Public consultation for Mallory Street project begins
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.
(END)