Hong Kong authorities have begun notifying 15 private sports clubs of new lease renewal terms. The clubs must pay one-third of land premiums or open facilities fully to the public.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said on Tuesday that it has started notifying the clubs and outlining renewal procedures. The new arrangement, first announced in 2019, ends long-standing concessionary land premiums for clubs closed to the public.
Under the terms, clubs must pay one-third of the land premium upon renewal. Amounts could range from tens to hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars. Alternatively, they may convert into community organisations, pay a nominal premium, and open facilities fully to the public.
A government source noted that private clubs have long occupied prime public land at nominal rents under colonial-era arrangements while charging high membership fees. Public discontent has grown amid Hong Kong’s land shortage.
