A recently refurbished tenement building in Staunton Street proves that redevelopment needn’t mean demolition, writes Sarah Fung.

Whether you’re a SoHo regular or an occasional visitor, it can’t be denied that the Staunton and Elgin Street area is unique. The low-rise Chinese structures with open shop fronts selling everything from designer clothes to paper lanterns lend this area a laid-back vibe, and interest in investing here is rising rapidly. The high ceilings and unique character of the buildings make it an attractive place to rent and buy. Indeed, extensive renovations of these old houses are becoming increasingly popular, with revitalized private apartments, shops and restaurants alike attracting tenants and patrons in droves.

One such example of an extensively renovated property is the office of boutique investment banking firm IRG at 67 Staunton Street. It’s causing a stir because the newly renovated building is now under threat of demolition. The Urban Renewal Authority’s plan for the area (coded H19) means that the building needs to be razed to make way for a vast high-rise development that occupies 3,563 square meters of land off Staunton Street, threatening the historical tenement buildings on nearby Wing Lee Street.

Katty Law of the Central and Western Concern Group is appalled by these plans. “The URA’s proposal will be a disaster,” she says. “The area along Staunton Street, Tai Ping Shan Street and Hollywood Road is one of the oldest developed neighborhoods in Hong Kong. Tourists go there to see the Man Mo temple and admire the traditional architecture.

“The URA claims to take heritage preservation into account when developing this area, but this simply isn’t true. The plan is to knock down all but three of the 15 tenement houses on Wing Lee Street and build a 30-storey building on top of the historical Bridges Street Market. How can this insensitive development be beneficial to local residents?”

Law also expresses concern about the environmental effect of the development. “This new high rise will create a canyon effect along Hollywood road, destroying what is left of this low-rise area. Lorries and trucks will be trying to travel down the narrow streets and the noise and pollution of the construction will affect businesses.” She encourages business owners to take action to defend their livelihoods. “The government is making a very big mistake; if they allow this development to take place, it will kill SoHo,” she says. The government did not respond to our enquiries by press time.

“We want to show the government and the public that there is an alternative to just destroying the area to build more apartments,” says managing director of IRG, Juliette Chow. “The government is spending a lot of money trying to buy people out; they even offered us a sum but we ignored it. We want to use our building as an example to show that private companies and individuals can redevelop an old area in a way that is environmentally friendly and cost-effective.”

Chow’s concept was to create a unique and comfortable working environment while preserving a part of the area’s heritage. “A good working environment creates a sense of morale, which is beneficial to myself and my staff, but I also wanted to do my part to keep Hong Kong’s culture alive. This building might not be considered special by everyone, but it’s certainly different to most high rise office blocks.”

The project cost $13 million in total, from acquisition of the property to extensive renovations, money Chow considers well spent. “It wasn’t a huge amount of money, but we’ve achieved so much,” she says. “Private redevelopment is a proven concept. Just look at how SoHo has been preserved. Hong Kong has already proven itself as a financial district, but it could do so much better if it focused on heritage preservation. After all, that’s what people come here for; to see a different side of Hong Kong.”

Law agrees. “The private sector and small-time owners have done a very good job in revitalizing these old Chinese buildings in the past 10 years,” she says. “This is the best kind of conservation, as it doesn’t involve public money; private renovation should be encouraged.”

She suggests that rather than destroy the area, the government should open the tenement houses to private redevelopers and implement measures to control the development, such as imposing a five to eight storey limit on the houses. “The government would be foolish to let this opportunity for adaptive reuse to slip through its fingers,” Law says.

Voice your opinion on the H19 plan by writing to Secretary of the Development Carrie Lam at 8/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 11 Ice House St., Central, 2810-3961, devbenq@devb.gov.hk. Fax: 2151-5303. A detailed map of the URA’s H19 proposal can be found here.

Still Standing

There are plenty of other old buildings being put to good use. Here are just a few that you can find in Central.

Bricolage62
62 Hollywood Rd., 2542-1991
Restaurateur Frank Sun created restaurant Bricolage62 in an old rice factory. It now serves Cuban and southwestern inspired cuisine to guests who flock there for its ambience. Uniquely, it sits beside a traditional tea parlor that maintains its old style, so you can get a glimpse of old and new.

Life Café
10 Shelley St., 2810-9777
This SoHo hotspot is the go-to place for vegan, vegetarian or organic produce. And true to its eco-friendly intentions, it’s housed in a refurbished Chinese building.

OMM Living
36 Cochrane St., 2851-2755
A fashion boutique and art gallery that occupies the entire building. The balconies are still intact. When you enter, head to the back of the shop where you can see a preserved open courtyard.

On Lan Street
This row of historical buildings dates back to before the Second World War, each with their own individual style. Tulip (1/F, No. 16, 2522-3229) attempts to preserve the original charm of the top three floors of the building, while Billionaire Boys’ Club (No. 14, 2526-7166) is a trippy ice cream shop/space station themed building that houses fashion designs by Neptunes producer Pharell Williams. Also in the area is Sosu Miharayashuhiro (G/F, No. 16, 2162-8006), Hoods (No. 12, 2162-8009) and Maison Martin Margiela (No. 18, 2869-7707).