Funding for institute in Legco's hands
The redevelopment of the Sports Institute will be postponed if the administration fails to secure the necessary funding of HK$1.8 billion before the Legislative Council's summer recess in July.
There has been an increase of HK$400 million in construction fees on the initial proposal made in the 2006 Policy Address, but the government still wants the project to go ahead.
In a paper to Legco's Home Affairs panel yesterday, the government said it planned to commence work in Fo Tan in the fourth quarter of this year and 'any delay in commencement of the works would have adverse implications'.
With the 2008 Olympic equestrian events to be held at the Fo Tan site, the majority of the Sports Institute's facilities have been moved to the YMCA's Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village in Ma On Shan.
The government said if the redevelopment project did not start as planned, the Sports Institute could not move back to its Fo Tan site in 2009 and would need to identify an alternative training base.
That is because the Wu Kwai Sha site has to be returned to the YMCA by December 2009.
The Legco panel will study the paper next Friday before deciding whether or not to recommend it to the council's Finance Committee for the necessary funding.
The new Sports Institute, which is planned for completion in 2011, comprises a nine-storey multi-purpose building, a bowling centre, squash courts, a wushu training venue and tennis courts.
A 52-metre indoor pool will be built and connected with the existing 25-metre training pool to form an integrated swimming complex.
