Hong Kong will redevelop 3 towers in Wan Chai into convention centre: city leader

John Lee also reaffirms pledge to spend an average of HK$90 billion per year on public works

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Immigration Tower in Wan Chai. Photo: Antony Dickson

Published: 12:42pm, 14 Jan 2025Updated: 10:15pm, 14 Jan 2025

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said his administration will “go ahead as planned” to redevelop three towers in Wan Chai into a new wing of the Convention and Exhibition Centre despite moving a former leader’s office into one of the buildings to “save government money”.

Lee on Tuesday also reaffirmed a pledge to spend an average of HK$90 billion (US$11.6 billion) per year on public works in the coming years, after finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po suggested setting out a priority list for infrastructure projects to help contain government spending.

The office of former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor earlier confirmed an exclusive Post report on Sunday that it would be relocating to the Immigration Tower for at least three years.

The tower, one of three buildings at a government office compound in Wan Chai, was previously expected to be vacated by the end of 2027. It will be rebuilt into a new complex that will add 30,000 square metres (322,917 sq ft) of floor space for conventions and trade fairs as well as about 500 hotel rooms by 2034.

Lee stressed that “the Wan Chai redevelopment plan will go ahead as planned” as he spoke at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of a weekly meeting of the Executive Council, the city’s decision-making body.

“But it is important for the government to make good use of resources, so while the redevelopment plan will go ahead, the buildings that have been vacated, we should make good use of them,” he said.

“That is why we are now renovating the [office] there so as to allow the former chief executive to move in. That will save government money and also ensure government resources are properly utilised.”