The Jockey Club's new plan for the Central Police Station compound, which includes the digging of a tunnel to link buildings on the site, has rung warning bells among observers about damage to archaeological relics that may be underground.
The tunnel would lead to a prison hall that is to be converted into the entrance to a new contemporary arts centre to be built beside it.
The club, which says it has conducted thorough conservation studies of the site, held briefings on its plan for professional groups last week and is expected to announce the details publicly today.
According to people told of the plan, the club has decided to keep Hall F of Victoria Prison and erect a new building beside it to house the arts centre, with Hall F as its entrance.
An earlier plan by the club drew heated criticism because it proposed demolition of Hall F, the only prison hall on the site not designated a monument. It held political prisoners during the Japanese occupation and later housed Vietnamese refugees.
The new plan calls for another new building, probably a concert hall, on the site of the prison's laundry block, which is to be demolished.
The buildings will comply with the 80-metre height limit set by the Town Planning Board earlier this year. The reduced height of new buildings and preservation of Hall F address public criticisms of the original proposal, particularly its 160- metre observation tower.
