XN000022-1976-03-05 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1976

SIX PRE-WAR BUILDINGS CONDEMNED

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THE BUILDING AUTHORITY IS TO APPLY FOR CLOSURE ORDERS FOR SIX PRE-WAR BUILDINGS IN WESTERN DISTRICT WHICH ARE IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION OR LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.

AFFECTED ARE NOS. 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 AND 28 NEW MARKET STREET, HONG KONG. THE BUILDING AUTHORITY HAS DECLARED NO. 26 TO BE IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND THE OTHER FIVE LIABLE TO BECOME DANGEROUS.

IN A STATEMENT ISSUED THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING, THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING SURVEYOR OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DPEARTMENT SAID THIS GROUP OF ISOLATED THREE-STOREY BUILDINGS WAS ALMOST ALL THAT REMAINED OF AN ORIGINAL BLOCK OF 34 BUILDINGS, OF WHICH 17 HAD BEEN CLOSED AS DANGEROUS AND DEMOLISHED WITHIN THE PAST TEN YEARS. MOST OF THE OTHER PROPERTIES, HE ADDED, HAD BEEN DEMOLISHED VOLUNTARILY TO MAKE WAY FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

ALL SIX BUILDINGS, HE SAID, SHOWED INDICATIONS OF SERIOUS STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS IN LOAD-BEARING BRICK EXTERNAL AND PARTY WALLS. IN ADDITION, THE MAIN TIMBER ROOF AND THE REINFORCED CONCRETE KITCHEN BLOCK ROOF OF NO. 26 IS CLOSE TO FAILURE AND COLLAPSE.+

ALTHOUGH THE MOST CRITICAL SITUATION EXISTED AT NO. 26, HE SAID, ALL SIX BUILDINGS WERE MUTUALLY DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT AND STABILITY AND PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE COULD OCCUR AS A RESULT OF PARTIAL DEMOLITION.

ACCORDINGLY, IT IS INTENDED TO CLOSE ALL SIX BUILDINGS AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLISH THEM.

APPLICATIONS FOR CLOSURE ORDERS IN RESPECT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS OF NO. 26 NEW MARKET STREET WILL BE HEARD AT

FOR 9.30 A.M. ON APRIL 2, 1976, IN VICTORIA DISTRICT COURT. THE GROUND FLOOR OF NO. 26 AND THE WHOLE OF NOS. 18, 20, 22, 24 AND 28, THE HEARING WILL BE AT 9.30 A.M. ON JUNE 4, 1976.

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