The old Stanley Police Station is the oldest police building in Hong Kong. However, it was used as a supermarket under the lease of the Government Property Agency in the early years.
Recently, some citizens have discovered that the supermarket has moved out and the building is vacant again. Although it is unknown whether there is a new lease, the neighborhood is also looking forward to the new use of the old police station.
Some scholars believe that the Government Property Agency is just like "owners" or "intermediaries", and will not consider it from the perspective of conservation. It is recommended that private organizations can also use more monuments for promotion when renting for different purposes, so as to increase public awareness of buildings. Sense of identity.
The old Stanley Police Station was like a white hut. When the reporter visited the scene earlier, he saw that the supermarket had moved out.
(Photo by Lu Nuojun)
The old Stanley Police Station, like a white cabin, was built in 1859. It is two stories high and has balconies at the front and back.
It is understood that in the early years of Hong Kong’s opening of the port, there were pirates in the Stanley area from time to time. The Hong Kong government spent 402 pounds, 16 shillings and two pence to build the old Stanley Police Station.
It was used as an outpost on the southernmost tip of Hong Kong Island in the early days, and from 1974 to 1991, it was used as a branch office of government departments.
After the building was rebuilt in 1993, it was used as a restaurant.
Since the restaurant has not renewed its contract since 2000, the Property Agency launched a lease in June 2001 and expanded its use in February 2002 to add retail use to increase the attractiveness of the project.
In the end, the Dairy Company bought it for the Wellcome Supermarket. As of July 2018, Parkn's Supermarket was rented at a monthly rent of more than 230,000 yuan.
Changchun News Agency once criticized becoming the laughing stock of foreign tourists
When the reporter visited the site earlier, he saw that the supermarket had moved out, and there was another Fusion supermarket within a radius of about 100 meters.
Looking through the information, the proposal to use the old police station as a supermarket has been controversial. Although the internal fireplaces, wooden door frames, and wooden steps can still be retained, the Antiquities Office has expressed concern that the flow of people and loads in the supermarket will cause harm to the monuments. The Old Advisory Council also criticized the inadequate consultation; the environmental protection group Changchun News Agency criticized the Industrial Administration for being in charge of money, and it was inappropriate to change the old Stanley Police Station into a supermarket. It ignored the historical and cultural value and significance of the property and became the laughing stock of foreign tourists.
Li Haoran pointed out that it is not necessarily a bad thing to hand over the monument to a private organization, but it needs to be made into a landmark to increase social value and citizens' sense of identity with the building.
(Information Picture/Photographed by Lu Yiming)
Li Hao-yan, director of the Department of Architectural Conservation at the University of Hong Kong, pointed out that the architectural design of the old Stanley Police Station should be similar to the Museum of Tea Ware, which was the residence of the Commander of the British Army in Hong Kong. They are both ancient British buildings.
He said that it is not appropriate to hand over graded historical buildings to the Property Agency because the role of the Government Property Agency is just like "owners" or "intermediaries on behalf of the government," which is only responsible for renting out profitable properties.
He also took the example of a mountain top restaurant that was rated as a second-class historical building. He pointed out that more than 20 years ago, the old boss knew how to use "historical buildings" as a selling point, but after the contract expired, "the one with the higher price" won the new company. After the power was renovated, it was "good injury to the building" and a lesson from the vehicles ahead.
Li also pointed out that compared to restaurants, supermarkets should have more open spaces to display history, but the group did not know how to grasp it and did not make publicity and promotion, which caused the current situation.
He believes that handing over the monuments to private organizations is not necessarily a bad thing, but it needs to be made into a landmark to increase social value and the public's sense of identity with the building. For example, the Central Market is a good example.
Hong Kong 01 is making inquiries with the Government Property Agency about the incident.
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