Details have emerged of a bid by Hong Kong's biggest developer, Cheung Kong, to redevelop part of the historic St John's Cathedral site.
It is believed to have been the first attempt by a developer to explore the commercial potential of the only piece of land in the SAR held under freehold title. All other land is leasehold.
The plan would have redeveloped St John's Lodge, the church's administrative office, into a 16-storey commercial building, with church offices and other congregation facilities housed in the basement.
The church rejected the plan. The Dean of St John's Cathedral, Father Christopher Phillips, said: 'Cheung Kong had made a proposal to redevelop part of our church more than a year ago.
'But after careful consideration we decided we were not going to redevelop it in the foreseeable future.'
A Cheung Kong spokesman said: 'The administration building of St John's Cathedral is not in our company's current development plans.'