Plea to revive derelict SoHo buildings

People living and working in SoHo are calling on the government to make better use of old buildings left derelict by a 14-year delay to an urban redevelopment project.

Under a 1998 proposal, Staunton Street, Wa In Fong West, Wa In Fong East, Shing Wong Street and Chung Wo Lane were to be redeveloped.

But the project has since come to a halt as half of the landlords in the area - including private developers, investors and the original owners - refuse to sell their properties.

The stalemate has left buildings the government was able to buy and others owned by developers in an idle and decrepit state, turning part of the much sought after neighbourhood into a 'ghost town'.

A visit by the South China Morning Post to the area found many walk-ups so run down that their tin roofs were filled with rust, the external walls were dirty, and the windows were covered by dust. Back lanes were full of trolleys, cartons and nylon bags. Many ground-floor shops had closed and some flats upstairs appeared to be vacant. The few buildings that are well maintained stand in stark contrast to the rest of the area.

Residents now want the Urban Renewal Authority to refurbish old blocks that it has already bought, instead of leaving them vacant at a time when the city is facing a severe shortage of urban land.