Trick or treat : operational challenges of adapting historic buildings for charity institutions : a comparative case study of Stewards High Rock Centre and the Warehouse Teenage Club

Abstract

With the long history of development in Hong Kong, there are 123 declared monuments and 1,136 graded historic buildings up to the latest assessment on 12 December 2019. Among these recognized historic buildings, some of those government-owned have been offered for adaptive re-use by non-profit making organizations at a nominal rent. This practice has been further systematically implemented by Development Bureau through launching Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme for non-profit making organizations with charitable status since 2008. People may often think it would be a benefit – a treat – for charitable institutions to adopt recognized historic buildings for their operations especially with the nominal rent when compared to the high rent situation of Hong Kong property market. As the manager of a charitable institution operating in a heritage building, the author can affirm that the organization faces even more problems – a trick. Such challenges and difficulties faced by charitable institutions may indeed hinder the conservation of the historic buildings. The objective of this dissertation is to explain the challenges faced by charitable institutions operating in government-owned heritage properties, by identifying, comparing and documenting the issues and challenges faced by charitable institutions operating in government-owned graded historic buildings. The information documented and lessons learned from the research could become the basis for establishing possible solutions in the future.