Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Revitalisation Plan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Revitalisation Plan (Chinese: 優化尖沙咀海濱計劃) is a forfeited development proposal by New World Development Co. Ltd and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department made in 2013. The aim of the plan was to reshape the waterfront by adding in activity hubs consisting of various small-scale commercial, entertainment and recreational areas in Salisbury Garden (梳士巴利花園), Avenue of Stars as well as the East Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade (尖沙咀海濱花園).[1] The plan was later dismissed by Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Harbourfront Commission due to huge public controversies in 2016.[2]
According to the preliminary proposal submitted by New World Development, three major areas totaling 38,000 squaremeter of public space is highlighted for enhancement in the plan:[1]
Salisbury Garden was planned to act as an art and cultural gateway. The Garden was proposed for two major uses, including developing an open space as a vibrant venue for visual arts, music, performances and other outdoor cultural and leisure programmes. The revitalised area would be acting as an interconnected gateway serving as prime initial destination and civic gathering place and thoroughfare for the entire Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront area.
The Avenue of Stars and East Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade would be developed as an "Icon Celebrating Hong Kong's History and Movie Glamour". By extending the Avenue of Stars towards the east, the area encompasses the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. Three main hubs were proposed including: 1) establishing a two-storeyed food and beverage amenity to facilitate visitors' experience in waterfront, 2) creating a display venue to showcase the history of Hong Kong movie industry development, as well as 3) transforming the Hung Hom Bypass flyover into an area which allows cultural and talent performance with an observation deck for tourists' sightseeing.
Timeline
| Year | Month | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | May 23 | New World Development signed an agreement with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to finance the project Avenue of Stars. New World Development has been responsible for its management for 20 years.[3] |
| June | The Leisure and Cultural Services Department set up a Management Committee to oversee the management and performance of Avenue of Stars.[4] | |
| 2011 | Aug | CNN's website CNNgo listed the Avenue of Stars as one of the "World's 12 Worst Tourist Traps" because it focused only on the provision of souvenir booths and lacked comfortable resting areas. Thus, the Tourism Commission and the LCSD contacted the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the AoS Management Company Limited to explore appropriate improvement measures including the provision of additional resting facilities in the vicinity of the AoS.[5] |
| 2012 | Oct 25 | Yau Tsim Mong District Council requested New World Development to develop a revitalization proposal of Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront to meet the growing number of tourists in the future.[6] |
| 2013 | Jan 10 | New World Development submitted a preliminary proposal to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.[7] |
| 2014 | Oct | New World Development developed a revitalisation plan for Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront.[8] |
| 2015 | Jan | The revised design proposal was presented to the Task Force on the Harbourfront Commission in Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing.8 |
| July | A non-public consultation was conducted by the Town Planning Board. | |
| Aug | 1. Green Sense (環保觸覺) and Professional Commons (公共專業聯盟) requested the abandonment of the Plan in a press conference;[9]
2. TPB approved the Plan.[10] 3. Action Group on Protection of the Harbour member Ching Wing Fai, Cheung Chau resident Kwok Cheuk-kin and People Power lawmakers planned to apply judicial review against the Plan.[11] | |
| Sep | 1. The government announced plans to consult the public over the Plan and stated that the proposed contract with New World Development would not be signed this year.[12]
2. Commissioned the Public Engagement Exercise of the Plan Phase 1 till November 2015.[12] | |
| Nov 20 | The Kowloon Shangri-La and Murdoch Investments Inc. filed a judicial review against the Plan.[12] | |
| 2016 | Jan | Government commissioned the Public Engagement Exercise of the Plan Phase 2 until November.[13] |
| Feb | The Leisure and Cultural Services Department decided to revise the Plan by adopting a simple design for the Promenade and maintain the area as a passive public open space. NWD decided not to pursue the plans and would not assume management of the now simplified extension.[2][14] |
Partnership Approach
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department adopted the Partnership Approach (夥伴合作計畫) to entrust the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Revitalisation Plan to the New World Development Company Limited.
Under the Partnership Approach, New World Development would fully fund and carry out the revitalisation works. The daily management of Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront would be taken up by a non-profit-making organisation under New World Development. Leisure and Cultural Services Department would set up a management committee to oversee the operation and performance of the organisation. An advisory committee would also be formed by inviting experts, district and community personalities to advise on the management issues and enhance public participation.[15]
The revenue generated from the operation would be used for the management and maintenance of the Waterfront facilities. At the expiry of contract, the non-profit-making organisation would be required to return full amount of surplus, if any, to the Government. In case of a deficit, it would be borne by the organisation.[15]
Stakeholders
- Action Group on Protection of the Harbour
- Harbourfront Commission
- Home Affairs Bureau
- Leisure and Cultural Services Department
- New World Development Company Limited
- Planning Department
- Town Planning Board
- Victoria Waterfront Concern Group
- Yau Tsim Mong District Council
Consultation and public engagement
The Town Planning Board conducted a non-public consultation in July 2015. Concerned parties, such as hotel operators, owners of commercial buildings along the waterfront, and residents nearby, were invited to express opinions on the Plan. 340 submissions were received, of which nine supported and 328 opposed the Plan.[16]
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, together with New World Development, further launched a series of public engagement exercises in two phases, with a view to deepening public understanding to the detailed design and future operational arrangements of the plan.[17] New World Development also set up a website on 10 October through which the public can give opinions on the updated design of the Plan.
The phase one engagement was held from September to November 2015. Roving exhibitions on the updated design were staged in places including Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and other the Leisure and Cultural Services Department venues from 26 October to 6 November 2015. The exhibition included a video, a 3D model, a questionnaire on iPad. In addition, six focus group meetings were held from 30 September to 22 October 2015 to gauge opinions from key stakeholders.[18]
Scheduled from January to June 2016, the phase two engagement was designed to focus on the future operational arrangements of the revitalised promenade. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department proposed to set up an Advisory Committee, composed of experts, district personalities and representatives of the art, film and tourism industries, to serve as a platform to steer the implementation of the plan.[17] However, the phase two engagement did not proceed as because of the announcement to call off the project.