By Henry Wong
Ho Shun-gun, 72, pointed at a vintage telephone inside of his small grocery shop. “We can’t lie about that. We have been doing business in Graham Street for more than 50 years…Check our business or phone number registration if you want evidence,” he said.
Keng Gee Noodle Factory, which sells its own brand of noodles, sauces, salted meats and eggs to the neighbuorhood, is currently located at 20 Gage Street, inside of Graham Street Market area.
The Peel Street and Graham Street Development Scheme proposed in 2007 states that only stores selling fresh goods, such as fresh meat, vegetables, seafood and flowers, could continue to operate during redevelopment and would eventually be relocated inside the newly reconstructed market.
The plan affected 78 shops and all the construction was expected to be finished by 2021, according to the official document.
The plan also said it aimed to preserve the local street character and its atmosphere by preserving a variety of hawking activities and creating an “Old Shop Street.”
“I feel very discontented,” said Ho Ping-yiu, 35, the son of the shop owner. He crossed his arms and added, “I don’t understand why
we are not granted a place in the reconstructed market just because we sell dry goods. It’s not fair or convenient for the residents.”
The URA never explained to them why dry goods stores would not be part of the relocation plan, he said.
“The URA officers even forced us to leave the Graham Street old address, by saying that the compensation would be reduced if we delayed to move out,” the younger Ho said.
The older Ho started working at the store when he was 8 and became the owner when he was
20. That’s 64 years in the business.
“Keng Gee Noodles Factory is literally one of the oldest shop in Graham Street,” Ho said.
The store has had to move three times under the redevelopment, he said.
Their previous rent was about $10,000 per month in a much larger retail space, he said. But when the new landlord, an investor from the mainland, asked for $160,000 a month, they moved again.
Paying $20,000 a month now for their small shop, the younger Mr. Ho wonders how long
they can keep up with the rising rent by selling goods like ketchup, which sells for only $15 a bottle.
The son said he had no plan for the future and might have to close the store. “We are not asking for compensation. We just want a place for us to continue our business,” he said.
