Now that the real estate market is gaining strength, it is not surprising developers are reviving plans for projects that have been put on hold. Unfortunately for preservationists, the projects expected to go ahead include Chinese Estates Holdings' multibillion-dollar commercial and residential complex at the intersection of Wan Chai Road and Queen's Road East. The area involved includes the historic Wan Chai Market, one of the few examples of Bauhaus public market architecture left in the world. Saving the market from demolition will be difficult, but not impossible.
The socially significant and well-maintained building is a prime candidate for preservation. The main obstacle is that Chinese Estates' plans were approved long ago by the local district council and the Town Planning Board. The Urban Renewal Authority holds a minority equity stake but has no say in how the project takes shape. One phase is almost finished, while amendments to the remaining work have only been approved this year. None of this would prevent the plans being revisited. The demolition, after all, is not set to begin until 2006.
Public attitudes towards heritage preservation have changed drastically since the land and the market were transferred to the developer in the 1990s. Objections lodged then, by groups like Urban Watch, are now being echoed by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects. Others are sure to express concern when they hear that such an important part of Hong Kong's heritage is set to be razed.
The Antiquities and Monuments Office, which has declined to legally protect the market, should reconsider. The developer should be given the option of taking part in the market's preservation and retaining control of the building. Otherwise, it could be compensated with a site elsewhere in Wan Chai, where the authority has targeted several land resumption and redevelopment projects.
The broader issue concerns the piecemeal fashion with which redevelopment in Wan Chai is being pursued. As a longtime commercial and residential hub in the city, the district is home to important temples, pre-war architecture and post-war institutions - as well as some truly dilapidated structures. Revitalisation is important, but projects have to be sensitive to the need for protecting the characteristics that make the area unique.
District councillors, who must review and approve plans, have long complained of being presented with individual projects but no coherent picture of the district's development and preservation needs. It is time for such a comprehensive plan to be drawn up, with input from town planners, the Wan Chai District Council and concerned members of the public. Without one, there will be more controversies - and needless destruction of important and irreplaceable buildings.