Promotional scheme for Graham Street Market commenced
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) today (Monday) kicked off a
six-week shoppers' reward scheme for patrons of the century-old
Graham Street Market to enhance vibrancy of the area. Over 60
hawker stalls and shops have joined the scheme, which is entitled
the "Double Rewards @ Graham Street Market".
It is the first and one of the many initiatives of the URA to
enhance vibrancy of the market alongside the implementation of the
Peel Street/Graham Street project.
Together with the Chairman of the Central & Western District
Council, Mr Chan Tak-chor, the Chairman of the URA, Mr Barry Cheung
Chun-yuen, and the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Quinn Law,
officiated at the ceremony this afternoon.
The six-week reward scheme will last until 31 January 2011.
Patrons making a purchase at any one of the participating stalls
and shops of the market are eligible to take part in the "Double
Rewards" which includes an instant lucky draw and gift redemption.
Publicity has been made via on-street distribution and direct
mailing of leaflets and the "Face book".
A booth has been set up at Gage Street to provide services for
shoppers. It is open seven days a week from 10 am to 6 pm,
including public holidays during the promotional period.
At a media lunch meeting earlier this afternoon, Mr Cheung said:
"The century-old Graham Street Market is a place of Hong Kong with
significant characters. Although the Graham Street Market is
outside the boundary of the URA Peel Street/Graham Street project
announced in 2007, we have undertaken to retain its characters as
well as enhance its vibrancy during our project implementation
period."
"As a result of natural gentrification already taking place in the
vicinity, open market activities are shrinking and many hawker
stalls are disappearing. The URA considers that the
implementation of its Peel Street/Graham Street project will help
save the market from further shrinking while enhancing local
district characters and incorporating in its plan Government
Institutional Community facilities and other designs," said
Mr Cheung.
He pointed out that redevelopment, preservation and revitalisation
could co-exist and go hand in hand with a detailed plan for
implementation. To achieve this end, the URA set up a conservation
advisory panel comprising local District Council members and
representatives of the community and hawkers, historians and
experts to advise on heritage and hawker related issues.
Professional consultants have also been engaged to work out a
comprehensive plan of tactical measures for implementation.
Mr Cheung then outlined the tactical measures for phased
development, noting that the current promotional activity is one of
the many initiatives taken.
The Peel Street/Graham Street project, consisting of three sites--
A, B and C, will be implemented in phases to minimise inconvenience
to the operators and users. Mr Cheung said: "The phased
development will call for safety hoardings and decorative
protection to be erected only on either side of the streets at any
one time so as to allow them to continue their businesses."
The Government has recently (10 December) announced the resumption
of land site (Site B) for the implementation of the phase one
development, where the URA plans to build inter-alia a two-storey
retail shop building easily accessible from all directions, which
is intended to accommodate wet provision shops choosing to
return for businesses upon its completion.
Meanwhile, arrangements have been made for 14 market-related wet
provision shops at Site B temporarily moved to premises at Sites A
& C acquired by the URA, to continue their business
operations.
In addition, operators of five street stalls who are affected by
the project and within the site boundary have been given assistance
to renovate and re-construct their stalls in-situ so that their
business operations would not be affected during the construction
stage.
For street stalls outside the site boundary, the URA has taken the
initiative to help improve the safety of their business environment
by installing individual electric metre boxes for the
operators. The URA will also reserve storage space totalling
300 square metres in future development for hawker stall operators
who need to rent additional space for storing their goods.
Mr Cheung said: "To improve traffic flow in the area and reduce
inconvenience to hawkers, future buildings planned for the project
will be set back."
"While the proposed phased development would result in a longer
construction period and additional cost, we have considered it
worthwhile to undertake these measures in view of the interests of
the local community," Mr Cheung added.
(ENDS)