Remaining land plots in Cotai reserved for commercial use, DSSCU clarifies

The Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) told the Times that the remaining unused land plots in the Cotai area are designated for commercial use.
This information was provided in response to an inquiry from the Times.

The area includes several land parcels near the Rotunda Flor de Lotus, between the Macao Union Hospital and the developments of gaming concessionaires.

In its response, the DSSCU cited the Urban Master Plan, stating: “According to the ‘Urban Master Plan of the Macau Special Administrative Region (2020-2040),’ the land in question is located in an area designated for commercial use. Detailed plans have not yet been drawn up.”

Although DSSCU noted that the final purpose of the land has not been determined, it emphasized that none of these plots will be used for gaming-related developments.

“The land in question is part of the Macau SAR’s land reserves and will therefore be studied in the future to define its purpose in line with the policies of the Macau SAR Government and considering the needs of social development and general urban planning,” the bureau said.

At this stage, the DSSCU declined to comment on the current earthworks being carried out in the larger portion of the area, which include the construction of land terraces as part of the land preparation process.

Research conducted by the Times revealed that only one of the land parcels has been identified and has an Official Alignment Plan (PAO).

This PAO, dating back to July 2006, described the parcel as having a total area of 62,150 square meters and classified it for the construction of a hotel and casino with a maximum height of 68 meters. However, PAOs are valid for only 12 months after issuance, making this document long expired.

The remaining three parcels have not been identified, and no information is available about them in the Cartography and Cadastre Bureau’s cadastral information network.

Currently, the parcels south of Estrada Flor de Lotus are being used to support the construction of the Light Rapid Transit extension lines to Seac Pai Van and Hengqin, as well as their respective connection stations and the construction of the Macao Union Hospital.

The Urban Master Plan, valid until 2040, came into effect almost three years ago, on February 15, 2022, dividing Macau into 18 zones. According to the plan, Macau’s territorial area is expected to grow to 36.8 square kilometers by 2040.

The plan is complemented by detailed plans for each of the 18 zones.

So far, only one of these detailed plans, related to the East-2 area, has been addressed and approved (on February 28, 2024). This plan covers Zone A of the new landfills.

The new government, led by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, is expected to announce the start of procedures for creating at least one more detailed plan in its 2025 policy address.