Arts hub contest keeps entrants waiting

A CONTEST for ideas to develop the West Kowloon reclamation site into a performing arts hub should have closed by now but has not even opened because of difficulties in finding judges.

The Planning and Lands Bureau has said it has no idea when the competition, originally scheduled to begin in April, can be launched.

A bureau spokesman said it was still trying to put together the panel of judges but was not in a rush. According to the original schedule, work had been expected to go ahead after the announcement of the winning entry in October last year.

The bureau spokesman said: 'We are putting together a distinguished panel of jurors and this takes time.' He would not specify what the difficulties were.

'Given the size of the development area, it will take many years to complete, and development is likely to proceed in phases. The longer time taken than expected to launch the competition will have minimal impact on the overall development,' the spokesman said.

Entrants are expected to be given three to four months to prepare their submissions. The first prize is $5 million.

Core facilities the Government wants to put on the reclamation site include a performance venue with up to 2,200 seats, a multi-purpose open square, a museum and an arts village.