Fenwick Pier, historic point of arrival for generations of sailors visiting the city, is to be demolished under the plan for the Central waterfront and be replaced by public landing steps and a park.
But an Antiquities Advisory Board member has questioned whether such a development can adequately take the place of the pier.
Under the plan, the pier and Fleet Arcade will be replaced by a public park after reclamation for the Central-Wan Chai bypass is completed.
But the reclamation is on hold because of a judicial review challenging whether a 10.7-hectare temporary reclamation is necessary to build the bypass, originally scheduled for completion in 2016.
At a board meeting on Thursday, Planning Department director Ava Ng Tse Suk-ying said the pier would be demolished and not rebuilt.
A department source said the pier had no architectural merit and had just a few landing steps.