Recently, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has initiated the acquisition work for the development project at Yaumatei Police Station and Jervois Street in Kowloon City. The URA’s Chief Executive, Victor Yip, released a blog today, expressing that appropriate relocation plans or transitional operating arrangements have been devised for affected businesses to meet their operational needs while preserving the area’s characteristics and community network.
Yip mentioned that in addition to the consistent acquisition policy, the URA is studying for the first time to provide extra support for operators of shops related to the Kowloon City Market, encouraging them to find alternative locations on streets adjacent to but outside the project area, aiming to retain these distinctive shops in the original area.
In the blog post, Yip noted that when the project at Jervois Street was launched in May 2022, many unique shops related to the Teochew and Thai food cultures were already prominent within the project area. Furthermore, shops selling fresh produce, dry goods, and ingredients linked to the business of Kowloon City Market were predominantly operating in shops opposite the market, creating a unique commercial ecosystem in the area.
The URA has categorized the shop operators in the project area into two main groups: those related to the business of Kowloon City Market, particularly food shops, and those with Teochew characteristics including eateries and shops, or eateries operating within the project area for over 20 years.
The blog mentioned that the URA understands that many operators of fresh produce and dry goods shops adjacent to Kowloon City Market hope to continue their operations in the original area during the reconstruction period. For this reason, the URA is studying to offer additional support to operators of “street-market food shops” related to Kowloon City Market, encouraging them to find alternative locations on streets adjacent to but outside the project area for transitional operating arrangements, allowing them to remain near the market during the reconstruction project. After the project completion, they will also have the priority to lease new commercial units within the development, with rental concessions provided by the URA for operators choosing to relocate.
For eateries and shops related to the Teochew culture and long-standing eateries, besides reserving positions for them to return after the completion of the Jervois Street project, they will also be offered discounted rentals and priority leasing of commercial units within the URA’s new development project.
Moreover, considering that the development project at Kai Tak Road and Sha Po Street in Kowloon City is expected to be completed earlier than the Jervois Street project, these operators can also opt for commercial units within the Sha Po Street project for relocation, enabling them to return to the “Dragon City” area for business at an earlier time.