Hang Lung Development has secured approval for its Salvation Army Tai Hang Tung Social Centre redevelopment in Shek Kip Mei, the first success in the developer's programme to rebuild the religious group's properties.
The centre, at 1 Lung Chu Street, will be turned into a 17-storey residential building with 65,747 square feet of floor area.
Another, four-storey, social service centre, comprising 28,117 sq ft, will also be built on the site to replace the original centre.
The Town Planning Board approved the scheme yesterday because a residential development would be compatible with its surrounding environment while social service facilities would not be diminished under the scheme, said a spokesman.
The scheme would also be open for public feedback before a final zoning decision was made by the board, she said.
Analysts said the approval represented a good start for Hang Lung's strategy to turn other Salvation Army properties into residential projects.
