The developers of the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project heritage project are close to selecting another 11 food and beverage operators and general retailers after canvassing for proposals.
The project will conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising three declared monuments – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – for adaptive reuse.
A partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong SAR Government, the project aims to transform the historic site into a leading cultural destination where heritage, contemporary art and leisure elements are creatively integrated for all to enjoy. The Jockey Club CPS Limited, trading as Tai Kwun (meaning the Big Station as police officers and members of the public called the place) is the operator of the revitalised compound, which is scheduled to open late this year.
Tai Kwun aims to bring in operators that are compatible with the characters of the site and provide diverse services at a broad price range.
Judith Ho, assistant public affairs manager for Tai Kwun, told Inside Retail Hong Kong the company has conducted several rounds of requests for proposals (RFPs) for both retail and f&b elements of the project. Results will be announced in batches progressively through the year.
Retail is considered an important component of the project and will account for up to 27 per cent of the construction floor area of 27,900 sqm. Tai Kwun is looking to retail and f&B to attract and serve visitors to the development and to generate income for future site maintenance.
Some 37 per cent of the construction floor area will be used for heritage and contemporary art and 36 per cent for public circulation and building facilities.
The first batch of three leisure service operators was announced in December 2015.
Lifestyle Investments was appointed to provide integrated cultural and leisure services at the Central Magistracy building under the name “The Magistracy”. It will showcase a combination of dedicated art functions, such as art galleries and art workshops with free entry, alongside food and beverage outlets, lifestyle components and retail shops in 2100 sqm of space.
Hong Chi Association, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families, will operate a food and beverage social enterprise called FT2, which stands for “farm to table”. The outlet will serve fresh farm food and provide a platform to show the artistic talents of the people with intellectual disabilities. FT2 will occupy about 200 sqm of ground floor space in D Hall of the Victoria Prison, the oldest dateable building in the compound. Another outlet Menya Musashi was appointed to operate an approximately 130 sqm shop on the ground floor of the Superintendent’s House and C Hall, two connected prison buildings bordering the police complex and the Central Magistracy.
Site maps showing the location of retail and f&b tenancies around the project can be seen on this link.
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