Press Releases
Year 2005
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11 Mar 2005
URA commences planning for two new projects in Sham Shui Po
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Friday) commences application for the statutory planning approval of two new redevelopment projects in Sham Shui Po to improve the living environment of about 800 residents and further prevent urban decay in the district. Due to their proximity to each other and that one of them is relatively small in size, the URA proposes to merge the two projects at Lai Chi Kok Road / Kweilin Street and Yee Kuk Street into a Comprehensive Development Area scheme for better planning and land utilization including much needed open space for public enjoyment. The URA has to obtain consent of the Town Planning Board (TPB) and approval by the Chief Executive in Council for the scheme plan before it proceeds with acquisition of the 160 property interests involved
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8 Mar 2005
Press Statement by the Urban Renewal Authority
In response to media enquiries on a case of the District Court today (Tuesday) in connection with URA projects, a spokesman of the Urban Renewal Authority issues the following statement :- "The Urban Renewal Authority attaches great importance to the honesty of its staff, the integrity of its operation procedure and the need to protect sensitive information in order to safeguard against any abuse of its compensation policy. The Authority commends the ICAC for its success in this investigation and hopes that the verdict today would pose a deterrent to those who intend to conspire in abusing the Authority's compensation policy. The Authority is seeking further assistance from the Corruption Prevention Department of the ICAC in reviewing its operation procedures in order to minimise oppor
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31 Jan 2005
URA announces appointments to District Advisory Committees
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Monday) announced new appointments to its four existing District Advisory Committees that reflect views and aspirations of the local community and provide advice on urban renewal concerns at the district level. The appointments altogether comprise 61 people from different walks of life ranging from flat owners, tenants, district leaders and social workers to professionals, academics and businessmen. The committees which were first set up in January 2002 cover Wan Chai, Central and Western, Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po districts where the URA has commenced most of its urban renewal projects. The committees are chaired by URA Board members, Miss Maria Tam, Mr. Barry Cheung, Mrs. Peggy Lam and Professor Cecilia Chan respectively so as to provide
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26 Jan 2005
URA widens rehab schemes for 165 buildings
A total of 165 more residential buildings became eligible for assistance under the Urban Renewal Authority's two rehabilitation schemes as the URA today (Wednesday) announced an extension to cover 20-year-old buildings in the urban area. The announcement came as the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr. Michael Suen, visited the URA's rehabilitation and redevelopment projects in Tai Kok Tsui and listened to the views of small owners and residents. In April last year the URA started two schemes, an extended rehabilitation incentives trial scheme and a rehabilitation loan and grant scheme, that offer assistance to an estimated 540 buildings of 30 years old and above in five years' time. So far 82 buildings comprising 8,170 units either have joined the schemes or are in the proces
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25 Jan 2005
Langham Place kick-starts regeneration of Mongkok
The $11 billion urban renewal project Langham Place which is expected to kick-start a sustained regeneration process in Mongkok and become a model for future urban redevelopment projects was officially opened by the Chief Executive of HKSAR, Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, today (Tuesday). Redeveloped from what was known as the Mongkok Six Streets, Langham Place stands as a flagship redevelopment project and a milestone in Hong Kong's history of urban renewal. It boosts 1.8 million square feet of floor area comprising an intelligent office tower, a 665-room five-star hotel and a 15-level shopping mall, all held together by a glass atrium with a "digital sky roof." The project is a joint venture between the Urban Renewal Authority and local developer Great Eagle Holdings Limited. The flagship proje
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12 Jan 2005
Response Statement by URA Chairman to CE's Policy Address
The Chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority, Mr Edward Cheng, makes the following remarks in response to the Policy Address of the SAR Chief Executive: The Urban Renewal Authority is much encouraged by the policy on urban renewal announced by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address today. The URA welcomes the policy and will work to the best of its ability to support the implementation of his policy. The URA particularly welcomes the Chief Executive's announcement that the Hong Kong Housing Society would join hands with the URA in the prevention of urban decay by launching a 10-year, $3 billion Assisted Building Management and Maintenance Scheme. With an estimated 11,000 buildings lacking owners' corporation or any other form of proper management, the urban decay problem is acute a
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8 Jan 2005
Insurance Subsidy for URA's Rehabilitated Buildings
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today introduced a new subsidy to owners of buildings that have completed comprehensive rehabilitation works under URA's voluntary schemes to help them secure public liability insurance (PLI) for their buildings. Announcing the subsidy as the latest in a series of initiatives to promote building rehabilitation, the Chairman of the URA's Planning, Development and Conservation Committee, Professor David Lung, said today (Saturday) that there has been widespread concern among property owners about their liability for neglecting building management and maintenance following a recent court case involving the Albert House in Aberdeen, in which all the building owners had to jointly shoulder the burden of a $25 million compensation in a fatal building accident.
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23 Dec 2004
URA raises compensation for tenanted flats
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has amended its compensation policy in favour of tenanted domestic properties in an effort to promote better landlord-tenant relationship in projects targeted for acquisition and redevelopment. Previously, the assessment of the open market value of tenanted flats has been fixed at six per cent lower than that of a vacant flat in order to reflect generally the market difference between the two. However, this difference is expected to gradually disappear as the security of tenancy has been removed since July 9 this year when the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidated) Ordinance came into effect. The URA has therefore decided to remove the six per cent difference correspondingly and treat the valuation of tenanted flats and vacant flats on an equal footing. T
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15 Dec 2004
Visit to Langham Place by Guests of the URA and Great Eagle
At the invitation of the Urban Renewal Authority and the Great Eagle Holdings, Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning and Lands), Mrs. Rita Lau, the Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, Mr. Henry Chan, members of the district Council and various government officials today (Wednesday) visited the mega redevelopment project in Mongkok-Langham Place. Jointly undertaken by the URA and the Great Eagle, the $10 billion project does not only stand as a new landmark in Mong Kok but is also triggering a process of total revitalisation in the neighbourhood. Accompanied by the Chairman of the URA, Mr Edward Cheng and Vice-chairman of Great Eagle, Dr K S Lo, the visiting party toured the trendy facilities and shops of the Langham Place.
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14 Dec 2004
URA announces $1.41b redevelopment in Tai Kok Tsui
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Tuesday) announced the implementation of two new redevelopment projects in Tai Kok Tsui at an estimated cost of $1.41 billion to improve the livelihood of about 1,400 residents and speed up the regeneration of the district. A spokesman of the URA said the two projects, located in Larch Street/Fir Street and Pine Street/Anchor Street, are among the 25 redevelopment projects announced by the former Land Development Corporation in 1998, which are treated with priority in the URA's Five-year Corporate Plan. There are 24 buildings within the two project sites which lie in close proximity to each other. The buildings have a total of 358 property interests. Most of them were built in the 1960¡¦s and are in a dilapidated condition. The exact number of