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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1976
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS IN TSIM SHA TSUI
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TSIM SHA TSUI WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ATTRACTIVE CULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE WITH LARGE GARDENS AND PUBLIC PROMENADES, IF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE AREA ARE ACCEPTED.
ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, PLANNING WAS EITHER IN HAND OR UNDERWAY ON A SERIES OF NEW FACILITIES FOR THE AREA, INCLUDING A CULTURAL COMPLEX, SCHOOLS, CLINICS, CARPARKS, MARKETS, A SWIMMING POOL, A MULTI-PURPOSE GOVERNMENT CENTRE, AS WELL AS IMPROVED ROAD COMMUNICATIONS.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THE SITE AT KOWLOON POINT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT AND IMPORTANT IN HONG KONG AND CALLED FOR A PARTICULARLY HIGH STANDARD OF DESIGN.
+THE SCHEME PRODUCED BY THE P.W.D.'S ARCHITECTURAL OFF ICE HOLDS PROMISE OF MEETING SUCH A STANDARD, HE TOLD A DINNER OF THE EXCHANGE BANKS ASSOCIATION LAST NIGHT.
MR. MCDONALD SAID ONE FEATURE BEING CONSIDERED WAS A LARGE PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT ON THE SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE BUS TERMINUS BETWEEN THE STAR FERRY AND STAR HOUSE.
+THE IDEA IS TO RELOCATE THE BUS AND COACH TERMINI INTO A TWO-TIERED TERMINUS ON THE SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE TSIM SHA TSUI POLICE STATION WITH A MULTI-STOREY COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OVER IT, AND TURN THE EXISTING BUS TERMINUS SITE INTO A GARDEN-TYPE PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT, HE SAID.
SUCH A SCHEME, IF ACCEPTED, WOULD BLEND IN VERY WELL WITH THE PROPOSED CULTURAL COMPLEX ON THE FORMER K.C.R. SITE, HE SAID.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THE CULTURAL COMPLEX WOULD CONSIST OF THREE MAIN ELEMENTS -- AN AUDITORIA BUILDING, A MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, AND THE PLANETARIUM.
PILING WORK FOR THE PLANETARIUM, WHICH WILL BE SITUATED IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE PENINSULA HOTEL, WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY AND THE BUILDING SHOULD BE IN FULL PUBLIC USE EARLY IN 1979, HE SAID,
MR. MCDONALD SAID THE P.W.D.'S ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE HAD PRODUCED A HIGHLY IMAGINATIVE DESIGN FOR THE PLANETARIUM AND THE BUILDING WAS MOST INTERESTING BOTH IN ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT AND IN CONTENT.
THE PLANETARIUM, WHICH IS FINANCED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL, WOULD RANK AMONG THE WORLD'S BEST IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT, HE ADDED.
BUT THE DOMINATING FEATURE OF THE CULTURAL COMPLEX, HE SAID, WOULD BE THE AUDITORIA BUILDING HOUSING THE CONCERT HALL AND THEATRE.