Airport Authority bets on future visitor influx for huge new hotel and mall complex at North Lantau

When complete, developer says it will be ‘the single largest retail space’ in the city

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The Airport Authority is planning to develop a hotel, retail and office complex on North Lantau. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 4:10pm, 17 Oct 2016Updated: 8:37am, 18 Oct 2016

A luxury hotel, retail and office complex adjacent to the Hong Kong International Airport will start inviting tenders from next month for a partnership with “like-minded” developers.

Skycity Development, which will occupy 25 hectares at North Lantau Island – approximately two-thirds the size of Causeway Bay – hopes cater an influx of visitors brought on by the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the planned third-runway system.

However, a lawmaker said the Airport Authority should invite public participation in discussing the right mode of development if it regards itself as a statutory body making use of the resources funded by public money.

Earlier the authority was granted a 50-year lease by the government at an unknown “nominal premium”. “If this project is funded by public purse and resources, the Airport Authority should be held accountable to the public about the project development.

“The ideal way is to seek public engagement and let its stakeholders voice their views,” said legislator Edward Yiu Chung-yim, representing the planning sector.

A hotel with up to 750 rooms is expected to be completed by 2020. The authority will start inviting bids for the hotel from next month. A retail, dining and entertainment centre three times of the size of Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsiu will then be completed by 2021. The authority will start inviting retail tenders in early 2017.

It will become the single largest retail space in Hong Kong, according to Fred Lam, Chief Executive Officer at the Hong Kong Airport Authority.