HK$600 million for Hong Kong exhibition hall justified for educational value: development chief

Bernadette Linn says hall will showcase city’s urban development projects and estimated cost is comparable with similar facilities in city

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An exhibition on the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands project organised by Hong Kong’s Civil Engineering and Development Department in February 2023. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 7:00pm, 24 Oct 2024Updated: 7:20pm, 24 Oct 2024

Hong Kong’s development minister on Thursday defended the HK$600 million (US$77.2 million) price tag for a proposed exhibition hall to showcase the city’s significant urban development, highlighting the educational value of the plan.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said the estimated cost was comparable with similar facilities in the city, after lawmakers grilled officials earlier this week over the necessity of building the gallery in Wan Chai at a cost of between HK$600 million and HK$700 million.

Some also wondered whether the government was fully utilising the prime site by building the exhibition hall to display the city’s other developments such as the Northern Metropolis – a project that will turn a 30,000-hectare (74,000-acre) area near the mainland Chinese border into an innovation and technology hub – and the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands.

Linn said the Wan Chai exhibition hall would not only showcase such significant urban development projects but also serve as a “vital educational resource” for residents, particularly students.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn says the proposed exhibition hall will have “educational value”, especially for students. Photo: Edmond So

She also clarified that while the contents of the exhibits could change over time, the building would be a permanent one.