Hong Kong Disneyland’s option on next-door site will not be renewed, as park ‘could not commit to near-term expansion’
- For now, Covid-19 facilities will continue to operate and expand on the 60-hectare (140-acre) plot, which at one point was intended for a second park
- Government decision a pragmatic one, says tourism sector lawmaker, who foresaw little chance of land being used in next five years
While the Walt Disney Company said it was “extremely disappointed” in the decision, sources said the company had been unable to commit to using the site in the near future. The option was due to expire on Thursday.
The 60-hectare plot in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island – the size of three Victoria Parks – was at one point eyed as a space where tens of thousands of temporary homes could be built for those on the waiting list for public housing.
Citing current economic conditions, the government on Wednesday announced it had decided not to extend an option that would have allowed Hongkong International Theme Parks Limited (HKITP), a joint venture between itself and Disney, to purchase the site next to it.
“The government considers it prudent for HKITP to focus on the development and expansion of the existing resort in the coming few years, rather than geographic expansion into a [new] site,” a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a statement.