HONG KONG: The curtain has gone up just a little bit further on the new look of Central, Hong Kong's oldest district, as the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) revealed a HK$500 million vision for the center piece of the project, a refurbished Central Market, that already is being called an "urban oasis".

In the follow up to last week's policy address by Chief Executive Donald Tsang, the URA disclosed it plans themed floors, themed areas, spreading over 8,000 square meters, containing shops and places for people to relax. There will be an arts events atrium extending over the ground and first floors, eateries on the second floor, healthy lifestyle corners on the third floor, and as the crowning glory, a rooftop sky garden of 1,000 square meters.

There will be a pedestrian passage of around 6,000 square meters and barrier-free access for the disabled. It'll all be ready by 2015.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam pledged that the downtown centerpiece would not be turned into a high-end shopping arcade and that the future rents would be affordable.

"The project is a partnership between the government and the URA. We are not to make a profit but to serve the public," she said.

Lam added one of the purposes in the initiative is to provide affordable and distinctive eateries for the community and a recreational rest area for white collar workers in Central.

The four-storey Central Market in its last incarnation served the city from 1939. Then in 2003 the market was all but shut down. Only about 10 shops are still operating there and they're all on short-term leases.

The market was put into the application list in 2006, but nobody was interested. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen finally decided to preserve the streamlined Bauhaus architecture.

Lam said she feels confident about the project, in view of the URA's experience in other initiatives in Central, which will together produce synergy.

The URA will be running the project solely without government subsidy. Chairman Barry Cheung said the shabby building of old Central Market will need a lot of money to green it and make it respectable again.

Lam believes the project can be self-financed and supported by rental income.

An advisory committee comes next, to hold public consultation and consultation with relevant government departments. The committee will comprise representatives from district council, expert groups and other stakeholders.

The committee will also advise on the tenant mix and leasing details.

The URA will undertake a three-year structural investigation of the old building.

Despite the obvious excitement of the government and a wide portion of the public and the eagerness to get started, remaining tenants in the Central Market are worried about their future.

A woman surnamed Lam has been working in the footwear shop Ultimate for 15 years. She said it's going to be a bit headache for her when her current lease expires.

"It is not easy to accumulate frequent customers after these years and now the government asks us to move out. I am so worried about losing my job afterwards. It's a grief to me," she said.

A woman surnamed Tam, who is an employee of the photo service company Digital Express, said shops must be closed after a month's notice from the government. She felt vexed by surging rents in the market now.

"We don't know how long we can work here. It's too expensive to move to another place," she said.

Indeed, the market once was the heart of Hong Kong's Central District and a hive of commercial activity that carried on from the city's earliest days. But time has moved on and Central is being given a new heart.

(HK Edition 10/20/2009 page1)