The Government announced today (November 10) the result of the first stage of assessment for the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) development project. The public consultation exercise on the screened-in proposals will be launched in mid-December, 2004. Views collected from the community will be fully taken into account in the Government's negotiations with the proponents and selection of the preferred proposal.
At the Legislative Council meeting and the subsequent press conference this afternoon, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, stressed that the WKCD project was aimed at developing a world-class cultural district, offering an abundance of arts, cultural and entertainment programmes for the public.
"At the same time, we also hope to create a unique icon design for the WKCD with a chain of arts and cultural facilities to attract visitors and bring people together to achieve cost-effectiveness," Mr Tsang said.
"We believe that the two goals are complementary. A unique architectural, arts and cultural icon can more easily attract the participation of private enterprises together with renowned and experienced local and overseas arts and cultural bodies, and provide quality arts and cultural programmes for the public."
Mr Tsang noted that the WKCD project had attracted enterprises and consortiums of different sizes. All the screened-in proponents had proposed partnerships with top local and overseas arts and cultural organisations, which was evidence of the project's attractiveness and the great importance placed on the substance and management "software" as well as the "hardware".
"The entire assessment process is conducted in a fair and just manner. An assessment committee of senior and experienced civil servants, including those from professional departments, carried out the screening based on the stated assessment criteria. The Independent Commission Against Corruption has also witnessed the entire screening process to ensure the assessment team followed the stated criteria during the assessment."
"The assessment committee presented its report to the Steering Committee which I chair. Subsequently, the Chief Executive in Council approved the screening result," Mr Tsang said.
Among the five proposals received by the Government, three have complied with the requirements. They are World City Culture Park Limited, Sunny Development Limited and Dynamic Star International Limited.
The remaining two proposals submitted by Swire Properties Limited and Mr Lam Sze-tat failed to comply with the requirements.
Mr Tsang explained why the two had been screened out. "First, Swire Properties Limited fails to provide core arts and cultural facilities, such as a museum cluster, art exhibition centre and theatre complex, in the WKCD in accordance with the Invitation for Proposals (IFP). The proponent proposes to use the WKCD site principally for residential and commercial developments. This is not the Government's intention and is not acceptable.
"Moreover, the proposal from Swire Properties provides no canopy in accordance with the basic requirements laid down in the IFP. It just proposes planting trees on the roofs of some low-rise connected retail buildings in the WKCD to provide a 'living roof'. This is materially different from the special features and concept of the design of the canopy required by the IFP, and the merits expected of the canopy design are lost.
"In addition, Swire Properties scatters the required arts and cultural facilities in Tsim Sha Tsui, Tamar and Fenwick Piers, which will not create the clustering effect envisaged by the original design and will occupy several valuable public sites at the harbour front. It would also involve the demolition of some of the existing arts and cultural facilities in Hong Kong. These facilities now operate well with very high utilisation rates. Their demolition would, in addition to being a waste of public resources, cause inconvenience to the public."
As to the proposal submitted by Mr Lam Sze-tat, Mr Tsang pointed out that it failed to meet the basic requirements since it did not show that the proponent possessed the required relevant direct experience for the project. It also failed to propose the core arts and cultural facilities.
He added that the screening-in of three proposals did not mean that the Government had formed any opinion on them.
"It only means that they, at this stage, complied with the basic requirements laid down for this project by the Government. We still have to further assess these proposals in accordance with the criteria already set out, namely, technical and financial aspects, and operation of arts and cultural facilities.
"At the same time, the Government will consult the public on the three screened-in proposals," Mr Tsang said.
The Government will invite all screened-in proponents to take part in the public consultations. They will provide exhibits for public comment, including models made to scale and descriptions of the contents of their proposals. This public exhibition will take place at the Hong Kong Science Museum and will last about six weeks.
At the exhibition venue, the Government will distribute questionnaires to collect visitors' views on the screened-in proposals.
To let more people learn about and express views on the screened-in proposals, the Government will also display a summary of these proposals at places where people converge, including five venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. All information displayed will also be uploaded onto the WKCD website.
In addition, the Government will hold a series of discussion forums in various districts, and will invite representatives of each proponent to attend these forums to explain the contents of their proposals to the public directly.
"We attach great importance to the participation and opinions of the community. In order to make perfect this future architectural, arts and cultural icon representing Hong Kong and its facilities, the Government will carefully take the public's views into account before selecting proposals as well as negotiating with the proponents for improvements of their proposals," Mr Tsang said.
He added that the Government would publicise all the public views received, and would consult the Legislative Council and the Town Planning Board at an appropriate time before signing the provisional agreement with the proponent.
On September 5, 2003, the Government issued an invitation to the private sector worldwide to submit proposals for the development and operation of these world-class facilities -- to develop the 40-hectare waterfront site at the southern tip of West Kowloon into an integrated arts, cultural and entertainment district. By the June 19, 2004 deadline, the Government had received five proposals.
Construction on the site is expected to begin in April 2007 at the earliest and that the core arts and cultural facilities will come into operation in phases from 2011.
Ends/Wednesday, November 10, 2004
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