Historic building plans invited
December 16, 2013
Secretary for Development Paul Chan today unveiled Batch IV of the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.
The Government is inviting proposals from non-profit-making organisations to revitalise the four historic buildings in the batch.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said the scheme preserves and revitalises government-owned historic buildings to create social and economic benefits.
The buildings in the batch are No.12 School Street, the Old Dairy Farm Senior Staff Quarters on Pok Fu Lam Road, the Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre in Kwu Tung, and King Yin Lei on Stubbs Road.
No.12 School Street, constructed in 1949 to replace an earlier pre-war Confucian school building named Hung Shing Yi Hok, is a Grade 3 historic building.
The Old Diary Farm Senior Staff Quarters was built in 1887 and is a Grade 1 historic building, and is one of the oldest remaining Dairy Farm buildings in Hong Kong.
The Lady Ho Tung Welfare Centre is a Grade 2 historic building and was built by the Government in 1932 as a local welfare centre. Built with donations from Sir Robert Ho Tung, it was one of the first rural clinics in the New Territories.
King Yin Lei, a declared monument, was the first privately-owned historic building preserved by economic incentives. It was previously included under Batch III of the scheme, but was withdrawn at the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings. It has been relaunched in Batch IV, to find a more suitable proposal for the building's use.
Mr Chan said public access and enjoyment are key selection criteria for the scheme. Part or all of the building should be open to the public for appreciation, as long as the operation of social enterprises is not affected, he added.
Open days for prospective applicants with guided tours will be arranged from January 14 to 17, and a workshop will also be held on January 24 on application procedures and assessment criteria for project proposals.
The application deadline is April 15. Click here for details.
