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The General Post Office building, built in 1976, will be torn down and its contents moved to a new location in Kowloon Bay. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong post office HQ to be demolished to make way for offices in plan to transform Central harbourfront

General Post Office building, opened in 1976, faces the wrecking ball, with Hongkong Post operations set for move to HK$1.7 billion site in Kowloon Bay

Hong Kong’s post office headquarters in Central is set to be demolished to make way for office buildings as part of a transformation of the city’s prime waterfront space.

The General Post Office building, opened in 1976, will be torn down and its contents moved to a new location in Kowloon Bay, the government’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said at a panel meeting in the city’s legislature on Friday.

The new eight-storey building will be near Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and cost HK$1.7 billion.

“The proposal has two aims. We hope it will be an opportunity for Hongkong Post to consolidate work from different departments to enhance its operational efficiency, and secondly, to meet the demands of a shortage of A-grade office space in Central,” Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said.

Postal facilities tied to Central district will be kept in the area however.

The redevelopment is part of a HK$12 billion plan for eight key sites to transform the Central harbourfront in the heart of the city to provide upmarket office space, a large pedestrian deck, public space and a mix of hotel and retail facilities. The Town Planning Board approved the outline for the General Post Office site in September.

Lawmaker Tanya Chan said she hoped the government would reconsider demolishing the building.

“We of course understand that the building is not a monument, but it is part of Hong Kong people’s collective history. It would be a waste to tear down a building with such value,” Chan said.

Hong Kong will face an office space shortage of around two million sq ft by 2020 – equivalent to the 88-storey Two International Finance Centre (pictured). Photo: Handout

Hong Kong will face an office space shortage of around two million sq ft by 2020 – equivalent to the 88-storey Two International Finance Centre, according to Knight Frank, a real estate consultancy.

The redevelopment plan will be submitted to the Legislative Council’s Public Works Subcommittee and Finance Committee for funding approval later this year, with construction slated to begin in the third quarter of 2018.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Last post nears for GPO building in offices move
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