hawk_

Mayfair By The Sea

Built on a complex combined site that was split down the middle by a Government-mandated non-building area, this development consists of more than 1,000 residences and connects the Providence Bay residential district to the north and Hong Kong Science Park to the south. Stretched along the Tolo Harbour promenade, the 15-storey towers and villas enjoy unimpeded views towards the protected Ma Shi Chau Geopark islands. A row of 5 and 6-storey townhouse-style blocks also sit behind the towers connection to the riverwalk.
































Mayfair By The Sea - WCWP







wcwp.hk


----------



## _Hawk_

The Graces, Providence Bay





























https://wcwp.hk/projects/the-graces-providence-bay/


----------



## _Hawk_

Providence Bay









































Providence Bay - WCWP







wcwp.hk


----------



## _Hawk_

Mount Regalia

Located on Lai Ping Road in the Kau To Shan area, Mount Regalia recently saw a four-bedroom, 2,436-square-foot penthouse, sell for HK$98 million – about HK$40,230 a square foot, according to Regal Hotels International, one of the developers. Prior to this big-ticket deal, two properties, both at 2,107 square feet, were sold for more than HK$44 million in the same month.

Overall, Mount Regalia comprises seven medium-rise blocks, each 11 storeys tall. Units range in size from 1,600 to 3,300 square feet, including premium apartments with private terrace, garden or rooftop terrace. A collection of 24 luxury houses, ranging in size from 2,200 to 5,000 square feet, are also available within this gated community.






















































富豪 · 山峯 - Mount Regalia


Mount Regalia




www.mountregalia.hk


----------



## _Hawk_

8 Deep Water Bay Drive

In mid-October, Nan Fung Group announced that it had sold a 2,865-square-foot home at 8 Deep Water Bay Drive on the Southside of Hong Kong Island for around HK$174 million, which is roughly equivalent to HK$61,000 per square foot. By mid-October, a total of 12 luxury homes at the development were sold, generating some HK$3.19 billion of revenue for the developer.

Secluded in a low-density enclave off Deep Water Bay Drive, the building offers a collection of 52 residences that range in size from 2,865 to 8,475 square feet, each of which is thoughtfully positioned to command spectacular views.



























Testing the Market: Luxury Homes in Hong Kong to Look Out For


With the pandemic on the wane, it looks to be full steam ahead for the sales of upscale properties in Hong Kong. Here are the luxury homes to look out for.




www.prestigeonline.com


----------



## _Hawk_

Mont Rouge

Kerry Properties’ Mont Rouge is perched majestically on Beacon Hill immediately above Kowloon Tong, in one of the most popular big-ticket neighbourhoods of Hong Kong.

For views, privacy, convenience and space, Mont Rouge is in a league of its own. Blessed with sweeping views across Kowloon to Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island, this exclusive location avoids the hustle and bustle, but is nonetheless well connected to the city. Most residences enjoy southerly aspects that flood the rooms with fresh air and natural light.

Built in a low-density zone, the development offers “oversized” homes that include five villas (from 5,128 to 7,171 square feet), 14 houses (2,846 to 2,876 square feet), 24 family-sized apartments (1,656 to 1,760 square feet), as well as two 3,017-square-foot luxury penthouses.













































Testing the Market: Luxury Homes in Hong Kong to Look Out For


With the pandemic on the wane, it looks to be full steam ahead for the sales of upscale properties in Hong Kong. Here are the luxury homes to look out for.




www.prestigeonline.com


----------



## _Hawk_

*Tawnplace SOHO*









*





歷史及里程碑 | 新鴻基地產


成立初期主要興建單幢物業；隨著政府發展新市鎮，開始發展大型住宅項目。




www.shkp.com




*


----------



## _Hawk_

*Poggibonsi*


























Testing the Market: Luxury Homes in Hong Kong to Look Out For


With the pandemic on the wane, it looks to be full steam ahead for the sales of upscale properties in Hong Kong. Here are the luxury homes to look out for.




www.prestigeonline.com


----------



## _Hawk_

Triazza



























Testing the Market: Luxury Homes in Hong Kong to Look Out For


With the pandemic on the wane, it looks to be full steam ahead for the sales of upscale properties in Hong Kong. Here are the luxury homes to look out for.




www.prestigeonline.com


----------



## _Hawk_

133 Portofino




















https://www.krisprovoost.com/6wjhsfq6rpz8ny5003w8212nw397kq


----------



## _Hawk_

*Peak Castle*













Facebook







www.facebook.com


----------



## _Hawk_

*K11 ART AND CULTURAL CENTRE





































































K11 Art and Cultural Center / SO-IL


Completed in 2017 in Hong Kong (SAR). Images by Kris Provoost, Kevin Mak. The architecture of the museum, designed at the same time construction on the Victoria Dockside began, is driven by the challenges of its unique...




www.archdaily.com




*


----------



## hkskyline

* MTR closes in on Tuen Ma Line opening *
May 27, 2021
RTHK _Excerpt_ 

The MTR Corporation has said testing is complete on the next phase of its Tuen Ma Line, with reports late on Wednesday suggesting it could open as soon as the end of June.

The long-delayed project will see phase one of the line, covering the former Ma On Shan Line and stops at Diamond Hill and Kai Tak, extend to Hung Hom, via new stations at Sung Wong Toi and To Kwa Wan, as well as Ho Man Tin. At Hung Hom, the route will join the West Rail to Tuen Mun.

However reports say the extension of the East Rail Line, which was due to be completed early next year, may be delayed again. Two major pieces of work are said to remain on the cross-harbour section from Hung Hom to Admiralty.

Speaking ahead of the MTR's annual general meeting on Wednesday, MTR chief Jacob Kam said testing had been concluded and the corporation was awaiting the government's go-ahead for the opening date.

More : MTR closes in on Tuen Ma Line opening - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

* More homes hit market amid optimism *
May 28, 2021
The Standard _Excerpt_ 

Developers are rushing to launch more projects, as Hong Kong's economy shows green shoots of recovery and the pandemic stays under control.

New World Development (0017) is to sell new homes in Tai Wai at around HK$20,000 per square foot after discounts, while a project in Wong Chuk Hang is attracting celebrity buyers.

New World Development released 182 flats in the first price list of the third phase of The Pavilia Farm atop Tai Wai Station, at an average price of HK$19,999 per sq ft after a maximum 20 percent discount is applied, 5.69 percent higher than the first price list of the first phase. The 182 flats measure between 310 sq ft and 1,014 sq ft.

The cheapest flat, measuring 310 sq ft, is offered at HK$6.74 million, or HK$21,768 per sq ft after discounts.

Henderson Land Development has received 400 checks for the 45 flats on offer at The Upper South in Ap Lei Chau, an oversubscription of 7.8 times. The 45 flats, measuring between 183 sq ft and 264 sq ft, are priced between HK$4.27 million and HK$6.78 million, or HK$22,990 per sq ft to HK$27,058 per sq ft after discounts.

More : More homes hit market amid optimism


----------



## hkskyline

* MTR's Tuen Ma Line to get going on June 27 *
May 28, 2021
RTHK _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong's newest MTR line will be fully operational from June 27, the government announced on Friday.

While part of the Tuen Ma Line opened last year, the latest extension will see the opening of two new stations, To Kwa Wan and Sung Wong Toi.

The West Rail Line will connect to the Ma On Shan Line at Hung Hom Station, forming the new 56-kilometre line, complete with 27 stations stretching from Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha.

More : MTR's Tuen Ma Line to get going on June 27 - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

These old lowrises in *Hung Hom's Whampoa Street* are being demolished for redevelopment.

5/22


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong homebuyers snap up most units at Henderson Land’s The Upper South *
May 30, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 









_Oriental Daily_

Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up new flats on Sunday on optimism about a recovery in the city’s economy.

Out of a first batch of 45 units on sale at Henderson Land’s The Upper South in Ap Lei Chau, 41 – or about 91 per cent – were sold by the evening, according to agents. The batch, which included 20 studios and 25 one-room flats, went on sale at 2pm.

“The sales performance is good, as people are optimistic about the economy in the second half of this year, when the GDP is expected to rebound and the Covid-19 situation is expected to be under control in Hong Kong,” said Sammy Po, chief executive of the residential division at Midland Realty, the project’s sales agent.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers snap up most units at Henderson Land’s The Upper South

Project website : 逸南 The Upper South


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 2/3


*Kowloon City Plaza* - May 23


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *East Kowloon Cultural Centre*
> 
> 11/27


6/5


----------



## hkskyline

* Leave the country parks and golf courses alone, Hong Kong has ample brownfields with public housing potential *
June 8, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

The government of Hong Kong, regrettably, has been its own worst enemy with regards to land production.

Reclamations dropped dramatically from 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) generated between 1976 and 1996, to some 1,000 ha created since then. At the same time, land resumptions fell considerably, to only 20 ha in the five years through 2018.

The cumulative effect of this shortage was highlighted by Michael Wong, the Secretary for Development, to the Legislative Council in December 2018. During the five-year period to 2017/18, some 37.75 ha designated mainly for government, institutional or community purposes but also including some green belt and open space, and 27 ha earmarked for private residential use, were re-zoned for public rental housing.

This relatively small-scale, unplanned, “scatter-gun” approach has failed. Last month, it was revealed that the average waiting time for the 150,000 general applications for public housing worsened to 5.8 years from 4.6 years in 2017.

More : Leave the parks alone, Hong Kong has ample sites with housing potential


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 11/18


*St. George's Mansions (CLP Power)*
24A Kadoorie Avenue
Project website : St. Georgeâ€™s Mansions | 24A Kadoorie Avenue
3 towers of 20 stories each
Estimated completion (material date) August 2022

6/5


----------



## hkskyline

*Former Hong Kong leader CY Leung ramps up housing plan campaign, despite government dismissing his plan to build on edge of country park *
June 11, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying is ramping up his campaign for using land on the fringes of a protected country park to be used for building public housing, even though the government has categorically rejected the idea.

Leung, now an elder statesman as a vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, said on Friday that his proposal to build 25,000 affordable homes and 1,000 flats for the elderly at the Tai Lam Country Park would offer a quick option to help ease the city’s chronic housing shortage.

He dismissed suggestions that he was campaigning for a return as the city’s chief executive when asked whether his lobbying for housing reform and his active engagement with community leaders on public policy discussions signalled such an ambition.

More : CY Leung ups country park flats plan bid already rejected by government


----------



## Michalhal

Guys, why don't you show some intersting visualisations or ready new inwestiotions? Sorry to say that, but Hong Kong thread is a bit of boring.


----------



## hkskyline

Michalhal said:


> Guys, why don't you show some intersting visualisations or ready new inwestiotions? Sorry to say that, but Hong Kong thread is a bit of boring.


The developers rarely put up renderings or visualizations. We just see the construction in scaffolding and get surprised when it's done.


----------



## pedrouraí

hkskyline said:


> The developers rarely put up renderings or visualizations. We just see the construction in scaffolding and get surprised when it's done.


Seriously? Why?


----------



## hkskyline

pedrouraí said:


> Seriously? Why?


It's local market practice. I don't think investors / buyers are particularly interested. The developers typically disclose the floor area that they can build and the # units, then most launches come with a frenzy, long lines at sales centres, and we are typically only lucky enough to see the renderings in the short lead-up to launch.


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority to build 18,000 new homes in HK$100 billion drive to help first-time buyers, regenerate parts of the city *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 15, 2021

The Urban Renewal Authority will spend HK$100 billion (US$13 billion) over the next five years building 18,000 homes for Hong Kong’s private sector under a massive drive to help first-time buyers and regenerate parts of the city.

Announcing its biggest and costliest five-year business plan since it was established in 2001, the authority also revealed it would launch a public consultation on redeveloping Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, which are home to some of the city’s oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods.

The 18,000 new flats will be sited in urban locations across the city and the programme includes a significant starter-home project in central Kowloon.

More : 18,000 new homes: HK$100 billion push to help first-time buyers, regenerate city


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s homebuying frenzy reaches down to small flats, as customers snap up Vanke’s Vau Residence in Ho Man Tin *
June 20, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong homebuyers returned in droves to snap up new flats in Ho Man Tin on Saturday, showing confidence in the city’s property market amid the improving local coronavirus situation and early signs of economic recovery.

Vanke Holdings (Hong Kong), a unit of China’s third-largest developer China Vanke, sold 54 of the 55 units on offer at its Vau Residence project in Ho Man Tin as of 8pm, agents said, adding that they expect the remaining two units to sell out by the end of the day.

Around 530 bids were received for the units, or up to nine buyers vying for each available flat, according to a spokesperson.

More : Buyers snap up Vanke’s Vau flats in Hong Kong’s property frenzy

_A scale model rendering at the start of the video :_






_Source : 信報財經新聞_


----------



## hkskyline

As part of extending the Tuen Ma Line's Phase 1 to connect to the West Rail, a new set of platforms were built at *Hung Hom station*. Construction had been controversial as shoddy construction involving shortened steel bars was revealed in 2018, resulting in 4 contractors being banned from government contracts for up to a year. A public inquiry revealed shoddy work in sample checks of the platform's structure as well as missing inspection documents and unauthorized design changes. However, they concluded the structures remained safe.

The new platforms opened on June 20, 2021, a week ahead of the line's full commissioning.



























































































More photos on my website : Tuen Ma Line New Hung Hom Station


----------



## hkskyline

* Mixed reviews for new MTR line on full opening day *
June 27, 2021
RTHK _Excerpt_ 

The MTR's Tuen Ma Line has drawn mixed reviews on the first day of its full operation, with rail enthusiasts and residents happy about the convenience it offers, but others worried about a loss of business.

With the opening of two new stations, Sung Wong Toi and To Kwa Wan, the existing West Rail and Ma On Shan lines have now been merged - making the 56-kilometre Tuen Ma line Hong Kong's longest.

Trains on the route will run between Wu Kai Sha and Tuen Mun, with 27 stations in total.

Hundreds of people boarded a packed special train that left Sung Wong Toi station at 5:50 on Sunday morning to celebrate the line's full opening.

The crowd of fans waited outside the station since early morning and happily rushed to the platform when the station opened.

More : Mixed reviews for new MTR line on full opening day - RTHK

Images from _Ming Pao_ :


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam vows to learn lessons from problem-plagued construction of MTR’s Sha Tin to Central link *
June 26, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has vowed to learn from the troubled construction of the city’s most expensive rail project, a key stretch of which is slated to open on Sunday after repeated delays and cost overruns.

At a ceremony on Saturday ahead of the full opening of the Tuen Ma line – whose Tai Wai-Hung Hom section comprises part of the HK$90.7 billion (US$11.7 billion) Sha Tin to Central link – Lam admitted the rail project had been beset by challenges over the years.

“The Hong Kong government, MTR Corporation and our construction teams have deemed every challenge a motivation for innovation. We have sought to resolve the problems facing us and also learn our lessons to ensure smooth sailing for future projects,” she said.

More : Hong Kong leader vows to learn lessons from problem-plagued MTR project


----------



## hkskyline

To Kwa Wan station


----------



## ophizer

beautiful


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s second-quarter residential land tenders set to fuel bidding war amid supply squeeze *
July 6, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s failure to provide sufficient land for private housing is expected to keep competition alive among small and medium-sized developers in this quarter’s land-sale programme, just as the city’s property market is turning rosy again.

The government will offer two parcels of land for public tender in the July-to-September quarter, enough to provide only 200 flats in an under-supplied housing market. The plots at Kowloon Tong and Yuen Long could see keen bidding, with one analyst raising his valuation of the former piece by 36 per cent amid bullish sentiment.

The widespread vaccination programme, positive market atmosphere and the brisk sales in the market “will enhance confidence and desire to invest” among developers, said James Cheung, executive director at Centaline Surveyors. “The response to land bidding will be enthusiastic.”

More : Supply squeeze to shore up bidding at Hong Kong’s land auctions this quarter


----------



## hkskyline

Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m. 

Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf

7/4


----------



## jchk

*Wanchai Government Towers Redevelopment* | Wanchai
Source
Project facts

Mixed use development comprising a 500-room hotel, Grade A offices, and exhibition facilities
Height: 278 mPD
Came across these newly released details of the redevelopment of the Wanchai Government Towers. While the planned tower isn't particularly tall, it is considerably taller than its predecessor, and occupies a prime site adjacent to Central Plaza and the HKCEC; it should have quite an impact on the Wanchai skyline.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hong Kong’s real estate bull run gets a lethargic start in Year of the Ox as city’s first sales weekend gets a mixed response *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Feb 20, 2021
> 
> Hong Kong’s homebuyers made a tentative return to the market, giving their collective cold shoulder to older projects but picking up flats at a new launch to give a mixed response to the city’s first property sales in the Year of the Ox.
> 
> In Tuen Mun in the New Territories, Hong Kong Ferry Holdings and Empire Group sold 76 flas, or nearly 60 per cent of the 128 units on offer, at the second-round sales launch of Skypoint Royale as of 9.30pm, with as many as 32 buyers bidding for every available flat, agents said.
> 
> In Tai Kok Tsui, Chevalier International Holdings and the Urban Renewal Authority failed to sell any of the 42 flats on offer at the Sablier project, left unsold from a previous launch.
> 
> More : Hong Kong’s first home sales in Year of the Ox gets mixed response


*Sablier*

7/7


----------



## ophizer

great city!


