Newcomers and residents alike have for some time been baffled by the Central Market site, prime real estate that has long been underused. Its reopening with a focus on preserving the old while keeping it fresh for present generations is a tried-and-tested formula in many places. Hong Kong’s success in retaining its built past has been mixed, but increasingly, it is getting the balance right. It is to be hoped that this latest effort, a dozen years in the making, meets expectations. A fresh produce market was first built on the site in 1895 and the present building was opened 82 years ago. When the last meat and vegetable stalls closed in 2003, the government had plans to sell the land for redevelopment. But a public movement for preservation of the past was growing and the idea of yet another skyscraper blocking light and airflow in Central was unpopular. A campaign based on Central Market’s Bauhaus style of architecture being worthy of protecting succeeded and, in 2009, efforts began to find a way of converting the structure to a use befitting its historical importance and location. The Urban Renewal Authority’s project has shops largely featuring local products and souvenirs, eateries, food and drink stands and recreation and display spaces. A few attributes of the market have been preserved as a nod to the building’s former use, among them weighing scales and stalls. Potted plants and greenery abound, the idea being of an oasis in which to relax and unwind in the middle of the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong’s commercial and business district. A conscientious effort has been made by planners to redevelop in the name of public use and avoid the foreign luxury brands and expensive restaurants found elsewhere in the area. Preservation of old buildings for public use is challenging; many in Hong Kong involve former government buildings that are well known only to those who once worked or lived there. Central Market, a structure familiar to office workers in the area, those who use the Mid-Levels escalator at the end of its second floor, and people who once shopped there for fresh produce, is different. If it can again play an important part in the lives of ordinary people, the HK$500 million (US$64 million) spent on its revitalisation will be worth every cent.