Around 20 local residents and florists from Hong Kong’s century-old Flower Market district have joined forces to advocate against a controversial redevelopment project of the area.
Ada Lee, a member of the concern group who has lived in the neighbourhood since 1999, told HKFP last Friday that many residents and florists opposed the proposed redevelopment, which will see more than 200 trees uprooted, 33 flower shops affected, and the construction of new large-scale shopping malls and residential high-rises.
A vibrant commercial community, the flower market boasts more than 120 ground-floor flower stores and spans four streets between Prince Edward and East Mong Kok, with most buildings less than 15 stories high.
In March, statutory body the Urban Renewal Authority announced plans to redevelop the district. It proposed the demolition of 22 low-rise buildings accommodating 35 ground-level and 12 upper-level shops, and the acquisition of significant public land nearby to build high-rise residential buildings, shopping malls and a waterway park.
Despite concerns among the local community, the Town Planning Board in mid-August published the redevelopment plan for public inspection. Over the course of a two-month period that ends on Wednesday, Hongkongers were invited to give feedback on the proposal.
“We’re not opposing to the government. The URA is not part of the government, right? And now the Town Planning Board has called on the public to provide opinions,” Lee said in Cantonese as she led a group of reporters around the flower market last Friday, visiting residents and merchants.
Since the URA introduced the redevelopment plan, residents and business owners who used to be strangers started gathering to discuss what they could do to save the community, Lee added.
A retiree in her 60s, Lee lives with her family in a 76-year-old residential building located on Flower Market Road. To her surprise, the redevelopment plan did not propose to redevelop or revitalise the building, which is reportedly the oldest in the district.
Instead, it plans to acquire a large swath of public land across from Flower Market Road to build a shopping mall and high-rise.
“Shouldn’t a redevelopment scheme aim to help people living in old apartments and revitalising old buildings? Our apartment has no lift and only one staircase to escape fire,” Lee said.
While Lee was sharing her concerns, a fan of the flower market passed by. Brian, a retiree, who preferred to speak under a pseudonym, said he loved plants and therefore visited the market at least once a week.
“It’s so pretty here. What’s the redevelopment for? It will be a pity to redevelop the district. But there’s no way out. [The redevelopment] is for the sake of making money,” Brian said in Cantonese. “It’s a pity that some florists will have to relocate. Where can they go? Consumers will lose out, too.”
Hard to survive redevelopment
Bowie, a manger of a flower shop located at the junction of Sai Yee Street and Prince Edward Road West, told HKFP that the shop is one that would be acquired by the URA.
Two 38-storey residential blocks are planned to replace the old buildings and dozens of flower stores along Sai Yee Street. The lowest five floors to the buildings would house a five-storey shopping mall.
“No one has told us where will go [after the redevelopment]. This area serves as an entrance to the flower market… so, why do the authorities want to redevelop this particular site?” Bowie said in Cantonese, urging the URA to allow affected shops to return to the same site after redevelopment.
The URA told HKFP in May that it would consider “giving priority” to the florists affected by the redevelopment to move into the new retail units after the completion of the scheme.
Despite not being among those forced to relocate, shops allowed to stay expressed no fewer concerns. Leung King Fai, who owns a flower shop on Flower Market Road, said he expected business would fall by at least 40 per cent if the whole district was turned into a large construction site.
“Our business will be severely impacted. Such a large redevelopment project would take at least 10 years. How can we survive the redevelopment?” Leung said in Cantonese. He employs around 10, all of whom are worried about being laid off.
While the URA said the scheme would facilitate the future development of the market, “shaping it as a vibrant landmark,” Leung, who has been running a floristry business in the neighbourhood since 1995, did not agree.
“The flower market will have been destroyed after redevelopment. How can we make a better business?”
Redevelopment model reconsidered
Chan Kim-ching, a researcher with the development policy think tank Liber Research Community, told HKFP last Friday the URA should reconsider the redevelopment of the flower market district, saying it revealed a new model of taking public land for commercial development while neglecting those living in old apartments.
Local resident Lee said the concern group had urged the URA to amend its plan, suggesting it focused on renewing old residential buildings that posed safety risks thus avoiding any negative impact on the vibrant commercial community that has been flourishing for years.
Following the two-month period of public inspection, the Town Planning Board will later publish all representations for public comment for a three-week period. Meetings may be also be held with those who submitted representations.
Ada said the concern group had been working to organise more residents and florists to submit their opinions to the Town Planning Board, and that it was looking forwards to expressing their opinions further in a meeting with the board.
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