Almost six years after the government gave its approval for the West Kowloon Cultural District development, the mega-sized project's future is at a crossroads.
Last week, a Legislative Council subcommittee report on the controversial project was published. It opposed the single-developer approach, put the idea of its giant canopy in doubt, and concluded the government had sidelined the legislature and the Executive Council in the planning process.
The findings are by no means new. Plans to build a roof-like structure canopy and grant development rights to one consortium have been severely criticised by people from different sectors. Some Exco members said there was grave reservation about the canopy.
Moreover, most opinion polls show a majority of respondents are against the single-developer model, giving more ammunition to the powerful business sector lobbying for the lucrative project to be carved up for more players.
The Legco subcommittee report, which comes days after a government consultation on the three shortlisted proposals ended, will mark the start of a new battle over the cultural project.
As pressure is stepped up on the government to abandon the plan's two centrepieces, legislators are fighting a battle with just as much as stake - their right to have a say on the use of public resources, namely land in the case of West Kowloon.
Legco has sought to change the rules of the game in the next round of the tussle now that the government, under a new leader seems to have paved the way for an overhaul of the cultural hub project.
