Press Releases
Year 2021
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1 Mar 2021
URA and Chinachem Group Sign Operation Contract for Central Market
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and Noble Vantage Ltd., a member company of Chinachem Group (Chinachem), today (1 March) signed the operation contract for the Central Market Revitalisation Project (the Project). The URA and Chinachem will jointly take up the Project’s operation and management, starting from today. Held at the conserved Central Market building, the signing ceremony was officiated by the Managing Director of the URA, Ir Wai Chi-sing, and the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chinachem, Mr Donald Choi. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ir Wai said, “ Central Market was an epoch-making architecture in the 1930s, materializing the spirit of innovation through the pioneering use of construction materials, the functional style of architectural design as we
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24 Feb 2021
Responses by URA to the 2021-22 Budget
In response to the announcement made by the Financial Secretary in the 2021-22 Budget today (24 February 2021) on the Government’s funding of $1 billion to launch a subsidy scheme to assist old buildings to carry out drainage repair or enhancement works, a spokesperson for the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) said the URA supports the Government’s initiative to promote owners to conduct building rehabilitation works to improve the condition of buildings and the living conditions. The URA will be tasked to administer the subsidy scheme, under which, financial assistance will be provided to needy owners to conduct necessary drainage inspection and rehabilitation works in compliance with the requirements under the Buildings Ordinance. The URA will also provide technical support to facilitate
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24 Feb 2021
Invitation for Expressions of Interest for Development of URA’s Oak Street / Ivy Street Development Project
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will invite interested developers to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the development of the Oak Street / Ivy Street Development Project (the Project) in Tai Kok Tsui tomorrow (25 February 2021). The Project, which covers a site area of 619 square metres, was commenced in March 2018. Upon completion, it will provide a maximum total gross floor area of 5,571 square metres. The successful developer will be required to construct the new development in compliance with the standard and quality requirements, the environmentally sustainable provisions and smart provisions set out in the development agreement of the Project with the aim of creating a sustainable living environment. Information about the submission of the EOI for the Project will
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17 Feb 2021
Reopening of URA facilities
In view of the Government’s phased resumption of public services as epidemic situation stabilises, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announces today (17 February 2021) that its facilities will reopen on 18 February 2021 (Thursday). The Urban Renewal Exploration Centre (UREC) and SPORTS EXPO will resume its visiting sessions on 18 February. The online booking services of the two facilities (UREC: http://urec.org.hk/urec/about/ and SPORTS EXPO: https://k28.ura-vb.org.hk/) has resumed with immediate effect for public booking. The UREC’s docent services at old urban district and SPORTS EXPO’s group visiting sessions will remain suspended until further notice. The community space, exhibition areas and multi-purpose rooms at H6 CONET, 7 Mallory Street and 618 Shanghai Street will reopen
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11 Feb 2021
URA’s Shing Tak Street / Ma Tau Chung Road Development Project: Authorisation by the Secretary for Development
The Secretary for Development (SDEV) has authorised the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to proceed with the Shing Tak Street / Ma Tau Chung Road Development Project (the Project) in Kowloon City, which is published in the Gazette today (11 February). Commenced earlier on 22 May 2020, the Project was implemented by way of a development project in accordance with the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance (URAO). During the following two-month publication period, the URA had received written objections and comments. Upon consideration of the comments and deliberation on the objections, the URA submitted the Project to SDEV for consideration on 20 October 2020 in accordance with the URAO. SDEV has duly considered the URA’s submission, the unwithdrawn objections, URA’s deliberations on the objec
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8 Feb 2021
URA awards operation contract for Central Market
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announces today (8 February) that the URA Board has approved the tender award to Noble Vantage Ltd., a member company of Chinachem Group, as the main operator of the Central Market Revitalisation Project (the Project) for a period of 10 years. The URA will sign the operation contract and agreement for lease with Noble Vantage Ltd., and it is expected that the first phase of operation of the Project will commence in the 3rd quarter of 2021. As announced in the 2009 Policy Address, the URA was tasked to revitalise the former Central Market building to provide a green public open space for diversified uses for public enjoyment. A Community Advisory Committee was set up to conduct an extensive public engagement exercise from 2009 to 2011 to collect views
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30 Dec 2020
URA offers services to facilitate redevelopment of sites held by Non-governmental Organisations for multiple uses
In response to the 2019 Policy Address announced by the Chief Executive on the initiatives to identify land to increase housing supply, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announces today (30 December) that a facilitation scheme (the Scheme) will be launched on 1 January 2021 to facilitate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to optimise their under-utilised sites. Through redevelopment, the URA will assist the NGOs to maximize the development potential of their existing sites by introducing mixed residential, commercial and community uses, while at the same time modernising the NGO facilities. The Scheme will be implemented by the Urban Redevelopment Facilitating Services Company Limited (URFS), a URA subsidiary, to provide services to facilitate redevelopment in two stages. The fi
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11 Dec 2020
URA to vet eligibility of applications for “Starter Homes” Pilot Project following assignment of priority numbers
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (11 December) conducted a random assignment of priority numbers (random assignment) for all the 4,909 applications for the 43 remaining “Starter Homes” units (SH) in its eResidence project. Officiated by URA Managing Director Ir Wai Chi-sing, the entire proceedings of the random assignment was witnessed by Mr Libra Fung of Lui & Mak Certified Public Accountants and video-taped for record. A ten-digit seed number, formed by the ten numbers drawn by Ir Wai, was input into a computer programme to randomly assign a priority number to each of the applicants. The arrangement of the seed number can enhance the randomness of the prioritisation calculated by the mathematical formulae of the computer programme, while allowing the accountant to verify th
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10 Dec 2020
URA to conduct random assignment of priority numbers for 43 “Starter Homes” units in eResidence
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will conduct a random assignment of priority numbers (random assignment) tomorrow (11 December) for the 4,909 applications for the 43 remaining “Starter Homes” units in its eResidence project. A computer programme, comprised of a set of mathematical formulae verified by an independent auditor to randomly assign a priority number to each of the applicants, has been devised for tomorrow’s exercise. The entire proceedings of random assignment will be witnessed by a professional independent accountant and video-taped for record. Upon completion of the random assignment, the list of assigned priority numbers and the video will be uploaded to the eResidence’s website (www.eresidence.hk) later on the same day. Applicants can check their assigned priority
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1 Dec 2020
Temporary closure of URA facilities
In view of the Government’s latest measures in response to the COVID-19 epidemic situation, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announces today (1 December) that its public facilities will be temporarily closed, starting from tomorrow (2 December). All educational activities and docent services will also be temporarily suspended until further notice. Facilities to be temporarily closed include the Urban Renewal Exploration Centre, SPORTS EXPO, as well as the community spaces, exhibition areas and multi-purpose rooms of H6 CONET, 7 Mallory Street and 618 Shanghai Street. All the entrances and exits of H6 CONET will remain open to facilitate public access to the six adjacent streets during the closure period. While the Urban Renewal Resource Centre will remain open during office hou