Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station: Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station - Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy
- Selected applicant: Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association Limited
- Capital cost: About HK$78.57 million (as at Nov 2016 price level)
- Government subsidy required for operation of social enterprise: About HK$4.92 million
General Project Description
- To convert Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station into a guide dogs academy for guide dogs breeding and training. Service dogs will also be trained in the academy to provide outreach services for people in need, such as children who suffer from autism and communicational problems;
- To promote public understanding towards guide dogs service through organising exhibitions and guided tours.
Historical Significance
The historical significance of the building will be demonstrated and maintained by:
- Retaining most of the existing structure of the former police station, such as screen walls, former cell room, armory, loading and unloading area for guns etc.. Guided tours will be arranged to introduce the characteristics and history of the building to the public;
- Curating exhibitions which cover the architectural merit and cultural significance of the historic building, and the history of Lau Fau Shan area; and
- To keep a detailed record of the revitalisation process. Time lapse movies will also be taken from different angles throughout the period.
Technical Aspects
Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station - Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy complies with conservation guidelines by:
- Complying with modern day requirements;
- Preserving most of the internal partitions and layout, thus lower the level of intervention to the building; and
- Installing a new lift inside the historic building in order to fulfill the barrier free access requirement. The installation will not cause any visual impact to the building facade.
Social Benefits
The project will bring benefits to the society by:
- Acting as the first local breeding and training centre for guide dogs to assist people in need in their daily lives, thereby improving their quality of life and facilitating their integration into the community;
- Filling the gap of insufficient guide dogs available for about 180,000 visually impaired people in Hong Kong, and help shorten the waiting time for the guide dogs service;
- Providing free or subsidised dog therapy service to the underprivileged users through in-house and outreach programmes; and
- Presenting a variety of programmes to different groups of people including service dog users, volunteers, schools, professionals, institutions etc., to enhance public understanding of service dogs.
Selected Organisation
Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association Limited is a charitable institution founded in 2011. Its vision is to ensure people with disabilities to live with independence and dignity through making a right choice of service dogs. Core services provided by the organisation include breeding, raising and training of guide dogs; and matching trained dogs with guide dog applicants.
Way Forward
- The selected organisation has to:
- complete the detailed project design;
- complete the required administrative procedures;
- seek planning permission (where applicable) from the Town Planning Board on the intended usage;
- seek formal funding approval from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council;
- carry out the renovation work (anticipated renovation period: around 22 months);
- apply for licences (where applicable) for intended operations; and
- sign with the Government agreements on operations of the social enterprise and preservation of the historic building.
- Anticipated Project Commissioning Time: 2023
- Anticipated Breakeven Time: Year 3
Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station - Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy