火炭区集工业住宅发展一身

火炭工业区属于新界区规模比较大的工业区之一，近年政府及私人发展商在区内发展多个住宅项目，涉及近9,000伙，但区内仍然工厦林立，并且将有新的工业地推出，令该区住宅及工业区的定位变得含糊。

松头下路与桂地街地 估值逾33亿

作为新界传统工业地区之一的火炭，面积达30公顷，属于新界区其中一个比较具规模及早期成熟的工业。而据规划署《2014年全港工业用地分区研究》，区内共有45幢工厦，一般楼龄逾30年以上，其餘一半则介乎15至30年楼龄，反映区内工厦有老化迹象，但由于近8成的工厦属于分散业权，要重建转型的困难颇大。同时，由于区内空置率低至约1.5%，远低于新界区工厦的平均约3.5%，因此当局在几年前决定维持工业区的定位。

政府更在今季推出一幅松头下路与桂地街交界的工业用地，该地前身为停车场空地，邻近晋名峰及九巴车厂停车场，预计将于下月初截标。该地皮佔地约9.9万平方呎，地皮呈梯形形状，预计最高可建楼面近94.2万平方呎，市场估值介乎33亿元至38亿元不等，每平方呎楼面地价约3,500至4,000元，属于火炭区多年来再度有工业地皮推出。

房委3项目 涉6482伙

政府在火炭再推工业地的同时，房委会近年在区内却有3个公营房屋项目，合共涉及6,482伙，包括纳入2019年居屋的旭禾苑(涉830伙)，以及现时借用作隔离营的公屋骏洋邨(涉4,846伙)，前者原本是火炭平房区旧址，之后才由工业地改划成住宅发展。至于将于今年推售的新居屋彩禾苑则位于禾上墩街，提供806伙，与近日被政府用作「检疫中心」骏洋邨仅一街之隔，每层约有3伙属「三房两厕」间隔，提供较多大型单位，估计售价由约252万元至约489万元，平均每平方呎售价约为7,550元。

另一边厢，邻近港铁火炭站旁的前惠康货仓项目，亦获中资财团中洲申请，连同火炭站及坳背湾街巴士站用地，一併发展成约2,443伙的大型私人住宅项目。当中中洲涉及的第一期项目，已经在2017年完成约35.8亿元补地价，获批兴建为4幢楼高40至46层的住宅楼宇，将提供约1,296伙，其中7成为430至750平方呎的中小型户。

火炭工业区虽然出现不少公私营住宅发展项目，但由于区内仍然工厦林立，再加上政府再推工业地，相信短中期内工厦及住宅混杂的情况都不会改变，未来发展定位将会更为含糊。

(经济日报)

长沙湾工厦申重建 提供21万呎

活化工厦政策吸引财团重建物业，第一集团旗下的长沙湾大南西街项目申请重建，拟建一幢29层高的新式工厦，提供约21万呎楼面。该物业为第一集团于2018年以12.5亿元购入。

物业位于大南西街1016至1018号，地盘面积约1.48万平方呎，申请人拟略为放宽地积比率限制，以不高于14.4倍地积比率重建一幢新式工厦，重建后可提供约213,966呎楼面，申请人指，项目将提供垂直绿化供大南西街及永康街途人观赏，并于二楼平台及天台提供绿化空间作舒适开放空间，减低社区温室效应。

(经济日报)

Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels rents slashed. Is city’s luxury property set for a historic rout?

Is Hong Kong’s luxury residential market set for a historic rout in the months ahead?

Last week, a 5,630 sq ft duplex unit on the 50th and 51st floor of Arezzo development at 33 Seymour Road in Mid-Levels was leased for a monthly rent of HK$100,000, according to the city’s Land Registry. The HK$17.80 per square foot price tag is half the average rate on small and medium-sized homes in the city tracked by property agency.

The eye-catching transaction in the property owned by Taiwanese actress Wu Pei-chi, suggests the rates have crashed. Others dismissed it as an anomaly, or a “mate’s rates” deal.

One thing is for sure, the city’s recession-hit economy is about to be roiled by another round of political turmoil, casting a pall on the industry. Over the past 12 to 18 months, trade war, social unrest, and the coronavirus pandemic have combined to erode high-end rents by 15 per cent in the city, according to property agency.

Now, the national security law is raising serious questions about its status as a hub for multinationals and banks, which traditionally provide the city’s landlords with a rich pool of renters among their expatriates and other high-earning executives.

“The downward trend will continue for a while because at the moment, we do not see many positive supporting factors in the leasing market,” property agent said.

Like other parts of the property market, Hong Kong has become a tenants’ market.Even the budgets for high-end renters are being squeezed as companies trimmed costsduring the economic slump. Owners appear to be prepared to cut rents, rather thanselling their assets at a loss, according to property agency.

The agent has seen people downgrading from monthly rents of HK$200,000 andHK$300,000 to the HK$100,000-HK$150,000 bracket, or even to the subHK$100,000 levels.

The slower demand for leasing in luxury residential properties is likely to also pressure capital values, he added, Many of these properties are held as long term investments and the decline of rents is eroding the expected return.

The capital values of luxury residential properties fell by 8.6 per cent from the highest in the second quarter of 2019, according to a property agency report published last month. The agent said the decline has reached 15 per cent based on his observation over the past 12 months.

Arezzo is a 48-storey development by Swire Properties in 2014. There are three flats on each floor, and served by three passenger lifts and one service lift per floor. The transaction in mid-June raised eyebrows because the rate was a deep discount to the going rates of HK$55 to HK$82 per square foot, based on online listings at squarefoot.com.hk.
“This is obviously not a market-based rental as it was leased to a friend on ‘mate's rates’ so it's not reflective of the market,” another property agent said, pointing to other better indicators. “It will have no impact on the neighbourhood.”
Still, rents are on a slippery slope.
For example, a 2,777 sq ft flat at 3 Headland Road in Repulse Bay was rented out at HK$190,000 per month in April, or HK$68.40 per sq ft, according to property agents who declined to be named because the information is private. The rate was 36 per cent lower than the previous lease, according to agents.

For another, a 2,742 sq ft house at 66 Deep Water Bay was recently leased out at a monthly rate of HK$200,000, or HK$72.90 per square foot, reflection a 29 per cent slide from the previous lease.

Prices for such high-end residential homes could drop by another five to 10 per cent in the near future, the agent said.

(South China Morning Post)