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hotel stays in Hong Kong to cost more as Excelsior’s closure will tighten supply by nearly 1,000 rooms*
> Occupancy rates of properties in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay will immediately surge by at least 6 per cent when the Excelsior closes in March, says Colliers
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> October 9, 2018
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Visitors to Hong Kong could end up paying more for hotels as the closure of the iconic Excelsior Hotel next March and rising tourist arrivals are expected to drive up occupancy and room rates in Asia’s fastest growing market.
> 
> Overall hotel occupancy in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay will immediately surge by at least 6 per cent, and 2.1 per cent on Hong Kong Island, said Hannah Jeong, senior director of valuation and advisory in Asia at Colliers.
> 
> “As the 869-room Excelsior contributes 7.8 per cent of total rooms available in that district, the impact would be [really great] based on the current strong recovery of tourism market in Hong Kong,” Jeong said.
> 
> Travellers could end up paying more for accommodation as competitors such as Pullman and Regal Hotel in the district adjust their room rate upwards.
> 
> JLL expects visitor numbers to rise because of the upcoming completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge and Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which will boost demand for hotels.
> 
> It also expects hotel revenue growth to continue through the year, with Hong Kong recording the highest revenue growth per room among major hotel markets in Asia for this year, estimated to be more than 10 per cent.
> 
> Eight other hotels in Hong Kong are currently being refurbished, redeveloped or on the drawing board for the shift, representing more than 1,000 hotel rooms, according to a Colliers.
> 
> More : Excelsior’s closure to cost tourists more for hotel stays in Hong Kong


7/8


----------



## hkskyline

*Over 90% of Hong Kong industrial estate tenants facing eviction oppose redevelopment plan *
20 July 2021
Hong Kong Free Press _Excerpt_










An overwhelming majority of tenants at four government-run factory estates have said they are opposed to a clearance and redevelopment plan, urging the administration to halt plans immediately.

Around 93 per cent of 479 respondents from Yip On Factory Estate in Kowloon Bay, Sui Fai Factory Estate in Fo Tan, and Wang Cheong Factory Estate in Cheung Sha Wan said they objected to the demolition of the three sites, a survey published on Monday showed.

The Housing Authority announced plans in May to redevelop the three factory estates and Kwai On Factory Estate in Kwai Chung for public housing. The proposal could provide over 4,000 flats in 2031.

More : Over 90% of Hong Kong industrial estate tenants facing eviction oppose redevelopment plan | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *St. George's Mansions (CLP Power)*
> 24A Kadoorie Avenue
> Project website : St. Georgeâ€™s Mansions | 24A Kadoorie Avenue
> 3 towers of 20 stories each
> Estimated completion (material date) August 2022
> 
> 6/5


7/10


----------



## hkskyline

*HSBC, ICBC (Asia) and other Hong Kong banks stop mortgage loans for Evergrande’s unfinished flats over developer’s debt woes *
21 July 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

HSBC, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) and other major banks in the city have stopped offering mortgage loans for unfinished flats built by heavily indebted property developer China Evergrande in Hong Kong, according to people familiar with the matter

The U-turn on mortgage lending by several banks came after a creditor in eastern China won a court order this month to freeze 132 million yuan (US$20 million) in assets held by the Shenzhen-based developer, raising additional concerns about its financial health. Evergrande, the world’s most indebted developer, said on Monday that it was considering “legal proceedings” over the freezing order.

The banks, which also include the Bank of East Asia, are continuing to offer loans for finished flats, but restricting lending on unfinished properties, according to the people, who were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

More : Hong Kong banks stop loans for debt-stricken Evergrande’s flats


----------



## hkskyline

jchk said:


> *Mariners Club' Redevelopment* | Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> Relevant SSC Post: HONG KONG | Projects & Construction
> Press release: No related news.
> 
> 
> Address: 11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> 
> Nearest MTR Stations: East Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui
> 
> 
> Number of storeys: 42
> 
> 
> Target completion: H1 2023
> 
> 
> Total cost of development: HK$6 billion (USD 764 million)
> 
> It has been announced today that the Mariners' Club building, currently undergoing demolition, will be redeveloped at a cost of HK$6 billion into a 42-storey building. The Mariners' Club will be located in the lower floors, while Hong Kong's first Kimpton Hotel will operate a hotel in the upper floors, with around 500 guestrooms. Foundation works will commence within two months, with a target completion date of the first half of 2023. (Source in Chinese)
> 
> Current state of the site, taken by Gaoloumi user PAFC last week:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Renders from HKET:


7/24

Private Club - The Mariners Club (demolished 2019) | Redelopment in progress, TST, Kowloon, Hong Kong by Jamie Lloyd, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

*There's no lack of land, 'just lack of daring proposals' *
July 26, 2021
The Standard _Excerpt_

Hong Kong doesn't lack land, but the government must take over some of the housing projects developed on top of MTR stations, New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee says.

Ip, also an executive councillor, said subdivided flats are "the shame of Hong Kong" and that some of the MTR housing projects should be popular among the public.

"MTR Corp can obtain an enormous profit margin for developing housing projects, so it should return some of the properties to the government," Ip said.

She slammed the MTRC for "insufficient commitment" to the government and the government for failing to show influence in the MTRC's management board despite having two officials on it.

"Where can we find such a business where one can pocket all the money yet share the responsibility with others?" Ip asked.

If the MTRC sold the best flats on top of its stations to people at cost, Ip believes there will be less Hongkongers emigrating.

More : There's no lack of land, 'just lack of daring proposals''


----------



## hkskyline

*Square Mile*
38 Fuk Chak Street
Project website : Aquila · Square Mile
24 stories

7/24


----------



## hkskyline

* Environmental groups raise concerns as HK mulls more development in wetland buffer areas*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Aug 2, 2021

Authorities are mulling to increase plot ratios at wetland buffer areas to build more houses, but environmental groups worry over-development at the area will disrupt the ecology in wetlands. 

Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun was referring to 1,000 hectares of buffer areas surrounding the Deep Bay Wetland conservation area.

Wong said the government is reviewing whether the plot ratio at wetland buffer areas can be relaxed, but he said it is too early to unveil the location of those land plots and other details.

More : Environmental groups raise concerns as HK mulls more development in wetland buffer areas


----------



## hkskyline

jchk said:


> *Sugar *and* No.1 Irving* | Causeway Bay
> 
> Discovered these two rather similar U/C projects serendipitously from a lovely rooftop cafe yesterday; as is the norm with private development in Hong Kong, there are no renders available for either, nor do we know their heights (the height limit for this area of Causeway Bay is 135mPD, and they look to be at or just under that limit).
> 
> *Sugar*
> 25-31 Sugar Street
> 
> Project Facts
> 
> Developer: Million Prospect Investment Limited (China Resources subsidiary)
> GFA: 8,300m2
> Site cost: HK$1.68 billion ($216.7 million) (Source)
> "28-storey Ginza-style commercial building" (Source)
> 
> View attachment 905591
> View attachment 905593


8/7


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## hkskyline

* Legco complex expansion to cost HK$1.2 billion*
August 16, 2021
_Excerpt_










Legco president Andrew Leung has put a price tag of HK$1.17 billion on the expansion of the Legislative Council complex to accommodate an additional 20 lawmakers following Beijing’s electoral overhaul.

He said the project is expected to get underway in mid-2022 and should be finished by mid-2025. Four storeys will be added to the existing building and a 10-storey-high structure will be built in the garden.

Leung said meetings will still be held in the existing complex in the meantime, but half of the future 90 lawmakers will temporarily work in a building next to the complex. 

More : Legco complex expansion to cost HK$1.2 billion - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

A long *pedestrian bridge* opened in August connecting *Hoi Ying and Hoi Tat Estate* near Nam Cheong station. Hoi Ying is located near the waterfront but cut off from the rest of the city by the elevated West Kowloon Highway, although residents could still walk to the MTR station. This bridge will give them better access to buses that run along Sham Mong Road. 

Construction in March 2020 :



















These photos were taken on 23 Aug :


----------



## hkskyline

*Small businesses fear a struggle to survive when Hong Kong factory estates are knocked down for housing *
Hong Kong Free Press _Excerpt_
August 28, 2021 

Many small businesses fear they will struggle to survive after the Hong Kong government announced plans to demolish four public factory estates with over 2,000 tenants to build public housing.

Tenants of Sui Fai Factory Estate in Fo Tan, Yip On Factory Estate in Kowloon Bay, Wang Cheong Factory Estate in Cheung Sha Wan, and Kwai On Factory Estate in Kwai Chung were in May given 18 months’ notice to quit.

As part of compensation plans, they were offered a sum equal to 15 months of rent as well as an additional HK$100,000 if they move out before February next year.

HKFP talked to some tenants at Sui Fai Factory Estate about what the demolition would mean for them, as well as their businesses.

Fanny Wong, representative of the estate, said the government never consulted the tenants before deciding on the redevelopment plan.

More : Small businesses fear a struggle to survive when Hong Kong factory estates are knocked down for housing | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority ready to build subsidised flats, but needs land to move faster, chairman says *
Sep 6, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority needs more land, not money, from the government to do a better job of boosting the city’s housing supply, according to chairman Chow Chung-kong.

Having the necessary land would free the statutory body to build homes and relocate residents without first having to pay hefty compensation to acquire buildings, he said in an interview with the Post.

The URA was also exploring new ideas for future projects, Chow said, including transferring plot ratios – which determine the built-up area on a site – between locations, enabling it to build more homes in prime spots and improve planning when redeveloping urban neighbourhoods.

More : Hong Kong’s URA needs land to build subsidised flats faster: chairman


----------



## hkskyline

* Factory building in Kowloon Bay to be transformed into 2,200 public housing flats *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sep 8, 2021

Yip On Factory Estate in Kowloon Bay will be redeveloped into four public housing blocks providing 2,200 units.

The factory building is one of four to be demolished, according to an earlier Housing Authority announcement. The others are Sui Fai Factory Estate in Fo Tan, Wang Cheong Factory Estate in Cheung Sha Wan and Kwai On Factory Estate in Kwai Chung.

Yip On Factory Estate is near Kowloon Bay Station and covers an area of about 1.5 hectares. 

According to a document sent to district councilors, the authority plans to convert the building into four residential buildings with a total gross floor area of 135,000 square meters, which is expected to provide about 2,200 units and accommodate about 6,000 people. 

More : Factory building in Kowloon Bay to be transformed into 2,200 public housing flats


----------



## hkskyline

*HLD's HK Island East 'THE HOLBORN' Receives Over 800 Checks, Oversubscribed by Nearly 5.3x *
Sep 16, 2021
AAstocks 

HENDERSON LAND's residential project located in Eastern District, Hong Kong Island -- "THE HOLBORN" will launch 128 units in its first selling round on Sunday (19th) and has already received over 800 checks as at 6:30 pm yesterday (15th), representing an oversubscription of nearly 5.3x, suggested market sources.

For the units set to be launched, the discounted selling prices range between $5.8083 million and $8.0342 million.

More : HLD's HK Island East 'THE HOLBORN' Receives Over 800 Checks, Oversubscribed by Nearly 5.3x

_Oriental Daily _


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s banks pull the plug on a second unfinished housing project, halting mortgage loans to Kwai Hung’s Mangrove flats *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 17, 2021

Hong Kong banks are becoming more cautious in their mortgage lending, particularly for incomplete projects built by smaller developers.

HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Hang Seng Bank, Bank of East Asia (BEA) and Standard Chartered are among lenders that have stayed away from mortgages for uncompleted units at Kwai Hung Group’s Mangrove development, according to sources familiar with the matter. All 130 units at the development in Hung Hom will be up for sale this Saturday.

Mortgages for “incomplete units are not being approved. If you choose the [45 days] Cash Payment Plan [for incomplete units], that probably will not be approved”, said a staffer handling phone enquiries for Mangrove.

More : HSBC, other halt mortgages for Kwai Hung flats over completion concerns

_Drone footage :_


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s homebuyers defy banks’ jitters in snapping up flats built by little-known developer in fourth straight sell-out weekend *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 18, 2021

Hong Kong’s homebuyers continued to pile into the residential property market, snapping up three of four flats on offer in two districts across the city, encouraged by an improving local economy and prospects of easy financing.

Up to 197 of 265 apartments, or 74 per cent, of available new flats on offer at two projects were sold as at 8:00pm, sales agents said.

Kwai Hung Group sold 128 of 130 flats released in the first batch of the Mangrove project in Hung Hom, defying the banks that pulled the plug on mortgage financing amid concerns over the developer’s ability to complete the project. At Wong Chuk Hang in the south of Hong Kong Island, Kerry Properties sold 69 out of 135 flats at La Marina, jointly developed with Sino Land and MTR Corporation.

More : Hong Kong buyers help developers chalk up fourth sell-out weekend


----------



## hkskyline

*Central Kowloon Route*

9/10


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s weekend homebuyers balk at Henderson’s The Holborn amid supply increase *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 19, 2021

Hong Kong homebuyers were hesitant on the second day of weekend property sales on Sunday, amid an increase in supply that had left them with more options.

Henderson Land Development had sold 60 flats – or 47 per cent – of the first 128 units on offer at The Holborn project in Quarry Bay as of 5.40pm, according to real estate agents. Sales at the Mangrove and La Marina projects a day earlier were brisk, defying banks’ jitters and helping developers to clear 94 per cent of the stock.

The batch up for grabs at The Holborn was priced at an average price of HK$28,888 (US$3,711) per square foot. The 224 sq ft to 260 sq ft flats range in price from HK$5.8 million to HK$8 million. The price was not at a discount to the market rate, which probably had not helped the sale, said Sammy Po Siu-ming, CEO of Midland Realty’s residential division.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers balk at Henderson’s The Holborn amid supply increase


----------



## hkskyline

A sales pitch video from The Holborn's developer :


----------



## hkskyline

*Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel* construction works (drone footage)
Project website : Overview of TKO-LTT | Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel (TKO-LT Tunnel)







This video shows the Kowloon exit (the green part on the left of the below map from the project website) :


----------



## hkskyline

* Wheelock says its proposal to build homes under the land sharing scheme is a ‘win-win’ solution for all *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 21, 2021

Private flats to be built under a plan to tap Hong Kong developers’ land reserves will not necessarily cost more and is a “win-win” solution for all stakeholders, even though most of the land is earmarked for public housing under the proposal, according to Ricky Wong Kwong-yiu, managing director of Wheelock Properties.

Under the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme initiated in May last year, owners of farmland can apply to the government to increase the development density of their sites, but they must set aside at least 70 per cent of the increased floor area for affordable public sector housing. In return, the government will improve the infrastructural development to enhance the development intensity of the private lots and speed up various planning and project approvals.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced the plan in 2019 to help solve the city’s housing crunch, which she said was partly responsible for fuelling the social unrest that broke out that year. She appealed to developers to share their “social responsibility”.

More : Wheelock touts land sharing scheme proposal a ‘win-win’ solution for all


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 2/3


*Kowloon City Plaza*

9/19


----------



## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai, Wheelock among developers rushing to build small flats as Hong Kong home prices approach all-time high*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 23, 2021

Hong Kong’s biggest developers are joining the rush to build small flats to woo young buyers as prices in the world’s most expensive housing market approach an all-time high. The move is being criticised by a senior adviser to Beijing for its profit motive.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) plans to build 5,400 units in Sai Kung, with the smallest featuring a usable floor area of about 88 square feet (8.2 square metres), according to a filing with the Buildings Department.

In Kowloon, a consortium of Wheelock Properties, Henderson Land Development, New World Development and China Overseas Land & Investment plan to build a 1,591-unit residential development with sizes starting at about 120 sq ft. The measurements of flats in both projects exclude space allocated for kitchen, bathroom and balcony, the filings show.

More : Hong Kong developers join rush for small flats as home prices soar


----------



## hkskyline

* New World Development launches social housing enterprise *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sep 29, 2021

Property giant New World Development has launched a not-for-profit social housing enterprise called “New World Build for Good” in an effort to unite the business sector and social groups, to help solve Hong Kong’s deep-rooted housing issues.

With preparation work that began last year, the social housing enterprise will explore new and sustainable housing models. It is chaired by New World Development CEO Adrian Cheng Chi-kong.

The social housing enterprise will research in multiple directions and lead future pilot programs as it seeks to create short to medium-term solutions, as well as long-term strategies that will allow Hongkongers to reside in flats that they can truly call home. 

More : New World Development launches social housing enterprise


----------



## hkskyline

*Sun Hung Kai backs development of green belt and wetland buffer zones *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Oct 4, 2021

The government should make optimal use of green belt sites as 10 percent of such land can build 1.2 million public housing units, developer Sun Hung Kai Properties suggested.

It was among the six suggestions made by the developer on easing the city’s land and housing problem.

The property giant said Hong Kong does not have insufficient land, but the government should release those land from red tapes that are affecting the land and housing supply.

It therefore proposed the government to make good use of the green belt’s potential, and review the green belt areas, especially those owned by the government.

“Some of those green belt areas can be repurposed to build subsidized housing including Starter Homes to help middle class families purchase a property,” it proposed.

More : Sun Hung Kai backs development of green belt and wetland buffer zones


----------



## MarciuSky2

*Hong Kong to tackle impossible housing market with 1 million homes in Northern Metropolis.*









Hong Kong to tackle impossible housing market with 1 million homes in Northern Metropolis - Global Construction Review


Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam today unveiled plans to tackle the city’s unaffordable housing by building a “Northern Metropolis” on its border with Shenzhen. The plan is to create…




www.globalconstructionreview.com


----------



## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s ‘big four’ developers stand to win big from government’s proposed Northern Metropolis *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Oct 7, 2021

Hong Kong developers sitting on massive holdings of farmland are expected to be the biggest winners of the government’s latest proposal to develop a new hub called Northern Metropolis.

