Hong Kong NGOs have been invited to submit proposals to operate and maintain Hong Kong’s “move walk” – the Avenue of Stars – and Salisbury Garden located on the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront. The invitation included national security stipulations.
New World Development’s agreement to operate on the site expires in April next year, 20 years after the its opening in 2004. The developer, which devoted HK$40 million to the design and construction of the project, has been operating the Avenue of Stars since then.
Salisbury Garden is separately managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).
In a statement issued on Thursday, the LCSD invited organisations to manage the site for a 15-year period. Operators will have to manage it for eight years, after which their term will be renewed for a further seven pending a review.
The deadline for organisations to submit proposals is 5pm, on November 23 this year.
Proposals invited
“To further enhance the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront with a view to provide a synergistic arts, culture, tourism, leisure and sports public space, the LCSD is inviting interested organisations to submit proposals for the management, operation, maintenance and further enhancement of the Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden for a period of 15 years starting April 2024,” the statement read.
AOS Management, a subsidiary of NWD that functions as a “special purpose company” for the management of the Avenue of Stars, told Ming Pao it welcomed the government’s decision to invite proposals, adding that it will actively consider the service requirements.
The operator will be required to secure funding through fundraising and commercial operations to ensure a “financially self-sustaining basis,” and all proceeds must be used in the operation of the sites, according to the invitation brief.
It may also solicit donations from private or public organisations, trust funds, or other legal entities.
The operator will be responsible for security, cleaning, hygiene, and horticultural services, and for implementing ongoing improvements and beautification plans to “maintain and rejuvenate the Sites as an attractive destination.”
The operator will also be responsible for arts, culture, and tourism events, and other programmes for “public enjoyment.” It will also bear the costs of those operations and handle marketing and promotions.
National security
The LCSD also listed national security concerns, saying the government reserves the right to disqualify applicants if they are engaged in acts “likely to cause or constitute the occurrence of offences endangering national security.”
The government may also terminate the service agreement with the operator if they have engaged in acts that pose national security risks, according to the brief.
Authorities on Monday invited proposals to operate and maintain the premises of an arts venue, the Fringe Club. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said that whoever runs the arts space should be able to terminate contracts with anyone they engage if their contractors acted “contrary to the interest of national security.”
The new lease will last for three years, starting as early as April 2024. Before 2022, the Fringe Club’s lease lasted for five years.
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