Land potential in Pak Shek Kok may reach new heights as an MTR station will be added to the East Rail line to boost transportation in the area. The station will be located at the site of the current Education University of Hong Kong Pak Shek Kok Sports Centre, according to the latest policy address.
In recent years, thousands of luxurious apartments have been undergoing construction in Pak Shek Kok toward the goal of creating a low-density residential district.
However, the government plans to accommodate more residents in the area by converting green belt sites to residential use and constructing a topside property project at the new Pak Shek Kok MTR Station.
More private landowners are also expected to seek government approval to rezone their lands in Pak Shek Kok for residential use.
Two plots close to the new station have already received permission from the department, including one held by Sun Hung Kai Properties at Yau King Lane, which has a site area of 350,000 square feet and is planned to provide roughly 1,900 housing units.
Another Henderson Land Development parcel in Tsiu Hang, with a site area of 390,000 sq ft, is expected to offer approximately 2,200 housing units.
A spokesman of the Development Bureau said the MTRC will perform a feasibility study on developing the station and the surrounding land, adding that they will provide preliminary recommendations next year.
The government will also look for suitable locations near the Education University campus for the relocation of the sports complex, which has a site area of over 500,000 sq ft.
Lobo Louie Hung-tak, senior lecturer of the department of health and physical education at the Education University said research and development facilities should be developed at the relocated sports center so that students can conduct more sport-related research.
Louie cited the newly built Kitchee-Chinese University of Hong Kong Sports Medicine Clinic as an example of a facility that gives additional internship chances to sports medicine students.
Meanwhile, Charles Chan, managing director of Savills Valuation and Professional Services, said the growth in asset value generated by the construction of a new MTR station in Pak Shek Kok is difficult to measure.
However, he believes that improving connections in Pak Shek Kok will encourage more private developers to convert their land to residential usage, resulting in a greater housing supply.
According to Wong Yung Shing, chairman of Dynasty Premium Property, the current residential development in Pak Shek Kok focuses mostly on reclaimed land and is likely to shift to undeveloped property near the mountain's foot.
Citizens working in the innovation and technology industries in the adjacent science park and the proposed northern metropolis will be interested in relocating to the area, he added.
Wong proposed that a Tolo highway interchange be built near the Pak Shek Kok Station to make it simpler for people in the north to access urban areas, as a new train station alone is insufficient to ensure seamless travel.
The Hong Kong Education University Sports Centre will be demolished to make way for the new Pak Shek Kok MTR station. Sing Tao
