Note: This is not Murray House - the old building moved to Stanley. It is Murray Building, next to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus.
Murray Building sale bid sparks transparency call Patsy Moy Wednesday, March 03, 2010
A surprise policy U-turn has sparked calls for more transparency and public scrutiny over the intended sale of Murray Building in Central.
In his policy address last October, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said the government will retain ownership of the 27-story building, built in 1969, even after it is converted into a 300-room hotel.
But development officials yesterday said the building, as well as its title-related rights, will be put up for tender next year, with the successful bidder given a 50-year ownership lease. Quizzed on the apparent about-face, officials said the latest proposal is "current policy."
... 370-square-meter plot of government land to be used as public open space. -
Public Open Space ? Not likely. Haveyou walked past the Cheung Kong building where the trees are planted so low that you cannot walk around the open space or get to the benches - and it is illegal to sit in the park where the old car park next to the Hilton used to be?
Murray Building was completed and opened in phases. The basement and the bottom few storeys were completed first in 1968. Yet the construction of the "top 6 standard storeys" continued until mid-1969, and other minor works until 1970.
Details are:
1969/02/08: "Partially completed, opening ceremony of the first 14 storeys" (Wah Kiu Yat Po)
1969/08/24: "The top is completed. All construction is expected to finished in April next year (i.e. 1970)" (Wah Kiu Yat Po)
Comments
Alert - kiss Murray Building goodbye for 50 years
Note: This is not Murray House - the old building moved to Stanley. It is Murray Building, next to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus.
Murray Building sale bid sparks transparency call
Patsy Moy
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
A surprise policy U-turn has sparked calls for more transparency and public scrutiny over the intended sale of Murray Building in Central.
In his policy address last October, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said the government will retain ownership of the 27-story building, built in 1969, even after it is converted into a 300-room hotel.
But development officials yesterday said the building, as well as its title-related rights, will be put up for tender next year, with the successful bidder given a 50-year ownership lease. Quizzed on the apparent about-face, officials said the latest proposal is "current policy."
... 370-square-meter plot of government land to be used as public open space. -
more at: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=95240&sid=27264782&con_type=3
Public Open Space ? Not likely. Haveyou walked past the Cheung Kong building where the trees are planted so low that you cannot walk around the open space or get to the benches - and it is illegal to sit in the park where the old car park next to the Hilton used to be?
Completed 1968. Source:
Completed 1968. Source: "Names of Buildings"
Completed in phases
Murray Building was completed and opened in phases. The basement and the bottom few storeys were completed first in 1968. Yet the construction of the "top 6 standard storeys" continued until mid-1969, and other minor works until 1970.
Details are:
1969/02/08: "Partially completed, opening ceremony of the first 14 storeys" (Wah Kiu Yat Po)
1969/08/24: "The top is completed. All construction is expected to finished in April next year (i.e. 1970)" (Wah Kiu Yat Po)
Appearances of the building on newspaper articles agree with that by GIS in mid-1969 (https://sls.hkpl.gov.hk/digital-collection/tc/contentcoverpage.html?cur…)