Press Releases
Year 2006
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16 Aug 2006
Mallory Street project begins property acquisition
The Mallory Street revitalization project of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in Wan Chai has taken a major step forward when owners of four private property interests within the site boundary are offered purchase proposals today (Wednesday). 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, of which 6 are owned by the Government. The URA intends 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. This pilot project is a new and unprecedented attempt of the URA to help revitalize the older part of Wan Chai and foster Hong Kong's development of cultural and crea
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10 Aug 2006
URA roadshow unveils development concepts for Kwun Tong Town Centre
A district-wide roadshow on three future development concepts of the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project of the Urban renewal Authority (URA) is unveiled today (Thursday), marking a major milestone of the project, by far the largest single project ever undertaken by the URA in terms of size and complexity. The three concepts are developed separately by three architectural consultant firms based on various notional schemes proposed by the Kwun Tong community and planning and architecture professionals in a participatory workshop in January this year. Whilst the concepts adopt different styles and features, all three aim to give Kwun Tong a town centre of quality urban living combining extensive greening, large open space, enhanced public and community facilities, all-weather tr
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8 Aug 2006
Community Participation in Development Designs for the Kwun Tong Town Centre Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced today (Tuesday) the launch of a two-month public consultation exercise on the development design concepts of the Kwun Tong Town Centre, the largest single redevelopment project that the Authority has ever undertaken. Speaking at a media conference, the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Billy Lam, said the Kwun Tong Town Centre project, covering a site area of 5.3 hectares, would take 12 years or more to complete and would provide a strong impetus for the sustainable growth of Kwun Tong, as well as serving as an important hub of East Kowloon. "The URA has been, and will continue to, work very closely with the local community as partners in building a modern and vibrant Kwun Tong Town Centre of tomorrow," Mr. Lam said. The URA's Chairman of
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30 Jun 2006
URA Fuk Tsun Street / Pine Street development project: authorization by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
The Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (SHPL) has authorized the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to proceed with the Fuk Tsun Street / Pine Street development project in Tai Kok Tsui. The authorization is given under section 24(5) of the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance (URAO) and is published in the Gazette today (Friday). The implementation of the project was first published on the Gazette on 16th December 2005 under section 23(1) of the URAO. This was followed by a two-month consultation period. The project was submitted to SHPL on 21st April 2006 in accordance with section 24(3) of the URAO. The project area is bounded by Fuk Tsun Street, Pine Street and Ivy Street, covering an area of about 536 sq. m. The buildings within the project site were built in the 1950s and 1960s
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24 Jun 2006
Community workshop on Peel Street /Graham Street (H18) Project
Views and aspirations of the community are today (Saturday) articulated in a workshop on the future design of the Peel Street/Graham Street project of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in the Central and Western District. Jointly organized by the Central & Western District Advisory Committee (DAC) of the URA and the Concern Group on Urban Renewal Projects of the Central & Western District Council, the workshop is part of URA's ongoing efforts to collect public views on the future design of this project. Mr Edward Cheng, Chairman of the URA Board, described the workshop as an effective way to enable a wide cross-section of the community to actively participate in shaping an important part of their future habitat. "Through this workshop, the URA will not only have a firm grasp of th
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8 May 2006
URA conducts community opinion survey for Sai Yee Street project
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 fo
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19 Apr 2006
Kwun Tong Bulletin
為了加強市區重建局（市建局）觀塘市中心重建計劃的透明度，促進社區對項目發展的了解，市建局觀塘分區諮詢委員會與觀塘區議會合作，編製重建資訊期刊「觀塘路」，三萬份創刊號今日（星期三）在重建範圍內及鄰近地區免費派發。 「觀塘路」資訊刊物是市建局為觀塘市中心計劃進行公眾諮詢的一部份，是加強雙方溝通的其中一條重要橋樑。 佔地逾五公頃的觀塘市中心計劃，將會是市建局歷來最大型的項目。市建局較早時為項目舉行社區工作坊，匯集近百位街 坊、專家和學者對該項目的規劃設計的意見。經分組討論後提出的六組設計概念圖，亦首次在「觀塘路」刊載。工作坊的普遍共識，是重建應分階段進行，以減低重 建為區內及整個觀塘區居民所帶來的影響。他們對重建概念的大綱，都以保留區內「市街」特色、改善區內長期人車爭路、減少交通滋擾等為首要任務。 「觀塘路」創刊號的封面故事，是以市建局主席鄭維新在社區工作坊的發言為重心，強調觀塘市中心計劃從設計規劃過程開始，已經會盡量吸納各方面的意見。 「觀塘路」同時刊載了市建局觀塘分區諮詢委員會主席龍炳頤教授和觀塘區議會主席陳振彬的專訪，分享他們對觀塘市中 心計劃的期盼和構想。龍教授解釋了重建規劃在樓宇高度、密度和休憩空間之間的困難取捨。陳振彬主席則表示重建區內的環境相當差，並引述區議會的調查，指超 過86%的居民希望盡早重建。 市建局行政總監林中麟亦在「觀塘路」撰文，強調觀塘市中心計劃的五大指導原則，包括：廣泛社區參與和諮詢；居民認同現行收購及安置政策；分期推行以減低對社區影響和在過渡期間保持社區生命力；觀塘市中心成為未來市區重建及優化生活的典範，以及財務安排穩健可行。 （完）
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13 Apr 2006
URA and HKPA start Macpherson Stadium redevelopment project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the Hong Kong Playground Association (HKPA) announced today (Thursday) the joint venture redevelopment of the Macpherson Indoor Stadium in Mongkok. The project covers a site area of about 25,800 square feet. Upon completion in 2011, it is expected to deliver a new and modern indoor stadium and a youth centre, in addition to about 200,000 square feet of residential and commercial floor area. Since the existing stadium was built 50 years ago without any major renovation or upgrading since then, the URA considers that the project will benefit the local and nearby community with a much-needed modern, multi-purpose sports facility. The URA and HKPA will jointly invite expression of interests and thereafter an open tender by private developers for the
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31 Mar 2006
Housing Society and Urban Renewal Authority Jointly Launch Revitalization/Preservation Project in Wan Chai
The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) today (31 March) announced the launch of a revitalization cum preservation project in conjunction with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in Wan Chai Stone Nullah Lane, Hing Wan Street and King Sing Street at the cost of about $100 million. Besides retaining some of the buildings with historic value and special architectural design, HKHS also intends to develop the area along the theme of tea and medicine in line with its historical background of tea trade and medical services. The project area covers 9 tenement blocks, of which 72-74A Stone Nullah Lane (Blue House) and 2-8 Hing Wan Street were built in the 1920's, whilst 8 King Sing Street in the 1950's. HKHS and URA will carry out stabilization and rehabilitation works for the Blue House and the b
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17 Mar 2006
URA rehabilitation schemes take a booster
Four more financial institutions have joined 13 banks currently providing mortgage loan services to owners of rehabilitated buildings under the Urban Renewal Authority's (URA) voluntary rehabilitation schemes. The mortgage loan services for rehabilitated buildings are organised by the URA in cooperation with the banking industry to encourage owners of old residential buildings to improve their homes through rehabilitation work and thus enhance the value of their properties. Mr Stephen Lam, District Development Director of the URA announced today (Friday) that four more financial institutions, namely Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, GE Money, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited have decided to join the services. The 13 banks that have a