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| March 2000 Kai Tak’s future undecided Although some areas of the old airport have been temporarily leased, its fate remains unresolved By Samson Lam RELATED ARTICLES: Since Hong Kong International Airport moved to Chek Lap Kok in July 1998, a huge piece of land with an area of 1.3 million square metres has been left behind in Kai Tak, the former location of the airport. The future of this piece of land is not decided yet, and according to a government official, the land is undergoing a study together with the surroundings of southeast Kowloon. “The whole southeast Kowloon is undergoing a Comprehensive Feasibility Studies Revise Scheme of Southeast Kowloon Development, which will last for 15 months,” said Mr. Li Pui Leung, senior town planner of the Planning Department. Mr. Li said the goal is to study what kind of land use will be introduced in the Kai Tak area in the future, and the conclusion may come in early 2001. “This piece of land is planned to be populated by 240,000 people, and we have to examine whether it is a possible plan,” Mr. Li said. He also said there is no finalized plan at the moment. Meanwhile the Lands Department divided the former airport into nine zones and leased the land to space users and government departments. Mr. Sin Yu Ming, senior estate surveyor from the Lands Department, said the tenancy period is around 3 to 4 years. According to Mr. Sin, the runway is a golf centre and car park. Various government departments, such as the Custom and Excise Department and the Drainage Services Department, also occupy the apron for different uses. The Government Property Agency is responsible for leasing the former Passenger Terminal Building. Mr. Wong Sai Lun, senior property manager of the Government Property Agency, said the terminal is leased to government departments, non-government organizations and various companies. According to Mr. Wong, 56 percent of the departure hall of the terminal has been turned into a bowling centre and an exhibition hall for cars. Mr. Wong stressed that the remaining area of the departure hall has several potential tenants, and he said the maximum lease is 4 years, until the end of 2003, as the terminal is going to be demolished in 2004. The introduction of different kinds of land use on the Kai Tak area raises environmental concerns. A spokeswoman from the Environmental Protection Department said no comment could be made at the moment since an environmental assessment is being conducted by the Territory Development Department. However, Prof. Chiu Siu Wai of the Department of Biology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong expressed her worries. Said Prof. Chiu: “There are problems with that piece of land. For decades, planes leaked petroleum on the airport, which got into the soil beneath the ground. “The soil there will generate various types of toxic gases through evaporation and photooxidation. Thus, land use for human inhabitation is a problem.” Prof. Chiu suggested that the land can be turned into a “green area” so that natural degradation can reduce the pollution problem. She stressed that no matter what types of development is made, careful planning and assessment should be conducted. “At present, cleaning up the area is of paramount importance,” she said. |
Some parts of the old airport are now a bowling and game centre. (Alex Chow)
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