The Executive Director of the URA, Wei Chi-shing, published a blog today (24th), saying that the redevelopment of the "5th Street" and "13th Street" in To Kwa Wan is a great challenge, as the development density is very high, and there are no undeveloped government land and old buildings nearby. The facility can be integrated and there is an adjoining gas plant, which requires an additional safety risk assessment.
However, he said that the team had already carried out related work on the integration of residential and industrial land for high-density comprehensive development a few years ago, as well as the required technical feasibility studies, including safety risk assessment, for the future "Five Streets" and "" Thirteenth Street” to create conditions for the renewal work.
The Executive Director of the URA, Wei Chi-shing, pointed out that the redevelopment of “5th Street” and “13th Street” in To Kwa Wan is a great challenge.
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Wei Zhicheng said that there are opinions that the building conditions and living environment in "5th Street" and "13th Street" are not good, and the URA should deal with it as soon as possible, so he understands this very well.
However, he described that some people do not have a precise understanding of the difficulty of dealing with such giant old buildings, and the difficulty of developing "5th Street" and "13th Street" is "more difficult than the projects carried out by the URA in recent years". and nothing less.”
Development density is very high, no undeveloped official land can be integrated
Wei Zhicheng explained that the development density of "5th Street" and "13th Street" is very high, and the existing plot ratio of private land is close to the development density permitted by the current planning and regulations. The total allowable development area is less than 10%, and there is no undeveloped government land and old facilities nearby that can be integrated, so the reorganization and re-planning are very challenging.
Wei Zhicheng, Executive Director of the URA.
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Involving a number of industrial buildings and gas works
He also pointed out that there are many industrial buildings near the "5th Street" and "13th Street" buildings. Many industrial building manufacturers operate their businesses in the buildings. There is also an operating gas factory adjacent to the building. Besides, the gas factory is legal. Prescribed sites for potentially hazardous installations require additional safety risk assessment.
Therefore, he said the technical evaluation and approval process involved would be relatively complex compared to other redevelopment projects.
However, Wei Zhicheng said that in the face of difficult and arduous projects, the URA will not shy away, nor will it sit idly by. The team has been using new thinking and new planning tools to loosen the walls of the project, hoping to "turn the impossible into the possible".
No redevelopment of 13th Street in To Kwa Wan?
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