Redevelopment of "Wan Chai Haunted House" receives partial approval: A new chapter for Nam Koo Terrace

The redevelopment of Nam Koo Terrace, commonly known as “the Wan Chai Haunted House,” has been granted partial approval by the Town Planning Board this month to construct a 28-story residential building.

This project is believed to be the final endeavor before the retirement of Gordon Wu Ying-sheung, the founder and chairman of the infrastructure firm Hopewell Holdings.

Nam Koo Terrace is a two-story red brick mansion that served as a “comfort house” for Japanese soldiers from 1941 to 1945.

It is said to be haunted by the cries and screams of comfort women. The mansion was sold to Hopewell in 1993 and designated as a Grade I historic building in 2009, prompting the TDP to prioritize conservation issues.

Now nearly 90 years old, Wu has spent over 40 years developing the Hopewell Mall, which opened last month as part of the “Wan Chai Kingdom” Hopewell Cluster.

This cluster includes Wu Chun House, Hopewell Mall, Hopewell Centre and Hopewell Centre II, QRE Plaza, Garden East, 163 QRE, and the upcoming Nam Koo Terrace project, representing the lifelong work of Wu and his father, Wu Chung, a leading Hong Kong merchant often referred to as “the King of Taxi.”

Wu plans to construct a 28-story residential complex featuring 312 units and over 10,000 square feet of non-residential space for shops and restaurants.

While the TDP is generally not opposed to the reconstruction, it has raised concerns about preserving the fountain in front of the terrace and the nearby garden, with a consensus yet to be reached.

Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, managing director and founder of a consulting and appraisal company, said that Nam Koo Terrace has been in disrepair for a long time and urgently needs reconstruction.

“I believe that Hopewell’s efforts aim to further integrate its projects in Wan Chai,” he said, estimating that the project will be both costly and time-consuming. However, he noted that the biggest challenge will be convincing buyers to accept the building’s “haunted story.”

(Cheng Wong)