The ambitious Hong Kong SkyCity airport project was unveiled on Monday.
An overview of its SkyCity development was presented at The Future of Shopping Malls business conference and exhibition in Hong Kong hosted by the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA).
SkyCity is an integrated development just a short stroll from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) which is aimed at expanding and transforming HKIA into an airport city. It will feature retail, entertainment, dining, hotels and office towers covering about 25 ha at the north of the airport island.
Also at the event, international speakers discussed airport city developments in major aviation hubs and the potential for HKIA. More than 300 senior executives from the property development and investment sectors of Hong Kong and overseas markets, as well as representatives from the HKSAR government, business associations and professional bodies, attended the event.
“Our vision is to create a destination that goes far beyond the traditional notion of a shopping mall,” AA chairman Jack So Chak-kwong said of the project. “SkyCity aims to capture broad opportunities in tourism and business, while also providing a dynamic lifestyle and family entertainment hub for Hong Kong residents and visitors alike.”
HKIA serves nearly 70 million international passengers and local residents annually, with its passenger traffic projected to rise to more than 100 million by 2030 with the completion of the three-runway system. SkyCity will also tap into the potential of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, strategic road links that provide greater interconnectivity in Hong Kong and with the Pearl River Delta region.
SkyCity will be developed in phases, in partnership with developers appointed through open tenders. Phase 1 will comprise a retail, dining and entertainment (RDE) destination of 195,000 sqm, scheduled to open in 2021, and a hotel with 450 to 750 rooms, expected to be completed in 2020. Invitations for tender submissions for the hotel and RDE developments will be issued next month and early next year respectively.
Also attending The Future of Shopping Malls event were about 30 local and overseas exhibitors showcasing products and developments in areas including virtual-reality technology, sports and entertainment, edutainment and family attractions.
