中环、金鐘一带属本港的商业核心地带，当中金鐘料将有罕见的大型商业楼面供应，而构思多年的金鐘廊重建发展计划，终于有最新进展，料最快有机会在1至2年内推出招标，预计将会为该区新增逾100万平方呎的商业楼面。

规划署早年已委託顾问，就金鐘廊重建计划进行可行性研究，而政府上月底已就开展金鐘廊重建发展计划的拟建道路工程刊宪，涉及工程包括兴建两条有盖高架行人道，接驳添马天桥和海富中心，及连接金鐘廊重建发展项目与海富中心，并兴建地下通道连接金鐘廊重建发展项目及港铁站等。此外，工程亦会永久封闭部分行人路及行车道，以进行改建工程。

两部分发展 建餐饮零售商厦

根据规划署文件，署方建议将地皮分两部分发展，其中东面邻近统一中心的地盘佔地约6.7万平方呎，计划重建48层高商厦，当中38层为写字楼，涉约86.2万平方呎，而西面地盘 (即现有金鐘廊行人通道) 则会保留，提供约2.6万平方呎餐饮及零售楼面，两者合共提供逾100万平方呎的商业楼面。

事实上，金鐘廊用地属金鐘商业核心区一带规模较大的商业楼面供应。去年发展局曾指，拟建的道路工程早前接获反对意见，并需按法例调解，待法定程序完成后，局方将会适时把金鐘廊用地纳入卖地表中。虽然未有实际的推地时间表，惟市场估计，地皮有机会于1至2年内推出，而有测量师预料，用地估值介乎逾280亿至300亿元，每平方呎楼面地价约2.8万至3万元。

而早年政府亦曾就位处金鐘廊对面的高等法院用地，研究将其腾空，并作商业发展。据估计，该用地佔地约10万平方呎，若以地积比率15倍发展，将可提供多达150万平方呎商业楼面，估计将是仅次去年批予恒地 (00012) 的中环新海滨3号商业用地，中环、金鐘一带的大型商业项目。

至于位于中环、金鐘交界亦有两个重建项目最快明年落成，包括恒地早于2017年以每平方呎楼面地价约5万元投得的美利道地王项目，发展商早前已就项目命名为The Henderson，将重建成1座36层，另设5层地库的甲级商厦，涉及总楼面面积约46.5万平方呎，料于2023年落成。另一项目为长实和记大厦重建项目，发展商早年宣布，将会重建1幢楼高约41层的商厦，总楼面面积涉逾49万平方呎。

(经济日报)

更多统一中心写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：统一中心写字楼出租

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更多金鐘区甲级写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：金鐘区甲级写字楼出租

船务公司呎租30 落户观塘甲厦全层

东九龙甲厦续录搬迁个案，船务公司租用观塘宏利广场 (前称ITT) 全层3.5万平方呎，呎租约30元，搬迁略减楼面而提升办公室级数。

涉宏利广场低层3.5万呎

市场消息指，观塘宏利广场录得全层租务，涉及物业低层全层，面积约3.5万平方呎，以每平方呎约30元租出。据了解，新租客为ZIM，为以色列大型船务公司。据了解，该租客原租用同区活化商厦项目建生广场，涉及逾4万平方呎，是次搬迁稍减少楼面，但可升级至甲厦，属提升办公室质素。

宏利广场前身为国际贸易中心 (ITT)，该厦于过去一年多，录得多宗大手租务，包括DHL、宏利保险等，其中宏利保险租用14.5万平方呎楼面，获大厦命名权。

欧陆贸易中心 呎租约52元

其他租务方面，消息指，中环欧陆贸易中心低层3B室，面积约1,191平方呎，成交呎租约52元。

代理表示，半山坚道119至125号金坚大厦地下01号铺，面积约1,300平方呎，获连锁超级市场租客以每月约9万元承租，平均呎租约69元。资料显示，物业上手租客为连锁个人护理产品店，租金同约9万元。

(经济日报)

更多宏利广场写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：宏利广场写字楼出租

更多观塘区甲级写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：观塘区甲级写字楼出租

更多欧陆贸易中心写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：欧陆贸易中心写字楼出租

更多中环区甲级写字楼出租楼盘资讯请参阅：中环区甲级写字楼出租

Special stamp duty revenues at record low

Special stamp duty revenues fell to a record low of HK$12.9 billion last year while the number of transactions plunged nearly 70 percent with fewer mainlanders buying and less corporate deals.

