Hong Kong’s URA chief rebuffs criticism over quick closure of public play area
Managing director says space was intended to be short-term initiative, some equipment will be donated to other housing estates
The head of Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority has rejected criticism over the dismantling of a recreational facility less than a year after its opening, saying the space was intended to be a short-term project and some features were being donated to public housing estates.
The space in Kwun Tong, which includes a children’s playground and a three-on-three basketball court, was opened in December 2023 but closed down just 11 months later, in November 2024.
The decision drew criticism from the public, with many residents saying the facility had been a waste of resources, given it had only been in operation for less than a year.
Wai Chi-sing, the authority’s managing director, said on Sunday that the closure was within the planned schedule and 80 per cent of the recreational and sports facilities were being donated to two public housing estates in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun.
“I fully understand the public’s response. However, when the authority converted the last phase of the Kwun Tong Town Centre development project into a ‘free space’, we stated that these facilities were only for temporary use,” Wai wrote in a blog post shared on the URA’s website.
“It was intended that the site be open to the public rather than left empty during the preparation for the retendering process.”