New projects announced to catalyze growth

A recent high-profile ceremony kicked off a number of important projects for the first quarter of this year, laying a solid foundation for the district's growth this year.

Leading district authorities, including District Party Secretary Yu Yong, attended the ceremony on January 3, which saw the formal launch of these projects including a commercial real estate complex and three livelihood developments.

The commercial real estate project will be a 5.5-billion-yuan (US$811 million) complex with a five-star hotel and upscale office space that will house the headquarters for high-tech information enterprises and financial services. It will be bounded by Yongyuan Road on the north, Nanjing Road W. on the south, Huashan Hotel on the east, and Xin'an Apartment on the west.

At 115 meters, the towering structure has the potential to become a new icon in the area's west end.

The livelihood projects comprise a fire station, a fitness center and a junior middle school.

The 40-million-yuan Wanrong fire station will be built at 750 Lingshi Road. It will house five fire engines, boast a five-story building and have a six-story drill tower. The fire station will be strategically important in boosting the firefighting capabilities in the area because of optimized fire station distribution and a correspondingly smaller firefighting radius.

The civic fitness center project in the Zhongxing community will be built with an investment of 1.1 billion yuan, covering an area of 6,677 square meters with a construction area of 28,691 square meters.

The complex, with two stories above ground and three below, would house fitness facilities, offices and underground parking. Once completed, it will meet residents' multiple and diverse needs for fitness and sports.

The Shibei junior middle school project in the same community will take up an area of 6,064 square meters and a gross floor space of 21,534 square meters. The structure will have six levels above ground and two below ground.

By meeting local educational needs, the project promises to further promote the even distribution of premium educational resources in the region.

'Terrace economy'

The district authority plans to accelerate expansion by utilizing its abundant resources in terraces and outdoor venues to sponsor business events and activities and by forming a coalition that will make it easier for outdoor businesses to integrate with the night economy.

Commercial entities will be invited to support various outdoor activities and night markets to revitalize the local business environment.

At an event on January 11 at CITIC Square, six businesses were recognized as members of the new economic coalition for their contributions to advancing these activities, including HKRI Taikoo Hui, Jiuguang shopping mall and CITIC Square.

The new members were urged to make use of their outdoor spaces to create immersive experiences and interactive spaces for a "terrace economy" focused on night-time dining, shopping, entertainment and performances.

Commercial entities were told to reinvent themselves by designing and creating related activities. One successful example is the "GO OUT! SUHEWAN" event, featuring camping and a fair, that has become Internet famous since it was launched.

Another example is a project themed "Sense the City, Live the Style" under the initiatives of the CITIC Square, which boasts no less than 14 terraces and a rooftop garden after a major upgrade in 2022.

The district, which wants to become a showcase for international consumption, will try to get more organizations to join the coalition, with a focus on the Jing'an Temple area, the Zhangyuan area and the Daning area near Shanghai Circus World.