Legco expansion to be completed by year's end

Legco President Andrew Leung on Tuesday said the expanded Legislative Council Complex in Admiralty was expected to come into operation at the end of the year. Four storeys are being added to accommodate offices for the 20 extra lawmakers who joined Legco as part of electoral reforms in 2021, taking the total from 70 to 90 members. Chief Executive John Lee, several government officials, and Leung attended the "topping out" ceremony at Legco and visited the newly built 12th floor, marking a milestone in progress on the expansion of the complex. Leung said he hopes Legco members can move into the building by the end of the year so that they can work under the same roof. Lawmaker Wendy Hong, who is one of dozens of members currently using the nearby CITIC Tower as their temporary office, said it would be more convenient when they moved back to Legco. "I look forward to move back soon because now we have meetings in the Legco building, but our office is in another building," she added. "Sometimes it's difficult for us to arrange [meeting] times. When you have 20, 15 minutes in between two meetings, it's difficult for you to go back to the office and come back [to Legco] again. But now we can go back to office and come back. It's easier to arrange time." Construction of the new floors began in 2022, with the project costing around $400 million more than the original estimate.