‘High-class’ Patane food court features sea view: IAM
The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said yesterday that it expects its ongoing public tenders for the lease and operation of wet market stalls and food court stalls to bring in young stallholders who are “dedicated to running their business with innovative ideas”.
The bureau said that it expects the desired introduction of young and innovative stallholders to encourage the current ones to become more dedicated to operating their business.
The bureau organised a media tour to the under-renovation Horta da Mitra wet market and the under-renovation Patane wet market’s food court yesterday afternoon. Two IAM vehicles transported media workers from the former, which is located near Rua do Campo, to the latter.
Leong Cheok Man, who heads the bureau’s Hygiene Inspection Department, made the remarks at the food court when concluding the tour.
Leong has headed the department since July 1 this year, a promotion from the post of chief of the bureau’s Market Affairs Division.
The bureau launched public tenders last week for the lease and operation of 10 stalls at the food court in the Patane wet market, as well as the lease and operation of five stalls selling various goods such as cooked food, pre-packed frozen aquatic products, and groceries at the Horta da Mitra wet market. Potential bidders are required to submit their proposals by November 16.
The Horta da Mitra wet market has been closed since early this year for renovations, which includes the installation of various new facilities such as an air-conditioning system.
Before the ongoing renovation, there were 13 stalls selling fresh food in the Horta da Mitra wet market. After the renovation, there will be 18 stalls, 13 of which will continue to sell fresh food, while the other five will be used for selling various other goods, the public tenders for which were launched last week.
The ground and first floors of the high-rise Patane Municipal Market Complex are used as a wet market. The bureau started renovating the building’s second floor early this year, a part of which had been used for wet market stalls while the remaining part had been used as a food court since the wet market started operating in 2018. After the renovation, the whole second floor will be used as a food court.
The new wet-market law came into effect on January 1 last year, according to which the lease and operation of stalls must be granted by public tender except in special circumstances, a change from the previous practice in which available stalls were simply allocated through lucky draws. The new law aims to ensure that available stalls are only allocated to those “wholeheartedly” dedicated to running their business, government sources said previously.
220 seats
During yesterday’s tour, Leong pointed out that the ongoing bidding process for the 15 stalls is the first held since the new law took effect.
Leong said that the expanded food court at the Patane Market Municipal Complex will have around 220 seats.
Leong reaffirmed that both renovation projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, after which the Horta da Mitra wet market and the Patane wet market’s food court could reopen in the first quarter of next year.
Leong also said that as of yesterday afternoon around 300 people had signed up for the bureau’s three briefing sessions about the ongoing bidding process, all of which are scheduled to be held today.
Leong pointed out that according to the new wet-market law, the proposed rent is not a factor in the government’s assessments of bids for operating wet market stalls. Instead, the government will assess submitted bids based on five main criteria, namely the potential bidders’ proposed operation and marketing plan, their experience in running wet market stalls, their proposed operating hours, the level of diversity of their goods, and the availability of various payment methods that shoppers can choose.
Leong also said that the bureau aims for the ongoing bidding process to bring in “aspiring” stallholders, particularly young people, who are more likely to come up with “fresh and innovative” ideas of operating wet market or food court stalls, adding that this could also encourage existing stallholders to become more active in running their business.
“This could promote the sustainable development of wet markets in the city,” Leong said.
Leong said that the ongoing bidding process will enable the bureau to obtain experience with the aim of making possible improvements to the organisation of future tenders.
Also speaking to reporters, Sou Wai Pan, an IAM architect, said that different to other existing wet-market food courts, which adopt a stainless-steel style in their decoration, the bureau has been renovating the Patane food court with wooden panelling as the main material as well as other special decorations and lighting, with the aim of creating a “quite high-class” food court, which he said will also feature a “such a good view” of the Inner Harbour.
Reporters check the under-renovation Patane wet market’s food court during yesterday’s media tour.
– Photo: Tony Wong
Leong Cheok Man, who heads the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s Hygiene Inspection Department, yesterday shows reporters a new space for a stall earmarked for selling pre-packed frozen and chilled aquatic products in the under-renovation Horta da Mitra wet market. – Photo: Tony Wong
