42-story building and park springing up in Flower Market

Plans are afoot for the construction of a 42-story composite building and a leisure park at the Flower Market as part of the site's redevelopment, the Urban Renewal Authority announced yesterday.

The authority said that four buildings that are over 64 years old and lack elevators, will be demolished to make way for a third pedestrian lane at the Mong Kok Flower Market.

Regarding the impact on local businesses, the authority said it will hold discussions with shop owners to determine compensation arrangements and offer priority for them to relocate back to the area after renovations. The redevelopment plan, which was unveiled last Friday, will affect 33 ground-floor shops and 275 households and is projected to be completed by 2035-36.

Lawrence Mak Chung-kit, the director for planning and design, spoke about the project's objectives on the radio. He said the aim of enhancing distinctive features of the area is to improve its overall operations, which will affect approximately 17 percent of florists in the market.

Mak anticipates that the redevelopment will provide more ground floor shops, revitalizing the atmosphere and economic vitality of the area.

"Affected shops will be given priority to move back into the area, with similar rent provided for them," he said.

Sunny Lai Wing-chun, chairman of the Hong Kong Wholesale Florist Association, discussed potential options for affected florists. He said that the authority may offer compensation or facilitate relocation within the Flower Market after the proposed renovations.

"Owners are adopting a wait-and-see attitude to decide either to receive the compensation and purchase a new shop in the vicinity or wait for the relocation, depending on the amount of the money," Lai said. He expressed that the municipal complex, complete with an underground car park, would improve traffic conditions and reduce illegal parking in the area.

The authority has also proposed the establishment of an 8,800-square-meter waterway park near Mong Kok Stadium. The park would connect the proposed development with nearby facilities while also offering an attractive viewing spot.

"We hope the waterway park can improve the operation of the Flower Market, as sports fans will enter the park after watching a match at the stadium in the future, which is directly connected to flower shops," Mak said.

Lau Chun-kong, chairman of the land policy panel at the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, supported the plan, particularly for buildings that are over 50 years old with fragmented ownerships.

He said the redevelopment would benefit the overall cityscape as well.