Five proposals have been received on the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Submission deadline was noon today.

The proponents are World City Culture Park, Sunny Development, Swire Properties, Dynamic Star International and Lam Sze-tat.

The Government said it will first screen whether the proposals comply with the Mandatory Requirements as set out in the Invitation for Proposals document. They will then be checked against the assessment criteria.

The proposals will be assessed by a Proposals Evaluation Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning & Lands (Planning & Lands) and assisted by dedicated assessment teams drawn from relevant bureaux and departments.

To safeguard the integrity of the assessment process and ensure proposals are assessed in a fair and impartial manner, all officials responsible for the assessment are required to strictly follow guidelines and procedures that have been prepared with the help of the ICAC, which will act as an observer.

Proposals to go public

To enhance transparency and promote the widest possible public participation, the Government will exhibit all the proposals that comply with the Mandatory Requirements for public consultation.

Professional bodies, the arts and cultural sector, the Town Planning Board and the Legislative Council will be consulted before a decision is made.

The Government launched the Invitation for Proposals for the project on September 6, to develop the 40-hectare waterfront site at the southern tip of the West Kowloon Reclamation into an integrated arts, cultural and entertainment district.

The project will not only facilitate development of art and culture in Hong Kong, it will also improve the quality of life of the community and promote Hong Kong's attractiveness as a tourist destination. The project will also generate about 6,000 jobs in the short term.

Construction will begin in April 2007 at the earliest and the core arts and cultural facilities will come into operation in phases from 2011 onwards.