Office Buildings
9. Central Government Offices. This major long term development was described in considerable detail in last year's report. The second phase of the project—the extension of the East Wing and foundation work and basement for the Central Block—was completed in December.
10. Working drawings for the third phase—the Central Block—comprising seven floors of offices and the Legislative Council Chamber were completed by the end of March.
11. Sham Shui Po District Branch Office. A site with an area of 3,500 square feet has for some years been reserved for a Post Office in Sham Shui Po, but it has always been considered that to build a single-storey Post Office in the midst of a heavily developed urban area would result in waste of good building land.
A decision was, therefore, taken last year that this site should be developed to a maximum, and sketch plans were subsequently prepared for a multi-storey building comprising the post office on the ground and mezzanine floors with six floors of general office space over. This office space—of which there will be approximately 1,550 square feet on each floor—will be allocated to various Government departments on completion of the building.
12. Sketch plans were approved and working drawings commenced.
City Hall
13. Considerable difficulties were encountered in providing the accommodation required while keeping the estimated cost of the project within the limit of funds available. Because of these difficulties it was not possible to make any progress with working drawings; but by the end of the year it was thought that a solution to the problem had been found.
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