The reorganisation works of the Red Market have been completed and the project is now at the acceptance inspection and facility testing stages. The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) started to work on a series of arrangements and preparations at the beginning of this year in order for the stall vendors to relocate back to the market in an orderly and smooth manner. IAM continues to communicate and coordinate with the vendors and aims for more than 120 stalls from the original Red Market to install their tools and equipment starting from late May and reopen to the public in early June, so as to serve the public in the optimised Red Market as soon as possible.

At the end of May, the preliminary work of the stall relocation back to the Red Market, including the removal of construction hoardings of the works area, will enter the final stage. The hawker area surrounding the exterior of the Red Market will also resume business in the direction of “facing away from shops and facing the Red Market” at the original location. A total of 124 stalls from the original Red Market will be relocated back to the market, including 10 vegetable stalls, 76 fish stalls, 17 pork stalls, 2 beef stalls, 8 chilled product stalls, 7 grocery stalls, and 4 tofu and bean sprout stalls. Since the beginning of this year, IAM has actively prepared various relocation arrangements for the stall vendors, including drawing lots for allocation of stalls in the Red Market, holding briefings about the relocation for vendors, arranging for vendors to have on-site inspections and measurements for them to plan the layout of the stalls, and collecting their opinions. After the on-site inspections for vendors to learn about the status of vacant stalls and listening to their opinions, IAM also, based on the actual situation, drew lots again for those who needed to operate at a more suitable location. Currently, the stall vendors have successively applied for electricity meters and water meters for their stalls from the utility companies.

The reorganisation works of the Red Market started in May 2022. Under the premise of balancing conservation and optimisation of the market, the reorganisation works have rebuilt some structural columns and floor slabs to increase the durability and load-bearing capacity of the building. At the same time, all walls and floor tiles have been replaced; the ceilings have been renovated; the drainage network has been rebuilt; the entrances, exits and passages have been optimised; and the spatial layout and hardware and software of the stalls have been improved. Newly added facilities include air-conditioners, barrier-free lifts, goods unloading platforms, optimised lighting systems, more public toilet space, male and female toilet cubicles to a reasonable ratio etc., to provide the public with a more comfortable shopping environment in the market.

Furthermore, in response to the operational needs of different types of stalls, the facilities and equipment inside the stalls have been rearranged, such as adding standardised stall signboards and integrated lockers above the stalls, expanding the display space of counters, adding power supply, waterproof sockets and waterproof lighting inside the stalls, enhancing drainage system, and installing reinforced glass baffles in front of fish counters to prevent stall water from splashing onto the public space, etc. It is hoped to enhance the clean and tidy image of the market as well as the consumers’ shopping experience.