Gov’t proposes coastal commercial, park redevelopment for Inner Harbour

[Photo: Yuki Lei]

A new plan to turn the Inner Harbour into a seaside shopping and park promenade was unveiled at a recent public consultation on amendments to the urban master plan.

The final public consultation session on the first draft amendment to the urban plan was held recently, with several Inner Harbour residents voicing concerns over the area’s function and future development, and calling for a serious reassessment of how to properly preserve the value of the district.

The Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) director Lai Weng Leong said at the consultation session that the current revision does not change the Inner Harbour’s original positioning. He noted that the first version of the plan had already included the Inner Harbour within the “one river, two banks cooperation axis” and the coastal development zone, with the long-term vision being a gradual transformation from traditional cargo and warehousing functions into a “coastal commercial street and waterfront park.”

Lai said some projects were already being implemented, including renovations at Ponte 16 and Piers 12 and 14. The government fully respects the Inner Harbour’s history and current operational realities, he added. The area is home to numerous pier facilities stretching from north to south, some of which remain in active use and handle substantial cargo volumes that support local livelihoods, so existing storage and logistics facilities will continue to operate.

“The goal is to transform it into a commercial area. Currently, it is a warehousing zone, and only part of the plan has been implemented – for example, the Ponte 16 hotel and Piers 12 and 14 are now being renovated,” the official said.

“For now, the government is allowing the warehousing and pier facilities to continue operating, and we are not ruling out anything for the future. We are thinking about how to make the Inner Harbour better while also meeting residents’ daily needs and revitalizing the area,” he added.

Lai added that authorities would continue to study how to optimize the Inner Harbour while balancing residents’ needs, and that these considerations would be factored into future detailed planning.

Meanwhile, heritage conservation must go beyond static preservation, authorities said, as they consider introducing commercial elements into tourism and cultural areas and heritage sites. The latest master plan revisions reflect recent heritage listings, while technical guidelines on scenic view corridors will be refined in future studies. Government departments are now working on balancing conservation with future development and operations.