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1.Culture hub site 'will be sliced up for developers'

1. Culture hub site 'will be sliced up for developers'
CHLOE LAI, SCMP 21 September 2005

The government is considering a new scheme for the West Kowloon reclamation that would award the planned arts hub to one of the three short-listed developers, and put the rest of the 40-hectare site up for tender, sources say.

The development plan would be based on the proposal submitted by the winning developer, which would act as main co-ordinator for the whole site as well as developer of the arts hub.

The change in approach is understood to follow a clear message delivered during the six-month public consultation that people want the arts hub and the core cultural facilities that have been the centrepiece of the government's plan from the outset.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has also said it is the single-developer approach - under which one of the three bidders would build the development and run it for 30 years - that needs to be solved and that the public does not want to see the whole project "go back to square one".

Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan is expected to give an outline of the government's policy direction on the plan next month.

The sources said a detailed plan would come later because the government wanted to wait for a final report on the Legislative Council's study of the project.

"We need to wait for the Legco report; it won't be ready until the end of the year. We don't want to be accused of not respecting Legco although we never disrespect Legco and have never attempted to bypass it," a government source said.

The starting date for work on the massive project remains in limbo, but the sources say it is likely to be delayed well beyond the original target of 2007.

They say the arts hub is likely to be reduced in size and the plot ratio governing its development density limited to 1.8, as in the government's original plan.

Tenders for the rest will be open to all, including the main developer, the sources say. This will allow smaller developers, who have complained of being shut out while the government "colluded with big business", a chance to participate.

"The process will be open to all," a government source said. "Otherwise the government will be accused of collusion again, with people asking why one developer is included and not the other."

Another source close to the project said: "The public wants the arts hub, what they dislike is the single tender approach. By carving the land up, the government opens up the once exclusive game to the smaller developers."

But the core features set out in the original invitation for proposals - including the vast canopy, and the core arts and cultural facilities, will remain, the sources say. It is understood the government wants to avoid being sued by unsuccessful bidders if it removes features on which the bids were based.

Meanwhile, the government is understood to be drawing up a bill to set up a West Kowloon authority to be responsible for the management of the arts hub.

A preparation committee may also be set up, with representatives from the main political parties, the arts and cultural sector, professionals and the business community.

Legco called for an authority to be set up in its July report that accused the government of bypassing it and the Executive Council.

A source close to the project said that by tendering the carved up sites, the developer awarded the arts hub project would be free to focus on constructing the canopy, public spaces, arts facilities and some profit-making residential and commercial buildings.

He was confident the public would accept the tendering idea as tender documents would be public information and could therefore dispel any worries about collusion.