While the plan covers an area of 300 sq km, the government will develop 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of land including farmland, wetland and brownfield sites, some of which is held by developers and private owners.

Sun Hung Kai Properties, CK Asset, Henderson Land and New World Development, the city’s top four by market value, together own a total of 106.3 million sq ft of farmland in the designated area, according to CGS-CIMB Securities.

More : Top Hong Kong developers to win big from proposed Northern Metropolis


----------



## Zaz965

this painting shows how was Hong Kong in 1841
















Hong Kong Foundation Day - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


----------



## hkskyline

* We can handle two massive projects at once, says govt *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Oct 25, 2021

Development Secretary Michael Wong on Monday dismissed concerns that officials are biting off more than they can chew by undertaking two massive projects, the Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow Vision, at the same time.

At a Legco panel meeting, New People's Party legislator Regina Ip asked whether the government is capable of doing this, saying it could lead to an increase in labour and construction costs, as well as delays.

"Please be frank secretary. Do you think you can cope with it? Don't be bureaucratic," she said.

More : We can handle two massive projects at once, says govt - RTHK


----------



## Zaz965

Lantau tomorrow vision project
















‘Lantau Tomorrow Vision’ — home to 1.1m


Vast reclamation projects will provide 1,700 hectares of land and 340,000 jobs over next 20-30 years, CE says in her Policy Address.




www.chinadailyhk.com


----------



## hkskyline

*MTR’s Tung Chung sale draws a tepid response as developers recoil at huge sum needed to build in inconvenient location*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Oct 28, 2021

A major sale of residential land in Hong Kong drew a tepid response from developers, as six of the seven companies that showed interest last month recoiled at the investments needed, in a possible shift in priorities amid the government’s plan to build a Northern Metropolis near the city’s border with Shenzhen.

A plot in Tung Chung on Lantau Island, where the city’s Disneyland resort and airport are located, received five bids, according to MTR Corporation. It was far fewer than the 35 expressions of interest the rail operator received last month.

The parcel, located atop MTR’s Tung Chung traction substation, has a gross floor area of 929,364 square feet (10,000 square metres), which can accommodate between 1,400 and 1,800 flats that require HK$11.3 billion (US$1.45 billion) to develop, surveyors said.

More : MTR’s latest land sale in Hong Kong’s Tung Chung draws a tepid response


----------



## Zaz965

kowloon 1964 - 2016
















People On This Group Are Sharing Examples Of ‘Urban Hell’ That Look Like A Dystopian Movie But Are Sadly Real (40 Pics)


Not every building is as beautiful as the Palace of Versailles. Or blends into its surroundings as well as the Macallan Distillery.




www.boredpanda.com


----------



## jchk

*Site 3, New Central Harbourfront* | Central
Project thread: HONG KONG | Victoria Harbour Reclamation Development News

It has been announced that the tender for this massive harbourfront site has been awarded to Gate Development Limited, a subsidiary of Henderson Land.

Renders:


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *MTR’s Tung Chung sale draws a tepid response as developers recoil at huge sum needed to build in inconvenient location*
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Oct 28, 2021
> 
> A major sale of residential land in Hong Kong drew a tepid response from developers, as six of the seven companies that showed interest last month recoiled at the investments needed, in a possible shift in priorities amid the government’s plan to build a Northern Metropolis near the city’s border with Shenzhen.
> 
> A plot in Tung Chung on Lantau Island, where the city’s Disneyland resort and airport are located, received five bids, according to MTR Corporation. It was far fewer than the 35 expressions of interest the rail operator received last month.
> 
> The parcel, located atop MTR’s Tung Chung traction substation, has a gross floor area of 929,364 square feet (10,000 square metres), which can accommodate between 1,400 and 1,800 flats that require HK$11.3 billion (US$1.45 billion) to develop, surveyors said.
> 
> More : MTR’s latest land sale in Hong Kong’s Tung Chung draws a tepid response


*MTR rejects all five bids for plot at Tung Chung, Lantau Island, as developers recoil at huge sum needed to build *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 5, 2021

The MTR Corporation has rejected all five bids for a large residential site in Tung Chung on Lantau Island after the plot elicited a cool response from Hong Kong’s developers.

“[MTR] has decided not to accept any of the tender submissions [and] will retender the project in due course,” the rail operator said in a statement. MTR declined to give a further comment.

Given the costly investment required for the parcel, located atop MTR’s Tung Chung traction substation, the fact the bids fell short was unsurprising, according to analysts. With a gross floor area of 929,364 square feet (10,000 square metres), the plot can accommodate between 1,400 and 1,800 flats and would require an estimated investment of HK$11.3 billion (US$1.45 billion) to develop.

More : MTR rejects all five bids for Tung Chung plot as developers balk at investment cost


----------



## hkskyline

*Homebuyers snap up CK Asset’s #Lyos flats in Hung Shui Kiu, boding well for Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis plan *
November 6, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

A weekend sale of tiny flats in Hong Kong’s New Territories got off to a brisk start, auguring well for the proposed Northern Metropolis residential enclave near the city’s northern border with Shenzhen.

CK Asset Holdings sold all 200 apartments through open sales in the first batch of sales at its #Lyos project in Hung Shui Kiu as of 8:30pm, with more than 7,500 registrations of interest, translating to 36 bids for every available unit, while 20 flats were reserved for sale by tender.

The smallest #Lyos flat measures 202 square feet (19 square metres), 50 per cent bigger than a standard car-parking space in Hong Kong, priced from HK$3.53 million (US$453,500). Bigger flats are 443 square feet, featuring two rooms with a private garden of 573 sq ft, priced at HK$7.5 million after discounts. 

More : Homebuyers pile into #Lyos flats in CK Asset’s sell-out weekend


----------



## hkskyline

*Wetland Seasons Bay Phase 2, Tin Shui Wai*







Project website : https://www.wetlandseasonsbay2.com.hk/


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong homebuyers snap up flats in projects at the city’s former airport runway and in “Northern Metropolis” district *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 13, 2021

Hong Kong’s homebuyers flocked into the property market to snap up flats in Tin Shui Wai and at the city’s former airport runway in Kai Tak ahead of an expected increase in demand after the reopening of the border with mainland China.

Wheelock Properties sold 341 of the first batch of 342 flats at the Monaco One project in Kai Tak as of 9pm, agents said. The flats had received 6,153 registrations of interest, translating to 18 bids for every available unit, according to the developer.

Meanwhile, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) sold 171 units, or 96 per cent of the 179 flats on offer at two phases in Wetland Seasons Bay in Tin Shui Wai, receiving 1,968 registrations, or around 11 bids for each of the 171 units on open sale.

More : Hong Kong’s homebuyers snap up flats in Kai Tak and near wetlands


----------



## hkskyline

The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2021
*Travelodge to give way to 230 homes*

Local developer Tai Hung Fai Enterprise has applied to turn its Travelodge Kowloon Hotel and several old buildings around it at Saigon Street in Yau Ma Tei into a development which will offer 230 flats upon completion.

A 28-story building with a gross floor area of 7,110 square meters is proposed to be built upon the 778-sq-m site, information from the Town Planning Board showed.

Meanwhile, properties are trading actively in the city.

More : Travelodge to give way to 230 homes


----------



## MarciuSky2

Herzog & de Meuron's M+ museum in Hong Kong opens to the public


Visitors can now enter Herzog & de Meuron's monumental screen-topped M+ museum, which has opened to the public in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District.




www.dezeen.com


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong property developers ready luxury projects amid expectations of high demand following China border reopening *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2021

Hong Kong property developers are looking to release more expensive homes in the city’s The Peak and New Territories districts in anticipation of the reopening of the border with mainland China.

Wheelock Properties, for instance, expects to start taking reservations for private visits to four penthouses at Mount Nicholson, Asia’s priciest address, sometime over the next few weeks.

“It is expected that, in short term, the border may be reopened partially. This may make it more convenient for interested buyers from the mainland to possibly pay visits [to properties],” said Ricky Wong, Wheelock’s managing director. “We thought it would be the right time.”

More : Property firms ready luxury projects with eye on China border reopening


----------



## hkskyline

* China Evergrande asks Hong Kong property agents to sell more flats at Emerald Bay if they want the commission it already owes them *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 18, 2021

Debt-stricken China Evergrande Group is asking sales agents to sell even more flats at one of its Hong Kong projects so it can afford to pay them the commission it owes them for units they previously sold.

The Shenzhen-based developer is offering to pay the outstanding commission fees owed on two flats for every additional unit of similar value that agents manage to shift at its Emerald Bay project in Tuen Mun, according to notes from a meeting seen by the South China Morning Post.

The unusual proposal has gone down like a lead balloon with property sales firms, with two of the city’s biggest agencies rejecting it out of hand.

More : Evergrande asks Hong Kong agents to sell more flats to get commission they’re owed









_Ming Pao_


----------



## hkskyline

* CK Asset plans to turn industrial zone near Hong Kong’s Sha Tin Racecourse into residential area with 4,700 flats, school *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 19, 2021










Developer CK Asset has proposed turning an industrial area near Hong Kong’s Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories into a residential area that can accommodate 4,700 flats.

The flagship company of tycoon Li Ka-shing submitted an application for the rezoning of the land in the East Fo Tan Industrial Area to the Town Planning Board through a company called Hybonia Limited, according to a statement from the developer’s spokeswoman.

“If the Town Planning Board approves it, CK Asset will become a pioneer and start the first phase of redevelopment work,” the spokeswoman added.

More : CK Asset plans to turn industrial zone in New Territories into 4,700 flats


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 10/2


* Kwok Family’s Empire Group bets on Hong Kong’s border reopening to spur tourism demand for its HK$6 billion five-star hotel Kimpton *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 23, 2021 

Empire Group Holdings, founded by the late Hong Kong tycoon Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, is pushing on with its HK$6 billion (US$770 million) luxury hotel project in Tsim Sha Tsui, betting that tourism in the city will rebound from one of its worst patches on record.

The Kimpton, a 42-storey five-star hotel built on the former Mariners’s Club, will offer 492 rooms with harbour views at its opening in the second half of 2023. Construction has reached the 10th floor, fully making up for delays over the past two years by the city’s social unrest and material supply bottlenecks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plan will allow the family-owned developer to benefit from an expected recovery in the industry amid tentative signs of border reopening and room demand.

More : Kwok family bets on border reopening with Tsim Sha Tsui luxury hotel


----------



## hkskyline

*Interest sought for To Kwa Wan development*
Nov 23, 2021
The Standard _Excerpt_

The Urban Renewal Authority will invite interested developers and consortia to submit expressions of interest for the combined development of four projects in To Kwa Wan today.

The four projects with a total site area of 5,438 square meters covering two adjoining sites, namely Hung Fook Street/Kai Ming Street and Wing Kwong Street/Kai Ming Street, were first announced between 2013 and 2017.

Upon completion, the two adjoining sites in total will provide a maximum total gross floor area of 48,942 sq m.

More : Interest sought for To Kwa Wan development


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 7/10


*St George’s Mansions*


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## hkskyline

* Henderson continues to build up its land bank in Hong Kong, invests over US$1.1 billion in redevelopment projects*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 30, 2021

Henderson Land Development, which earlier this month bid a record HK$50.8 billion (US$6.5 billion) for a harbourfront commercial plot in Hong Kong, is gradually boosting its land bank in other parts of the city.

Hong Kong’s third largest developer by market capitalisation has invested more than HK$9 billion in Kowloon’s To Kwa Wan area since the MTR station opened in June.

Henderson on Tuesday completed the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in a 61-year-old eight-storey residential building under the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance through its wholly owned subsidiary Asia Bright Enterprises. The Land Tribunal approved an application from Henderson to force a compulsory sale for the building at a reserve valuation of HK$962 million.

More : Henderson invests over US$1.1 billion to boost land bank in Kowloon









_Image posted by 頭條日報_[/img]


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## hkskyline

Nov 30, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Hong Kong’s land-starved builders seek heritage projects for urban plots, cultural cachet*

Hong Kong’s property developers have increasingly taken an interest in heritage projects over the past five years, as such developments enhance their corporate image and let them access valuable urban land.

The number of such projects has risen despite the higher costs and longer time frames involved, said Candy Chan, vice-president of external affairs at Hong Kong Institute of Architectural Conservationists (HKICON) and director of consultancy Property Conservation Company.

“In the past, some might choose to demolish [old properties]. Redevelopment can be faster. But now some developers agree to keep [these structures] voluntarily,” she said.

More : Land-starved Hong Kong builders eye heritage sites for plots, cultural cachet


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## hkskyline

*Revitalization of Kowloon City will be more challenging than Sham Shui Po: URA *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 5, 2021

The revitalization of Kowloon City is more challenging than Sham Shui Po as it involves over 500 buildings, including half of which are older than 50 years old, Urban Renewal Authority chief executive Wai Chi-shing said.

In his online blog on Sunday, Wai said Kowloon City has not seen comprehensive planning since the old Kai Tak airport moved more than 20 years ago. 

The revitalization study in Kowloon City covers an area of 18 hectares between Junction Road and Sa Po Road. There are more than 500 buildings and government facilities in the area, and half of them are more than 50 years old, Wai said.

More : Revitalization of Kowloon City will be more challenging than Sham Shui Po: URA


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## hkskyline

* Many roadblocks in Kowloon City revamp *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 6, 2021

The revitalization of Kowloon City is more challenging than that of Sham Shui Po as it involves over 500 buildings, half which are more than 50 years old, said Urban Renewal Authority chief executive Wai Chi-shing.

Kowloon City has not seen comprehensive planning since the airport moved from its Kai Tak site more than 20 years ago, he said.

Wai said the revitalization study in Kowloon City covers an area of 18 hectares between Junction and Sa Po roads. There are more than 500 buildings in the area and half of them are more than 50 years old, he said.

More : Many roadblocks in Kowloon City revamp


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## hkskyline

*Hoi Tat Estate*
12/6


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Green light for property tycoon-linked plan to redevelop Hong Kong’s only low-cost private housing estate*
> Henderson Land mogul Lee Shau-kee in spotlight as planning chiefs back change that could affect 1,300 households
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> June 25, 2016
> 
> A plan to redevelop Hong Kong’s only privately-owned low-cost rental housing estate has been given a conditional green light by planning chiefs - despite controversial links to one of the city’s richest property developers.
> 
> Late on Friday, the Town Planning Board said the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation can redevelop the Shek Kip Mei site on condition that it reaches a deal to rehouse 1,300 affected households in the Tai Hang Sai Estate.
> 
> One of Hong Kong’s richest men, Henderson Land chairman Lee Shau-kee, is a director of the corporation behind the redevelopment, a non-profit organisation that bought the land at a knock-down price from the government in 1961 to build flats for the city’s poor.
> 
> Henderson Land announced in March it had applied to the board to redevelop the 51-year-old estate in two phases, the first involving building 1,289 new flats by 2022. Another 3,636 units will be built in the second.
> 
> The conditionally approved plan includes development of flats, shops and services, and minor relaxation of plot ratio and building height restrictions.
> 
> “In arriving at the decision, the [board] recognised the need for redevelopment of [the estate] and considered the proposal acceptable from planning and technical aspects,” the announcement reads. “Nevertheless, the [board] is very concerned about the rehousing arrangement for the existing tenants... The [board] has requested the government not to execute the lease modification for the redevelopment proposal before the rehousing arrangement has been satisfactorily resolved.”
> 
> More : Green light for property tycoon-linked plan to redevelop Hong Kong’s only low-cost private housing estate


* Tai Hang Sai residents want better rehousing plan *
RTHK _Excerpt_ 
Dec 10, 2021

The Town Planning Board has endorsed plans to redevelop a housing estate in Shek Kip Mei built more than 50 years ago.

But residents of Tai Hang Sai Estate said they're unhappy with plans to rehouse them during redevelopment.

The estate is the only private subsidised rental housing estate in Hong Kong. It's managed by the non-profit Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation.

The Town Planning Board on Friday approved with conditions a plan to redevelop the dilapidated estate and build 3,300 new units in eight blocks.

Two-thousand of them are to be sold as private flats to first-time homebuyers while the remaining homes will be used to settle existing tenants.

More : Tai Hang Sai residents want better rehousing plan - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

*Homebuyers snap up The Aperture flats by Hang Lung, piling into the first new homes to launch in Kowloon Bay in four decades*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 11, 2021

Hong Kong’s homebuyers snapped up a collection of flats on offer over the weekend in Kowloon Bay, shrugging off higher prices as they piled into the area’s newest supply of private homes in decades.

Hang Lung Properties sold 78 of the first batch of 100 flats at its new project, The Aperture at 8pm, agents said. The flats had received nearly 1,500 registrations of interest, translating to about 15 bids for every available unit on average.

The flats on sale ranged from one-bedroom units to three-bedroom flats, with sizes from 320 to 771 sq ft (72 square metres), priced between HK$6.9 million to $16.9 million after discounts. At around HK$21,548 (US$2,763) per square foot, The Aperture is 29 per cent more expensive than prevailing prices in the neighbourhood’s second-hand market, where recent transactions were recorded at HK$16,700 per sq ft.

More : Buyers snap up the first homes to launch in Kowloon Bay in 40 years









_Ming Pao_


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## hkskyline

*Developers unfazed by sluggish stocks *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 13, 2021

Hong Kong's primary property market does not appear to be affected by the sluggish stock market, with Hang Lung Properties (0101) selling at least 78 flats at The Aperture in Ngau Tau Kok.

The first price list for the flats, which range from 320 to 771 square feet, offered a 4 percent discount, ranging between HK$20,076 and HK$23,847 per sq ft.

