Grander hopes as Central waterfront gets new operator

The Harbourfront Commission believes the public will get to enjoy the Central Harbourfront Event Space more often now that a new operator is set to take over. A Henderson Land Development joint-venture company – Central Grand – has won a five-year contract to start managing the space beginning on July 1. Under the terms of the tenancy, it must open part of the space if at least one third of the area is either unused or not rented out for at least three consecutive days. Commission chairman Ivan Ho told an RTHK radio programme this new stipulation came after past experience showed the venue had not been fully utilised. "In the past, when mega events were held at Central Habourfront, it was bustling," he said. "But in between events, it was always left idle, and the public was unable to use it as well." The company is required, under the Development Bureau’s efforts to broaden the operator’s area of responsibilities, to closely monitor the progress of preparations for events and assess the background of their organisers. This came after passenger rides at the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest at the Central Harbourfront last year were banned after the organiser failed safety tests, which Ho described as not good. By widening Central Grand’s operational responsibilities, as well as requiring it to report regularly on its plans, he said that would allow the government as well as the event-space operator to intervene quickly in the event of an incident. Ho said he is looking forward to seeing Central Grand creating stronger synergies when hosting mega events at Central, given that Henderson Land Development has a lot of commercial outlets. Edited by Tony Sabine