Pedestrian system to link Wan Chai towers
Four high-rise buildings in Wan Chai will be linked to the MTR station by subways and footbridges.
The pedestrian system, initiated by Hopewell Holdings, will connect its key properties - the Hopewell Centre, the Wu Chung House office tower, serviced apartment block Garden East and the Lee Tung Street redevelopment, which is being jointly built with Sino Land.
'The system is aimed at diverting pedestrians from the roadside to smooth traffic flow in Queen's Road East and Johnston Road,' Hopewell's executive director, Albert Yeung Kam-yin, told the Wan Chai District Council yesterday.
Under the proposal, a subway under Johnston Road will link the MTR station with the basement of the future residential project at Lee Tung Street - popularly known as Wedding Card Street - and the basement of the Hopewell Centre in Queen's Road East.
The segment between the Hopewell Centre and Wedding Card Street will be built by Hopewell and completed by 2013, Yeung said.
The section linking it to the MTR station will be built later.
The contract to design the project will be put out to tender by the MTR Corp.
A footbridge will be added to link Wu Chung House and Garden East, which are on opposite sides of Queen's Road East.
Although Yeung said the pedestrian system would not be connected to the Hopewell Centre II, which is currently under construction, councillors still expect that the works will mean the tower will be better connected to other parts of Wan Chai.
Councillors backed the proposals, believing they will offer convenience for residents and visitors.
The council was yesterday also updated about a scheme by Swire Properties to revamp another part of Wan Chai.
Last year, Swire announced a HK$20 million proposal to beautify the streetscape in a one-hectare area between Queen's Road East, St Francis Street, Star Street and Wing Fung Street by improving features such as railings, paving, lighting, signage and information panels.
It also sought to beautify the area's Lok Moon Garden, Dominion Garden and Kwong Ming Street children's playground, and improve public access to them.
The company would manage the first two parks, which are part of private residential properties, and hand the public playground in Kwong Ming Street back to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department after completing the renovations.
The company's architect consultant told councillors yesterday that the parks and streets would be paved in stone to restore an old flavour to the area, once the site of a Christian hospital and cemetery.
Thumbs up
Councillors believe the project will benefit residents and visitors
Swire Properties is also planning to beautify another part of Wan Chai.
Its proposal will cost, in HK$: $20m