This round of sales received 1,500 checks, with nearly half of the buyers interested in two-bedroom flats and 40 percent in single-bedroom units.

More : Developers unfazed by sluggish stocks


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Sablier*
> 
> 7/7


*Sablier*

12/13


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## hkskyline

* Kerry ends 16-year URA drought with $5.5b win*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 17, 2021

Kerry Properties (0683) has won the bid for the Urban Renewal Authority's Hung Fook Street/Ngan Hon Street development project in To Kwa Wan for HK$5.59 billion, beating seven other competitors.

That is also the first time that Kerry has won a URA project since 2005.

The project covers a site area of 4,581 square meters and will provide a maximum total gross floor area of 41,229 square meters upon completion.

The successful developer will be required to construct the development in compliance with the requirements of the master design control of To Kwa Wan as set out in the agreement of the project to create synergy with adjoining development projects of the URA,

The project will also enhance the livability of the district by adopting place-making and smart initiatives.

More : Kerry ends 16-year URA drought with $5.5b win









_Ming Pao graphic - refer to red #1_


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong homebuyers snap up a third of 500 flats offered by five developers in city’s biggest weekend sale since September*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 18, 2021

Hong Kong homebuyers snapped up 145 flats of nearly 500 units offered by five major developers as of 6pm on Saturday, marking the city’s biggest weekend sale since September in terms of number of flats up for grabs.

Henderson Land sold out all 50 flats on offer at its Caine Hill development within five hours after sales started. This project, located in Sai Ying Pun, on the western part of Hong Kong Island, had received more than 500 registrations of interest, which translates to about 10 bids on average for each available unit.

Caine Hill has a total of 187 units, including studio units measuring from 190 square feet, one-bedroom flats from 277 sq ft and a two-bedroom flat with rooftop at 446 sq ft. Sale prices ranged from HK$5.42 million to HK$8.69 million per unit, with the average cost per square foot at HK$28,780.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers snatch up 145 flats in big weekend sale


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## hkskyline

*United Christian Hospital expansion*
_Project highlights : Introduction | Hospital Development And Improvement Projects _

Funding approval was obtained from the government in 2020 to build a 2 block extension/redevelopment with scheduled completion in 2025.

12/12


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## hkskyline

*Property market shrugs off rate hike fears*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 20, 2021

Hong Kong's primary residential market seems not to have been affected by an expected interest rate hike, with new projects booking over one hundred transactions over the weekend.

Another 50 flats at Caine Hill in Sheung Wan are now being offered by Henderson Land Development (0012) after the 50 homes in the first batch were sold within three hours after its launch on Saturday.

The second batch, is priced at HK$29,630 per sq ft after discounts, about 3 percent higher than the first one, and includes 13 studio flats and 37 one-bedroom flats ranging from 190 sq ft to 285 sq ft.

Henderson said 28 of 50 flats worth over HK$209 million in total will hit the market on Thursday.

In Ngau Tau Kok, The Aperture saw at least 42 out of 130 flats available in the second round of sales sold over the weekend with the developer Hang Lung Properties (0101) raking in HK$358 million.

In Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon Development (0034) has booked nearly HK$2.9 billion in revenue after more than 64 transactions at Manor Hill were recorded on Saturday.

More : Property market shrugs off rate hike fears


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong Housing Authority to offer smallest flats ever at 186 sq ft – about 1½ parking space – in next batch of subsidised homes *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 21, 2021

Tiny flats will make up a bigger part of next year’s batch of subsidised homes to be sold by Hong Kong’s Housing Authority, with some set to be as small as 186 sq ft – the equivalent of 1½ car parking spaces and the tiniest to be offered since the start of the Home Ownership Scheme in 1978.

The 320 small units, located in a development at the site of the former airport at Kai Tak, will be among the 8,926 subsidised flats to hit the market in the first quarter of next year, according to a source close to the Housing Authority.

About 30 per cent of the new batch will be smaller than 322 sq ft, the source said. Such flats are increasingly making up a bigger portion of the authority’s supply, accounting for 22 per cent in 2020 and 15 per cent in 2019.

More : Hong Kong Housing Authority to offer 186 sq ft flats in next batch of homes


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## Bjays92

I don't know if this is the right place to say this, but the idea that there is no buildable land in Hong Kong is a myth.

There's lots of areas of Hong Kong that could easily accommodate further densification and real estate giants own plenty of redevelopable land.

The idea that Hong Kong needs to create a massive man made island for their Lantau tomorrow vision, or the idea that they need to redevelop greenbelt and wetland lands is preposterous and should never even be on the table to begin with.

Without divulging too far my political stances on Hong Kong governance, the ineptitude goes beyond the so called chaos created by pro democracy groups. The Carrie Lam administration is a failure in every faucet and these proposals are proof of that. It's not like as soon as order is resorted in Hong Kong and the "antagonists" are gone from legco work will magically get done. The government is a world class failure for a world class city and is simply beholden to tycoons interests.

I don't know how change is even possible at this point but I digress. I just find it incredibly frustrating.


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## hkskyline

* 2022 property outlook: Super-size mansions, nano flats, and home offices round out the most important trends in Hong Kong’s housing market *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 24, 2021

Hong Kong’s transactions of new residential property may rise 15 per cent next year as buyers continue their demand in every segment of the market from 138-square foot micro-apartments to 4,500-sq ft mansions on The Peak, according to one of the city’s largest real estate agencies.

Up to HK$280 billion (US$36 billion) of new homes may find buyers in 2022, marking the second year that annual transactions have risen, amid the bull run in the residential property market, according to Centaline Property Agency.

With only a few days left in 2021, home seekers are eagerly looking ahead to the housing market in the Year of the Tiger.

More : Here are the top 5 trends for Hong Kong’s housing market in 2022


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Seaside Sonata* - 3/15


*Seaside Sonata*

12/22






















































































































A new small park is right next to one of the towers.


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## hkskyline

* Siu Ho Wan flats set to get green light *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Dec 24, 2021


MTR Urban Lines Vision Train under test at Siu Wan Ho depot by Marcus Wong, on Flickr

MTR Corporation's (0066) proposal to build 15,000 flats atop Siu Ho Wan Depot in Lantau Island is expected to receive the green light from the Town Planning Board today.

The 300,658-square-meter site will be developed in four phases. Phases one to three comprises of 56 residential buildings with a total gross floor area of 1.04 million sq m, the application showed.

The three phases will provide a total of 10,720 private flats and 4,280 public flats. The remaining site portion, or phase four, will be reserved for future expansion to provide about 6,200 public housing flats, mainly subsidized sale flats.

More : Siu Ho Wan flats set to get green light


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Central Kowloon Route - Yau Ma Tei section*
> 5/10


12/23


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * China Evergrande asks Hong Kong property agents to sell more flats at Emerald Bay if they want the commission it already owes them *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Nov 18, 2021
> 
> Debt-stricken China Evergrande Group is asking sales agents to sell even more flats at one of its Hong Kong projects so it can afford to pay them the commission it owes them for units they previously sold.
> 
> The Shenzhen-based developer is offering to pay the outstanding commission fees owed on two flats for every additional unit of similar value that agents manage to shift at its Emerald Bay project in Tuen Mun, according to notes from a meeting seen by the South China Morning Post.
> 
> The unusual proposal has gone down like a lead balloon with property sales firms, with two of the city’s biggest agencies rejecting it out of hand.
> 
> More : Evergrande asks Hong Kong agents to sell more flats to get commission they’re owed
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ming Pao_


* Evergrande Crisis: Centaline Property Agency plans further legal action against embattled developer’s Hong Kong subsidiary to recoup ‘unpaid commission’ *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 29, 2021

Hong Kong’s biggest property sales agency plans to take further legal action against a subsidiary of China Evergrande Group to recoup “unpaid commission” from the troubled developer.

Centaline Property Agency said it will apply through the courts to chase HK$113 million (US$14.5 million) it claims it is owed by Evergrande’s Hong Kong unit.

The fees applied to 520 units of the Emerald Bay residential project in Tuen Mun accrued by more than 560 agents, Centaline said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

More : Property agency plans legal action against Evergrande for ‘unpaid commission’


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong sets larger-than-expected minimum size of 280 square feet for flats, increases land supply to tackle housing affordability *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 30, 2021

Hong Kong’s government set a larger-than-expected minimum size for the city’s new homes and increased the supply of residential land to a four-year high, as the authorities announced a new housing strategy to tackle one of the most intractable socioeconomic issues in the world’s least affordable city.

The tiniest living space built on government land must not be smaller than 280 square feet (26 square metres), Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun said at a press briefing, adding that the new rule will be tested in Tuen Mun, where 2,020 flats will be built. The market was expecting a minimum size of between 200 and 250 sq ft.

Hong Kong’s government will also expand the supply of housing land in the coming three months, bringing the total number of new homes to 20,080 for the financial year ending March 31, 2021. That exceeds the annual target by 56 per cent, Wong said.

More : Death of the nano flat? Hong Kong sets minimum size for new homes


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s young homebuyers snap up small flats on offer to mark strong first weekend property sale in 2022*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 2, 2022

Hong Kong’s first weekend property sale in 2022 saw strong demand on Sunday, as homebuyers made a beeline to purchase more than 200 new flats on offer, including many small units just days after the government set the minimum size for new homes, according to property agents.

“Overall, the first weekend sale this year showed a good start, as demand for residential property remains strong,” said Sammy Po Siu-ming, chief executive of Midland Realty’s residential division. “Many youngsters are keen on buying their own homes, despite the small size, as long as they are affordable.”

Soyo, a tiny flat development in Mong Kok, sold 40 units that each measure as small as 152 square feet (14.12 square metres) a few hours after sales started on Sunday morning. The Chun Wo Development Holdings project has a total of 120 flats, each measuring between 152 and 228 sq ft, which are below the 280 sq ft minimum size for new living spaces built on government land.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers swoop in on small flats at 2022’s first weekend sale


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## hkskyline

* Sun Hung Kai Properties replaces New World Development as Hong Kong’s biggest developer by sales *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 4, 2022

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) has replaced New World Development as the biggest seller of new homes in Hong Kong after the latter had to tear down and rebuild hundreds of flats under construction in Tai Wai.

Chaired by Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, SHKP recorded sales of HK$29.65 billion (US$3.8 billion) in 2021, 15 per cent higher than the previous year, according to Dataelements, which tracks new residential property in Hong Kong.

New World Development dropped to No. 4 as its sales plunged 45 per cent to HK$14.49 billion. The dramatic tumble in revenues came after the firm announced it would rebuild two blocks of flats at Pavilia Farm, Hong Kong’s best selling project of 2020.

More : Sun Hung Kai replaces New World as Hong Kong’s biggest homes seller


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.
> 
> Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf
> 
> 7/4


1/2


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Seaside Sonata*
> 
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1/11


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## hkskyline

*The Holborn*
1 Shau Kei Wan Road
31 floors (refuge floor on 16/f, numbering to 32/F)
Expected material date : April 2023

Development website : THE HOLBORN

1/8


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 6/5


*East Kowloon Cultural Centre*

1/9


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong developer secures right to build homes on wetland after 30-year struggle, urges government to sort out town planning discord*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 24, 2022

A Hong Kong developer which battled for three decades for the right to build homes on an ecological wetland site has urged the government to issue a strong town planning directive to override discord between departments and solve the city’s housing problem.

Wan Man-yee, a veteran surveyor and consultant for KHI Holdings Group, said that while they were partly responsible for setbacks in the early years of the process, the appeal panel of the Town Planning Board had noted that conflicting views between planning and conservation officials had caused “unnecessary delays and costs” over the past decade.

To prevent other projects from experiencing similar delays, Wan said the Executive Council, city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s de facto cabinet, should take a larger role in town planning after she pledged to remove red tape and speed up land supply to resolve the housing shortage.

More : Hong Kong developer urges government to sort out town planning discord


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## hkskyline

* Wheelock fails to find any buyer for latest phase of Koko Hills flats as latest coronavirus outbreak keeps Hong Kong’s property investors at home *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Jan 29, 2022

Hong Kong’s property buyers stayed home over the weekend, handing Wheelock Properties the first sales slump in more than 12 months as a fresh outbreak of the coronavirus disease sent the market into an early recess three days before the Lunar New Year begins.

Wheelock failed to find any buyer for the 96 apartments on offer at its Koko Hills project in Kwun Tong as of 7:30pm, sales agents said. The flats, leftovers from July 2020, were priced at HK$21,491 (US$2,758) per square foot on average after discounts, 7.5 per cent more expensive than their launch price 18 months ago.

The flop, in contrast to Henderson Land Development’s sell-out weekend a week earlier, showed how Hong Kong’s property buyers are becoming picky amid a flood of new apartments expected in the market. A fresh wave of Covid-19 cases also gave buyers reason to stay away, as Hong Kong recorded the seventh consecutive day of triple-digit infections on Saturday.

More : Wheelock fails to sell Koko Hills as Covid-19 keeps homebuyers away


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## hkskyline

*Govt announces Tuen Mun South Extension plan *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Jan 28, 2022

The government is planning to extend the existing Tuen Ma Line from Tuen Mun Station southward by about 2.4 kilometers, including the provision of a new railway station near Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal and an intermediate station at Tuen Mun Area 16.

The railway scheme for the Tuen Mun South Extension was published in the Gazette on Friday in accordance with the Railways Ordinance.

The extension project is one of the seven recommended railway schemes under the Railway Development Strategy 2014.

More : Govt announces Tuen Mun South Extension plan


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## hkskyline

The waterfront promenade in front of *One Silversea* in Tai Kok Tsui just off Cherry Street and Hoi Fai Road is under partial redevelopment, with a section boarded up and a lowrise concrete structure rising on one part of it.

1/27


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 1/2


Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.

Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf

1/30


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## van_gogh

Redevelopment scheme near ICC









More details
https://www.ura.org.hk/f/page/44/12940/Information Booklet.pdf


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## jchk

van_gogh said:


> More details
> https://www.ura.org.hk/f/page/44/12940/Information Booklet.pdf


I found this diagram from the document interesting, and I rather like the changes recommended in the document, but knowing the pace of URA redevelopment schemes I suspect it will be decades before any of the ideas are implemented.


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## hkskyline

Interesting redevelopment plan. Are they trying to clear out all these older buildings?










Good luck with expropriation! I doubt they will ever be able to reach the forced auction threshold.


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## 2mchris

On the one hand I can understand the plans and it looks great at first sight. On the other hand: these buildings are old, but as far I can assess, the area seems to be an established neighbourhood with affordable prices to rent. In the end it would be just another high-end residential area with moon-prices and another area with no atmosphere. 

When I had been in Singapore a few years ago, I didn't like it. It had no atmosphere, everything was totally cleaned up and new. It seems, that Hong Kong is on a similar way. In the end all the cities will look - apart from its location - replaceable. That what make the cities unique will be lost.


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## hkskyline

While there is a vibrant street-level restaurant scene in this, and many older neighbourhoods, there are some structural problems with expropriating these older buildings. First is to get a vast majority of owners on board. As with other large redevelopment projects, finding all those owners to agree to sell to you would be a headache to begin with, and costs will spiral very quickly as owners wait it out until the developer gets desperate. Of course, they won't, so it drags on. Besides, I suspect there is a sizeable group of owners that are not in HK now or very elderly owners that can't read or be able to process what's going on.

As with these older buildings, there is an issue with subdivided flats. A typical large unit would be cut into many smaller room / units and these would have turned into slums over time. When developers come calling, these tenants won't get getting anything. They get kicked out and will make a fuss, so a lot of negative PR will bubble up.

So while such a plan looks grand and promising to revitalize an area, I wouldn't be so concerned about losing the street vibrancy and small shops yet as I highly doubt they can ever get the shovels into the ground.


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## hkskyline

*Hong Kong’s supply of so-called nano flats to peak this year as government puts minimum size restrictions in place *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Feb 9, 2022

The era of nano flats in Hong Kong is likely to end soon. The availability of such flats is set to peak this year, after the government put a cap on the minimum size of homes late last year, say market observers.

A total of 2,015 nano flats, with a saleable floor area of 215 square feet or less, are expected to be ready this year, compared with 960 units in 2021, according to JLL. These include 418 units at The Royale in Tuen Mun, 380 units in Manor Hill in Tseung Kwan O and 288 units at The Met. Azure in Tsing Yi.

“We predict the completion of nano flats will peak out this year,” said Ryan Ip, head of land and housing research at the think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation. “Demand for nano flats has decreased after the government relaxed the mortgage requirements for higher-value properties in 2019, and this has been gradually reflected in the building plans of new residential projects.”

More : Hong Kong’s nano flat supply to peak this year as curbs are put in place


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong developers, property agents turn to virtual reality to keep sales moving as tightened social distancing measures take effect *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Feb 10, 2022

Hong Kong’s tightened social distancing measures have cast a shadow on the property market. But as new project launches are delayed because of the fifth wave of the coronavirus outbreak, real estate agencies and developers are shifting their focus online to boost sales.

Starting from Thursday, the city will impose an unprecedented ban on private gatherings of more than two households, temporarily close houses of worship and hair salons, and reduce the cap on public gatherings to just two people.

Centaline Property Agency expects fewer than 500 first-hand transactions this month, the lowest in 24 months, as these measures keep prospective buyers away. The agency expects second-hand property viewings to sink by half compared with levels seen before the Lunar New Year, which could push lived-in homes prices down 3 to 5 per cent compared with the end of last year.

