Kai Tak Sports Park project gains ground

With the evaluation of the bids received for the 25-year design, build and operate contract for the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong SAR currently ongoing, the two frontrunners have been revealed by a local newspaper. 

The Hong Kong government invited three pre-qualified consortia to submit bids for the design, build and operate contract for the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will be built on the old airport site.

According to the South China Morning Post, the three invited bidders were Guangzhou R&F Properties, New World Development or Dragages Hong Kong. However, it is known that only two bids were received by the closing date, which was 10 August 2018, which the Post has indicated were from New World Development and Guangzhou R&F Properties.

KPMG and Advisian, together with Leigh and Orange as Technical Services Consultants, are the lead consultants to the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) on the Kai Tak Sports Project.

Alastair Graham, KPMG’s Programme Director on the Project, said:

We have upwards of 60 consultants working in support of the Home Affairs Bureau on the Tender Evaluation, with the expectation that the tender assessment will be completed and the contract will be awarded before the end of 2018. We now have been working on this project for 3½ years.

The new Kai Tak Sports Park will comprise a 50,000-seat stadium, 10,000-seat indoor arena, 5,000-seat sports ground and some 70,000m2 of retail – within a 28 hectare park. It is envisaged that construction will be completed between 2022 and 2023.

Project stats

The Sports Park will provide high-quality sports venues not only for major events but also daily enjoyment by the community. With a wide variety of sports facilities, open space, park features, office accommodation and retail and dining outlets, it is a park to meet the diversified needs of general public, amateur and professional athletes.

The main stadium will offer a seating capacity of around 50,000, with a retractable roof, and will be designed to host international sports events, such as major football and rugby matches, as well as leisure and entertainment events, like concerts, carnivals and large community events.

The multi-purpose indoor sports centre, with a seating capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 depending on event configuration, will provide a playing surface equivalent to around 40 standard badminton courts during non-event days for community badminton, basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports activities.

The public sports ground will offer a seating capacity of around 5,000 and be suitable for school athletic events, local football matches and open for community jogging and exercise.

In addition to a landscaped park and open spaces, the Sports Park will also feature a sports-themed shopping centre for retail, food and beverage. A dining cove will also be developed in conjunction with the Sports Park to enhance the connectivity between the Sports Park and the waterfront.

The Kai Tak Sports Park is the most important investment of the Hong Kong Government in sports infrastructure in recent decades. Occupying 28 hectares of land, the Kai Tak Sports Park is about 9 hectares larger than the Victoria Park and will contribute significantly to sports development of Hong Kong:

• Promoting the enjoyment and benefits of sports for people of different ages and abilities by providing a wide variety of sports facilities which meet a wide range of different needs of the community
• Attracting more major international sports events to Hong Kong
• Supporting elite athletes by providing more opportunities for them to compete on home ground

Closely connected to local communities, the Sports Park will also provide large areas of landscaped park for daily enjoyment of the community. The multi-purpose sports facilities in the Park will meet the increasing needs for facilities for school sports competition and training.

Images, courtesy: Home Affairs Bureau (HAB)

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