Playtime calls amid all that work in Kwun Tong rebuild

Some redeveloped sites in Kwun Tong have been turned into playgrounds and leisure facilities for public use, managing director of the Urban Renewal Authority Wai Chi-sing said.

The URA applied in April to use government land within the Kwun Tong Town Center Redevelopment project around Yue Man Square for temporary and short-term activities and open it for public use.

A series of activities were held from April to September this year in the outdoor areas of Yue Man Square, attracting more than 13,000 participants, Wai said.

Writing in his blog yesterday, Wai said the formation works of the government sites in Kwun Tong will be completed this month.

The site will be transformed into multipurpose and highly adaptable "free space" for leisure, outdoor sports, culture, creation, installation art and playground use.

The outdoor "free space" includes children's play facilities and a three-person basketball court, which were the first to be open yesterday for public use. The site was formerly the maternal and child health center, Wai said.

The former temporary hawker bazaar and former minibus terminal will be turned into a multipurpose activity venue that can be used for leisure, cultural and creative purposes.

As Christmas and New Year's Eve are approaching, Wai said, the first large-scale festival event, 7 Bears in Town, will be held in the Kwun Tong town center to gather people and promote economic, cultural and artistic activities. The event will utilize Yue Man Square and the outdoor "free space."

Statues of polar bears have been set up at Yue Man Square since Friday, attracting thousands of visitors to take pictures, Wai said.

An outdoor Christmas festival at the outdoor "free space" will also be launched starting middle of this month.

"I hope the happy atmosphere will continue so that people can enjoy the festival happily, injecting new impetus into Kwun Tong town center," he said.

Wai said the venue of the Christmas event will be open for rental purposes by organizations in the future, and a dedicated webpage will be launched this month to facilitate online applications.

"Our team has defined themes and uses for different areas of the 'free space' and has collaborated with different organizations and local groups in the district, including the Kwun Tong Home Affairs Department and the district council, to organize different forms of community activities," Wai said.