AAB

A rare, 86-year-old tenement corner house in Sham Shui Po may be torn down - despite been named a grade-two historic building.

The three-storey block is situated at the intersection of Castle Peak and Fat Tseung roads.

A grade-two listing means a building has special merit and efforts should be made to at least partially preserve it, but provides no legal protection.

However, when the Antiquities Advisory Board endorsed the grading on Thursday afternoon, government officials said the owner had made an application to demolish the building.

The board’s chairman, Douglas So, says the grading can help officials to negotiate with the owner.

He said the Antiquities and Monuments Office had written to the owner, but had yet to receive an answer.