Press Releases
Year 2010
-
3 May 2010
URA: Eight additional measures on control of flat sale of redevelopment projects
The Board of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Monday) resolved to implement a package of additional measures for flat sale of its redevelopment projects with an objective to further enhancing transparency, taking into consideration the needs of the genuine home buyers. Outlining the additional measures for flat sales at a media briefing this afternoon, the Chairman of the URA, Mr Barry Cheung Chun-yuen, emphasised that the URA, as a public-funded statutory body, has all along attached a great deal of importance to flat sale arrangements for its redevelopment projects adopting higher standards of good practice than the market practices. "We hope to implement these measures with our joint venture partners so as to enhance our flat sale mechanism," he said. "According to the dev
-
30 Apr 2010
URA Statement
The following is a statement issued today (Friday) by the Chairman of the Board of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), Mr Barry Cheung: "I am deeply honoured to be re-appointed Chairman of the Board of the URA by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, for another three years. The task ahead for the URA is to ensure the success of our ninth Five Year Corporate Plan, which will see us implement our urban renewal projects across Hong Kong. We will take into account the need to achieve a sensible balance and new thinking in our work. Although the Government's review of its Urban Renewal Strategy is still in progress, it is clear that the URA will need to take on more new responsibilities in coming years because of heightened public expectations in almost every
-
30 Apr 2010
URA performs ground breaking of Pak Tze Lane project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) held a ground breaking ceremony for the Pak Tze Lane project in Central, which celebrates Hong Kong's link to the 1911 Chinese Revolution. Speaking at the ceremony of the Pak Tze Lane project, the Chairman of the URA Mr Barry Cheung Chun-yuen said: "This worthwhile and meaningful initiative will provide members of the public with a themed and landscaped open space while at the same time manifesting the significance of Pak Tze Lane in modern history." Being one of the stops of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail in Central, Pak Tze Lane was home to Furen Literary Society, whose founder also joined Dr Sun's Revive China Society (Xinzhonghui). Due to its strategic location, Pak Tze Lane was a place where revolutionaries frequented for mee
-
21 Apr 2010
Property acquisition for two URA redevelopment projects to start soon
The Land, Rehousing & Compensation Committee of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has resolved today (Wednesday) that eligible owner-occupiers of domestic properties affected by two redevelopment projects at Shun Ning Road in Sham Shui Po and San Shan Road / Pau Chung Street in Ma Tau Kok would be offered $6,297 and $7,246 per square foot of saleable area respectively. The URA will issue offer letters to property owners of the two projects by 30 April 2010, who will have 60 days to consider and accept the offers. The Shun Ning Road and the San Shan Road / Pau Chung Street projects affect a total of 42 and 83 property interests respectively. The acquisition offers for domestic properties are based on the Government's Home Purchase Allowance (HPA) policy in which HPA is the difference
-
19 Apr 2010
Comic Drawing Competition on Building Rehabilitation
The importance of building rehabilitation for home safety has been vividly portrayed in a comic drawing competition organised by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). The winning artists taking part are awarded for their imagination and creativity at a presentation ceremony this (Monday) afternoon. Rehabilitation is one of the key components of the URA's holistic 4R strategy in urban renewal, namely, Redevelopment, Rehabilitation, pReservation and Revitalisation. The Authority encourages building owners to carry out rehabilitation works through two incentive schemes, i.e. the materials incentive scheme and the interest free loan scheme, in order to enhance the quality and the structural safety of buildings in Hong Kong. The schemes are well received and so far owners of over 40,000 flats