More : Hong Kong developers, agents turn to virtual reality to keep sales moving


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 8/7


*25-31 Sugar Street *

1/29


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## hkskyline

*Queen's Hill & Shan Lai Estate, Fanling*
(Queen's Hill - yellow towers on the right & Shan Lai - orange towers on the left)

2/12


































































































































































































































More details about the mall under construction : https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/common/pdf/commercial-properties/shopping-centres/shopping-centres-under-construction/Queen Hill Shopping Centre.pdf

Queen's Hill is expected to house 24,000 people across 7 blocks, and the mall will have 48 shops.

Further down the road are 6 more blocks at Shan Lai Court ranging from 25-40 stories tall.

Sales brochure : Shan Lai Court | Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department


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## hkskyline

* SEA's $1.1b Repulse Bay site win sets record*
The Standard _Excerpt_
Feb 16, 2022

Local developer SEA Holdings (0251) has won a residential site in Repulse Bay for HK$1.19 billion, or at HK$62,352 per square foot, making it the most expensive residential site sold by the government in terms of square feet.

The luxury rural building lot 1203 on South Bay Road in Repulse Bay covers 21,173 sq ft and a gross floor area of 19,056 sq ft is expected to be built upon it.

The price is in line with market expectations as the rare residential site with a sea view is located in an area with many luxury homes, said Alvin Lam Tsz-pun, director at Midland Surveyors.

More : SEA's $1.1b Repulse Bay site win sets record









_Site in red - published on Ming Pao_


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong environmental groups urge gov’t to retract plans to change land development procedures *
Hong Kong Free Press _Excerpt_
Mar 22, 2022

The Hong Kong government has been urged by 12 environmental groups to retract a proposal to streamline procedures related to land development, which includes limiting who is allowed to submit a rezoning application and not consulting the public on those applications.

The groups – including Greenpeace, the Conservancy Association, the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society – held a press conference on Monday to refute the suggested amendments ahead of the proposals at the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

The proposal, submitted by the Development Bureau, suggested reducing a series of statutory procedures in six ordinances: Town Planning Ordinance, Lands Resumption Ordinance, Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance, Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance, Railways Ordinance, and Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance.

The changes proposed included allowing reclamation projects to begin before the government had completed preparing and approving a statutory plan, and reducing multiple rounds of public consultation on statutory plans to just one round.

More : Hong Kong environmental groups urge gov't to retract plans to change land development procedures - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP


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## hkskyline

* Construction of Grand YOHO 3 resumes after over eight years *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Mar 23, 2022

Construction of private estate project Grand YOHO 3 in Yuen Long – suspended since September 2013 – will resume next Wednesday with government's approval. 

The Sun Hung Kai Properties project was given the green light by the government on Wednesday (Mar 23) to resume pile foundation works for the project. 

A government spokesman said in a statement that acceptable limit of the settlement monitoring checkpoints installed at two viaduct piers near MTR Yuen Long Station was 20 millimeters, and the readings recorded reached 15mm to 18mm in September 2013. 

More : Construction of Grand YOHO 3 resumes after over eight years


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 2/16
> 
> Government housing development in Choi Hung Road . by albertl11346, on Flickr


Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.

Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf 

3/20


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## mileymc1

Patiently waiting for Hong Kong to re-open for tourists  They've been cut off from the world for over 2 years now! Hoping this time next year will be fine to travel.


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## hkskyline

*Tsui Ping River Revitalization (expected completion 2024)*

_“Revitalization of Tsui Ping River” comprises the transformation of about one kilometre of the existing nullah alongside King Yip Street, King Yip Lane and Tsui Ping Road into Tsui Ping River with environmental, ecological and landscaping upgrading. To cope with the objective of the revitalization, the project will also beautify the adjacent pedestrian walkways and enhance the connectivity with the pedestrian network. 










Source : 渠務署 | Drainage Services Department _

3/20


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## hkskyline

*Kowloon Tong Residential Project*
Details : https://www.wharfholdings.com/en/businesses/hk-properties

2x 15-storey + 2x 17-storey residential buildings


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.
> 
> Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf
> 
> 3/20


3/26


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kowloon City Plaza*
> 
> 9/19


3/15

220315164901_V1 by photochoi, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

* Chinachem wins Tung Chung site *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Apr 1, 2022

Chinachem has won the bid for a commercial site at Tung Chung Town for HK$2.78 billion, which is lower than estimated.

The site, at lot No 45 in area 57, was worth HK$2,202 per square foot, close to the bottom end of market expectations.

Chief executive Donald Choi Wun-hing said he is pleased that the developer has won the site and that malls, offices and data centers will be built upon it.

More : Chinachem wins Tung Chung site









_Source : Ming Pao_


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Tsui Ping River Revitalization (expected completion 2024)*
> 
> _“Revitalization of Tsui Ping River” comprises the transformation of about one kilometre of the existing nullah alongside King Yip Street, King Yip Lane and Tsui Ping Road into Tsui Ping River with environmental, ecological and landscaping upgrading. To cope with the objective of the revitalization, the project will also beautify the adjacent pedestrian walkways and enhance the connectivity with the pedestrian network.
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> Source : 渠務署 | Drainage Services Department _
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> 3/20


*Acute hospital and Tsui Ping River work resumes as ground fears are mollified *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Apr 1, 2022

...

The resumption came as the Drainage Services Department too announced that foundation work for the Tsui Ping River project will resume in the vicinity of Wai Fat Road near Wai Yip Street in Kwun Tong.

The work has been suspended since January 12 when, similar to the previous case, the reading recorded in a settlement monitoring checkpoint exceeded the preset trigger level.

After inspecting the highway structure and facilities in the vicinity, authorities confirmed the site is structurally safe.

More : Acute hospital and Tsui Ping River work resumes as ground fears are mollified


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## hkskyline

*和田邨 Wo Tin Estate (Tuen Mun) * 
4 towers will provide 4232 units for rent to low income households







More information : Housing Authority sets rents for two new estates


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## hkskyline

* Resumption of foundation works of Revitalisation of Tsui Ping River *
Government Press Release _Excerpt_
Mar 31, 2022

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) announced today (March 31) that consent has been given to resume the foundation works in the vicinity of Wai Fat Road near Wai Yip Street in Kwun Tong under the Revitalisation of Tsui Ping River project. 

During the foundation works in the vicinity of Wai Fat Road near Wai Yip Street in Kwun Tong under the Revitalisation of Tsui Ping River project, the reading recorded on January 12, 2022, in a settlement monitoring checkpoint installed on a parapet wall of the highway structure near Wai Fat Road had reached 28 millimetres, exceeding the pre-set trigger level for works suspension (25mm). The contractor suspended the above-mentioned works on the same day. The DSD and relevant departments arranged an inspection of the highway structure and facilities in the vicinity and confirmed that they are structurally safe, and issued an announcement on the situation on January 19.

The contractor responsible for the said construction works submitted to the DSD an investigation report after the incident, and proposed implementing appropriate mitigation measures, including additional monitoring checkpoints and increased monitoring frequency, and grouting works to stabilise the ground in order to minimise the impact on the highway structure and facilities in the vicinity upon resumption of works. The DSD has consulted relevant government departments including the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering and Development Department on the proposed mitigation measures. The contractor has installed additional monitoring checkpoints and is gradually completing the ground improvement works. Therefore, the contractor requested to the DSD for resumption of suspended works.

The DSD and its engineering consultant have inspected the adjacent highway structure and facilities again and confirmed that they are structurally safe. After considering the views from relevant departments, the DSD confirmed that the resumption of works will not affect public safety, and verified that the contractor has stringent monitoring measures to ensure that the adjacent highway structure and facilities are structurally safe and in normal operation. 

More : Resumption of foundation works of Revitalisation of Tsui Ping River


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## hkskyline

*Kam Sheung Road station development*


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## hkskyline

*Kam Sheung Road Station*

4/3


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong buyers give nano flats a wide berth as buyers armed with larger mortgage amounts eye bigger homes *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Apr 6, 2022

The popularity of tiny homes took a beating last month after the Hong Kong government relaxed mortgage rules, bringing larger homes within reach of first-time buyers.

Only 92 small flats, under 280 square feet, were transacted on the secondary market between March 1 and 28.24 per cent lower than February, according to Ricacorp Properties. The average price eased 0.7 per cent to HK$4.03 million, bringing the decline from its May 2021 peak to 4.8 per cent.

The decline in sales and prices of tiny flats mirrors the overall downturn the local property market is experiencing because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the government’s recent higher mortgage amounts for homebuyers, said Joseph Tsang, chairman of JLL Hong Kong.

More : Hong Kong nano flats sales ebb as buyers shift focus to bigger homes


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 3/15
> 
> 220315164901_V1 by photochoi, on Flickr


*Kowloon City Plaza - Allegro 瓏碧*
Project website : ALLEGRO 瓏碧

4/7


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Lee Nam Road residential project - Ap Lei Chau*
> 6 towers of 25-28 storeys
> Expected completion : 3Q 2021
> 
> 2/7


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## hkskyline

*Mei Tung Estate Demolition *
Redevelopment information : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/PB for Mei Tung Est. (Older Part).pdf

4/7


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Queen's Hill & Shan Lai Estate, Fanling*
> (Queen's Hill - yellow towers on the right & Shan Lai - orange towers on the left)
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> 
> Queen's Hill is expected to house 24,000 people across 7 blocks, and the mall will have 48 shops.
> 
> Further down the road are 6 more blocks at Shan Lai Court ranging from 25-40 stories tall.
> 
> Sales brochure : Shan Lai Court | Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department


* Tenants set to move into isolation flats *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Apr 14, 2022

The days of being used as a Covid community isolation option are over for a total of 5,500 flats in three new public rental housing blocks and two transitional housing sites, with the flats ready for tenancy by next month at the earliest.

Two of the rental blocks at Queen's Hill Estate in Fan Ling - Wong Yet and Wong Ching houses - and Heng King House at Lai King Estate met an urgent need at the height of the fifth-wave crisis by providing more than 3,000 units for people with no or mild Covid symptoms.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday that role would now be fulfilled by six makeshift hospitals, making them the mainstay of community isolation facilities in Hong Kong.

More : Tenants set to move into isolation flats


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *MTRC seeks interest for TKO project *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Mar 8, 2022
> 
> MTR Corporation (0066) will invite developers and consortia to submit expressions of interest for its Pak Shing Kok Ventilation Building property development in Tseung Kwan O today.
> 
> The deadline for submission is 2pm on March 14 and all submissions should be made electronically due to the Covid outbreak, the MTRC said.
> 
> The residential development is situated at the lot to be known as Tseung Kwan O Town Lot No 132, which abuts Chiu Shun Road near the junction with Wan Po Road and is accessible to the MTR Hang Hau Station via Pui Shing Road and Ngan O Road.
> 
> It will be built atop the Pak Shing Kok Ventilation Building and provide a maximum gross floor area of 27,006 square meters.
> 
> More : MTRC seeks interest for TKO project
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> _Ming Pao_


* New World, China Merchants Land win TKO tender *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Apr 15, 2022

A consortium of New World Development (0017) and China Merchants Land (0978) won the bid for the Pak Shing Kok Ventilation Building property development in Tseung Kwan O, MTR Corporation (0066) said.

This is the first MTRC project that requires a minimum size of about 280 square feet for a flat.

The residential development will provide a maximum gross floor area of 27,006 square meters and has market valuations ranging from HK$1.5 billion to HK$2.3 billion, or about HK$5,000 to HK$8,000 per sq ft.

The land premium of the site is expected to be above HK$1.1 billion, equivalent to about HK$3,789 per sq ft, which could become a new record in Tseung Kwan O, and the developers will also need to share some of the sales profit with the MTRC.

More : New World, China Merchants Land win TKO tender


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong could get first offshore wind farm in 2027, providing carbon-free electric power to up to 120,000 families *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 6, 2022

Hong Kong could get its first offshore wind farm in 2027, with the aim of providing carbon-free electricity to up to 120,000 families, after a power company won approval for the use of next-generation turbine technology for the project.

HK Electric on Friday announced the plan to build a 600-hectare (1,482-acre) wind farm, consisting of between 13 and 19 wind turbines, about 4km (2.5 miles) southwest off Lamma Island to provide 150 megawatts of electricity each year, or about 4 per cent of the firm’s overall electricity output.

The Environmental Protection Department on Thursday approved the use of higher-efficiency wind power technology in the area.

More : Hong Kong could get first offshore wind farm in 2027, with power for 120,000 families


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *East Kowloon Cultural Centre*
> 
> 3/15


*East Kowloon Cultural Centre*

5/7


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## hkskyline

*Kam Sheung Road Station - Grand Mayfair* 

5/8


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## hkskyline

* Wheelock plans 3,000 Tai Po homes in land sharing pilot *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 13, 2022

The Development Bureau said it has received an application under the land sharing pilot scheme from Wheelock Properties to build a total of 3,000 private and public homes on a site in Tai Po.

The site, located to the south of She Shan Road, covers about 5.2 hectares of private and government land, the bureau said.

The application involves about 2,100 public housing units and 900 private housing flats and supporting facilities, with a total gross floor area of about 159,000 square meters.

More : Wheelock plans 3,000 Tai Po homes in land sharing pilot


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## hkskyline

*Unlike in New York, Hong Kong’s high-rise living has helped its communities thrive *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 14, 2022

A fuss over the latest super-tall tower to pierce the sky above New York’s Central Park has got me thinking about the neighbourhood-destroying potential of high-rise buildings and how Hong Kong’s community-wide adoption of vertical living is distinct and perhaps not as harmful.

This most recent kerfuffle is over Steinway Tower on 111 West 57th Street, the newest glass sliver to rise 435 metres above Billionaire’s Row along the southern end of Central Park. It has surpassed Hong Kong’s 75-storey Highcliff on Stubbs Road to claim the title of the world’s skinniest building. Steinway Tower is indeed a monument to brilliant modern engineering, but it is also a dubious addition to the neighbourhood it now looms over.

Edwin Heathcote, long-standing architecture and design critic for the Financial Times, last week called Steinway Tower “a deposit of unimaginable wealth in the sky” that is divorced from the life of the city below. “Its ethereal profile makes it the purest illustration of architecture as an expression of surplus capital,” he said – not a home but a luxury good, “more like a land-bound yacht”.

More : How high-rise living has helped Hong Kong communities thrive


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## hkskyline

*East 350*
350 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon
29 stories
Website : East 350 – LAWSGROUP

5/7


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## hkskyline

*Market bustles as more Yuen Long flats rolled out*
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 16, 2022

The Grand Mayfair II in Yuen Long has released the second price list, offering 138 units at an average price per square foot of HK$18,483 after discounts.

The batch, which comprises 32 one-bedroom units, 70 two-bedroom units, and 36 units with three bedrooms, is priced from HK$6.25 million to HK$15.23 million, or from HK$17,521 to HK$19,900 per sq ft after discounts. The latest batch is around 3.2 percent costlier than the first batch of HK$17,898 per sq ft mainly due to the differences in the views and floors, according to the developers.

The 805-flat project is phase 1B of a 2,200-flat mega development that is being jointly developed by Sino Land (0083), K Wah International (0173) and China Overseas Land and Investment (0688).

More : Market bustles as more Yuen Long flats rolled out


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## hkskyline

* New World Development proposes first subsidized private housing in Yuen Long *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 16, 2022

The city’s first subsidized private housing proposed by New World Development will be located on Lam Hi Road in Yuen Long with some 300 flats to be completed by 2027.

The developer in September last year set up a non-profit social housing enterprise “New World Build for Good” and proposed to donate a plot of land in the New Territories West to build 300 units –300 to 550 square feet with one to three bedrooms – and sell them in huge discounts, similar to Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) units.

The team said on Monday it had identified a suitable site of about 30,300 square feet on Lam Hi Road in Yuen Long for the project and submitted an application to the Town Planning Board in early May.

More : New World Development proposes first subsidized private housing in Yuen Long


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## hkskyline

*Intercontinental (Regent Hotel) Renovation*

5/14


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong developers’ rural land conversion in New Territories gathers pace, push for lower land premium due to softening market expected *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 17, 2022 

Hong Kong developers are speeding up the conversion of farmland in the northern New Territories for residential use, with industry observers pointing out that companies are likely to push for lower land premiums due to the softening housing market.

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s largest developer by market value, last week agreed to pay HK$268 million (US$34 million) to convert farmland in Yuen Long so that it can build a 71-villa project.

Seven land-premium transactions, including that of SHKP, totalling HK$3.3 billion have taken place in Yuen Long, Lands Department records show. The seven plots will provide a total gross floor area of 890,000 square feet.

More : Hong Kong developers’ rural land conversion in New Territories gathers pace


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## hkskyline

*HK$390mn cost overrun expected for LegCo expansion: sources *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 19, 2022

The construction fees of expanding the Legislative Council Complex in Admiralty will exceed the proposed budget by HK$390 million to HK$1.56 billion, according to sources. 

The expansion project came after Beijing implemented the electoral changes for Hong Kong's Chief Executive and LegCo in March last year, increasing the seats in the council from 70 to 90. 

The construction is now underway, and the project, originally budgeted at about HK$1.17 billion, is expected to be completed before mid-2025. 

More : HK$390mn cost overrun expected for LegCo expansion: sources


----------



## hkskyline

* Most flats sell at Grand Mayfair project near Yuen Long, in sign Hongkongers prefer new homes over secondary market *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 20, 2022

About 91 per cent of flats in a new development were snapped up by Hong Kong homebuyers on Friday, in a sign that the primary market was their preferred choice.

