西营盘物业再申重建 城规会拒批

有财团早前曾就西营盘德辅道西380号物业，再度向城规会申请以地积比率15倍，重建1幢24层高的商厦，总楼面约2.25万平方呎，但城规会昨日早上审议后，再表明拒绝批准方案。

事实上，方案曾于今年4月申请重建，遭城规会拒绝。财团其后再递交新方案，而主要发展参数，包括地积比率、高度限制及总楼面面积均与旧方案相同。不过，最新同样遭城规会拒绝批准方案。项目位于西营盘德辅道西380号，现划为「住宅 (甲类) 6」地带，地盘面积约1,498平方呎。

(经济日报)

心光盲校建屋2改划 多数申述表支持

早于50年代建成的薄扶林道心光盲人院暨学校，早前获城规会批准作改划重建为83伙临海豪宅，而且比邻的的一幅绿化地亦获批改划为4幢港大医学院新教学大楼。城规会早前就此接获1,946份申述，大部分申述就两改划表示支持。

其中心光盲人院暨学校指，对将学校改划重建为住宅表示强烈支持，因为学校日后可以落实更长远的目标，以提供全新及经改善的设施及服务，及为视障人士提供长远，且财政稳健的教育及关怀。不过，机构认为，城规会可只向机构收取仅需向环境保护署递交的报告，以免再延迟该重建计划。

据重建方案资料，项目计划以地积比率1.9倍重建成5幢9层高住宅大楼，住用总楼面约13.2万平方呎，提供83间低密度豪宅。

邻地建医学教学楼 具协同效应

同时，就把心光盲人院暨学校旁的一幅绿化地获批改划为4幢港大医学院新教学大楼，玛丽医院表态支持，因为院方观察到社会上修读医学及护士课程的学生大幅上升，而且拟建项目可以给予下一代医护专才提供高质素的教学及研究设施，加上日后玛丽医院的病人及港大医学院学生等人可在步行距离中来往医院及拟建项目，从而产生协同效应。

而团结香港基金等机构亦对改划表示支持，主因是人口老化加速社会对医护服务的要求，及由第5波疫情可见本港正面对医院及医护人手的短缺问题，相信港大医学院可以训练更多本地的相关人才。

(经济日报)

Henderson Land offers cheapest new flat seen in Hong Kong for over a year as property market continues to struggle

Henderson Land Development set the starting price for One Innovale-Cabanna in the Northern Metropolis, Fanling, at just HK$2.76 million

The Northern Metropolis Development is a priority project for the Hong Kong Government, aimed at providing more affordable housing

Hong Kong will see the cheapest new property launch since September 2021 at just HK$2.76 million (US$351,616), as developers fall over themselves to offer low-priced, small flats amid a prolonged downturn in home prices.

Henderson Land Development on Friday set the starting price for One Innovale-Cabanna in the Northern Metropolis, Fanling, New Territories at just HK$2.76 million for 186 sq ft of space.

“The new development has the lowest entry price after Artique in Sheung Shui in September last year at HK$2.43 million,” a property agent said. “It will be rather attractive to first-time buyers.”

The Northern Metropolis Development is a priority project for the Hong Kong Government, aimed at providing more housing and transforming the city into a more liveable and affordable metropolis.

At these lower prices, buyers can access much older flats in the secondary market.

For HK$2.6 million, one can buy a 32-year-old public housing estate unit measuring 264 sq ft at Wah Ming Estate’s Shun Ming House in Fanling, according to an online listing by the agency. For HK$2.75 million, buyers can snap up a 54-year-old flat measuring 211 sq ft in Cheong Fai Mansion, western Kowloon.

Henderson’s move comes just three days after Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong’s biggest developer by value, priced the first batch of 50 flats at its new Park Yoho Bologna project in Yuen Long at HK$13,088 per square foot after discounts.

The price is 26.9 per cent lower than the HK$17,898 per square foot for the second phase of its Grand Mayfair project launched in May, according to data from the agency. Park Yoho Bologna’s starting price is HK$3.91 million for a flat measuring 279 sq ft.

As Hong Kong’s property market correction continues, the agency estimated that its market index will slide a further 5.3 per cent to reach 160 points before the end of 2022.

The index plunged by 6.9 per cent in the past 14 weeks to 168.49, back to the level of February 2018, according to data released on Friday. Goldman Sachs expects home prices in Hong Kong to plummet by 30 per cent by the end of 2023, as sharply increasing interest rates continue pressure affordability and repel investors.

The city will likely suffer a prolonged downcycle, similar to what was seen between 1999 and 2003, due to interest rate hikes, a reversal in liquidity, weakening global and regional economies, and geopolitical concerns, another agent said in mid-October.

Cumulative house prices nosedived about 50 per cent between 1999 and 2003, or about 10 per cent a year, according to the real estate services firm.

“In the worst case scenario, home prices may sink by no less than 30 per cent in the coming two to three years, compared to the peak,” the agent said. “Home prices will not return to 2003 levels, because inflation and other factors far exceed levels seen back then.”

Among 56 housing estates along major railway lines in the city tracked by the agency, nearly 90 per cent of them saw prices per square foot down in the first three quarters, with four of them dropping by more than 20 per cent.

Park Towers in Tin Hau on Hong Kong Island saw the biggest average price decline at 26 per cent from December last year to HK$21,763 per sq ft in September.

The city saw 418 loss-making housing deals in the third quarter amid a stock market slump and increased emigration, according to another agency.

At the Ultima project in Ho Man Tin, one flat measuring 1,410 sq ft changed hands in September for HK$35 million, a loss of HK$8.28 million over the four years since it was previously sold, according to the agency.

The number of foreclosed listings in the city also rose to a 13-year high of 209 in mid-October, approaching the level seen during the 2008 financial crisis, according to the agency.