XN000022-1984-12-28 — Page 7

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1984

RECORD NUMBER OF UC CAPITAL WORKS CONTRACTS SIGNED

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A RECORD HIGH NUMBER OF URBAN COUNCIL CAPITAL WORKS CONTRACTS WERE SIGNED BETWEEN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER THIS YEAR.

DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD, 26 CONTRACTS WORTH MORE THAN $170 MILLION WERE AWARDED TO CONTRACTORS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT WORK IN RESPECT OF MOST OF THESE CONTRACTS HAS ALREADY STARTED.

THESE INCLUDE THE KOWLOON BAY RECREATION GROUND, THE CHOI HUNG ROAD PLAYGROUND, THE QUARRY BAY MARKET COMPLEX PHASE II, THE KOWLOON CITY MARKET COMPLEX, THE MULTI-STOREY COLUMBAR Í UM AT DIAMOND HILL CREMATORIUM, THE HONG KONG SQUASH CENTRE AT VICTORIA BARRACKS AND THE OPEN SPACE AT HARBOUR ROAD.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT CONTRACTS FOR ANOTHER SEVEN MAJOR CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE SIGNED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.

AMONG THESE WILL BE THE HAMMER HILL ROAD SPORTS GROUND, THE CHEUNG SHA WAN SPORTS GROUND STAGE 1 AND THE TO KWA WAN RECREATION GROUND.

HE RECALLED THAT 1984/85 WAS AN ACTIVE YEAR IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, WITH THE COUNCIL ACHIEVING MANY OF THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF FACILITIES, RANGING AT THE LOWER END FROM SUCH PUBLIC AMENITIES AS MARKETS AND REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS TO SPORTS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL FACILITIES AT THE OTHER END OF THE SCALE.

HE SAID TOTAL CAPITAL WORKS EXPENDITURE FOR THIS FINANCIAL YEAR REMAINS AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR - THAT IS, ABOUT $220 MILLION.

HOWEVER, DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH WILL COME ON STREAM, THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR 1985/86 IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO $300 MILLION.

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