Latest news with #UrbanRenewalAuthority
RTHK
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTHK
'Pick a good spot for To Kwa Wan barge concerts'
'Pick a good spot for To Kwa Wan barge concerts' Ivan Ho says barge concerts held during the Happy Hong Kong campaign in 2023 show the idea can work. File photo: RTHK The head of the government's advisory body on waterfront matters said on Monday that the authorities should be careful when choosing a spot in waters off To Kwa Wan to host outdoor concerts on a barge. The suggestion was put forward by the Urban Renewal Authority, which is proposing the construction of a "world-class cove area", like Darling Harbour in Sydney. Harbourfront Commission chairman Ivan Ho expressed support for the idea. He noted that similar concerts were held two years ago in Wan Chai, when around 2,500 people enjoyed shows on shore as part of the Happy Hong Kong campaign. Calling the concept "creative and out of the box", he said a key factor for the To Kwa Wan idea would be to place the barge at the right spot so there was enough room for spectators. "With a concert you need the audience... so you need to carefully select a place that will enable people to gather and stay to enjoy the concert," Ho told RTHK. He also said even though the area is close to Kai Tak Sports Park, there won't be events in the park every day of the year, and putting on shows on the water could have a synergy effect so long as the authorities plan the events calendar properly. Ho said one possible way to negate noise issues would be to hold the barge performances during daytime. The Urban Renewal Authority also proposed hosting watersports in the Kai Tak Approach Channel. Ho said that would be a good idea for competitions like dragon boat races, as spectators could be on both sides of the water to cheer the athletes on. "The only problem, as far as I understand at the moment is the water quality, it's sort of marginal. So we need to ensure the quality is suitable for the watersports we're proposing," he said. The commission chairman said the proposals are still very much at a conceptual stage, and he expressed hope that the ideas can be explored further.
HKFP
19-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong seeks to turn To Kwa Wan waterfront into tourism hotspot channelling Sydney's Darling Harbour
Hong Kong's urban redevelopment body is looking into redeveloping a Victoria Harbour waterfront area in eastern Kowloon into a tourism cove with restaurants and outdoor music venues. In a blog post on Sunday, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) managing director, Wai Chi-sing, said that the authority had begun a study on the possibility of developing To Kwa Wan into a world-class harbourfront development, which he dubbed the 'Victoria Cove Area.' Wai said the development would be similar to Sydney's Darling Harbour, formerly an industrial harbour that was redeveloped in the 1980s. It would also draw inspiration from the Aker Brygge promenade in Oslo, a former shipyard, he added. The official said that the URA's study, which began in March, covered an 800-hectare area of land and water, including parts of To Kwa Wan, Kowloon Bay, and Kai Tak – the site of a flagship sports park and proposed major commercial, tourism, and residential developments. The study suggested that some idle barges on the To Kwa Wan waterfront could be converted into restaurants, concert stages, swimming pools, or floating beaches, while two breakwaters in the area could host art installations. The neighbouring waters off the Kai Tak Sports Park, with their calm currents, would be suitable for water sports such as rowing or canoeing, or for floating platforms that could be used as performance stages. The sports park is touted by the government as a state-of-the-art venue for large-scale events in a bid to boost tourism amid the city's slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It hosted the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in March and sold-out concerts by British band Coldplay last month. Wai added that proposals for the waterfront development would have to comply with regulatory and licensing regimes, and would require technical impact assessments and consultations with stakeholders such as the government and barge operators. Watersports should not interfere with shipping routes, and restaurants must have the appropriate licenses, he said. A consultant has begun discussions with various government departments and is expected to submit a preliminary report and feasibility study to the URA in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, recent legislative amendments loosening rules for creating new land through reclamation could make the development process easier, Wai said. On May 7, the Legislative Council passed a law making it easier for the government to create new land through reclamation in Victoria Harbour – despite objections from environmental activists. The Development Bureau said it would allow fast-tracking smaller reclamation works measuring 0.8 hectares or less and would 'enhance harbourfront areas for public enjoyment.'
