(By Yan Lunle)
The Buildings Department approved 29 building plans in September, including 11 residential and commercial development projects, and the largest among is No.3 residential project in Kai Tak District 4B, which was won by Wheelock Properties, Henderson Land, New World Development and Empire for HKD8.333 billion in last November, also this project was approved to build 6 buildings of tiered houses on a one floor basement, with 5 among in 27 floors and 1 in 6 floors, totaled the floor area in about 574,836 sq ft.
The plans for many sites sold in recent years have been approved. Among them, URA’ redevelopment project won by Henderson for HKD1.3682 billion in Castle Peak Road/Un Chau St , Cheung Sha Wan last year was approved to build a 29-floor high-rise tiered houses residential building on a 4-floor platform and a 1-floor basement, with the residential floor area in about 133,380 sq ft and 26,636 sq ft. A plan for the site in the same series large-scale redevelopment project in Whampoa Street, Hung Hom, locating in Whampoa Street No.22-24 and Baker Street No.88-90A, was approved to build a 25-floor high-rise tiered houses residential building, totaled the floor area in about 42,073 sq ft.
The site in Fuk Hang Tsuen, Lam Tei, Tuen Mun which was donated to Pok Oi Hospital by Lee Shau-kee who is the Chairman of the Henderson Land, was also approved to build one 8-floor elderly residential home on a 1-floor basement, and it involves residential floor area of about 307,000 sq ft and non-residential floor area in about 66,413 sq ft. In addition, Cheung Sha Wan and Hing Wah Street West hotel land site won by SHKP for HKD5.006 billion in 2017 was approved to build a 24-floor hotel landmark building on a 2-floor basement, with the floor area in 374,264 sq ft.
AIA’s project in Stubbs Road No.1, Wan Chai was approved to rebuild an 18-floor commercial building on a 4-floor basement, involving 254,800 sq ft, and Stubbs Road No.1 was originally known as the AIA Building which was finished in 1969, also it had been the headquarters of AIA in Hong Kong. Cannon Street No. 20-28 in Causeway Bay owned by Winland Group or related person was approved to build a 26-floor commercial building on a 1-floor basement, involving floor area in about 80,000 sq ft.
For the luxury residential project, Wheelock’s Chelsea Court in Mount Kellett Road No.63, The Peak was approved to rebuild an 8-floor high-rise tiered houses residential building on 1 ground floor, with the buildable floor area in about 42,407 sq ft. Peak Rd No.86-88 owned by Chaozhou-Shantou region wealthy merchant Chen Ging-wai and the related persons was approved to build 2 3-floor villas on a 1-floor parking garage, with the total floor area in about 9,973 sq ft.
The private housing construction number in the first three quarters fell by a half.
The Buildings Department also announced the private housing construction and completion numbers in September. The private housing construction number was 901, increasing 2 than August, but it is not high in the whole year. The private housing construction number in the first three quarters of this year totaled to 6,327 units, largely down about 38.6% from 10,306 units in the same period last year.
