XN000022-1986-04-04 — Page 4

3

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 1986

GOVERNOR SEES CHANGING ENVIRONMENT IN WAN CHAI

*****

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, WAS TODAY (FRIDAY) TOLD THAT HAN CHAI IS CHANGING CONSIDERABLY AS URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS ARE TRANSFORMING THE DISTRICT INTO A MORE EXCITING AND BUSIER PLACE THAN EVER.

THE GOVERNOR TOURED THE DISTRICT THIS AFTERNOON TO SEE VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTS AND VISIT A WELFARE ORGANISATION. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE DEPUTY REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BRIAN CHAU WAN CHAI DISTRICT OFFICER, MR ROGER GARCIA AND THE DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMAN, MRS PEGGY LAM,

SIR EDWARD FIRST WENT TO THE ROOFTOP OF SUN HUNG KAI CENTRE WHERE HE HAD A PANORAMIC VIEW OF WAN CHAI DISTRICT, AND WAS BRIEFED BY MR GARCIA ON THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT'S FIVE AREA COMMITTEES AND THE IR CHARACTERISTICS.

J

MR GARCIA TOLD SIR EDWARD THERE WAS A LACK OF OPEN SPACE IN THE DISTRICT, BUT WORK ON THE PROPOSED QUEEN'S ROAD EAST PARK AT BULLOCK LANE COULD BEGIN WHEN THE WATERWORKS DEPOT THERE WAS VACATED. THIS, HE SAID, WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO MUCH- NEEDED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS.

HE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WERE INTERESTED IN URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE OLDER AREAS ALONG QUEEN'S ROAD EAST AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX ABOVE THE WAN CHAI MTR STATION.

HOWEVER, THE MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS WERE PROBABLY ON THE WAN CHAI RECLAMATION WHICH WAS EVOLVING INTO A MAJOR CULTURAL, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREA, SIR EDWARD WAS TOLD.

THE CHIEF PUBLIC WORKS OFFICER OF THE URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION, MR K.Y. TSANG, AND THE SENIOR ESTATE SURVEYOR OF THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE, MR GORDON ONGLEY, BRIEFED SIR EDWARD ON THE VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS NOW TAKING PLACE ON THE RECLAMATION.

AMONG THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED WERE THE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS, HONG KONG ARTS CENTRE, YMCA INTERNATIONAL HOUSE AND THE URBAN COUNCIL'S SPORTS GROUND AND TRAINING POOL.

SIR EDWARD WAS TOLD THE MOST INTERESTING PROJECT UNDERWAY WAS THE HONG KONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, WHICH WOULD HOUSE OFFICES, HOTELS AND RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS. IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE EXHIBITION HALLS AND CONFERENCE FACILITIES OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.

THE GOVERNOR