LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
The Central and Wanchai Reclamation, extending along the Hong Kong Island waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, will cover an area of 108 hectares. Reclamation work started in late 1993 to create the 20 hectares needed in Phase I, adjoining Exchange Square. Upon completion in mid-1997, it will provide the site for the Central Terminus of the Airport Railway and allow for much needed expansion of the area's business district.
The Belcher Bay reclamation will create about 11 hectares of land, mainly for the construction of the Belcher Bay Link, a dual carriageway connecting the existing, upgraded, Connaught Road West with Smithfield in Kennedy Town. Both the reclamation and the construction of the link commenced in May for completion by 1996–97, to tie in with the opening of the Western Harbour Crossing.
Urban Renewal
In the course of preparing the Metroplan, the older urban districts were seen as offering redevelopment opportunities for comprehensive urban renewal, to create a better urban environment.
The government and private developers are both involved in the redevelopment of the older urban districts, where buildings are old and in dilapidated condition and where the provision of various community and infrastructure facilities is inadequate.
The Land Development Corporation (LDC) was established in 1988 to undertake, encourage, promote and facilitate urban renewal. Since its inception, about 30 projects have been initiated within the designated old urban districts. At the end of 1993, plans for five comprehensive redevelopment projects had been drawn up and gazetted under the Town Planning Ordinance.
Of the five redevelopment plans, the Jubilee Street, Wing Lok Street and Queen Street plans were approved by the Executive Council over the past two years. The Argyle Street/Shanghai Street plan was approved in July 1993. The Shamchun Street Scheme was abandoned by the LDC.
All private properties in the Wing Lok Street Scheme have been resumed and construction work has started. Resumption in the Jubilee Street Scheme had been largely completed by the year's end, with construction work about to commence. Upon completion, the two schemes will provide high-quality commercial buildings and much-needed open space and community facilities for the district. Acquisition of the properties in the Queen Street Scheme was in progress. The scheme will provide space for residential, commercial and office uses, supplemented by the provision of a multi-purpose social welfare complex, public open space, a cooked food centre and a day nursery to offset the shortfall of government, institutional and community facilities in the district.
In Kowloon, acquisition of the properties in the Argyle Street/Shanghai Street Scheme was underway. In addition to the provision of commercial space, there will be a public light bus terminus, a cooked food centre, a neighbourhood community centre and public open space facilities.
Apart from these schemes, the LDC has also undertaken several smaller commercial and residential redevelopment projects. On Hong Kong Island, the commercial development in Queen's Road Central and residential developments in Third Street and Tai Yuen Street were completed. Still under construction were residential development schemes in Li Chit Street and Wan Chai Road. In Kowloon, the construction of the residential development
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