1 Government welcomes URA's one-off acquisition of property interests for Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project
Hong Kong Government, 5 May 2008

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) decided today (May 5) to acquire all property interests affected by the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project in one go and implement the redevelopment in phases.  The Development Bureau welcomed the decision.

A spokesman of the Development Bureau said, "The Government welcomes the URA decision to acquire all property interests affected by the Kwun Tong Town Centre redevelopment project in one go.  This arrangement enables affected residents to improve their living environment early, which is their aspiration.  The Government urges the URA to enhance its people-centred approach in taking forward this major and complex project."

"We will assist the URA in its preparatory work and expediting the process so that the URA will be able to make acquisition offers by December as planned," the spokesman said.

The Chief Executive visited the old Kwun Tong area and indicated that redevelopment of the Kwun Tong Town Centre was as timely as it was essential.  In this connection, the Secretary for Development has set up an inter-departmental committee which she chairs to enhance the co-ordination among government departments, to assist the URA in proceeding with the phased redevelopment smoothly and expeditiously.

 

2 Property owners get $14b offer
Timothy Chui, The Standard, 6 May 2008

More than 1,600 property owners in Kwun Tong town center will be offered one-off compensation amounting to HK$14 billion in December - the biggest ever by the Urban Renewal Authority.

The acquisition will involve both residential and commercial property owners and the compensation will be part of the HK$30 billion Kwun Tong Town Centre project to revitalize the aging heart of the district.

There are 1,656 property interests in the 5.3-hectare site bounded by Hong Ning Road, Mut Wah Street, Hip Wo Street and Yue Man Square.

Expecting settlements with tenants to be finalized within two to three years, URA chairman Barry Cheung Chun- yuen said: "This approach meets with the demands of the residents and allows them to plan what they do afterwards."

He said the URA had heard the residents preferred a one-time, one- price acquisition.

Cheung acknowledged the move would increase financial risk but said the URA's financial situation is sound.

He also said the authority's single largest project will be carried out in phases due to its scale and complexity, and will also involve various transport and public facilities issues.

Because the Yuet Wah Street bus terminus does not involve private property interests, phase one will begin with its relocation.

Glass structures of sleek scientific lines inundated with foliage on a field of green will replace the graying city block with a modern town center complete with 209,640 square meters of commercial space, 159,610 sqm of residential development as well as 16,300 sqm of space for leisure, recreational, community and government facilities.

More than 8,700 square feet of open and landscaped spaces will also be included, as well as 15,700 sq ft for public transport interchanges.

Owner-occupiers of flats will get priority to buy new units in the project at market prices. Shop owners and tenants occupying the site before March 30, 2007 will be entitled to an allowance to offset business losses.

Cheung said the site's master layout plan will be submitted to the town planning board in July.

 

3 Heritage sites identified near border Planners hope to take steps to protect frontier area's jewels from developers
Olga Wong, SCMP 6 May 2008

A wooden carving on an old house in Chow Tin Village. Photo: Ricky Chung  Source: SCMP

Heung Yuen Wai village.  Photo: Ricky Chung  Source: SCMP

A watchtower from which villagers shot missiles through small holes to protect Heung Yuen Wai village from raiders. Photo: Ricky Chung  Source: SCMP

In the second of a two-part series, Olga Wong reports on buildings and structures in the border zone of Ta Kwu Ling that have been listed in a government inventory of sites town planners say should be protected

Ancient fung shui woods and other historic sites in Ta Kwu Ling have been named potential cultural heritage sites by the Planning Department.

Town Planning Board members say preliminary controls should be imposed to ensure their safety while they await formal legal protection.

Watchtowers, walled villages, a forest of camphor trees and a story about a kung fu master from the Qing dynasty all date back more than 300 years.

Given the changes already taking place to pave the way for development when the security zone along the border is opened in stages from 2011, Town Planning Board vice-chairman Greg Wong Chak-yan has urged the government to draft development-control plans before conservation sites are zoned. He said historic and ecological sites could be temporarily protected by drafting a plan that specified activities that are banned in sensitive areas.

The Antiquities and Advisory Board has graded only 10 buildings in the area, but it is understood that a Planning Department inventory says at least 300 buildings and structures have potential heritage value. There are, however, no measures in place to protect these sites because land uses within the border area have yet to be determined.

There are 13 villages in Ta Kwu Ling, which literally means "drumming range".

"How the area was named is a story," said Museum of History adviser Anthony Siu Kwok-kin.

Ta Kwu Ling villages were weak compared with the clan of Wong Pui Leng village in Shenzhen, which had a larger population with more men.

Professor Siu said Wong Pui Leng villagers often raided Ta Kwu Ling, including Muk Wu and Heung Yuen Wai villages, escaping with loot and the harvest.

To safeguard their homes, village representatives swore in front of their gods that they were allies and would help each other when they encountered attacks from outsiders.

Villagers kept watch from the top of the Pak Fu Shan hill. When robbers were seen, they would drum loudly to alert neighbouring villages.

"This is how the drumming range was named," Professor Siu said.

The defensive architectural style is common in the villages.

Examples include a three-storey watchtower in Heung Yuen Wai and the brick wall surrounding Muk Wu, the village nearest Wong Pui Leng.

The watchtower is connected to a Hakka-style house. Its owner would hide in the tower and shoot missiles at robbers through small holes. Pebbles can still be found on the tower's roof.

Meanwhile, in Muk Wu, the houses face inwards so their backs formed a wall to protect villagers.

A wooden plate inscribed "Kung Fu master" hangs at the entrance of Chow Tin village.

It was awarded to a villager ranked first in a kung fu exam conducted during the late 19th century in the Qing dynasty.

Professor Siu believes the historic sites should be protected to recall Hong Kong's history from the early 18th century.

Villagers said it was the ancient fung shui woods that gave them the most pleasure and protection.

A Planning Department spokeswoman said the watchtower, Muk Wu village, Hakka houses in Heung Yuen Wai and the wooden "Kung Fu master" plate were among relics listed as having potential heritage value.

A preliminary concept plan for the border area would be released soon, she added.