灣仔中國恆大中心全幢備受注目，該廈去年由接管人委託測量師行，推出公開招標，財團出價審慎，擾攘多時未落實，根據外電最新引述消息人士指，由於接獲出價未達要求，項目最終流標收場。

中國恆大中心全幢去年被接管後，推出招標，商廈市場吹淡風，財團表現審慎，擾攘多時落實。昨日有外電引述兩名消息人士透露，由於接獲出價未達要求，該全幢最終流標收場。本報昨日亦向負責該全幢招標的代理行查詢，發言人則回應指，未收到任何最新消息，未有任何回應。

外電：出價未達要求

中國恆大中心全幢作為中國恒大總部，恒大以該全幢作抵押，換取76億貸款融資，債權人為國企中信銀行旗下的中信銀行國際，當恒大陷入財務危機後，於2021年，國企越秀地產曾計畫以105億收購該全幢，惟最終考慮到恒大未償還負債，將為交易帶來潛在不穩定因素，遭越秀董事會反對計畫，收購方案最終被推倒。

代理行：未有任何回應

該廈於去年兩度推出招標，首先去年7月，在該廈未被接管時，由恒大推出招標，恒大主席許家印曾高調表示，意向價100億。當時，長實更率先確認入標，市傳獲數家財團入標，不過，由於出價與意向價相距大，未能成功出售。

去年兩度推出招標

去年9月，該全幢由安邁企業諮詢接管後，委託代理行標售，去年9月25日推出，10月31日截標，市場估值80億至90億，該代理行曾表示，逾10家財團有興趣。不過，根據市場消息透露，截標反應未如預期，在商廈市況低迷下，財團紛以審慎保守價投標，與估值80億至90億有距離。

中國恒大於2015年11月向華置購入灣仔告士打道38號美國萬通大廈全幢，作價125億，呎價高達3.6萬，造價及呎價雙破頂，創當時本港商廈歷來最高紀錄，及後大廈易名中國恆大中心，作為集團在港總部。該廈佔地23021方呎，樓高27層，總面積345423方呎，寫字樓每層面積介乎12000至14000方呎，物業提供55個車位。

(星島日報)

更多中國恆大中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：中國恆大中心寫字樓出租

更多灣仔區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：灣仔區甲級寫字樓出租

新世界 KOHO 全幢獲洽 準買家出價逾16億

近期積極出售非核心物業的新世界，最新旗下觀塘全幢商廈 KOHO，獲準買家出價洽購，出價逾16億，有機會於短期內成事。

平均呎價7309元

繼早前沽出新蒲崗全幢酒店，市場消息透露，新世界旗下觀塘鴻圖道73至75號 KOHO，獲準買家積極洽購，出價逾16億，以該廈總樓面約21.89萬計算，平均呎價約7309元，昨日更有市場消息盛傳該廈已告易手，惟有關消息未獲證實。該廈樓高13層，1樓至12樓為寫字樓，地下為停車場及商店，每層樓面面積由16000至24500方呎，新世界發展於2014年10月，以約16億購入項目。

觀塘首幢活化工廈

早於今年9月，新世界就該廈向城規會申請放寬地積比率20%，興建一幢樓高29層商廈，項目佔地盤約20001方呎，地積比率擬由12倍提升至14.4倍，提供辦公室、商店及服務行業和食肆用途，落成後總樓面約28.8萬方呎，較現有樓面多出逾30%。KOHO 前身為建大工業大廈，2013年，鵬里資產於以9.8億購入，斥資1.7億將之活化成商廈，是觀塘區首幢活化工廈，易名為 KOHO (Kowloon Head Office)，隨後售予新世界。

(星島日報)

更多KOHO寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：KOHO 寫字樓出租

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新地擁540萬呎商業樓面 西九大地主

隨着西九高鐵站用地批出及西九文化區項目陸續推出，九龍站一帶未來數年將新增逾530萬平方呎樓面供應。計入現有的商業項目，新地 (00016) 已擁涉逾540萬平方呎樓面，陸續鞏固區內勢力。

九龍站一帶較具規模的商業樓面供應非新地旗下九龍站上蓋環球貿易廣場 (ICC) 莫屬，所涉總樓面達295萬平方呎，但未來該帶將會陸續有更多新項目，當中大部分由新地擁有，進一步穩固區內勢力。

