Second round of demand-led redevelopment projects
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is inviting applications for the second round of projects under its pilot demand-led redevelopment scheme from this Friday (1 June 2012) until 31 August 2012.
Announcing this today (Wednesday), the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Quinn Law, said: "The first round of demand-led redevelopment projects achieved an overwhelming response from interested property owners with a total of 25 applications received by the closing date. Three selected projects, which have been approved for inclusion in our current year's business plan, are underway. In the second round, the URA is committed to taking up additional projects for commencement in due course so as to benefit more people, help them improve their living environment and speed up the pace of redevelopment."
The demand-led model is one of the major initiatives of the new Urban Renewal Strategy promulgated in 2011, providing an opportunity for owners to initiate redevelopment of their own properties. It also exemplified a "bottom-up" approach with great emphasis on people first.
The selection criteria for the demand-led projects include, inter-alia, that:
- each application is submitted and supported by owners of not
less than 67% of the undivided shares in every lot within the
site;
- the building conditions of the buildings are poor and
varied;
- the size of the site should generally be larger than 400 square metres.
A selection panel comprising URA Board members and management will first give an initial assessment on the applications which meet the basic criteria, and then give recommendations to a board committee on the proposed ones to be included in the Annual Business Plan. Their inclusion in the said Plan will be subject to the approval by the Board of the URA and the Financial Secretary.
Mr Law said financial considerations are excluded in the individual project assessment deliberation.
Starting from this Friday, pamphlets and application forms for the demand-led redevelopment project (second round), in both English and Chinese, will be available at the following locations:
URA Headquarters: 26/F, Cosco Tower, 183 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong
URA's 3 neighbourhood centres:
- 3/F, Min Yuen Commercial Building, 29-33 Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong
- Shop C, G/F, 182 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon
- Shop A, G/F, Maid Shine Court, 428 Ma Tau Wai Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon
URA Kwun Tong Resource Centre: G/F, 71 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon
Urban Renewal Resource Centre: G/F, 6 Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon
Public Enquiry Service Centers at 7 District Offices: Central & Western, Wan Chai, Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan
Website: www.ura.org.hk
All duly completed and signed application forms should be returned by hand to URA Headquarters (26/F, Cosco Tower, 183 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong) by 5 pm on or before Friday, 31 August 2012.
The URA has commissioned the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) to provide an enquiry and assistance service for property owners who are interested in applying for the scheme.
For details, please call the SCHSA enquiry service hotline at 2342 6656 / 2345 5184.
(ENDS)