Press Releases
Year 2011
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20 Dec 2011
Invitation for Expression of Interest for Chi Kiang Street / Ha Heung Road development project in To Kwa Wan
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) tomorrow (Wednesday) will invite interested parties to submit Expressions of Interest for the joint development of Chi Kiang Street / Ha Heung Road project in To Kwa Wan. The project site is about 930 square metres and upon completion is planned to deliver a total gross floor area of about 8,380 square metres for an estimated total of 116 residential units, together with the provision of commercial space of about 1,400 square metres. The URA intends to provide about 50% of the total number of residential units in this project with a saleable area of or less than 46.5 square metres, i.e. about 500 square feet. Parties interested in the development of the project are requested to indicate their development experience and financial capability to under
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25 Nov 2011
URA starts the seventh redevelopment project in Kowloon City
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) commenced today (Friday) the statutory planning procedures for a new redevelopment project at Kowloon City Road/Sheung Heung Road in Kowloon City. This is the seventh redevelopment project being implemented in the district by the Authority. Outlining details of the new project at a media briefing this morning, Executive Director (Operations & Project Control) of the URA, Mr Calvin Lam, said because of its proximity to the East Kowloon Corridor and the buildings' design and facilities, the living environment of some 280 households is considered very unsatisfactory. Above all, findings of our building condition survey showed that the buildings in the project are either dilapidated or markedly dilapidated, said Mr Lam. In accordance with Section 23 of
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24 Nov 2011
AGC Design Limited to design URA's Central Oasis revitalisation project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Thursday) announced that AGC Design Limited (AGC) has been awarded the comprehensive design consultancy contract for its Central Oasis revitalisation project through a public tender exercise. Announcing the tender result at a media briefing this afternoon, Managing Director of the URA, Mr Quinn Law, said AGC has obtained the highest score in an assessment conducted by a selection panel comprising URA Board members and independent professionals. Consideration has been given to all tender submissions based on a set of technical assessment criteria which include ways to tally with the mainstream opinions and aspirations of the stakeholders, how to handle the structural and preservation issues, strategy for phased implementation, composition and e
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1 Nov 2011
URA welcomes re-appointment of Executive Director
The Board of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today welcomed the re-appointment of Mr Calvin Lam Che-leung as an Executive Director of the URA for another term of three years, effective 11 November 2011. "As one of the Executive Directors of the URA, Mr Lam's vast knowledge and expertise in urban renewal, particularly in the areas of project management and building rehabilitation, are invaluable for advancing our core businesses of redevelopment and rehabilitation under the new Urban Renewal Strategy," said the URA Chairman, Mr Barry Cheung. "We have urgent needs to tackle the problem of urban decay and to improve the living conditions of residents in dilapidated urban areas. Mr Lam's solid experience is definitely an asset to the URA to take forward the urban renewal programme which e
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31 Oct 2011
25 applications for URA demand-led redevelopment project (pilot scheme) received
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced that a total of 25 applications have been received for its demand-led redevelopment project (pilot scheme) upon closing of the application today (Monday). An assessment panel of the URA will review the applications and make recommendation to the URA Board for a decision in November/December 2011. In assessing the suitability of applications for implementation as demand-led redevelopment projects, the aforesaid panel will make sure that they fulfil all the application criteria which include inter-alia that each application is submitted by owners of not less than 67% of the undivided shares in every lot within the site; the building conditions are poor and varied; the size of the site should generally be larger than 400 square metres. Our plan
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26 Sep 2011
URA: Pak Tsz Lane revitalisation project to celebrate centennial anniversary of 1911 Chinese Revolution
The Pak Tsz Lane revitalisation project undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), which features a themed and landscaped open space in relation to Hong Kong's link with the 1911 Chinese Revolution, is ready to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the historical event. Speaking at a preview of the Pak Tsz Lane garden project for the media representatives this (Monday) afternoon, the Chairman of the URA, Mr Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, said: "This worthwhile and meaningful initiative provides members of the public with a valuable as well as a reminiscent open space while at the same time manifesting the significance of Pak Tsz Lane in modern history." Because of its strategic location, Pak Tsz Lane was a place where revolutionaries frequented for meetings and was home to Furen Lit
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1 Aug 2011
URA to support arts and cultural activities in old urban areas
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced today (Monday) a pilot scheme in support of arts and cultural activities in old urban areas. Speaking at a media gathering, URA Chairman Mr Barry Cheung said: "Improving the quality of life of residents in dilapidated urban areas remains our primary goal, and incorporating arts and cultural elements into our projects helps underscore this objective. "We will, for example, further welcome the use of our facilities on a rent-free basis, by cultural and arts organisations. Over the past year, 27 exhibitions have been staged at the Oasis Gallery of the Central Market, with partnering organisations such as The Hong Kong Society of Illustrators, the Central and Western District Council, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu
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25 Jul 2011
Applications open for demand-led redevelopment projects and facilitation services
Applications open for demand-led redevelopment projects and facilitation services Applications will be open for demand-led redevelopment projects and facilitation services with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) tomorrow (Tuesday) following its signing of a Service Agreement (SA) with the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) on the provision of enquiry service to property owners who are interested in applying for the two pilot schemes. Under the SA, SCHSA will provide property owners with the following services: explain the URA's project selection criteria for demand-led redevelopment projects and facilitation services to those making relevant enquiries; explain the prescribed application form and help the applicants to fill the forms properly; provide home visits
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21 Jun 2011
$20 billion cash outflow for URA over next five years on urban renewal programmes
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) plans to spend an estimated $20 billion over the next five years, mainly on its core businesses, namely urban redevelopment and building rehabilitation, and some revitalisation/preservation projects. Briefing the media today (Tuesday) on the URA's Five-year Corporate Plan of 2011-2016, the Authority's Chairman, Mr Barry Cheung, said: "Over the next five years, we shall strengthen and expand our scope of work in respect of development modes and rehabilitation with a view to speeding up our urban renewal efforts and deal effectively with the problem of urban decay." "We intend to implement 10 URA-initiated redevelopment projects in the five- year period. The URA would also undertake each year one or two demand-led projects for owners who initiate redev
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31 May 2011
URA: Demand-led redevelopment model
The Board of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Tuesday) approved the framework for a "demand-led" redevelopment model, one of the major initiatives of the new Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) promulgated by the Government in February 2011 to encourage redevelopment to take more diverse forms in Hong Kong. This is in addition to the new facilitator role announced by the URA last month. Outlining the details of the demand-led redevelopment model at a media briefing this afternoon, the Chairman of the URA, Mr Barry Cheung, said it is intended to let owners decide if they want the URA to redevelop their properties, consistent with the people-oriented and bottom-up approach spelt out in the new URS. Careful consideration has been given to the arrangements of the new model by the URA Bo