新供應集中西九文化區

未來的新供應之中，部分來自西九文化區。整個西九文化區佔地約38.6公頃，面積相等於2個維園 (19公頃)，除了提供博物館、藝術館、表演場地外，亦設有零售、商業及酒店樓面等。按過往規劃，西九文化區總樓面約916.4萬平方呎，4成屬於文化藝術用途，其餘約394.6萬平方呎或43%作為酒店、辦公室或住宅，及約148.9萬平方呎，約佔16%用作零售、餐飲及消閒設施，1%作政府、機構或社區用途。

而其中的藝術廣場大樓項目之發展及營運權已由新地於去年11月投得，並需以「建造、營運及移交」模式負責藝術廣場大樓項目的設計、建造、融資、市場推廣、租賃、管理等工作。該項目由3幢商業大樓組成，總樓面面積合共約69.97萬平方呎，其中約67.2萬平方呎作辦公室用途，零售/餐飲/消閒用途則佔約2.69萬平方呎。

值得一提的是，上述項目曾於去年2月截標，惟西九管理局隨後在6月表示，決定不接受任何標書，並且修訂方案在同年9月重新招標。事實上，除了上述項目，西九文化區管理局亦有另一商業項目待推出，所指的是西隧出口上方的ACE (藝術、商業、展覽) 項目，總樓面約145萬平方呎，包括興建1個約50萬平方呎的展覽中心、酒店、辦公室及零售用途等。

高鐵站商業地 樓面達316萬呎

至於區內另一大型商業樓面供應西九高鐵站商業地，同由新地於2019年以約422億元奪得，總樓面高達約316.5萬平方呎。不過，中國平安 (02318) 旗下的平安人壽其後於2020年斥資約112.73億元入股項目的辦公大廈約30%權益，成郭氏家族公司後、項目的另一長綫策略性投資者。據新地年報所示，新地持有約115.4萬平方呎寫字樓，及整個零售樓面 (涉約60.3萬平方呎)，即合共約175.7萬平方呎總樓面。

換言之，西九管理局旗下2個商業項目及西九高鐵站用地，日後有望增逾530萬平方呎商業樓面供應。若計入環球貿易廣場 (ICC)、前述藝術廣場大樓及高鐵站用地，集團已經手持區內3個大型商業項目，即逾540萬平方呎商業樓面，可謂是區內大地主。

(經濟日報)

更多環球貿易廣場寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：環球貿易廣場寫字樓出租

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Tender for Evergrande tower in Hong Kong 'lapses again'

A tender for the sale of embattled China Evergrande's (3333) headquarters in Hong Kong has lapsed again, two sources with knowledge of the matter said yesterday, because the offer prices and terms fell short of requirements.

Lenders to the office tower, China Evergrande Centre, valued at between HK$8 billion and HK$9 billion, appointed a receiver in September to seize the asset and tender it for sale with a bid deadline of October 31.

The tower had been pledged against a loan of HK$7.6 billion from lenders led by the Hong Kong subsidiary of Chinese state-owned China Citic Bank (0998).

One of the sources close to Citic said the lenders may put the asset on sale again when market conditions are more stable than in the second half of last year.

Citic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Evergrande and the agent for the tender sale, declined to comment.

Evergrande, saddled with liabilities of more than US$300 billion (HK$2.34 trillion), is at the centre of China's unprecedented property sector crisis and had been trying to sell the 27-story tower to raise cash before it was seized.

Reuters reported in July that Evergrande was looking to sell the tower, located in the busy commercial district of Wan Chai, by tender, but drew only a couple of bids, with offers below HK$10 billion and its 2015 HK$12.5 billion purchase price.

CK Asset (1113), billionaire Li Ka-shing's real estate unit, also submitted a bid for the building at that time.

The 2021 collapse of a potential US$1.7 billion deal to sell the building to Chinese state-owned Yuexiu Property (0123) dealt a blow to Evergrande's efforts to divest assets to repay creditors after missing interest payments on offshore bonds.

Evergrande's land in Yuen Long was sold by receivers last November, with the defaulted developer projecting a loss of about US$770 million. The site, which was used as security for a financing transaction worth US$520 million, was sold for US$636.9 million.

The troubled builder failed to deliver its offshore debt-restructuring plan by the end of last year, missing its self-imposed deadline for the second time.

On New Year's Day, chairman Hui Ka-yan said in a letter to employees that this year will be a "crucial year" for the developer to fulfil home delivery to buyers and he trusted the firm would be able to repay all its debt.

