Public engagement days on Bridges Street Market revitalisation

Members of the public are invited to take part in two public engagement days on the revitalisation of Bridges Street Market on June 11 and 12 to appreciate the building's architectural merits and understand its historic background, as well as express their views on the adaptive re-use of the site and the whole premises.

The event is jointly organised by the Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau, the Central and Western District Council and the Central and Western District Office.

A spokesman for the Development Bureau today (June 8) said, "We will include Bridges Street Market in the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme and invite non-profit-making organisations to submit revitalisation proposals for the building. Through the revitalisation of Bridges Street Market, we wish to promote the 'point, line and plane' approach for heritage conservation in the neighbourhood."

Bridges Street Market partly falls on the old site of the American Congregational Mission Preaching Hall (now the China Congregational Church) where Dr Sun Yat-sen lived and was baptised between 1883 and 1886. The church premises were relocated in 1901. The site was later redeveloped in 1953 into the existing Bridges Street Market, which has served the community for almost 60 years.

"We hope that the public engagement days will help the public better understand the heritage value of the site and seek the public's views and suggestions on the adaptive re-use of the site," the spokesman added.

Exhibition panels introducing the historic background of the site and architectural merits of the building as well as a suggestion box for collecting public views on its future uses will be placed on the ground floor of the market from 1pm to 5pm on the public engagement days.

An open forum will be held by the Commissioner for Heritage's Office at the covered playground on the first floor of the market from 2pm to 4pm on June 11 for guest speakers, stakeholders and the public to exchange views and suggestions on the adaptive re-use of the building.

There are no parking facilities at Bridges Street Market. Members of the public are encouraged to use public transport to reach the venue.

Details of the public engagement days are available at the Heritage Conservation website (www.heritage.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the Commissioner for Heritage's Office at 2848 6213 or 2848 6214 or e-mail bsm@devb.gov.hk.

Ends/Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:17

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