URA spurs sports activity zone in Mong Kok
Mong Kok will see the birth of a Sports Activity Zone through
urban regeneration with the Urban Renewal Authority's commencement
of a $3.14 billion Sports Retail City project spearheading the
regenerating process.
The Sports Retail City is designed to enhance the unique local
character of the sports retail trade in Fa Yuen Street, Nelson
Street and Shantung Street, which is dubbed Trainers Street due to
its concentration of trainers shops. All sports retailers affected
will be able to choose to move back to continue their business when
the project is completed.
The URA today (Friday) unveils an innovative design for the Sports
Retail City by a team of architecture consultants led by Professor
Bernard Lim. On the one hand, the design breaks up the building
mass skillfully into a juxta-positioned jigsaw of shop units with
plenty of "breathing space" in order to blend in with the local
small shops environment. On the other hand, streetscape of a sports
theme links up the retail city with the nearby Macpherson
Playground and the proposed Macpherson Indoor Stadium to form a
Sports Activity Zone.
A Sport Hall of Fame, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, will
also be set up inside the Sports Retail City.
Also known as the Sai Yee Street redevelopment project, this is
the last of the 25 uncompleted projects announced by the then Land
Development Corporation in early 1998. Government and Members of
the Legislative Council have tasked the URA to give priority to
implement the projects while the Sai Yee Street residents, with
strong backing by the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, have been
anxiously urging for early redevelopment.
The project covers a site area of about 26,500 square feet bounded
by parts of Sai Yee Street, Nelson Street and Fa Yuen Street. It
presently accommodates a total of 14 buildings of 40 to 55 years
old with an estimated 220 households comprising about 500
residents. There are also about 38 shops of which 19 are sports
retailers accounting for about 25% of all sports goods shops in the
area. The remaining three quarters will not be affected by the
project.
Unveiling the design today, the URA at the same time carried out
an occupancy survey at the project site to ascertain the status of
the occupants for property acquisition, compensation and
rehousing.
Speaking at a press briefing, URA District Development Director,
Mr Stephen Lam, conceded that this was one of the most difficult
projects URA has handled so far.
"The residents have waited in blighting conditions for ten years
after the former Land Development Corporation announced the project
in January 1998 and thus hoped that URA would make good the promise
of redevelopment. Some shop owners and tenants, however, are
opposed to redevelopment for fear of losing their businesses and
investment opportunities. Other interest groups, including some
Legislative Council members, have asked URA to see how the local
character of sports retail trade would not be affected," Mr Lam
said.
"We know it is impossible to fully satisfy everybody but we have
tried exceedingly hard to come up with a balanced package to cope
with the demands of all stakeholders as best as we can.
"We would continue to maintain a close dialogue with all
stakeholders, in particular the shop owners and operators, to
alleviate their concerns," he said.
In explaining acquisition policies for the project, Mr Joseph Lee,
District Development Director of the URA, said that URA's existing
compensation policy is based on Government compensation policy
approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.
It consists the following in gist:
- live-in residential owners will be compensated as in other
projects under the "7-year rule" (cash value of a notional
7-year-old flat in the same locality);
- residential tenants will still receive ex-gratia payment under
the "7,5,3,1 rule", plus an additional incentive where applicable,
despite the fact that the rule originally contained in the Landlord
and Tenants (Consolidated) Ordinance has been repealed; tenants who
are qualified for public housing may opt for a public housing unit
instead;
- shop owners who occupy the premises will receive, in addition
to market value of the premises concerned, 35% more or 4 times the
rateable value (roughly equivalent to 48 months' rent) as ex-gratia
payments, whichever is higher; and
- shops tenants will receive three times the rateable value as ex-gratia payment.
In addition to the above, the URA has decided to implement three new measures for the project, namely:
- live-in residential owners will be eligible to participate in
an "Expression of Interest in Purchasing Arrangement" whereby they
can register with the URA to express an interest in getting
priority to purchase a new flat in the new development at the
market price when the new development is completed; this is
designed for those who will have a need to move back to the
same location for personal reasons such as to maintain their social
networks;
- shop owners who occupy the shops and shop tenants will enjoy an
additional Ex-gratia Business Allowance up to three times rateable
value (roughly equivalent to 36 months' rent) payable at the rate
of 0.1 time rateable value for each year of continuous occupation
of the premises up to a maximum of 30 years, subject to a minimum
amount of $70,000 and a maximum of $500,000; this is intended for
alleviating the possible business loss due to redevelopment;
and
- for the 19 operators of sports retail business, whether they are tenants or owners, if they choose not to receive the Ex-gratia Business Allowance, they can take part in a Local Sports Shops Arrangement whereby they will be given priority to lease a unit in the Sports Retail City at market rent for an initial term of three years. This arrangement has taken into account views and suggestions by members of the Legislative Council and the shop operators aiming at helping preserve the unique local character of sports retail trade.
Mr Stephen Lam said the sports activity theme for this area of
Mong Kok was arrived at after extensive public consultation in the
past two years.
He said: "We agree with community views that it is important to
preserve the unique business character of Trainers Street. On
further investigation, we concluded that the construction of a
Sports Retail City would not only achieve the purpose of preserving
local character but also producing a synergistic effect with the
nearby Macpherson Playground and the planned Macpherson Indoor
Stadium to form a Sports Activity Zone horizontally."
"In practice, this is the point-line-surface approach of design
for urban regeneration. All we need to do in extra is to redesign
the streetscape linking up the retail city with the other two
locations."
The Sports Retail City will provide about 88,800 square feet of
floor area for retail, recreation, sports and cultural uses and
150,000 square feet for residential uses after its expected
completion in 2013.
Professor Bernard Lim said he has avoided the conventional
approach of large shopping mall design because that would create a
huge, unsightly building mass. Instead, he adopts a "free form"
approach with a cluster of small shop units that would blend in
well with the small shops in the neighbourhood.
The retail city will cater for a wide range of sports retail goods
as well as all kinds of sports-related services for leisure,
fitness training, interactive simulated sport for family and fun,
health foods, etc.
"Inter-connecting open spaces, view corridors, spacious
landscaping terraces and transparent glass façades will give the
visitor a dynamic and upbeat feeling," Professor Lim said.
A special feature of the City is the setting up of Hong Kong's
first Sports Hall of Fame inside the building. The hall will
display exhibits, historic objects and souvenirs commemorating the
achievements and history of all top-notch athletes of Hong
Kong.
"More and more Hong Kong athletes have achieved outstanding
results on the international arena. A Hall of Fame is a fitting
recognition and tribute to them and those to follow. It can also
serve as an encouragement to the younger generation of sports
lovers," the professor said.
Construction of the Sports Retail City is expected to be completed
by 2013. It is estimated to cost about $1.14 billion to build
whereas another $2 billion is estimated for property acquisition
from existing owners and compensation or rehousing for
tenants.
Approximately within the next three months, the URA will issue
purchase offers to the owners for acquiring the 175 affected
property interests. Upon completion of the property acquisition
exercise, the URA will make compensation or rehousing arrangements
for the tenants.
The URA will organise a series of briefings for the affected
owners, residents and shop operators to explain to them the
acquisition and compensation and rehousing arrangements. It
has also appointed an urban renewal social service team of The
Salvation Army to provide professional and practical services
alongside URA 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 2391 3483.
Residents and owners who want to make enquiries may also call the
URA hotline 2588 2333.
(END)