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 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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