Over 80pc of shops at new Kai Tak park rented out

Wallis Wang

Lawmakers said more than 80 percent of the shops at the new Kai Tak Sports Park have been rented, and at least five large-scale tests will be conducted before the stadium opens early next year.

Following a visit to core infrastructure facilities, members of a Legislative Council subcommittee said the construction of many facilities at Kai Tak Park has been completed. This includes the Kai Tak Promenade and the sports park.

Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu, chairman of the subcommittee, said he is confident in the construction progress at Kai Tak.

Tang said the main stadium of the Kai Tak Sports Park already has seats installed and is equipped with audio equipment and large LED screens.

"The sports park is also confident in retail services, as 80 percent of the stores there have been rented out and are expected to commence business in December," he said.

But Tang also voiced concern about crowd management at the stadium, including security and transportation.

The government has promised to conduct five large-scale tests at the Kai Tak stadium to ensure that the facility - which has a capacity of 50,000 seats - can operate smoothly, Tang said. This includes crowd and noise management tests.

He added the stadium has three major paths to disperse crowds and authorities are considering to set up special bus routes to transport spectators after major events.

Engineering sector lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok said he believes the dispersal routes are well-designed, with some parts of the route having ceilings, and noted that the road space for crowd dispersal at Kai Tak is larger than that at Hong Kong Stadium.

Lo said he expects many spectators will leave the stadium after major concerts or sports events via the nearby Sung Wong Toi and Kai Tak MTR stations. "The MTR Corporation will need to arrange designated shuttle buses to transport event participants to prevent overcrowding," he said.

The Kai Tak Sports Park is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will come into use early next year.

The Hong Kong Sevens will be held at the Kai Tak stadium from March 28 to 30 next year, followed by popular British rock band Coldplay's performances on April 9, 11, and 12.