Press Releases
Year 2004
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20 Oct 2004
Better Mortgage Loan Terms for Rehabilitated Buildings
Six more banks have joined a scheme initiated by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to provide better mortgage services to owners of rehabilitated residential old buildings, bringing the participating banks to a total of 13. The mortgage loan scheme for rehabilitated building, which aims at improving the liquidity potential of aged properties in the old districts, is a new move by the URA in its continuing drive to encourage owners of old buildings to rehabilitate their properties. A spokesman of the URA announced today (Wednesday) that six more banks, namely Bank of China, Bank of Communications, CITIC Ka Wah Bank, Dah Sing Bank, Hang Seng Bank and MEVAS Bank have decided to join the scheme. Seven banks that have already joined the scheme are the Bank of East Asia, HSBC, Liu Chong Hing
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28 Sep 2004
Happy Mid Autumn Festival for elderly residents in Central & Western
Happiness and satisfaction are written on the smiling faces of some 40 elderly people in Central & Western District when they are offered packs of mooncakes and fruit for the upcoming Mid Autumn Festival. Sponsored by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), the event is organised by the Staff Club of the URA with the assistance of the Urban Renewal Social Service Team of the St James' Settlement. About 20 URA staff and their family members took part in the courtesy visit last Saturday afternoon, bringing festive gifts to the elderly people living in Wing Lee Street/Staunton Street project area of the Authority.
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20 Sep 2004
Sun Hung Kai Properties wins URA's Po On Road / Shun Ning Road project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Monday) announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, SHKP e-Home Limited, has won the joint development contract for its Po On Road / Shun Ning Road project in Sham Shui Po in a public tender exercise. The Po On Road / Shun Ning Road project site covers an area of about 15,000 square feet and is expected to deliver a gross floor area of about 135,000 square feet for residential and commercial purposes upon completion. Open space of about 2,700 square feet in area will be provided for the enjoyment of the local community. Sun Hung Kai Properties is one of the 13 property developers who tendered for the joint venture project. Based on the recommendations of a tender review panel appointed by the URA Board, members
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15 Sep 2004
URA tender closes for Po On Road/Shun Ning Road project
In response to media enquiries on the tender submissions for the joint development of the Po On Road/Shun Ning Road project in Sham Shui Po, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Wednesday) issued the following statement: A total of 13 tender offers have been received for the commercial/ residential development in Po On Road/Shun Ning Road, Sham Shui Po. A tender review panel under the URA Board will consider the tenders and make recommendation to the Board for a decision in due course. Earlier, 22 developers took part in an expression of interest exercise for the project. Twenty-one of them were qualified and invited to place a tender. The Po On Road/Shun Ning Road project site covers an area of about 15,000 square feet and is expected to deliver a gross floor area of about 13
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9 Sep 2004
Sino Land wins URA's Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Thursday) announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of Sino Land Company Limited, Falcon City Limited, has won the joint development contract for its Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project in Sham Shui Po in a public tender exercise. The Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project was one of the three early launch projects for which land acquisition was commenced by the URA in March 2002. Covering a site area of about 14,900 square feet, it is expected to deliver a maximum gross floor area of about 111,700 square feet of residential floor area and about 22,300 square feet of commercial retail area upon completion in 2008. In addition, about 2,700 square feet of open space will be provided. Sino Land is one of the 16 property developers who tendered for
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4 Sep 2004