But the residential market performed well in the low interest rate environment.

Stamp duties for residential units surged 40.5 percent to around HK$12.9 billion in 2021 from 12 months previously, figures from the Inland Revenue Department show.

The department received HK$2.1 billion in special stamp duties in December - more than double in November - though the volume rose only 5.28 percent.

The clamor by Hongkongers for homes is also reflected in mortgage insurance statistics.

The number of loans drawn down last year advanced 28.5 percent year-on-year to 23,845 while the amount soared 34.8 percent to HK$132.5 billion. Both were new records, the Hong Kong Mortgage Corp states. The approved application figure as well as the money involved also set records, the HKMC data showed.

Back in the primary market, Henderson Land Development (0012) is expected to unveil a first price list as soon as this week for the Harmonie in Cheung Sha Wan.

Henderson will be responsible for the sale of 318 units out of the total 337 units and the other 19 will be sold by the Urban Renewal Authority.

A brochure is now available, said Thomas Lam Tat-man, a general manager in Henderson's sales department, and the first round of sales may take place before the Lunar New Year.

The 318 homes include two- and three-bedroom units, Lam added. Saleable areas are from 322 square feet to 457 sq ft.

Elsewhere, the embattled HNA Group chairman, Chen Feng, sold a 4,241-sq-ft house at Twelve Peaks on The Peak for around HK$390 million. That is about HK$116 million, or 23 percent, lower than the purchase price in 2015.

(The Standard)

Wealthy Hong Kong buyers opt for multiple units in new developments as they seek larger space, amenities

Buyers are spending huge amounts on multiple flats in new projects from Pak Shek Kok in Tai Po to South Land in Wong Chuk Hang despite the extra 15 per cent stamp duty

A buyer spent HK$131.84 million this month on three units with a total area of 5,454 sq ft on the same floor at Great Eagle Holdings’ Ontolo project in Pak Shek Kok

The trend of buying multiple homes in Hong Kong’s new developments is likely to pick up as wealthy buyers opt for larger spaces for their families amid the pandemic, according to market observers.

In new housing estates from Ontolo in Pak Shek Kok to South Land in Wong Chuk Hang, buyers have splashed out hundreds of millions of dollars for multiple flats despite the additional 15 per cent stamp duty levied on second homes.

Such developments tend to have better facilities and management than traditional luxury houses, agents said, adding that since such flats tend to be smaller, buyers were likely to acquire more than one flat at the same time.

“Because of the pandemic in the past two years, both self-occupants and investors are paying more attention to the housing estate environment and facilities,” property agent said.

The number of residential property transactions liable for the higher tax on second homes jumped 40.8 per cent to 3,726, compared with a year earlier, according to Inland Revenue Department data. The tax raised from such deals surged nearly 50 per cent to HK$9.36 billion (US$1.2 billion) from a year earlier.

For instance, at Great Eagle Holdings’ Ontolo residential project in Pak Shek Kok, Tai Po, a buyer this month paid HK$131.84 million for three units with a total area of 5,454 square feet on the same floor.

Last May, a buyer paid HK$200 million for seven three-bedroom flats in South Land.

Many buyers of such multiple flats are from the younger generation of rich families living in old estates in traditional luxury districts, the agent said. The combined flats in non-traditional districts tend to be in a similar price range to their existing homes in luxury districts.

While prices of new flats in Ontolo were around HK$24,000 per square foot in January, flats in luxury projects such as 21 Borrett Road in Mid-Levels fetched HK$136,000 per square foot last February.

The agent estimated that transaction activity was around 30 per cent higher in non-traditional luxury districts, compared with traditional districts, in the last six to 12 months.

Cusson Leung, managing director and head of Asia property and Hong Kong research at JPMorgan, said he had noted a sharp pickup in luxury home sales last year.

Transactions in the luxury segment were mainly driven by the local high-income class and that investment demand continues to remain high despite the persistent weakness in the city’s stock market.

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 14 per cent in 2021, making it the worst-performing market out of 92 major indices tracked by Bloomberg. The index, however, is up nearly 2 per cent so far this year.

Investors are likely to opt for property over stocks to protect their investments from eroding further.

“Buying the physical asset directly is probably easier for most investors,” he said.