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The Lands Department today (December 10) announced the resumption of land for the implementation of the first phase of an urban renewal development project at Peel Street/ Graham Street in Sheung Wan.
The project is included in the Urban Renewal Authority (URA)'s Business Plan for 2007/08. Its implementation will help improve the general environment of the locality while preserving the local character and blending the old with the new.
A total of 72 private interests at the site bounded by Gage Street, Graham Street and Peel Street will be resumed under the Lands Resumption Ordinance under this phase of the project. The affected interests will revert to the Government three months from the date of the resumption notice being affixed on site. Details of the private land affected are gazetted today.
Apart from their entitlement to statutory compensation, eligible owners of domestic properties will be offered an ex-gratia home purchase allowance or supplementary allowance as appropriate. Eligible domestic occupiers will be offered rehousing in the Hong Kong Housing Authority or Hong Kong Housing Society units, or an ex-gratia cash allowance.
Eligible commercial property occupiers, including owners and tenants, may choose ex-gratia allowance in lieu of the right to make statutory claims for business and related losses.
Affected owners and tenants of both domestic and commercial properties will also have the right to make statutory claims under the Lands Resumption Ordinance. If the claims are not settled by agreement, the owners and tenants may apply to the Lands Tribunal for adjudication. Professional fees reasonably incurred for making such claims may be reimbursed by the Government.
Upon resumption and clearance, the site covered by the first phase of the project, with an area of about 1,680 square metres, will be redeveloped into a residential tower above retail and other non-domestic facilities and another two-storey retail block intended for market-related use. There will also be about 450 square metres of open space for public use, in accordance with a development scheme plan approved by the Chief Executive in Council in November 9, 1999.
The project will be implemented in two phases to minimise any adverse impact on the market stalls of the century-old Graham Street/Peel Street Market right outside the boundary of the project. To enable affected market-related wet trade operators within the project to continue business during the first phase redevelopment, the URA will temporarily relocate them to vacant shop premises it has acquired in the project area of the second phase. Upon completion of the first phase redevelopment, market-related wet trade operators will have priority to rent shop spaces at the new two-storey retail block to continue operation.
Ends/Friday, December 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 14:16
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