01 perspective
Written by: Comment Editor
2020-02-28 15:55
Last updated: 2020-02-28 15:56On Thursday (27th), the Hong Kong Government announced the land sale plan for the next year. Among them, the commercial land and the No. 3 Central Waterfront site are the most eye-catching. The area can be compared with the National Capital Phase II in the same district. , So it is regarded as the new "land king". However, in addition to commercial value, all aspects of the development of the Central Coastal Lot involve huge public interests, and the government must ensure that development cannot be tilted towards commercial interests on one side.
The new Central New Coastal Commercial Project is located in Yaoxing Street, Lung Wo Road and Man Yiu Street, with a total site area of over 516,000 square feet and an estimated floor area of 1.84 million square feet. It is a rare large-scale commercial development. The land is facing the Victoria Harbour sea view, and it is very close to the current IFC Centre Phase II and the MTR Hong Kong Station. The market predicts that the land will be the "land king" in the new year. The land is valued at 51.598 billion to 92.14 billion yuan The floor price per square foot is expected to reach 28,000 to 50,000 yuan. It is reported that many developers, such as Xinxin, are eager to try and will actively study the bidding.
Transparent bidding guidelines and processes
Development Commissioner Huang Weilun said that the land in Central is a "strategic" commercial land. Therefore, he decided to bid on the project with the "dual envelope system", which requires developers to submit design proposals and price proposals in separate envelopes. Scoring. " In other words, the land is not simply "the one with the highest price". The technical ability, experience, and even project design of the successful bidder are also critical.
With the gradual decline of the economy, the government has also foreseen a serious fiscal deficit. If the government can achieve good results in land sales, it will definitely give a strong shot to public finances. However, the land and commercial value of the New Central Waterfront Project is huge, and it is not sold in a simple, objective, and easy-to-understand manner. It will naturally become a public concern whether there will be any benefit transmission. The Hong Kong Government has not had a good "record" in handling such large-scale commercial development projects. For example, the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District has remained inseparable from the "collusion between government and business" for many years. Nine 2.0 ". Therefore, the government must try its best to increase the transparency of land sales, especially the details about the design and price ratio, and the objective criteria for the design.
Huang Weilun said that the new coastal commercial site in Central was tendered in the form of a double envelope, considering the price as well as the design. (Photo by Luo Junhao)
The government must check the management of public space
In addition, how the public space in the new Central Business District will be designed and managed is also worthy of attention. According to the planning outline, Central New Oceanfront Site No. 3 is located in a prominent location on the waterfront. It is connected to Piers 7 and 8 of Central in the north, and important landmarks such as Jardine Mansion, Landmark Plaza and MTR Central Station in the south. However, the government plans to demolish The temporary flyover to the Central Pier on the site will develop a landscaped pedestrian roof in the future and be contracted and managed by a private developer who bids for the land. However, the design and opening degree of the garden bridge will have a profound impact on the public's accessibility from Central Station to Central Pier.
It should also be noted that the landscaped pedestrian rooftop is a public open space, and to what extent the public can use this place under the management of the developer. Developers' management of public space has always been problematic, especially because although developers are required to allocate some space in their development projects for public use, the government often gives their management rights to the developer completely, which will lead to the developer ’s ownership. Public space is hidden, remote, and the rules of use do not meet the needs of users. For example, if there is a public wish to perform a street performance on a landscaped pedestrian roof in the future, will the developer forbid the performance on the platform due to the needs of his mall and office tenants? These issues are lessons learned, and the government cannot ignore them.
Of course, the government uses the "dual-envelope" method of land sales. Theoretically, the planning and design requirements of developers will be higher, and the direction is certainly desirable. However, how the government should design the gatekeeper must be based on public needs. Consult the public.
To cope with the development of the Central Waterfront, the government intends to demolish the General Post Office. (Profile picture`)
The General Post Office must stay
In addition, the government's resettlement of the General Post Office involved in the project still needs to be improved. The site at Central New Waterfront No. 3 is divided into 3A and 3B. The government currently plans to reserve a place in 3A for the replacement of the General Post Office currently located on 3B. However, the dismantling and replacement of the General Post Office in the early years caused heated discussions in the society. The government argued that the public had been consulted on this from 2007 to 2008, but the public was criticized that the consultation did not mention the removal of the General Post Office and questioned the development bureau's distortion of public opinion.
It is true that the community's opinion on the demolition and replacement of the General Post Office is not one-sided. Although supporters have proposed to retain the post office due to its modern minimalist architectural features and its symbolic value to history, opponents believe that such a building was designed on Hong Kong Island. It is not only to keep one by one with its architectural features, but also not to bury the commercial value that can be released by resetting the General Post Office. However, no matter what the mainstream opinion is, the crux of the problem is that the government has not conducted sufficient public consultation on this. The government should make up for it before selling the land, and decide with the society to stay with the General Post Office.
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01 depth
01 Public space of Grade A office building in Central New Waterfront