Two more Tai Wo Hau factory tenants secured new premises
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    Two more displaced tenants of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate have secured new premises at another restricted tender exercise held by the Housing Department today (May 18).

     This brings the total number of displaced tenants having secured new premises under these tender exercises to ten.  There are now 153 remaining tenancies at Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate scheduled for clearance in October this year.

     Today's tender exercise, the fifth restricted tender exercise held so far for displaced tenants of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate, attracted bidding from three tenants.  At the end of the exercise, two tenants have bided and secured new premises.

     "A total of 29 sets of factory units covering about 2,000 square metres were offered to displaced tenants wishing to re-establish businesses in other factory estates under the Housing Authority," the Assistant Director of Housing (Estate Management), Mr. Lai Ip-cheung said.

     "The units include 19 sets with permitted floor loading up to 1,500 kg per sq. m., among them four sets with ceiling height at 4.28 metres, suitable for the accommodation of heavy plants and machineries required by the nature of trade operated by some displaced tenants," he said.

     The factory units comprise six sets of 21 units at Wang Cheong Factory Estate in Cheung Sha Wan, four sets of eight units at Yip On Factory Estate in Kowloon Bay, three sets of six units at Chun Shing Factory Estate in Kwai Chung, three sets of eight units at Kwai On Factory Estate in Kwai Chung; five sets of nine units at Hoi Tai Factory Estate in Tuen Mun and eight sets of 24 units at Sui Fai Factory Estate in Sha Tin.

     "For tenants wishing to relocate to factory units in the private sector, the Rating and Valuation Department's Property Review reported that there was 1.3 million sq. m. factory space vacant in the private sector by the end of 2005," he said.

     Since the announcement of the clearance of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate in April last year, five restricted tender exercises and six open instant tender exercises had been held providing a total of 107 and 226 sets of factory units for bidding.

     In line with established practice, a three-month rent-free period  will also be offered to tenants leasing HA factory units, or they can choose to obtain a cash sum of $4,700 per unit in lieu.

     Built in 1961-1966, Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate comprises one four-storey block, one five-storey block and one seven-storey block without lift service. There are 1 035.5 units with standard sizes of 18 square metres or 24 square metres.

Ends/Thursday, May 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 21:15

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