Not A Fan

Imagine Central’s harborfront as a green, open space, with plenty of trees along a promenade. It’s a place where people can relax and enjoy the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour. Sound familiar? It’s the picture-perfect waterfront as described by the government in last year’s policy address. Predictably, however, this impression is yet another urban planning myth.

The government is now planning to construct a ventilation building for the Central-Wan Chai Bypass right beside the proposed public area by Two IFC. This means that anyone visiting the space will be inhaling exhaust fumes and putting up with the noise generated by giant fans, with ventilation shafts dominating the view.

To alleviate the traffic congestion in Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, the government has spent about $28 billion to build the bypass, which will be completed by 2017. Along the 4.5km-long bypass, three ventilation outlets are needed to extract the polluted tunnel air. One will be placed in North Point, another one in Wan Chai, while the last one—as currently laid out by the Highways Department—will be located immediately adjacent to the proposed public area, which is known as “Site 2” of the New Central Waterfront.

The government carried out two environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports on the area—one in 2001 and another in 2007. According to the Highways Department, all reports were approved by the Environmental Protection Department, and the last one was approved in 2008 when the space was allotted for office buildings and hotels. However, in 2009, the government decided to turn Site 2 and its neighboring Site 1 into a “Civic Node Primarily for Public Enjoyment,” offering an “extensive landscaped deck and public space of about 1.7 hectares for greening, open space and festive events.”

Planning consultant Ian Brownlee is an advocate for sustainable urban planning. He argues that the EIA should be redone in light of the new zoning. “The environmental impact assessment report for this project was done prior to the government’s decision to make [the neighboring area] into a public space." Brownlee believes that the government has an obligation to reassess the environmental impact of erecting a ventilation building immediately adjacent to the proposed public area.

Concern groups are now worried that the ventilation building will bring air pollution to the proposed public space because exhaust fumes from the bypass will be released from it. It is estimated that approximately 6,000 cars per hour will use the tunnel after its completion. However, the Highways Department says that the air quality has been fully assessed in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and it will implement mitigation measures. According to them, it is expected that the environmental impact brought by the ventilation building will be “acceptable.”