Unused Covid-19 facility in Kai Tak converted into youth hub featuring hostel, sports, cultural spaces
Runway 1331, which opened on a trial basis on Sunday, is expected to officially launch in September. It consists of a hostel with 2,900 rooms with private toilets, as well as a performance venue, basketball courts, and common spaces for arts and cultural activities.
The project is operated by Glorise Tourism & Culture – a subsidiary of the central government-owned China Tourism Group, also known as China Travel Service.
Youth groups can apply for accommodation at trial rates of HK$200 a night for single rooms, while the rent for long-term tenants will range between HK$3,000 and HK$6,000 a month.
At least 100 rooms will be reserved for people to stay free of charge if they have skills that they could use to contribute to the community, said Winnie Chiu, a director at Glorise Tourism & Culture.
The project, near the old Kai Tak Airport, is named after the former airport's single runway numbered 13/31. Known as one of the trickiest airports to land in, Kai Tak Airport closed on July 6, 1998, while the neighbouring area has been redeveloped with the Kai Tak Sports Park and high-rise residential estates.
Chief Executive John Lee announced in his policy address last year that the Kai Tak Covid-19 isolation site would become a 'youth development facility' for young people to 'stimulate creativity, develop culture and arts, and engage in mutual exchange.'
In May, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said the project aimed at attracting youth from overseas and giving them an extra accommodation option.
'When we speak to youths from different places, they often say it is difficult to find a place to live in Hong Kong,' she said.
The Covid-19 facility in Kai Tak was among nine isolation sites built during the city's fifth Covid-19 wave in 2022, using workers from mainland China as Beijing sought to help the city amid the outbreak.
The facilities were spread across the city, with the biggest one at Penny's Bay, near Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island.
Many of the facilities, however, were left underused as soaring infection figures made the government's policy of tracking patients and close contacts impossible. Lawmakers criticised what some called a misuse of public funds.
Last year, the Development Bureau said some sites had been repurposed for other uses. The isolation centre in Tam Mei, located in Yuen Long, now serves as quarters for non-local construction workers.
In Tsing Yi, the facility is managed by the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association to hold training for youth groups.
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