HK$25 million, star-studded proposal for former Police Married Quarters

The Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture (HKICC) has pulled together a handful of female big wigs to each contribute HK$5 million to develop the former Police Married Quarters into a creative hub. 

The colonial-era building located on Hollywood Road has become a source of contention between four main parties who each want to take over the property for their own charitable purposes. One of the contenders, the HKICC, has revealed that their proposal includes Pansy Ho and four other female executives who have each pledged an equal amount to the total development fund of HK$25 million, enough to cover operational costs for the first five years.

Should the HKICC win the bid, they say art and design celebrities here in Hong Kong such as filmmaker Sylvia Chang, pop icon Anthony Wong Yiu-ming and G.O.D. founder Douglas Young have been convinced to become anchor tenants of the creative center. These tenants will take up 60 percent of the property and must comply with special requirements, such as holding workshops and lectures in their alloted space as well as nurturing at least one apprentice per year. The plan also includes using the Police Married Quarters as a testing ground for new creative products -- some of the G.O.D.'s latest designs will be sold exclusively at the Quarters.

Hong Kong Economic Times founder Lawrence Fung is also in the running to use the Quarters for his charity, and his spokesman challenged HKICC's flashy plan: "These celebrity anchor tenants are already successful, why do they need our help?"

The results of the bid will be announced in the policy address this October.