Hong Kong has shelved a HK$700 million exhibition hall in Wan Chai to showcase the Northern Metropolis, a massive infrastructure project along the city’s border with mainland China.
The government said on Thursday that it was “not the right time” to proceed with the exhibition hall plan, having taken into consideration the views of the public and the legislature, as well as the government’s priorities and resources.
The announcement was made on the official Northern Metropolis’ Facebook page, instead of through a government press release.
“We initially explored the proposal of constructing an exhibition centre at the Wan Chai North Harbourfront site to showcase major infrastructure projects, including the Northern Metropolis,” the post read.
“After listening to the views of the public and the Legislative Council, and taking into account priorities for works and resource allocation, we consider that it is not the right time to proceed with the project at this stage,” it said.
Exhibitions move north
Instead, the government will set up exhibitions in different districts of the Northern Metropolis, including at a Community Liaison Centre, currently under construction in the Kwu Tung area of the metropolis.
Exhibitions will also be set up at centres in Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu.
According to the post, setting up exhibitions within the metropolis will allow on-the-ground insights into the infrastructure project and thus attract investment.
Construction on the Wan Chai gallery was originally slated to begin next year, with a completion target of 2027 at the earliest. The gallery would have been a permanent fixture, with exhibition content to be updated as appropriate, the Development Bureau said.
Development minister Bernadette Linn defended the project’s HK$700 million price tag in October last year, saying that construction costs would be comparable to those of other government buildings.
The construction of the gallery was first proposed in Chief Executive John Lee’s 2023 Policy Address, to showcase “major construction projects” including the Northern Metropolis.
The construction costs originally fell under a HK$30 billion funding application for the planned 600-hectare San Tin Technopole tech park in the Northern Metropolis, until lawmakers criticised the government for attempting to bundle the costs with the tech park project.
In light of those concerns, Permanent Secretary for Development Doris Ho said that the government would separate the hall’s funding application from the San Tin project.
The gallery would also have showcased the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, a controversial plan to create three artificial islands in waters east of Lantau Island that was shelved last month.
The government is looking to enact special laws that will effectively cut the red tape around the development of the 30,000-hectare Northern Metropolis.
Delivering his policy address last month, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said he would chair a new committee dedicated to fast-tracking the development plan, which aims to deepen the city’s integration with mainland China.