-
17 Apr 2010
URA statement : Madam Yeung's case (Chinese only)
有關新聞界代表今日（星期六）查詢深水埗順寧道項目楊源柳女士的個案，市區重建局發言人有以下回應： 根據市建局的資料，楊女士原先為深水埗順寧道69號3字樓B室的住宅租客之一。由於楊女士並非香港居民，其租住單位由其母親承租，而租約亦已經屆滿。之後該物業業主拒絕與其母親續租，並要求他們遷離。 由於深水埗順寧道項目當時尚未完成規劃程序，因此本局並不具備法律身份介入業主與租客之間的租約事宜。不過，我們亦勸喻有關業主暫緩收回單位，並重申這些業主絕不會因為與租戶斷租而會得到更高補償。 為協助因拒絕續租而面對困難的住宅租客，市建局董事會於2009年10月19日通過並公佈推出優化措施，幫助居 民。優化措施加強了本局自2006年起為住宅租客提供的搬遷補助金措施，以協助在重建項目正式展開前已經需要遷離重建項目範圍的住宅租客。受影響租戶可得 到相等於十多個月租金的補助金。 本局的專責職員，以及項目的市區重建社區服務隊多次與楊女士聯絡接觸，解釋有關優化搬遷補助金的安排，並於今年1月27日去信楊女士的母親，再次提醒他們有關申請搬遷補助金的安排，而其搬遷補助金的金額相等於其舊租住單位1年多的租金。 另外，鑑於楊女士家庭的特殊情況，本局亦酌情處理及建議作出特別安排，提供本局位於深水埗區附近的住宅單位予楊女 士，以解決她們的即時住屋需要。本局職員並於今年2月3日安排楊女士實地視察本局位於荔枝角道163-165號麗珠大廈的兩個面積超過400平方呎的安置 單位。這些安置單位面積遠較楊女士的租住房間為大，有一廳兩房、獨立廚廁、鋁窗及電梯，通風良好，遠較她原居所為佳。由於楊女士為綜援戶，市建局承諾安置 單位的租金，不會超過她可從政府得到的租金津貼水平，不會增加其負擔。 當時楊女士表示會考慮有關安排，但最終拒絕接受。我們亦已再次去信楊女士，表示如果她經再次考慮後，願意接受租住市建局荔枝角道的
-
1 Apr 2010
Press statement on the average purchase price of Island Crest (Chinese only)
今天（4月1日）有報章報導一地產商去信政府解釋樓宇買賣事宜時，援引該地產商信件，指本局參與發展的縉城峰平均售價為31,700元一平方呎，與事實不符。 市建局發言人表示: 至今為止，縉城峰只有一個位於二座五十樓的頂樓特色單位（連兩個車位及私家泳池），以呎價31,700元售出。該項目的平均呎價實為12,000元。特此澄清。 （完）
-
25 Mar 2010
Property acquisition for two URA preservation cum revitalisation projects to start soon
The Land, Rehousing & Compensation Committee of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has resolved today (Thursday) that eligible owner-occupiers of domestic properties affected by the two preservation cum revitalisation projects at Shanghai Street / Argyle Street and Prince Edward Road West / Yuen Ngai Street would be offered $8,010 and $9,391 per square foot of saleable floor area respectively. The URA will issue offer letters to owners by 31 March 2010. The two projects involve some 73 property interests and 20 of the buildings within the two sites are pre-war verandah-type shophouses of outstanding heritage value. The acquisition offers for domestic properties are based on the Government's Home Purchase Allowance (HPA) policy in which HPA is the difference between the market value of
-
16 Mar 2010
URA proposes alternative implementation concept for conserving Wing Lee Street
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Tuesday) proposed an alternative implementation concept for conserving Wing Lee Street for Town Planning Board (TPB)'s reference, in addition to the conservation-led redevelopment plan for the Staunton Street/Wing Lee Street project announced by URA in November 2008. The Chairman of the URA, Mr Barry Cheung, outlined details of the alternative implementation concept at a media briefing this afternoon. Mr Cheung recalled that the Staunton Street/Wing Lee Street project was one of the 25 projects announced by the former Land Development Corporation in 1998. Both the Legislative Council and the Government have asked that it be taken as a priority project as there have been repeated demands from residents concerned calling for the early implementatio
-
13 Mar 2010
URA Photo Competition on Historical Buildings
Distinguished winners of a photographic competition featuring historical buildings in Central are awarded for their creativity and flair at a presentation ceremony today (Saturday). The competition is part of an education initiative of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to enhance public awareness of the uniqueness and characters of historical buildings in the district through the cameras of the participants. Selected masterpieces of the competition are being exhibited at the refurbished corridor of the Central Oasis in Central for public viewing for three weeks. At the presentation ceremony, the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Quinn Law, said the URA has all along adopted a comprehensive 4Rs strategy, i.e. redevelopment, rehabilitation, preservation and revitalisation when impleme