Letter from Hong Kong
宇軒世侄： 你在美國進修建築學博士課程，轉眼間已過了兩年。兩年前這個時候，我曾經在香港家書中，與你談及香港的市區老化問題，和市區重建局的工作方向。當時市建局的工作，還在起步階段。 兩年過去了，市建局至今為止，不但只已經開展了十七個重建項目，而且我們更新市區的模式，已經擴濶到其他新領域，包括樓宇復修、舊區活化及文物保育，不再局限於拆樓重建。更加重要的，是我們發覺社會對於市區更新的態度，開始出現微妙的轉變。 記得兩年前我曾經講過，市建局需要幫助舊區居民超越兩座「意識形態的大山」，令到他們的目光不再局限於拆樓重建和高價補償，同時亦希望舊樓業主改變態度，主動復修。要改變這些根深蒂固的思想，實在不容易。 這兩年來，我們推行了一批試點項目，希望尋求實際可行方法，為推動新的復修文化，邁出第一步。今年五月，我們決定以二億一千萬元，推行兩個計劃，以不同類型的業主為對象，分別名為樓宇復修試驗計劃和免息貸款計劃。 復修試驗計劃以收到政府維修令的業主為對象，為業主提供物料補助和專業意見。免息貸款計劃則鼓勵沒有收到維修令的業主，希望他們主動進行預防性的復修工程。這些樓宇大多是位於深水埗、大角咀、西營盤及灣仔等舊區。樓齡一般都達到三十年或以上。 未來五年，估計有大約五百四十幢舊樓，近三萬二千個單位受惠。我們同時得到十個專業團體和非政府機構的協助，在舊區進行推廣樓宇復修的工作。 據業主向我們反映，物料方面的支持固然重要，但更重要的，是我們的員工以專業知識和經驗，指引他們如何籌備工程，並且在有需要時，在業主之間排難解紛，加強他們的信心。 有街坊跟我們說，在維修工程完成之後，甚至當工程還在進行中，部分單位已經有人出價求售。維修前後的成交價、出租率和租金，都可以有不錯的升幅。這些消息在街坊之間輾轉相傳，令到其他大厦的業主，原本對失修的問題不聞不問，現時則變得較為積極。我十分希望這種轉變，會不
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27 Aug 2004
New mortgage loan scheme for rehabilitated buildings
Seven Hong Kong banks have joined hands with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in a new initiative to provide better mortgage services to owners of rehabilitated residential old buildings. At a press conference today (Friday), the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Billy Lam, described this as an important measure to motivate owners of old buildings in rehabilitation by improving the liquidity potential of their flats. Participating in the initiative are the Bank of East Asia, HSBC, Liu Chong Hing Bank, Nanyang Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Wing Hang Bank and Wing Lung Bank. Mr. Lam said he believed that more banks would join in later. The banks will offer mortgage loans up to 70% of the property value at an interest rate of 2% less than the premium rate or better. More impor
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26 Aug 2004
URA tender closes for Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project
In response to media enquiries on the tender submissions for the joint development of the Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project in Sham Shui Po, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Thursday) issued the following statement: A total of 16 tender offers have been received for the residential/commercial development in Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po. A tender review panel under the URA Board will consider the tenders and make recommendation to the Board for a decision in due course. Earlier, 22 developers took part in an expression of interest exercise for the project. All of them were invited to place a tender. The project site covers an area of about 14,900 square feet and is expected to deliver a maximum gross floor area of about 111,700 square feet of residential
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20 Aug 2004
Invitation to Tender for Po On Road/Shun Ning Road Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) invited a total of 21 property developers to tender for the joint development of the Po On Road/Shun Ning Road project in Shum Shui Po. The project site covers an area of about 15,000 square feet and is expected to deliver a gross floor area of about 135,000 square feet for residential and commercial purposes upon completion. Open space of about 2,700 square feet in area will be provided for the enjoyment of the local community. In the expression of interest exercise which closed on 28 July, 22 submissions were received from interested parties for the joint development of the project. A tender review panel under the URA Board decided to invite 21 of them for tender, after taking into consideration their experience and financial strength
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30 Jul 2004
Invitation to Tender for Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) invited a total of 22 property developers to tender for the joint development of the Fuk Wing Street/Fuk Wa Street project in Shum Shui Po. The project site covers an area of about 14,900 square feet and is expected to deliver a maximum gross floor area of about 111,700 square feet of residential floor area and about 22,400 square feet of commercial retail area upon completion in 2008. In addition, about 2,700 square feet of open space will be provided. In the expression of interest exercise which closed on 9 July, 22 submissions were received from interested parties for the joint development of the project. A tender review panel under the URA Board decided to invite all of them for tender, after taking into consideration their experien