Tender
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government issued an open tender on 9 November 2007 for the development of the new cruise terminal. With its prominent location, the cruise terminal was expected to be iconic and project an image befitting the position of Hong Kong as “Asia's world city” and a major tourist destination.
The new cruise terminal would comprise, inter alia, about 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) for a baggage handling area, a passenger waiting/queuing area, a customs, immigration and health quarantine area and accommodation for other government departments; a maximum of 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) in the cruise terminal building for such purposes as hotels, retail space, convention halls, offices, shops and eating places; and at least 22,000 square metres (240,000 sq ft) for a landscaped deck.
The Tender Assessment Panel, chaired by the Commissioner for Tourism and comprising representatives of the relevant Government bureaus and departments, will assess the technical aspects as well as the operation and management aspects of the bids. The Tender Assessment Panel was advised by international experts appointed by the Tourism Commission and the Civil Engineering and Development Department.The tender closed at noon on Friday, 7 March 2008 (Hong Kong time).
On 9 July 2008, the Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Frederick Ma announced that the Kai Tak cruise development project will be re-tendered as submissions received in the previous exercise did not conform with requirements. Mr Ma said two submissions were received in the previous tendering exercise which closed in March. One submission called for hotel rooms to be individually sold off, while the other asked to develop more commercial area.
Subject to lawmakers' approval, the Government will re-tender the site by year's end, aiming to award the tender by the third quarter of 2009. The first berth of the new cruise terminal is expected to begin operation by the second quarter of 2013.
Read more about this topic: Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
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