KCRC given 77pc rise in retail space
The project at Tai Wai station will still provide homes for 8,120 people
The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp (KCRC) has secured permission to increase substantially the retail space at a large-scale property project at Tai Wai station along Ma On Shan Rail.
In a proposal approved by the Town Planning Board yesterday, the railway company will enlarge the retail floor area to 667,400 square feet, 77 per cent more than the original proposal for 376,700 sqft.
The residential portion of the project will be reduced to 2.05 million sqft from 2.29 million sqft.
The development is expected to provide 2,900 flats in eight blocks of 42 to 52 storeys.
With an average unit size of 707 sqft, the project aims to house 8,120 people.
The development, covering a 516,670 sqft site, will include 323 car-parking spaces for residents and 390 parking spaces for the public.
With continuing uncertainty over the future of government land sales, it is not known when the Tai Wai station project will be released for tender for participation from developers.
Meanwhile, Henderson Land Development received the planning board's approval to build a 372-room hotel in How Ming Street, Kwun Tong.
The proposed 37-storey building will provide a floor area of 228,600 sqft on a 19,000 sqft site.
The planning board yesterday rejected a proposal by an unknown developer to build a large-scale residential project in Ping Shan, Yuen Long, near the Mai Po marshes.
The applicant sought to rezone substantial recreation and green belt areas of a 13.48-hectare site to residential use to provide 810 flats and house 2,000 people.
The proposed 580,000 sqft project involves nine blocks of 10 to 14 storeys.
Part of the land is within the wetland buffer area.
Swire Properties' proposal to convert the 17,490 sqft second floor of Cornwall House in Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, into retail and restaurant use was also rejected because of concerns about fire safety.