Out of the 428 flats on offer at Grand Mayfair near Yuen Long, which has been developed by Sino Land, K Wah International and China Overseas Land and Investment, 390 had been sold by 5.30pm, according to agents. Sales as of 4pm stood at about HK$3.5 billion (US$445.9 million), the developers’ spokeswoman said.

Buyers were “optimistic about the Northern Metropolis development and its huge opportunities, seeking the concept of having innovation in northern Hong Kong and finance on the southern side”, Victor Tin, group associate director of sales at Sino Land, said in a statement.

More : Most flats sell at Grand Mayfair, as Hongkongers prefer new homes over secondary market


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s buyers give their collective cold shoulder to flats at 3 locations, buying only 15 per cent of 200 units on offer *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 21, 2022

Hong Kong’s property buyers mostly stayed on the sidelines over the weekend, buying up less than 15 per cent of the 200 apartments on offer at three locations across the city.

Country Garden sold 15 of the 70 flats at its Allegro project in Kowloon City, while Henderson Land Development sold eight of 15 of The Quinn apartments in Tai Kok Tsui, according to sales agents. Over at the former airport site at Kai Tak, Wheelock Properties sold six of 115 Monaco Marine units on offer.

“The buying sentiment appeared to be extremely weak,” said Sammy Po Siu-ming, chief executive of Midland Realty’s residential division. “A bunch of negative factors are still weighing on homebuyers who are still taking a wait-and-see attitude.”

More : Hong Kong buyers snub flats on sale at 3 projects as they await new offerings


----------



## hkskyline

*Immigration Department - new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O*


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *St George’s Mansions*


*St George’s Mansions*

5/18


----------



## hkskyline

* Goal of installing 5,000 EV chargers to be achieved in advance *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 18, 2022

Hong Kong can achieve the goal of installing no less than 5,000 electric vehicle chargers three years in advance, according to the Environment Bureau.

According to documents submitted to the Legislative Council, the bureau made the assumption saying that 1,000 chargers will be fully implemented at government parking lots in mid-2022.

The government initially plans to install 5,000 electric vehicle chargers at both public and private parking lots by 2025.

More : Goal of installing 5,000 EV chargers to be achieved in advance


----------



## hkskyline

* NWD looks to expand Causeway Bay holdings *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 24, 2022

New World Development (0017) has filed a compulsory sale application to acquire several properties in Causeway Bay which have a combined market value of HK$4.5 billion.

The properties, which include 54-76 Percival Street and Happy Mansion at 5-27 Lee Garden Road, have a site area of 19,831 square feet.

The developer has more than 80 percent ownership of the properties and the maximum gross floor area would be nearly 300,000 sq ft, if they are rebuilt at a plot ratio of 15.

More : NWD looks to expand Causeway Bay holdings









_Ming Pao_


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Immigration Department - new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O*


5/17


----------



## hkskyline

* Worker dies in ImmD new headquarters industrial accident *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 26, 2022

A worker died on Thursday after being hit by a collapsed working platform at the construction site of the new Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O.

The construction site at Tong Yin Street near Chi Shin Street saw a 2-meter-high working platform suddenly collapse at 2pm, trapping a 48-year-old male worker.

He fell unconscious after being rescued by firefighters and other workers, and was later pronounced dead after being taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital.

The case was listed as an industrial accident and under police investigation.

The construction site concerned was the new headquarters building of the Immigration Department, which has been contracted to Hip Hing Construction Company.

The project included a 17-story main building with north and south wings, a 16-story security building and a basement parking lot, with a total gross floor area of 139,327 square meters. The new headquarters was scheduled to complete construction in 2023 and open in phases in 2024.

More : Worker dies in ImmD new headquarters industrial accident


----------



## hkskyline

* Kowloon City's 'Little Thailand' to get facelift *
RTHK _Excerpt_
May 27, 2022

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) on Friday pledged to preserve the culture unique to the “Little Thailand” streets of Kowloon City, as it unveiled plans to redevelop the area to build more than 4,300 flats.

The project will cover three sections of Carpenter Road and Nga Tsin Wai Road, totalling nearly 400,000 square feet, which currently house some 1,600 households and more than 100 ground floor shops.

The URA’s planning and design director, Wilfred Au, said the authority is aware of the Thai community and the small street shops and restaurants they established over the years.

More : Kowloon City's 'Little Thailand' to get facelift - RTHK









_Map source : URA Commences Redevelopment Project in “Lung Shing” Area of Kowloon City Towards District-based Planning Visions for Building a Liveable and Walkable Community_


----------



## hkskyline

*Aerials taken in 2021*


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kam Sheung Road Station - Grand Mayfair*
> 
> 5/8


* Grand Mayfair II's second round nearly sold out *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 26, 2022

The Grand Mayfair II in Yuen Long sold at least 249 of the 288 flats on offer in the second round of sales yesterday.

The 288 homes comprise 59 one-bedroom, 188 two-bedroom, 34 three-bedroom, and 7 four-bedroom flats, priced from HK$6.52 million to HK$18.47 million after discounts, or from HK$17,132 to HK$20,463 per square foot.

The 805-flat project is phase 1B of a 2,200-flat mega development that is being jointly developed by Sino Land (0083), K Wah International (0173), and China Overseas Land and Investment (0688).

More : Grand Mayfair II's second round nearly sold out


----------



## hkskyline

* URA sets aside over HK$15 billion for Kowloon City redevelopment *
The Standard _Excerpt_
May 29, 2022

The Urban Renewal Authority will set aside more than HK$15 billion for the first urban renewal project in Kowloon City over the next 10 years, managing director Wai Chi-sing wrote in his blog.

The authority on Friday commenced the statutory planning procedures for the Nga Tsin Wai Road / Carpenter Road Development Scheme in the “Lung Shing” area of Kowloon City. 

Wai pointed out that appropriate relaxation of the height restrictions has been proposed in the main site to allow greater flexibility in the design of buildings and lateral clearance between them, thereby releasing more space at ground level for pedestrian use. 

More : URA sets aside over HK$15 billion for Kowloon City redevelopment


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.
> 
> Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf
> 
> 3/20


5/21


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hong Kong Housing Society* is constructing a tower at Hung Hom's Fat Kwong Street.
> 
> 4/28


5/20


----------



## hkskyline

* Residents divided on Kowloon City revamp *
RTHK _Excerpt_
May 27, 2022

Some residents on Friday expressed sorrow that the Kowloon City they’ve known for years will disappear under a redevelopment plan, while others said it's high time that the district gets a major facelift.

The Urban Renewal Authority earlier unveiled a plan that will see the Kowloon City wet market relocated, and some of its surrounding areas demolished to make way for more than 4,000 new flats over the next 15 years.

A woman surnamed Lee said she goes to the market every other day and will be unhappy to see it go.

"I've got used to coming here. There are a lot of people who work here whom I am very close to," she told RTHK.

More : Residents divided on Kowloon City revamp - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong property developers eye old buildings in prime spots as they hope government will ease compulsory-sale process*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 1, 2022

Developers look set to step up efforts to acquire and demolish Hong Kong buildings built more than a half-century ago in prime locations, and the government may help by allowing more compulsory sales amid low land supply and a growing population of aged structures, according to property-market insiders.

Henderson Land Development, New World Development, and Wheelock Properties have been active buyers of ageing properties in recent years, taking advantage of the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance to acquire and redevelop such properties.

The number of private buildings aged 50 years and above has surged 126 per cent, from 3,900 to 8,600, over the past decade, according government figures. Chief Executive Carrie Lam revealed in her 2021 Policy Address that the government would explore ways to reduce the percentage of a building a developer must own to trigger a compulsory sale of the remainder.

More : Property developers eye aged Hong Kong buildings in prime spots


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *St George’s Mansions*
> 
> 5/18


What remains of the original lowrise at the site ...

5/21


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Layout revealed for Tai Po flats *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> May 6, 2022
> 
> Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) has unveiled the layout of Phase 1 of Silicon Hill in Tai Po, which will provide 576 flats.
> 
> Around 70 percent of the flats in the project have two or fewer bedrooms, and studio units with areas of around 230 square feet account for only a "very small proportion," the developer said.
> 
> The sales brochure is under preparation and the sales could be launched this month, it added.
> 
> More : Layout revealed for Tai Po flats


* Hong Kong homebuyers mark Dragon Boat Festival by buying all flats at Sun Hung Kai’s Silicon Hill project in New Territories *
June 3, 2022
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Hong Kong homebuyers turned out in droves on the Dragon Boat Festival holiday on Friday and snapped all homes that Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) offered in New Territories, despite an expected hike in interest rates and the city’s weakened economy.

All 170 homes put on the market at Silicon Hill in Pak Shek Kok in the city’s northeastern Tai Po district were sold as of 5pm, agents said. Another 18 homes had been offered through tender and the results of these bids have not been made public yet.

The project comprises three phases and 1,871 homes, and its first round was priced at an average of HK$17,498 (US$2,230) per square foot, 6 per cent lower than the average price of lived-in homes at St Martin, which is a 10-minute walk away from Silicon Hill and was launched by SHKP four years ago.

More : Hong Kong homebuyers snap up all flats at Sun Hung Kai’s Silicon Hill


----------



## hkskyline

* Henderson Land says John Lee’s pledge to speed up housing and land supply will benefit homebuyers, the government and developers*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 1, 2022 

Henderson Land Development, which was founded by Lee Shau-kee, Hong Kong’s second-richest man, said it expected that a pledge by John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong’s next leader, to speed up housing and land supply would benefit homebuyers, the government as well as developers.

“We agree that Hong Kong should boost the supply of land in both quantity and quality, as mentioned by chief executive-elect John Lee,” Martin Lee Ka-shing, Henderson Land’s co-chairman and Lee Shau-kee’s younger son, said at an annual general meeting held on Wednesday.

Peter Lee Ka-kit, Henderson Land’s other co-chairman and the founder’s elder son, said that Henderson Land would help John Lee complete his pilot scheme and help 1,000 junior secondary school students living in subdivided flats with training and mentoring programmes. “The scheme will offer 1,000 children a better future and help to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor,” he said.

More : Henderson Land backs John Lee’s housing and land supply pledge


----------



## hkskyline

*Silicon Hill*


----------



## hkskyline

* Market sizzles as Tai Po flats sell out *
The Standard _Excerpt_
June 6, 2022

Both the primary and secondary property markets performed well over the long Tuen Ng festival weekend.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) launched another batch of 153 homes at phase 1 of Silicon Hill in Tai Po on the back of selling all the 170 flats in the first round of sales last Friday.

The batch, which comprises studio units to three-bedroom units, is priced from HK$3.8 million to HK$10.9 million after discounts, or from HK$16,427 to HK$20,354 per square foot.

More : Market sizzles as Tai Po flats sell out


----------



## hkskyline

* Goodbye ‘Little Thailand’? Kowloon City’s Thai community in Hong Kong reflects on changes to way of life as redevelopment looms *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 5, 2022

Warayutha Sridadet could not be prouder of a snack shop in Kowloon City run by his family, with the place having become a popular meeting spot for fellow Thais in the neighbourhood and beyond.

Almost every evening, his parents will hang out with friends at the doorstep of the shop on Nam Kok Road, sitting on stools placed on the pavement, chatting and drinking Thai beer. Though some community members, including from his family, have moved out of the neighbourhood, they still see the place as their second home.

“My parents are happier in Kowloon City because they can chat with old friends … My mum knows almost every Thai person here,” the 21-year-old Sridadet said. “They are now worried whether the shop can remain [after redevelopment].”

More : Hong Kong’s Thai residents reflect on changes as redevelopment looms


----------



## hkskyline

Some views of the indoor wet market that is slated for redevelopment. Many stars have been spotted here over the years, with some calls for preservation.







_Source : Sing Tao_


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 5/20


*Hong Kong Housing Society* is constructing a tower at Hung Hom's Fat Kwong Street.

6/9


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong homebuyers snap up Sun Hung Kai’s Silicon Hill flats for the second weekend in a row, aiming to get ahead of higher interest rates * 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
June 11, 2022 

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP)’s Silicon Hill flats have sold out for the second consecutive weekend, as homebuyers plunged into Hong Kong’s housing market to get ahead of higher interest rates.

Every one of the 198 flats on offer – including eight for sale by tender – at the project at Pak Shek Kok in Tai Po district sold out, according to sales agents.

The flats, ranging from 217 to 770 square feet (71.5 square metres), were priced between HK$3.79 million and HK$11.34 million (US$1.44 million), or HK$16,427 to HK$20,354 per square foot after discounts of up to 17.5 per cent. The results of the eight units sold through tender were not released yet.

More : Sun Hung Kai’s Silicon Hill sells out for the second weekend


----------



## hkskyline

* Kowloon City needs to keep its character *
South China Morning Post Editorial _Excerpt_
June 8, 2022

Despite its small area and relatively short history, Hong Kong has grown into a patchwork of neighbourhoods with unique appeal over the past few decades. They are, however, also undergoing changes constantly, thanks to urban renewal and other development needs.

While some old districts have thankfully transformed without losing their souls and characters, others have sadly disappeared or turned into nothing more than eyesores.

Historic Kowloon City is at the crossroads of transformation. Under the ambitious blueprint unveiled by the Urban Renewal Authority recently, parts of the area near the old airport will be revitalised into a “liveable and walkable community” with a gateway to the redeveloped area of Kai Tak.

More : Kowloon City needs to keep its character


----------



## hkskyline

* Public flats plan not par for course as officials jammed for 'not using brains' * 
The Standard _Excerpt_
June 15, 2022 

Proposals to build public housing at the Fanling Golf Course were condemned by several Northern district councilors yesterday, who criticized officials for "not using their brains" in suggesting homes be constructed on land with high ecological value.

The criticism came in a meeting in which 10 councilors passed a unanimous motion rejecting a government proposal to develop 32 hectares of the 170-hectare facility, including turning nine hectares over for public housing projects.

The councilors disagreed with a Planning Department rating of the ecological value of the plot as "relatively low" following an environmental impact assessment study and the start of a public consultation on May 20.

In criticizing the EIA as "terrible," they said the ecological value is high for a place officials have been eyeing for development since 2018. They also slammed the latest plan for nine hectares to be used to build 12,000 public flats for 33,600 people, saying that will make Fan Kam Road even more congested.

"We now have jams on average days, and you plan to move in 30,000 people and expand the Northern District Hospital," council chief Lee Kwun-hung said. "If there are no traffic jams then, you could become the chief executive."

More : Public flats plan not par for course as officials jammed for 'not using brains''


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Intercontinental (Regent Hotel) Renovation*
> 
> 5/14


6/15


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Hong Kong Housing Society* is constructing a tower at Hung Hom's Fat Kwong Street.
> 
> 6/9


6/15


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 6/15


*Intercontinental Renovation*

7/7

a74 contax n 85 1.4_DSC09525 by 19821018, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

* Smallest flats see brisk demand at first Hong Kong home sale after Xi speech underlining desire for larger homes *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 10, 2022

The smallest flats at a development in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po district sold briskly on Sunday afternoon, in what is the first new property sale after Chinese President Xi Jinping said the city’s residents desired bigger homes.

Twenty units, most of them 199 sq ft, sold within the first hour of sales at The Vim, according to Centaline Property Agency, the development’s sole agent. A total of 50 such flats – the project’s smallest units – are on offer at The Vim, which has been developed by Hong Kong-listed Carrianna Group Holdings and private builder Choice Investment Holdings. It is expected to be completed in December next year.

“The Vim is proving to be popular among first-time, young homebuyers, who have a limited budget and are focused on buying affordable flats in convenient locations,” said Louis Chan, vice-chairman and CEO of Centaline’s residential department in Asia-Pacific. “The sales are within expectations – we have seen strong demand from first-time homebuyers who want to live in a city area with MTR access.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...and-first-hong-kong-home-sale-after-xi-speech


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong’s nano flats: does falling demand point to the end of container-size abodes? *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 12, 2022

Divergent responses to recent property launches suggest buyers in Hong Kong have started preferring larger flats, following a relaxation of mortgage rules and as the market remains soft.

The sales of nano flats, or homes measuring 200 square feet (18.6 square metres) or less, have declined of late. In 2019, 642 such flats sold for a total of HK$2.3 billion (US$293 million), according to Dataelements, a data provider that tracks new residential properties in Hong Kong. Last year, only 307 were sold for a total of about HK$1.5 billion.

“The relaxation of mortgages has shifted demand in the mass residential market from first homebuyers to upgraders,” said Norry Lee, a senior director at JLL in Hong Kong. “A weak leasing market has further dampened investment demand for nano flats.”

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...alling-demand-point-end-container-size-abodes


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong housing shortage: government acts on John Lee pledge to ‘spare no effort’, sets stage for tenfold increase in homes to be built in second quarter *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
July 14, 2022

Hong Kong’s government will sell more land in its fiscal second quarter, increasing the number of homes that can be built on the land tenfold, after the new administration of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to “spare no effort” to ease housing shortages in the world’s least affordable urban centre.

The government will sell three plots of residential land in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Tuen Mun, totalling 3.9 hectares (9.63 acres), according to an announcement by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn.

The parcels, valued by Knight Frank at up to HK$9.1 billion (US$1.2 billion), can accommodate 2,600 flats, a tenfold increase from the 270 flats the government offered in the first quarter of the financial year that began on April 1.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...vernment-acts-john-lee-pledge-spare-no-effort


----------



## MarciuSky2

*West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station Commercial Project U/C

















*

































柯士甸丨西九高鐵站商業項目丨152米丨地基 - 第8页 - 香港 - 高楼迷摩天族


柯士甸丨西九高鐵站商業項目丨152米丨地基 ,高楼迷摩天族



gaoloumi.cc


----------



## hkskyline

* Novo Land *
8 Yan Po Road, Tuen Mun

Phase 1A consists of 2 towers of 31 storeys each, with estimated material date in mid 2023.