(The Standard)

For more information of Office for Lease at China Evergrande Centre please visit: Office for Lease at China Evergrande Centre

For more information of Grade A Office for Lease in Wan Chai please visit: Grade A Office for Lease in Wan Chai

Luxury lodge slashes asking price by 40pc

The asking price for a luxury project in Jardine's Lookout has been cut by about 40 percent to HK$500 million amid the sluggish property market.

Located at 4 Moorsom Road in Jardine's Lookout, 83.33 percent ownership of the luxury Moorsom Lodge has been put for tender by the homeowners jointly, a surveyor said.

They aim to cash in HK$500 million, or HK$50,854 per sq ft based on the rebuildable floor area of 9,832 square feet.

Moorsom Lodge measures about 13,109 sq ft in site area and has six homes. The tender closes on February 23.

However, the new asking price is 39 percent lower than the intended price of HK$820 million for 100 percent ownership in 2018, as the homeowners take the sluggish property market and the falling home prices into consideration.

The surveyor said buyers can buy the remaining units through private negotiation or compulsory auction to consolidate ownership, with the total acquisition cost of the lot expected to be about HK$600 million.

After acquiring all of the ownership, the surveyor expects the project to be redeveloped into two 5,000-sq-ft villas plus facilities like a garden and a swimming pool on an area of 4,000 sq ft, bringing the asking price to more than HK$120,000 per sq ft upon completion.

Meanwhile, three flats at St. George's Mansions in Ho Man Tin, developed by Sino Land (0083) and CLP Group (0002) were sold for HK$276 million, at prices ranging from HK$46,176 to HK$47,991 per sq ft.

Citibank Hong Kong says home prices could slide by another 5 percent this quarter amid rising interest rates but may rebound by 5 percent in the second half.

(The Standard)

Hong Kong home prices: Citibank predicts U-shaped recovery, matches Morgan Stanley’s 5 per cent upside for 2023

Hong Kong’s home prices will drop 5 per cent in the first quarter, before gaining 5 per cent towards the end of the year, Citi said in a report

Property transactions in the city slumped to a 32-year low of 59,604 in 2022, 38 per cent lower than a year earlier, according to a property agency’s estimates

Citibank has joined Morgan Stanley in predicting a U-shaped recovery for Hong Kong’s home prices, with the reopening of the city’s border with the mainland to provide a much-needed boost.

Home prices in the city will drop 5 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, before gaining 5 per cent towards the end of the year, Citi said in a research report on Tuesday led by Ken Yeung.

“After a sharp drop in Hong Kong home prices, down 15 per cent in 2022, amid rapid rate rises, Hong Kong’s residential market is starting to see positive drivers that we think will lead to a bottoming of prices in the first quarter of 2023 and a U-shaped recovery,” the report said.

Hong Kong's home prices dropped by the most in 14 years in November, with analysts predicting another 2.5 per cent decline in December, bringing an end to a 13-year rally. In the first 11 months of 2022, home prices fell by 13.8 per cent and 14.75 per cent since hitting an all-time high in September 2021.

A market index meanwhile has declined 18.07 per cent since its peak of 191.34 in early August 2021.

Citi’s forecast came as property transactions nosedived to a 32-year low of 59,604 in 2022, 38 per cent lower compared with a year earlier, according to estimates compiled by the agency on Tuesday. It is lower than the previous estimate of 64,000 by another agency.

The number of first-hand home sales hit a nine-year low of 10,262 last year, while the number of second-hand deals hit 31,814, the lowest since records started in 1996, according to the agency.

Citi said its forecast is based on four “potential catalysts”. These are: population changes turning favourable, local mortgage rates peaking in the second quarter, border reopening unleashing pent-up demand and policy relaxation in the first quarter if home prices drop more than estimated.

Hong Kong is aiming for quarantine-free travel with mainland China as early as January 8 to pave the way for a full reopening of the border, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said in his weekly blog on Sunday, echoing Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s sentiments.

The border reopening with the mainland will not only help boost the economy but also the housing market, Chan said in his blog on Sunday.

Hong Kong’s home prices are expected to bottom out in the second quarter and rise 5 per cent by the end of 2023, following a sharp decline in 2022, Morgan Stanley said in a report on December 6.

This is in contrast to the consensus expectation of a further decline of 5 to 15 per cent, Morgan Stanley said, adding that a peaking of rates and reduced outflow of people because of the border reopening between Hong Kong and the mainland will provide the impetus for housing prices this year.

Last year, the property market was weak because of the pandemic and interest rate increases, agent said.

“The slowdown in interest rate hikes in the United States, withdrawal of anti-epidemic measures by the government and the news of the imminent border reopening has improved the sentiment of the property market,” the agent said.