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's To Kwa Wan to be transformed into ‘world-class' cove for dining, concerts
Transforming idle barges into restaurants, concert venues and swimming pools are among ideas Hong Kong's Urban Renewal Authority has floated to develop an old residential area in the city into a world-class cove area in the style of Sydney's Darling Harbour. The authority's managing director Wai Chi-sing said on Sunday that its consultant was studying suggestions on developing To Kwa Wan, an old district in Kowloon along Victoria Harbour, and its vicinity, into a 'Victoria Cove Area'. A preliminary study of the harbourfront development would be ready in the latter half of the year, he said. Wai said the study, which covered about 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of land and water, would take reference from Darling Harbour in Sydney and Aker Brygge in Oslo. The former Australian working port and old Norwegian shipyard had been revitalised into retail, entertainment and tourism facilities. Hong Kong's version would 'explore repurposing some idle barges to offer catering services, host outdoor music shows, display distinctive light installation art or turn them into swimming pools or floating beaches,' Wai wrote of the study in his blog post.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Salary freeze for Hong Kong's cash-strapped Urban Renewal Authority
Hong Kong's cash-strapped Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has frozen the salaries of its 700 staff for the second time in four years, following an earlier decision by the government to pause pay rises for civil servants. Advertisement The authority confirmed to the Post on Sunday that it had made the decision after reviewing employees salaries, a process it carried out annually. 'After careful consideration, the URA has decided to freeze the salary levels for the 2025-26 financial year, while employees who met the specified performance standards will receive a performance based variable pay,' the authority said. Salaries at the statutory body were last frozen in 2021-22. The authority said its employees had been informed about the latest move. Advertisement In February, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced the government would freeze civil servant pay and axe 10,000 positions as part of efforts to tackle the city's deficit, which was estimated at HK$87.2 billion (US$11.21 billion) at the time. The announcement prompted many to question whether the city's myriad statutory and advisory bodies, as well as employers in the private sector, would follow suit.
HKFP
10-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong's elderly fabric shop owners face uncertain future as historic Western Market slated for renovation
Hong Kong fabric store owner Chan Sun began slashing prices after he received word last month that the historic Western Market building – home to his shop for three decades – would be under renovation and that he would soon need to move out. 'HK$500, 2 Yds,' the 83-year-old wrote on a signboard outside his shop, located on the first floor of the old red-brick colonial structure. Chan has until the end of October to move out and make way for the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) revitalisation works, which will take at least two years. The imminent eviction coincides with the declining demand for the fabric market's products, which has been on for decades. The city's textile and tailoring industries are now shadows of their former selves, their heydays long past. 'At our peak, we were responsible for a fifth of an English manufacturer's business,' Chan recalled their import volumes. 'Look over there,' he said, pointing at the rolls of wool and camel hair blends outside the shop, which stood behind the till. 'Those used to be HK$600 a yard. Now I have to sell two for HK$500.' It will be hard to sell the fabrics he has left, particularly the high-end cashmere fabrics he sells for HK$6,200 a yard, the octogenarian said. Eighteen fabric stores, including Chan's Lee Loy Piece Goods, moved to the Edwardian-style market building in Sheung Wan in 1991, after the Land Development Corporation – the URA's predecessor – redeveloped old buildings in the nearby Wing On Street, nicknamed 'Cloth Street.' This time around, there is a lot of uncertainty. With less than half a year before the fabric shops must leave the Western Market, its mostly elderly tenants are unsure where they will go or whether they will reopen their businesses. 'They're saying the repairs will take two years, but I don't even know if I'll still be around by then,' Chan sighed, saying he had not made plans for when the deadline comes. From errand boy to store owner Chan began working at Lee Loy six decades ago, mopping the floor and running errands for HK$40 a month, back when the shop was still on Wing On Street, in Central. He later inherited the four-storey store from his uncle and expanded its operations by selling fabric to textile factories. When the shop relocated to the first floor of the Western Market in Sheung Wan, he had to downsize his business as he was allocated a refurbished wet-market stall measuring barely 80 square feet. Chan is still in business despite incurring losses for the better part of 33 years running the shop at the market. It is kept barely afloat by a small band of loyal customers who keep coming back to buy suit fabrics. The fabric vendors have built close and friendly relationships over the years, said another elderly seller who only wanted to give his surname, Chow, due to privacy reasons. That afternoon in April, he was manning a neighbouring store while the owner was out for lunch. That sense of community also helped on the business front, he said. 