Hong Kong's biggest sports project was supposed to break ground last year.

Instead, the proposed all-weather mega venue crowned with the city's biggest retractable roof and fit for more than 50,000 spectators remains stuck on the drawing board.

The Kai Tak Multi-purpose Sports Complex planned for where Kai Tak meets To Kwa Wan has become yet another project held hostage by opposition filibusters.

The project's chance finally came in April, but it spent weeks languishing in the Public Works Subcommittee of the Legislative Council. It was only passed after an opposition camp motion to bin the project - amid claims it was a waste of money - was defeated.

But these criticisms may prove premature.

Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs Jonathan McKinley said major concerns raised by lawmakers could only be resolved if the government was provided with funding to go through the next stage of the planning process.

Members of the Sports Commission were less gracious. They accused opposition lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip of filibustering.

More recently, the project was delayed after the same People Power opposition lawmaker and his peers dragged out discussions at last Friday's LegCo Finance Committee meeting. They passed only two out of 11 appropriation requests.

McKinley warned that this behavior would lead to further delays, with the government now predicting a 2021 opening date if current schedules are maintained.

Rising costs were another problem, he said.

Inflation is pushing up costs. The proposed price tag prior to ground breaking may not even be known before the end of the year if there is no progress in the legislature.

McKinley said further delays would push the proposal into the next legislative session if approval does not materialize before the July recess. This could potentially disrupt the entire planning process from design to construction, tendering and completion.

He added that without the funding, the government might not be able to maintain its plan to begin construction in 2017.

Arts and sports sector lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok expressed concern as early as 2012 over whether the project was still on schedule.

Nearly three years later the project remains on the drafting board, unable to secure funding to conduct preliminary site evaluations.

Ringed with sports grounds for people of all ages and flanked with a smaller 4,000-seat indoor center for basketball, volleyball and racquet sports, the project will appeal to athletes suffering a lack of world-class facilities.

The project conceived a decade ago was originally scheduled to be open by 2019.

But the designs have yet to be finalized. The government remains unable to secure roughly 2.5 percent of the centre's estimated HK$25 billion budget to begin preparatory work ahead of major design and construction proposals.

The Kai Tak sports complex's mega stadium came about after considering the many factors which have kept the city's existing major venues underutilized.

Critics note a mega venue is already located on Lantau Island. But a common complaint among attendees is that its location at the end of the Tung Chung line hardly makes travel convenient.

While Hong Kong has one of the world's most advanced airports and shopping malls, the Hong Kong Stadium is woefully antiquated. Its sound system, Jumbotron and other features are now obsolete.

This year's Rugby Sevens saw a water main burst, leading to water being suspended for hours. This was a near disaster during one of the city's major sporting events.

The stadium simply hasn't developed alongside interest in the Sevens. Demand for seats at the city's biggest sports event has exceeded the number of tickets available for the public over the years. Organizers experiment with different ways to give fans an opportunity to attend Hong Kong's largest annual sporting spectacle.

The proposed Kai Tak Stadium would boast Hong Kong's largest retractable roof, in a bid to keep events proceeding during bad weather and also to spare nearby residents from excessive noise.

Noise complaints ended concerts and live shows at Hong Kong Stadium in 1999.

The request to fund the study ahead of final design and construction proposals will be brought before the Finance Committee for a second time today.

"We've had a very large amount of backing, unanimous in the sports sector, for many years, while affected district councils have consistently shown very high levels of support," McKinley said.

"When the project was originally planned in 2007 there was overwhelming public support. We feel a bit frustrated because we want to move things forwards. It's a good (project) and one which can provide tremendous benefits."

tim@chinadailyhk.com

The SAR government's vision for the completed Kai Tak Multi-purpose Sports Complex. The funding approval for pre-construction of the project will be discussed on the Legislative Council Finance Committee today (Friday). Provided to China Daily

(HK Edition 07/03/2015 page7)