Site Near Disney Eyed For Sports, Cultural Events

Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Edward Yau said on Wednesday that the government may lease out a site reserved for Hong Kong Disneyland as a temporary venue for sports and cultural events.

The theme park operator was given the option in 1999 to buy the vacant land for its second phase expansion. The option will expire in 2020, but could be extended until 2030.

Replying to questions about the land, which is lying idle, Yau said the government is now in talks about leasing it out on a short-term basis.

But the secretary said he can't disclose more details as talks are ongoing.

Replying to lawmakers Andrew Wan and Alice Mak, the secretary said the government has no plans to use the land for temporary housing. He said under the deal with the park operator, the land can only be used only for purposes that are compatible with Hong Kong Disneyland's activities.

He also said Disneyland, which started in 2005, had attracted around 70 million visitors by 2017. He said the rate of visitor arrivals had started to grow last year after showing a dip in the two previous years.

Yau said from the 6.2 million visitors last year, the figure is projected to grow to over 9 million by 2030.

Architectural sector lawmaker Tony Tse said he was disappointed that the secretary did not provide any details about the planned use of the site.