Three creative and quality projects proposed by non-profit-making organisations (NPOs) have been selected to revitalise Haw Par Mansion, the Bridges Street Market and the Former Fanling Magistracy under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme (Revitalisation Scheme).
Haw Par Mansion (a Grade 1 historic building) will be converted by the Aw Boon Haw Foundation into the Haw Par Music Farm for providing training on Chinese and Western music as well as social outreach activities for the public.
Journalism Education Foundation Hong Kong Limited will revitalise the Bridges Street Market (a Grade 3 historic building) into the HK News-Expo, a news museum providing media education programmes, experimental studios, lectures and workshops.
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups will turn the Former Fanling Magistracy (a Grade 3 historic building) into the Hong Kong Institute of Leadership Development for providing leadership education programmes, with early identification of young leaders in Hong Kong as the focus. The Institute will also incorporate the element of heritage conservation in its programmes.
Announcing the selection results at a press conference today (February 21), the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, highlighted the characteristics of the three selected proposals which would give a new lease of life to the three historic buildings and bring social benefits to the local community. He expressed his gratitude to members of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings for their professionalism and precious time in assessing the proposals and selecting the best adaptive re-uses for the historic buildings under the Revitalisation Scheme.
"Four projects under Batch I of the Revitalisation Scheme have started operation and they are generally welcomed by the public. With the opening of these projects, citizens can have more chances to appreciate and use the historic buildings. Their awareness of heritage conservation and revitalisation has been raised and they will cherish historic buildings more in the future," Mr Chan said.
The three projects selected under Batch III are estimated to cost about $284 million for renovation and another $12 million for subsidies for the initial operation of the social enterprises. These revitalisation projects will create about 410 jobs during the renovation period, and about 140 full-time and part-time jobs upon commissioning. The revitalisation projects are envisaged to be completed and start operation in 2016 and 2017.
The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, Mr Bernard Chan, said that the Committee had held 10 meetings to assess 34 applications.
All the applications were scrutinised in accordance with a marking scheme comprising the following five criteria:
* reflection of historical value and significance;
* technical aspects;
* social value and social enterprise operation;
* financial viability; and
* management capability and other considerations.
Mr Chan said that the Committee did not select any proposals for King Yin Lei (a declared monument) under Batch III of the Revitalisation Scheme.
"The Committee considered that society has spent much effort in the conservation of King Yin Lei and has high expectations of the revitalisation project. We should select a proposal that gains high scores in all the five assessment aspects if the spending of government money on the revitalisation proposal is to be justified," he said.
The Secretary for Development has accepted the recommendations to include King Yin Lei in the future batch of applications and to arrange further public open days and school visits in the meantime to foster appreciation of the monument.
The Development Bureau will work closely with the selected NPOs for Batch III of the Revitalisation Scheme in taking forward the funding proposals and assist them in complying with the various administrative and statutory procedures.
Details of the selected projects can be found at http://www.heritage.gov.hk/.
The Government launched the Revitalisation Scheme in 2008. Under the Revitalisation Scheme, NPOs are invited to submit proposals to revitalise selected government-owned buildings in the form of social enterprises. Where justified, the Government will provide financial support including one-off grants to cover the cost of major renovation to the buildings, in part or in full; nominal rental for the buildings; and one-off grants to meet the starting costs and operating deficits (if any) of the social enterprises for a maximum of the first two years of operation at a ceiling of $5 million, on the prerequisite that the social enterprise proposal is projected to become self-sustainable after this initial period.
Of the six historic buildings under Batch I of the Revitalisation Scheme, four projects have commenced operation. The two remaining projects will start operation in 2013. Works for one of the three historic buildings under Batch II of the Revitalisation Scheme commenced in late 2012 while works for the other two will commence in 2013.
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Ends/Thursday, February 21, 2013
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