Compromise on airport site

A controversial airport site will be converted into a commercial hub with an underground depot for unmanned vehicles.迷你倉尖沙咀 The compromise ends an impasse between board members of the Airport Authority over the use of the site and comes a week after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had reportedly stepped in to resolve the issue. Speaking after a board meeting yesterday, Vincent Lo Hong-sui - who earlier wanted the depot relocated so the site could be fully developed as a commercial area - said he supports the management's new proposal. "I supported the proposal because I believe, in the current circumstances, that it is the best arrangement as management has pledged to design and build the depot without too much interference to the commercial district," he said. "This is a compromise and I am looking at the big picture even though I still believe the depot could be relocated." Lo, who earlier resigned from the authority's Infrastructural Planning Committee, said he would not resume the position. Authority chairman Marvin Cheung Kin-tung said the meeting was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. "Though we had different views, we came to the same decision in the end," Cheung said. "I have tried to shelve Lo's resignation, but I will handle this issue later." In a statement, the Airport Authority said its mini storageoard of directors would proceed immediately with the development of a hotel at the Airport Island's North Commercial District as the area's first phase of commercial development. It added that the board had unanimously agreed that there was no need to relocate the underground Automatic People Mover depot, and the work to finalize the master layout plan for the whole commercial district development would continue. The hotel will be located on land adjacent to AsiaWorld-Expo. Two levels of a basement carpark, which is expected to provide 1,000 spaces, will also be built. Cheung said proceeding immediately with the hotel development will help Hong Kong better capture the commercial opportunities presented by the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macao Bridge, thereby contributing to the development of Lantau island as a tourism and transportation hub. Secretary for Transport and Housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said the authority will hopefully submit the environmental impact assessment report early next year to the Environmental Protection Department and it is expected that the third runway will be commissioned by 2023. He said the government hopes to strike a balance on the development so as not to affect the environmental evaluation and development of the third runway. beatrice.siu@singtaonewscorp.com 迷你倉