Allan Zeman may not have been in a party mood at California Tower's 'Bringing Down The House' celebrations last night.
It is more likely that he had mixed emotions as the big bash marked the official closure of his iconic California Tower and California Entertainment Building establishments, before they are demolished. The Lan Kwai Fong Beer Bar, Indochine 1929, C Bar and di LUX closed for business on Wednesday, but for the rest it was time to pull down the shutters.
The 12-storey buildings are where Zeman began opening the bars and restaurants that transformed Lan Kwai Fong into one of Hong Kong's biggest entertainment hubs. He bought the California Entertainment Building in 1988 and California Tower in 1992.
No demolition date has been set as all the premises and offices will still have to be cleared out, but it should be done by September 7 when the buildings will be officially closed.
It is the end of an era but as Zeman knows in the entertainment business you either adapt or die, so a modern 25-storey single tower will replace the old buildings, featuring 14 floors of restaurants, each with its own terrace for smokers. There will also be bigger floor areas with high ceilings, rooftop gardens and an extra 40,000 sq ft of commercial and office space.
He has not put a price on the redevelopment - though he has hinted that it will cost just under HK$1 billion - and he intends the new building to open in the summer of 2012. It does not mean, however, that he won't have a pang of sadness now that the end is in sight.