'If we get split up, we won't be able to source our fabrics in bulk together anymore,' he said, pointing to the rolls of British, Italian, and German suit fabrics at his store, which Chan also stocks at Lee Loy. Chow's shop, Three Geniuses Furnishing Fabrics, and many others in the market sell colourful cloths – jacquard fabrics and screen-printed patterns in reds, magentas, and other bright hues – which bear a striking contrast to the blacks and greys at Chan's stall. One of their main clientele is local fashion students and designers. Film crews also come to the market for fabrics. However, with cheaper materials available online, far fewer of them come to local stores, Chow said. Oldest surviving market building First completed in 1906, the Western Market is Hong Kong's oldest surviving market building. It served as a wet market for more than 80 years before it underwent a major renovation and reopened in 1991. The building, which was declared a monument in 1990, was refurbished in 2003 – more than two decades ago. Decades later, natural wear and tear have left the structure in need of a facelift. 'We do see the need for it. Look, the rain is seeping through the bricks, and water is leaking through the ceiling next door,' said Chow, 73, shortly after a rainy April morning. The URA said it would contact the fabric market tenants in due course to explain the refurbishment works and provide assistance. But it did not say whether it would offer special compensation or relocation arrangements to the stallholders. Its statement read: 'As for the fabric traders, when the Land Development Corporation (LDC) redeveloped Wing On Street in Sheung Wan years ago, it already offered compensation to the affected fabric traders in accordance with the policy at that time.' Besides tackling the water seepage, the URA's revitalisation works will also address the historic building's ageing electrical and mechanical equipment, roof tiles and timber components, as well as its facade, doors and windows. 'To facilitate the commencement of the works and for safety reasons, all commercial tenants will have to move out,' the authority said in an emailed reply to HKFP's enquiry. The fabric store is all Chan has left. 'I don't have other interests, I don't drink or gamble, and I don't have friends anymore,' he said. 'People my age – lots of them – are no longer around, so I don't know what I'll do without the shop. We're just here to ride out the rest of our lives.' As the vendors brace for the inevitable evictions, tourists are unaware of the plan for the century-old red-brick building and its tenants. On the day of HKFP's visit, they took photos of the fabric stores, though few purchased anything and left empty-handed. 'Can't see a future' Katy, a florist on the market's ground floor, has found a new address for her store a few streets away. She declined to disclose her full name due to privacy concerns. 'We're renting the new place for around the same price, but I'll miss the market,' she said. 'After all, it's a landmark, and we've been here for 30 years,' she said. Under a different tenancy agreement with the building's landlord, the Telford Recreation Club, she is among the Western Market's tenants who will only have until the end of the month to move out. Katy said she had emotional ties to the historic market building, as it was where her son grew up. 'We've experienced Hong Kong's rise and fall. Now there aren't as many tourists as there used to be. Back in the day, we could strike up a conversation with them, but there aren't many opportunities for that,' she said. Katy's last two rental contracts at the market were only for two months each, instead of the customary two years. The URA says it may make 'flexible arrangements' or provide tenants with intermediary services for relocating their businesses, or look into moving those businesses to other commercial premises managed by the authority. 'Hong Kong seems to have slowed down. When I can't see a future, I just don't have the motivation to do anything, not even install an Octopus card reader,' she said. 'I want to touch up the shop and make it more presentable, but I just don't have that drive.' Chan lamented the current political environment, saying he was not bothered to reach out to lawmakers or district councillors for help. 'Times have changed,' he said. 'Look how peaceful it is now. There used to be protests against this kind of thing, but not anymore.' Original reporting on HKFP is backed by our monthly contributors. Almost 1,000 monthly donors make HKFP possible. Each contributes an average of HK$200/month to support our award-winning original reporting, keeping the city's only independent English-language outlet free-to-access for all. Three reasons to join us: 🔎 Transparent & efficient: As a non-profit, we are externally audited each year, publishing our income/outgoings annually, as the city's most transparent news outlet. 🔒 Accurate & accountable: Our reporting is governed by a comprehensive Ethics Code. We are 100% independent, and not answerable to any tycoon, mainland owners or shareholders. Check out our latest Annual Report, and help support press freedom.