Project website : NOVO LAND - Home


----------



## thestealthyartist

I know this is somewhat off-topic, but is it possible for Hong Kong to build itself a skyscraper taller than the ICC? With new projects like the Northern Metropolis and Tomorrow Lantau rolling out, I think it's possible. 

First off, the problem of obstructing mountains should be gone with these new areas. Next, Hong Kong's government is looking to upgrade the city's competitiveness and cement the city as a leading one. To do so, the economy would need to upgraded, and what better way to do that than build up tourism, one of the four pillar industries of HK? We all know tall buildings sell, so they could easily plop a 600 meter tower right next to Shenzhen, or something along those lines.

What do you think?


----------



## Iwa_Kiike

thestealthyartist said:


> I know this is somewhat off-topic, but is it possible for Hong Kong to build itself a skyscraper taller than the ICC? With new projects like the Northern Metropolis and Tomorrow Lantau rolling out, I think it's possible.
> 
> First off, the problem of obstructing mountains should be gone with these new areas. Next, Hong Kong's government is looking to upgrade the city's competitiveness and cement the city as a leading one. To do so, the economy would need to upgraded, and what better way to do that than build up tourism, one of the four pillar industries of HK? We all know tall buildings sell, so they could easily plop a 600 meter tower right next to Shenzhen, or something along those lines.
> 
> What do you think?


Building taller than 500m are banned in China.


----------



## hkskyline

thestealthyartist said:


> I know this is somewhat off-topic, but is it possible for Hong Kong to build itself a skyscraper taller than the ICC? With new projects like the Northern Metropolis and Tomorrow Lantau rolling out, I think it's possible.
> 
> First off, the problem of obstructing mountains should be gone with these new areas. Next, Hong Kong's government is looking to upgrade the city's competitiveness and cement the city as a leading one. To do so, the economy would need to upgraded, and what better way to do that than build up tourism, one of the four pillar industries of HK? We all know tall buildings sell, so they could easily plop a 600 meter tower right next to Shenzhen, or something along those lines.
> 
> What do you think?


Having a landmark tall residential building is probably the last thing on their minds. The economics don't work out, as the elevator banks will take out a lot of the usable floorspace, and commute times within the building will become excessive. We do have 80-storey residentials now but those are far from the norm. I think 60 storeys is likely the 'optimal' point now.


----------



## thestealthyartist

Oops, mispost


----------



## thestealthyartist

hkskyline said:


> Having a landmark tall residential building is probably the last thing on their minds. The economics don't work out, as the elevator banks will take out a lot of the usable floorspace, and commute times within the building will become excessive. We do have 80-storey residentials now but those are far from the norm. I think 60 storeys is likely the 'optimal' point now.


How about commercial ones?


----------



## hkskyline

thestealthyartist said:


> How about commercial ones?


Both Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow are primarily residential projects.


----------



## thestealthyartist

hkskyline said:


> Both Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow are primarily residential projects.


They are touting Lantau Tomorrow as CBD 3 and an extension of the Victoria Harbour commercial district though, according to the City Gallery. Northern Metropolis is also supposed to be a self-contained urban district, so they've got to have some office towers no matter what.


----------



## hkskyline

thestealthyartist said:


> They are touting Lantau Tomorrow as CBD 3 and an extension of the Victoria Harbour commercial district though, according to the City Gallery. Northern Metropolis is also supposed to be a self-contained urban district, so they've got to have some office towers no matter what.


If we use CBD 2 in Kowloon Bay as an example, almost all the commercial towers there are short and there's only 1 'supertall' expected at Kwun Tong station and even that one is under 300m. Don't get your hopes up too high.









HONG KONG | Kwun Tong Town Centre - Commercial Towers |...


These older towers will be demolished to make way for the 3 shorter towers (59 to 75m). Notice that 1 section has already been demolished.




www.skyscrapercity.com


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *East 350*
> 350 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon
> 29 stories
> Website : East 350 – LAWSGROUP
> 
> 5/7


7/20


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Intercontinental Renovation*
> 
> 7/7
> 
> a74 contax n 85 1.4_DSC09525 by 19821018, on Flickr


7/20


----------



## hkskyline

* Govt to build public flats faster with modular method *
RTHK _Excerpt_
July 23, 2022

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said on Saturday that the authorities plan to deploy modular integrated construction techniques similar to those used in building quarantines facilities as a way to speed up the delivery of public housing.

Ho said the technique, in which building modules completed with fittings and finishes are manufactured off-site before being installed, could accelerate the supply of public rental flats.

The minister said how much time the technique could save would vary depending on the construction site, and it would not be suitable everywhere.

More : Govt to build public flats faster with modular method - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kowloon City Plaza - Allegro 瓏碧*
> Project website : ALLEGRO 瓏碧
> 
> 4/7


*Kowloon City Plaza - Allegro 瓏碧*

7/22


----------



## hkskyline

*Secondary sales jump as Novo Land releases second batch *
The Standard _Excerpt_ 
July 25, 2022

Second hand home sales at Hong Kong's top 10 blue-chip estates hit a seven-week high over the weekend as Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) maintained conservative prices for the second batch of 100 flats at phase 1A of its Novo Land development in Tuen Mun.

A total of 13 secondary transactions in the blue-chip estates were recorded over the weekend up 85 percent from a week ago, according to Centaline Property Agency.

Louis Chan Wing-kit, Asia-Pacific vice-chairman of the residential division at Centaline Property Agency, said there were no large-scale sales of new projects over the weekend and buyers were back in the secondary market.

More : Secondary sales jump as Novo Land releases second batch


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Mei Tung Estate Demolition *
> Redevelopment information : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/PB for Mei Tung Est. (Older Part).pdf
> 
> 4/7


*Mei Tung Estate Demolition *

7/22


----------



## MarciuSky2

*Kai Tak Multi-Purpose Stadium (50,000)








*












https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-sg/%E5%95%9F%E5%BE%B7%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2%E5%9C%92#/media/File:2022%E5%B9%B48%E6%9C%88-%E5%95%9F%E5%BE%B7%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2%E5%9C%92%E5%8F%8A%E8%B7%91%E9%81%93%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%E5%8D%80.jpg


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 9/2


*Ho Man Tin Station*

9/5


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Hong Kong Housing Society is constructing a tower at *Hung Hom's Fat Kwong Street*.
> 
> 8/17


9/5


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Intercontinental Renovation*
> 
> 8/22


9/9


----------



## hkskyline

* Harsh punishment for violations of safety legislation necessary, says labor rights watch group chief *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 13, 2022

A labor rights watch group chief said on Tuesday that harsh punishments for violations of safety legislation are necessary to prevent construction accidents.

The comments came as authorities are still probing into the fatal industrial incident in Sau Mau Ping, where three workers and six others inside container offices were crushed by a collapsed tower crane.

Authorities have since issued a suspension order to the Anderson Road site and ordered the contractor, Aggressive Construction Company Ltd, to temporarily decommission the three tower cranes there. The company was also banned from bidding for public works projects until end of next year.

More : Harsh punishment for violations of safety legislation necessary, says labor rights watch group chief


----------



## hkskyline

*Labour groups urge speed on occupational safety bill *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Sept 18, 2022

Labour representatives on Sunday called for the prompt passage of a job safety bill that significantly raises the maximum penalty for serious violations.

Right now, the maximum penalty is HK$500,000 and 12 months in jail, but the government proposes to raise them to HK$10 million and two years in prison.

Unionist lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung said recent fatal industrial accidents have raised public awareness about the issue, particularly in construction.

More : Labour groups urge speed on occupational safety bill - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 7/20


*East 350*
350 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon
29 stories
Website : East 350 – LAWSGROUP

9/14


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Fan Ling homes nearly sold out *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Aug 15, 2022
> 
> Henderson Land Development (0012) has sold nearly all the 603 homes at One Innovale-Archway in Fan Ling in nine days since launching sales, leaving only 13 units of the whole phase 1 to be tendered.
> 
> The developer said the last 88 flats on the price list for phase 1 were sold out after the sales started in two hours yesterday, resulting in a total of 590 flats purchased.
> 
> The Sunday sales received 9,952 checks, making the lot 112 times oversubscribed.
> 
> Henderson Land's general manager of the first sales department Thomas Lam Tat-man said around 30 percent of buyers in this round purchased the homes for investment.
> 
> Lam added Henderson expected the pending pre-sale consent of phase 2 will be approved as early as the end of this month.
> 
> More : Fan Ling homes nearly sold out


* More Fan Ling flats poised to hit market *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 19, 2022

Henderson Land Development (0012) has released a second price list of 60 flats for the second phase of its One Innovale development in Fan Ling after the first list of 83 flats drew a positive response from the market with around 1,200 checks received as of yesterday.

The 60 flats in the second list include studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, with areas ranging from 221 to 462 square feet and costing between HK$3.21 million to HK$6.76 million or HK$13,283 and HK$16,803 per sq ft after discounts

The average price is HK$14,613 per sq ft after discounts. Most of the flats in the second list are one-bedroom units and the cheapest, with an area of 221 sq ft, costs HK$3.21 million.

More : More Fan Ling flats poised to hit market


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *The Holborn*
> 1 Shau Kei Wan Road
> 31 floors (refuge floor on 16/f, numbering to 32/F)
> Expected material date : April 2023
> 
> Development website : THE HOLBORN
> 
> 1/8


9/18


----------



## hkskyline

* First-home buyers swoop in on Sun Hung Kai’s Wetland flats to get ahead of Hong Kong’s first mortgage hikes in four years *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sept 22, 2022

Hong Kong’s homebuyers swooped in on the weekday sale of a popular property project on Thursday,, as they exploited a slim window before the city’s first increases in mortgage rates take effect.

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) sold all 80 flats on offer in the third phase of its Wetland Seasons Bay project in Tin Shui Wai, agents said. As many as 23 bidders went after each available unit, with 1,870 registrations of intent received.

The flats were offered at HK$14,344 per square foot, about 2.5 per cent cheaper than the average price of the previous phase of the project, translating to HK$4.97 million (US$633,159) for a unit measuring 356 sq ft (33 square metres) after discount.

More : Buyers swoop in on SHKP’s flats ahead of Hong Kong’s rate hikes


----------



## hkskyline




----------



## hkskyline

* Home completions hit 18-year high *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 23, 2022

More than 13,000 private homes were completed in the first seven months this year, marking an 18-year high.

Buildings Department data showed that a total of 1,131 units from three projects were completely built in July, a 25 percent rise from the 902 homes in June.

For the seven-month period, 13,195 units were completed in 36 projects, 31 percent more than the same period in 2021. The figure was also a high going back to 2005.

Of the three projects completed last month, China Overseas Land and Investment's (0688) One Victoria in Kai Tak will offer 1,059 homes. Madera Garden in Ho Man Tin, developed by Hip Shing Hong, followed with 71 units, while Jardine's Lookout also reported the completion of a house, No 8 Henderson Road.

Ricacorp Properties research head Derek Chan Hoi-chiu expects more big projects to come, including Arles in Fo Tan (1,335 units) and Yoho Hub in Yuen Long (1,030 units).

More : Home completions hit 18-year high


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Ming Wa Dai Ha*
> 
> 3/5


Seems the other older and shorter blocks of *Ming Wa Dai Ha* will go soon.

9/18


----------



## hkskyline

* HK’s makeshift Covid hospitals may be converted into transitional homes *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 26, 2022

The Hong Kong government will re-evaluate all available Covid isolation or treatment facilities and explore the possibility of converting them into transitional housing properties, according to local reports.

It is understood that facilities with private washrooms will be first considered for the conversion, making the makeshift hospital at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal highly likely to be selected for the transitional housing projects.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu previously set up four working groups to tackle key livelihood concerns, with Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun leading one of the task forces targeting land and housing issues.

More : HK’s makeshift Covid hospitals may be converted into transitional homes


----------



## hkskyline

* Zeman firm in first-time bid for property project *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 28, 2022

Lan Kwai Fong Properties, founded by the so-called "father of Lan Kwai Fong" Allan Zeman, has expressed an interest in an Urban Renewal Authority development involving mainly homes in Sai Ying Pun.

It would be the first time it has made a bid for a property project.

Lan Kwai Fong Properties was among 33 developers and firms that showed interest in the Queen's Road West/In Ku Lane project, the URA revealed yesterday.

The development, which covers a site area of 1,566 square meters, was first announced in March 2018. Upon completion it is planned to provide a total gross floor area of 11,290 sq m.

Market valuations for the site range from HK$1.5 billion to HK$1.7 billion - or from around HK$12,300 to HK$14,000 per square foot.

More : Zeman firm in first-time bid for property project


----------



## hkskyline

* Young Hongkongers snap up cheap flats in Northern Metropolis as relaxed mortgage, quarantine rules offset rising interest rates *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sept 27, 2022

The scrapping of hotel quarantine requirements and a relaxation of mortgage rules boosted sales of affordable new homes in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis area, said analysts, as young buyers snapped up flats priced from HK$3.07 million (US$391,085) each.

Henderson Land Development’s One Innovale-Bellevue in Fanling had sold 231, or 95 per cent, of 243 flats on offer as of 8.39pm on Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the developer. Another four flats were sold by tender.

With an average price per square foot of HK$14,623, it is one of the more pricey developments in the immediate area, just 0.3 per cent shy of the secondary market price of the Sheung Shui Centre, the most expensive. However, it remains much more affordable than Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

More : https://www.scmp.com/business/artic...ap-flats-northern-metropolis-relaxed-mortgage


----------



## hkskyline

* Govt to put three sites up for tender in Q3 *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Sept 29, 2022

The government announced on Thursday it is putting up three residential sites for tender in the coming quarter as part of its land sale programme.

The plots in Kai Tak, Stanley and Kennedy Town are expected to generate 2,500 flats.

Together with other projects, such as redevelopment schemes, officials said total private supply is expected to reach 5,900 units in the three months ending December.

The development minister, Bernadette Linn, said despite challenges to both the global and local economies, the government will continue to provide a steady supply of land for housing.

"We cannot afford to slow down our efforts in supplying land just because of the economic situation before us," she told a press conference.

More : Govt to put three sites up for tender in Q3 - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Koko Hills & Koko Reserve*
> Project website : https://www.kokohills.hk/
> 
> Located in Yau Tong on the east side of Kowloon, Phase 1 (Koko Hills) consists of 3 towers of 24-25 stories (Tower 2, 3, 5). Phase 2 (Koko Reserve) is only 1 tower of 16 stories (Tower 1).


Some more drone footage of *Koko Hills* :


----------



## hkskyline

*Shek Lei Estate's Block 10 and 11* are slated for demolition later this year for redevelopment. 

9/24


----------



## hkskyline

* Henderson extends To Kwa Wan reach with $1.2b win *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Sept 21, 2022

Henderson Land Development (0012) has won the bid for an old building in To Kwa Wan via a compulsory sale with a reserve price of HK$1.21 billion, a move further expanding its development in the area.

Located on To Kwa Wan Road, the building has a rebuildable area of 104,000 square feet, which indicates a gross floor price of HK$11,667 per square foot.

The nine-storey building, completed in 1960, is close to the To Kwa Wan MTR station.

Besides the bid, Henderson has already acquired three projects in To Kwa Wan. With the latest win on To Kwa Wan Road, the total site area of all four projects will be increased to 42,500 sq ft, and it is expected to offer about 374,400 sq ft of gross floor area for commercial and residential use after redevelopment.

More : Henderson extends To Kwa Wan reach with $1.2b win


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *East Kowloon Cultural Centre*
> 
> 8/21


11/11


----------



## hkskyline

*Building inspectors confirm faulty pillar reports at private residential construction site in Hong Kong, order improvements *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 11, 2022

Hong Kong’s Buildings Department has confirmed several structural columns deviated from the approved plans after inspection at a private residential construction site, with authorities ordering improvements to the works there.

The department on Friday sent officers to inspect the building site for the Grand Mayfair I close to Kam Sheung Road railway station near Yuen Long, and investigated if the contractor had violated any guidelines or regulations.

The inspection was carried out a day after local media reported that problems were identified on the site and structural columns would have to be torn down.

More : Inspectors confirm faulty pillar reports at residential building site in Hong Kong


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Homebuyers snap up The Aperture flats by Hang Lung, piling into the first new homes to launch in Kowloon Bay in four decades*
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> Dec 11, 2021
> 
> Hong Kong’s homebuyers snapped up a collection of flats on offer over the weekend in Kowloon Bay, shrugging off higher prices as they piled into the area’s newest supply of private homes in decades.
> 
> Hang Lung Properties sold 78 of the first batch of 100 flats at its new project, The Aperture at 8pm, agents said. The flats had received nearly 1,500 registrations of interest, translating to about 15 bids for every available unit on average.
> 
> The flats on sale ranged from one-bedroom units to three-bedroom flats, with sizes from 320 to 771 sq ft (72 square metres), priced between HK$6.9 million to $16.9 million after discounts. At around HK$21,548 (US$2,763) per square foot, The Aperture is 29 per cent more expensive than prevailing prices in the neighbourhood’s second-hand market, where recent transactions were recorded at HK$16,700 per sq ft.
> 
> More : Buyers snap up the first homes to launch in Kowloon Bay in 40 years
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ming Pao_


11/11


----------



## hkskyline

* Govt to table bill next year to spur redevelopment *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Nov 16, 2022

The government said on Wednesday that it's looking to table a bill to the Legislative Council in the latter half of next year to lower the triggering threshold for compulsory land sales for redevelopment.

