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Kenneth Ko

Sino Group has made good headway in the leasing of Exchange Tower in Kowloon Bay, with underlying demand from a broad base of local and multinational companies looking for quality office space.
Allan Chan Siu-wah, associate director of Sino Group's leasing department,  said office leasing had progressed satisfactorily at the new building but he did not disclose the total amount of space signed up by tenants.
With Kowloon Bay being a popular office location for companies in need of large floor plates and quality building specifications, he said Exchange Tower had attracted a diverse range of companies from sectors ranging from trading and publishing to information technology, entertainment, accounting, pharmaceutical, energy, design and electronics businesses.
Among the office tenants were multinational companies in energy, media, pharmaceuticals, global research, film industry and convention and exhibition businesses, he said.
Exchange Tower, at 33 Wang Chiu Road, provides 22 levels of office space totalling 600,000 sqft on a 100,000 sqft three-level shopping podium. 
Typical office floors have a finished ceiling height of 2.9 metres and are equipped with metal raised flooring.
The building has a wide variety of office units from 750 sqft to an entire floor of 28,000 sqft. Tenants can enjoy the flexibility of adding an internal staircase and pantry in the offices and executive toilets are provided with shower facilities on every office floor.
'Exchange Tower is the first office building in Hong Kong with a green balcony on each floor. It also features an 11-metre-high vertical garden on the ground floor and a five-metre-high sky garden on the 15th floor,' Chan said.
'Tenants appreciate various amenities and eco-friendly facilities in the building, especially the sky garden and green balconies. They have been using the sky garden for their staff meetings, working lunches, gatherings and parties. The building management also organises activities, such as yoga classes for tenants, while the concierge desk provides more than 35 value-added services to tenants.'
Chan said the leasing response to the retail premises in Exchange Tower was positive, with tenant commitment for the entire designated food and beverage area in the shopping mall. All restaurants are expected to start business by the end of next month.
With space for five alfresco restaurants on the second floor, he expects the podium garden to become the focus of a new dining concept in Kowloon Bay.
'In the aspect of retail space we have received a commitment from a 15,000 sqft contemporary Chinese restaurant and other upmarket food and beverage outlets of about 4,000 sqft each, serving Japanese cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine and organic health food. Fast food, wedding services and a bank are also available in the shopping mall,' he said.
Sino Group is an active property player in East Kowloon, with an office and industrial portfolio of more than 3.8 million sqft. Its key properties in East Kowloon include Exchange Tower and Skyline Tower in Kowloon Bay, and Futura Plaza in Kwun Tong.
The group is further expanding in Kowloon Bay with the redevelopment of Po Hing Centre at 18 Wang Chiu Road. Completion should be in the third quarter of next year. The new building will provide about 20 levels of offices with a marketable floor area of about 400,000 sqft. The typical office floor plate is about 20,000 sqft.
Chan said despite market concerns about global economic prospects, Sino Group had witnessed an increasing need from tenants for new buildings with modern office specifications, such as raised floors, larger floor plates, enhanced power supply and ample parking spaces.
'We are optimistic about the leasing of our office properties because the basis of Hong Kong's economy is still very strong and healthy. This can be seen from the positive take-up rates in the East Kowloon office market,' he said.
Sino Group is a major commercial landlord managing a strong office leasing portfolio, with a total floor space of about 7 million sqft in 37 buildings, all over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
Major properties include China Hong Kong City in Tsim Sha Tsui, The Centrium in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Skyline Tower in Kowloon Bay and Sino Plaza in Causeway Bay.
Another new commercial project is The Hennessy at 256 Hennessy Road between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai.



Exchange Tower lures range of tenants