CHANGING SHAPE OF WEST KOWLOON
SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 1993
WEST KOWLOON IS QUICKLY ASSUMING A NEW RECLAMATION, PART OF THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME WATERFRONT FROM YAU MA TEI TO LAI CHI KOK.
SHAPE AS THE LARGE (ACP), EXTENDS THE
THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION, NOW 40 PER CENT COMPLETE, WILL BENEFIT RESIDENTS IN THE NEARBY DENSELY POPULATED AREAS BY PROVIDING AN IMPROVED LIVING ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.
RECLAMATION WORK BEGAN IN 1990 AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-1997. A TOTAL OF EIGHT ENGINEERING CONTRACTS TOTALLING ABOUT $6.9 BILLION HAVE BEEN AWARDED SO FAR.
AS A KEY COMPONENT IN THE ACP, IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE LAND ON WHICH TO BUILD THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY, THE TOLL PLAZA OF THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING AND THE AIRPORT RAILWAY.
PORT AND
"THE RECLAMATION IS ALSO NEEDED FOR PORT BACK-UP AND HANDLING FACILITIES AS RECOMMENDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S DISTRICT OFFICER (KOWLOON), MR RAYMOND CHIU, SAID.
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CONTAINER AIRPORT PLANNING
"A NUMBER OF WATERFRONT FACILITIES AFFECTED BY THE RECLAMATION. WILL BE REPROVISIONED. ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF REPROVISIONING, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THAT THE NEW CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET ON THE RECLAIMED LAND WILL BRING TOGETHER SIX WHOLESALE MARKETS NOW SCATTERED IN DIFFERENT AREAS," MR CHIU SAID.
"THE SITES OF THESE MARKETS CAN THEN BE RELEASED FOR URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARKETS WILL BE RESOLVED, HE ADDED.
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PART OF THE 334 HECTARES OF LAND BEING RECLAIMED ON THE WATERFRONT WILL BE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
"PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE IN THE SOUTH FOR OFFICE AND HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS TO RELIEVE PRESSURE FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE NORTH WILL BE MAINLY INDUSTRIAL, WITH MEDIUM-DENSITY AND HI-TECH INDUSTRIES, MR CHIU SAID.
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MILESTONES IN PROGRESS TO DATE INCLUDE THE OPENING OF THE NEW YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER LAST OCTOBER AND THE RECENT COMPLETION OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR THE CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET. THIS BUILDING, MORE THAN 400 METRES LONG, IS TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER.
SOME
THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION WILL PROVIDE NEW HOUSING FOR 91,000 PEOPLE. AND THE DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE HINTERLAND BY THINNING OUT THE POPULATION THERE.
"IT WILL MEET SHORTFALLS IN OPEN SPACE AND GOVERNMENT, INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES,
F MR CHIU SAID.
"IN PLANNING THE LAND USE IN THE RECLAMATION AREA, WE AIM ADHERE TO STANDARDS SET FOR THE NEW TOWNS, WHICH MEANS THAT MORE SPACE WILL BE PROVIDED,' MR CHIU SAID.
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TO OPEN
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