In the Chief Executive’s policy address last month, it's proposed that developers would in future have to acquire at least 70 percent of a block – instead of the current 80 percent – to be able to redevelop a building that's over 50 years old.

For buildings that are over 70 years old, the proposed threshold would be lowered further to 60 percent.

More : Govt to table bill next year to spur redevelopment - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

*Developers battle weak buyer sentiment in Hong Kong with new home sales forecast to fall to levels not seen since 2013*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2022

Developers are continuing to battle a severe downturn in Hong Kong’s housing market, with one real estate firm forecasting that the total number of new homes sold this year may be the lowest since 2013 as rising interest rates, a slumping stock market and economic headwinds in China sour sentiment.

Midland Realty expects the total number of new homes sold this year to potentially fall below 10,000 units, which would be the lowest level since 9,986 in 2013.

“Market sentiment is not good. Launches may have slowed down,” said Buggle Lau, chief analyst at Midland Realty. “It seems the confidence of homebuyers is not high currently, the outlook for interest rate is uncertain, and these factors have contributed to a ‘wait and see’ attitude.”

...

At the Pano Harbour development in Kai Tak, mainland-based developers CR Land (Overseas) and Poly Property sold only seven flats out of the 118 flats offered in the first two days of tender this week, according to the Register of Transactions. The offer included 11 two-bedroom flats, a rare event, and pulled in HK$211.18 million, including a record price for a home in the Kai Tak runway area at HK$44.68 million.

More : Hong Kong new home sales forecast to fall to levels not seen since 2013


----------



## hkskyline

*Grand Mayfair*


----------



## hkskyline

* ‘No Tears Left’: Hong Kong Property Agents Resort to Desperate Ads *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2022

Property agents in Hong Kong are resorting to increasingly wry advertising slogans to attract potential buyers during the city’s worst housing slump in years. 

“Born in the Wrong Time,” “No Tears Left to Cry,” “The Cut Is Deep, The Love Is Real” — these are just some of the catch lines being used on home listing ads, underscoring the desperation of agents and owners. On one level it’s worked: Social-media sites are now flooded with these over-the-top descriptions. But sellers are still finding it hard to offload properties.

Rising interest rates are weighing on a property market that has already been battered by a population exodus and Covid curbs. Hong Kong’s one-month rate, known as Hibor, has increased to the highest level since 2008 due to the city’s currency peg with the greenback. Expensive borrowing costs coupled with an economic contraction have made would-be buyers cautious. 

More : ‘No Tears Left’: Hong Kong Property Agents Resort to Desperate Ads


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> Public housing units are under construction next to Diamond Hill station. The site's height limit ranges from 120-140m.
> 
> Project details : https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/access/pec/planning_brief/Diamond_Hill_CDA.pdf
> 
> 10/29


11/18


----------



## hkskyline

*East Kowloon Cultural Centre*

11/18


----------



## hkskyline

*Hongkong Land upsizes Jardine House food hall to satisfy tenants’ growing F&B hunger as landlords adapt to changing landscape *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 18, 2022

Hongkong Land is tripling the size of its food hall and adding more dining options in one of its prime buildings in Central, as commercial landlords in the city upgrade their properties in a bid to retain and attract new tenants amid rising office vacancy rates.

BaseHall 2, occupying an area of 18,000 sq ft in the basement of Jardine House, will have a soft opening in mid-December, according to Hongkong Land, one of the biggest commercial building owners in the city. It is designed to be a social hub with operations extending until late night and will include more than 20 new food and drink concepts, the company said.

BaseHall 2 is a follow up to BaseHall 1, a 8,868 sq ft food hall comprising various food concepts and bars that opened in 2020. The space was previously occupied by Grappa’s Cellar, an Italian restaurant.

More : Hongkong Land expands Jardine House food hall to meet tenants’ F&B demand


----------



## hkskyline

* No room of their own: Hong Kong youth impatient for revamped hostel scheme to take off while some operators weigh potential of tourism comeback *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 20, 2022

Sharing a 350 sq ft public flat in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung with his mother, older sister and two cats, Sit Kai, 30, has often longed for space of his own.

A community officer with a housing concern group, he is a part-time social work student and sometimes has to work late from his bed, discussing projects with his classmates while his mother and sister are asleep.

“I’ve tried lowering my voice, but it didn’t work and led to arguments,” he said.

He was delighted when the government announced recently that it was expanding the city’s youth hostel scheme to turn 3,000 hotel rooms into hostels for young working adults aged 18 to 30 within five years.

It promises rents that are up to 40 per cent lower than the market price, and successful tenants must commit to serve the community for 200 hours a year.

More : Young Hongkongers impatient for revamped hostel scheme to take off


----------



## hkskyline

* Fringes of Hong Kong’s country parks earmarked as possible housing sites, minister says, reiterating support for Lantau Tomorrow plan *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 20, 2022

The fringes of Hong Kong’s country parks could be considered as possible housing plots, the city’s development minister has said, as she underlined the government’s commitment to the creation of a metropolis on reclaimed land off Lantau Island.

Proposals to develop individual park sections would be studied at appropriate times, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho told a television programme on Sunday, but did not say when surveys would be carried out.

The option was not included among proposals to tackle the city’s housing shortage featured in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address last month. But Linn said the subject had been mentioned in the past on several occasions.

More : Fringes of Hong Kong’s country parks ‘earmarked as possible housing sites’


----------



## hkskyline

*Boosting land supply 'not about controlling prices' *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Nov 20, 2022

The development minister, Bernadette Linn, on Sunday played down the idea that increasing land supply for housing will make homes cheaper, saying the policy is intended to serve society's needs, not rein in prices.

She made the comment while discussing the government's plan to provide some 3,200 hectares of land for flats in the coming decade.

Government figures show that property prices have fallen by 8.1 percent in the first nine months of the year.

More : Boosting land supply 'not about controlling prices' - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

*Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel & Cross Bay Link*


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Grand Mayfair 1 may need to be reinforced after structural problems discovered *
> The Standard _Excerpt_
> Nov 11, 2022
> 
> The structure of Grand Mayfair I - a project on top of Kam Sheung Road MTR station in Yuen Long - may need to be reinforced due to structural problems, media reported last night.
> 
> This is a serious problem and the whole project will need to be reinforced immediately, sources said.
> 
> The Grand Mayfair I is phase 1A of the Kam Sheung Road project, which is being jointly developed by Sino Land, K Wah International and China Overseas Land and Investment.
> 
> Sino Land said that during a routine inspection conducted by the site supervision team last month, some building processes were found to be slightly different from the approved plans, and a full inspection and follow-up have been carried out.
> 
> This includes a revised scheme or design update at the locations, which has been agreed by structural engineers, the developer said, adding that the overall construction progress of the project will not be affected.
> 
> More : Grand Mayfair 1 may need to be reinforced after structural problems discovered


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Kowloon City Plaza - Allegro 瓏碧*
> 
> 10/7


----------



## hkskyline

* Wan Chai project offers a discount *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 23, 2022

Swire Properties (1972) is offering a 3 percent discount on four homes at its completed project Eight Star Street.

Swire Properties director Adrian To said the areas of the one and two-bedroom units range between 431 to 555 square feet.

The Wan Chai project, launched in March last year, has sold eight units worth a total of HK$628 million. The average price per sq ft was HK$38,888, while the most expensive one sold at HK$53,122 a sq ft.

More : Wan Chai project offers a discount


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Koko Hills*


----------



## hkskyline

*Tseung Kwan O Area 137*







Project details : Major Projects - Planning and Engineering Study for Re-planning of Tseung Kwan O Area 137

Expected plans : Build HK's fourth cross-harbor tunnel in Tseung Kwan O: Stanley Li


----------



## hkskyline

Renovations at *Tap Mun*'s Tin Hau Temple, which has a history of 400 years.

11/19


----------



## hkskyline

* "No holds barred” in providing public housing, public must chip in: Housing Minister *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 22, 2022

The housing minister claimed today that the government has "run all the possible efforts" to increase the public housing supply, calling for society to participate in transitional housing construction projects.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the transitional housing construction project of Ma On Shan Lok Wo Sha Lane on Tuesday. 

"The government has pulled out all the stops in building public housing in the next decade, including transitional housing, for solving the long-term housing shortage problem," she said in a speech delivered at the ceremony. 

More : "No holds barred” in providing public housing, public must chip in: Housing Minister


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Sun Hung Kai Properties sells about 90 per cent of last units at Silicon Hill’s phase one amid strong buying interest *
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> June 24, 2022
> 
> Hong Kong’s primary housing market maintained strong momentum on Friday, with a project in Tai Po selling nearly 90 per cent of units on offer amid strong buying interest.
> 
> By 9pm on Friday, homebuyers – undeterred by the prospects of rising mortgage rates – had snapped up 62 out of the last 72 units on sale in the first phase of Silicon Hill, which are being offered by Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP).
> 
> “Buyers showed keen interest in the flats,” said Sammy Po, Midland Realty’s Hong Kong and Macau residential division CEO. “The encouraging sales result bodes well for the new homes market.”
> 
> More : SHKP sells about 90 per cent of last units at Silicon Hill phase one


*Silicon Hill*


----------



## hkskyline

The *Girl Guides Association* is building a new headquarters and youth hostel at the junction of Ferry Street and Jordan Road. It will consist of a 6-storey podium as headquarters and a 23-storey youth hostel tower on top up to 28/F.



https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english/panels/ha/papers/ha20200414cb2-724-3-e.pdf



11/10


----------



## hkskyline

*Trunk Road T2 Development*
Project website : Trunk Road T2 and Infrastructure Works for Developments at the Former South Apron

11/26


----------



## hkskyline

* Sai Ying Pun redevelopment gets seven bids *
The Standard _Excerpt_
Nov 25, 2022

The Urban Renewal Authority's redevelopment project on Queen's Road West/ In Ku Lane in Sai Ying Pun received seven tenders from developers including CK Asset (1113) and Sino Land (0083).

With market valuations ranging from HK$1.25 billion to HK$1.4 billion, the project also attracted Great Eagle (0041), Regal Hotels International (0078), Wheelock Properties and K Wah International (0173).

Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) was also reported to have submitted a bid.

K Wah and Wheelock Properties submitted tenders separately this time, due to the location and market demand for the project.

The URA invited 32 developers to submit tenders from 33 firms that expressed interest.

More : Sai Ying Pun redevelopment gets seven bids


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> 7/20


*East 350*

11/26


----------



## Zaz965

just for curiosity: land reclamation in hong kong


----------



## hkskyline

There's a huge land reclamation project being proposed and we have a separate thread for it :
HONG KONG | Lantau Tomorrow Vision | Pro.


----------



## hkskyline

*Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel*
Project website : Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel (TKO-LT Tunnel)


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong unveils first sites for ‘light public housing’ scheme for temporary homes, with most located in remote New Territories districts *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Nov 29, 2022 

Hong Kong has unveiled the first four sites of its “light public housing” scheme, with most of them located in remote districts in the New Territories, such as Sheung Shui and Yuen Long.

The Housing Bureau on Tuesday said a total of HK$32 billion (US$4 billion) in construction and operation costs would be needed to build 30,000 transitional homes for low-income families by the 2027-28 financial year, under a new scheme proposed by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his policy address last month.

The four sites revealed in a paper submitted by the bureau to the Legislative Council are located in Sheung Shui, Yuen Long, and the remaining two are near Castle Peak Hospital in Tuen Mun.

More : Hong Kong unveils sites for ‘light public housing’ scheme for temporary homes


----------



## hkskyline

* Hong Kong Urban Renewal Authority project to redevelop hidden park and 9 tenement buildings will revitalise ageing Sai Ying Pun district *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 2, 2022 

A hidden park in an ageing Hong Kong district will have more to offer residents when an urban renewal agency completes a project to develop nine 60-year-old tenement buildings.

But the Urban Renewal Authority’s redevelopment, which will displace about 100 households and 20 retail shops on Queen’s Road West and Kwai Heung Street in Sai Ying Pun, will take 10 years to complete.

The project aims to redevelop the old buildings and increase the size of the neighbouring park, the Sung Hing Lane Children’s Playground, according to the authority.

Situated between the two main arteries, Des Voeux Road West and Queen’s Road West, the playground is one of six “landlocked” parks surrounded by buildings.

More : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...lop-hidden-park-and-9-tenement-buildings-will

_Photos from URA : 皇后大道西 / 桂香街發展項目 (C&W – 007)_


----------



## hkskyline

* Revamp planned in Sai Ying Pun *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Dec 2, 2022 

Part of Sai Ying Pun is to be redeveloped to add open space and make way for around 180 new homes, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced on Friday.

The site at Queen's Road West and Kwai Heung Street covers an area of nearly 14,000 square feet.

Some 100 families and 20 shops are expected to be affected by the redevelopment.

The URA said the buildings there are about 60 years old on average and are in poor condition.

"This is to restructure and to improve the belt environment, at the same time enhance the pedestrian connectivity and accessibility, walkability of the area," said Mike Kwan, a general manager for planning and design at the URA.

More : Revamp planned in Sai Ying Pun - RTHK


----------



## hkskyline

*Kennedy 38*
38 Belcher's Street
31 storey residential 
Estimated material date - Feb 2023

12/3


----------



## hkskyline

*United Christian Hospital Expansion*
Project details : Expansion of United Christian Hospital | Hospital Development And Improvement Projects

12/4


----------



## hkskyline

* Hongkongers snub new home sales in Yau Tong, another sign of weakening sentiment in the real estate market *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 4, 2022 

Hongkongers snubbed new property sales on Sunday in the latest indication of weakening sentiment in the real estate market, after home prices fell to their lowest level in nearly five years.

Only 10 out of 128 flats at Chill Residence in Yau Tong, a new development jointly launched by Poly Property and L’Avenue International Holdings, were sold on Sunday, according to real estate agents.

“[Prospective homebuyers] are taking a wait-and-see approach ahead of possible interest rate hikes in December,” said Sammy Po Siu-ming, chief executive of Midland Realty’s residential division.

More : Hongkongers snub new home sales in Yau Tong amid weakening real estate market


----------



## hkskyline

* Official denies light public housing is costly *
RTHK _Excerpt_
Dec 5, 2022 

Housing Secretary Winnie Ho on Monday denied that light public housing units will be costly to build, saying the average cost of putting up such flats will be around the same as that of a traditional public rental housing or transitional housing.

Her comments came after concerns had been raised that light public housing flats would cost HK$893,000 to build on average, as the government estimated a total cost of HK$26.8 billion for the design and construction of 30,000 such units in the next five years.

But Ho told a Legco panel meeting that the cost of light public housing could not be calculated by using simple division.

She said light public flats in low-storey blocks will have a price tag of about HK$550,000 - similar to that of transitional housing - while building light public units in a high-rise building will cost around HK$680,000, about the same as traditional public rental units.

The government has proposed constructing 16- to 18-storey light public housing blocks on two Tuen Mun sites and lower structures in Yuen Long and Sheung Shui. The four sites will yield 10,000 flats in total.

More : Official denies light public housing is costly - RTHK


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## hkskyline

*Cheung Ching Estate Additional Developments*

12/6


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## hkskyline

* Some temporary flats under ‘light public housing’ scheme could cost more to build than permanent homes, minister reveals *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 5, 2022 

Hong Kong’s housing chief has revealed that construction for some temporary public flats under a new scheme designed to create 30,000 homes could cost more than permanent units, amid calls from lawmakers to disclose additional details about the project to justify the expenses.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin on Monday said flats in low-rise buildings under the “light public housing” scheme could cost HK$550,000 (US$70,603) per unit to build, while construction fees for those with 16 to 18 floors were higher.

“Considerations are different for high-rise light public housing flats. The wind, structure and foundations are very different. In this case, a temporary housing unit under the scheme will cost around HK$680,000, similar to the HK$650,000 cost of a permanent public flat,” Ho said at the Legislative Council’s housing panel meeting.

More : ‘Some temporary public flats could cost more to build than permanent homes’


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## hkskyline

* Hong Kong authorities reassure brownfield operators they may use sites for free until ‘actual eviction day’ *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 7, 2022 

Hong Kong authorities will delay evicting logistics operators slated to be uprooted from brownfield sites to make way for new developments amid calls for help with resettlement from the industry.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Wednesday told lawmakers the government would strive to postpone the date for the brownfield sites to be reclaimed for new development in the New Territories, referring to agricultural lands that are no longer suitable for farming and are currently occupied by warehouses for industrial use, storage, logistics or parking.

“After the government has reclaimed the plots of land, we will allow operators to use the site for free until the actual eviction date depending on the construction timeline,” Linn said, but she stopped short of giving an exact period of time.

More : Hong Kong authorities reassure logistics operators amid calls for resettlement


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## hkskyline

* Temporary housing scheme is about improving lives, not just numbers, says Hong Kong leader reacting to criticism *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Dec 8, 2022 

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has defended his new temporary housing scheme by saying that improving low-income groups’ quality of life is about more than just the numbers amid criticism of its high construction cost.

Lawmakers had earlier said “light public housing”, a new type of transitional homes, would be more expensive than permanent public flats, accusing authorities of not being transparent enough in providing the cost breakdown and design.

Lee said at a forum on Thursday that while he understood many people used different “mathematical formulas” to determine if the temporary flats were worth the money, such calculations did not take into account the “real hardships” that low-income groups faced daily.

More : Temporary housing is about improving lives, not numbers, says Hong Kong leader


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