Hong Kong-listed developer Shui On Land says it has resolved flat owners' complaints at joint venture project in Wuhan

Hong Kong-listed developer Shui On Land said it had resolved owners’ complaints at Optics Valley Innovation Tiandi, its joint venture flagship mixed-used development in Wuhan in central China.

Some owners of flats at Wuhan Optics Valley, which is part of the mixed-use development’s second phase, complained of “cracks and leaks” caused by poor workmanship, substandard materials and discrepancies between blueprints and actual features, according to a letter sent by a representative. The letter was accompanied by a dossier of photographs and slides. In early January, angry owners also protested at the project’s handover sales office and demanded an answer from Shui On.

“[We] will continue to contact the media, request third-party audits, visit the [relevant] government offices and file lawsuits to protect our legal rights,” said the letter sent by “Neo”, who claims to represent 200 owners at Optics Valley. The letter was addressed to Vincent Lo Hong-sui, Shui On’s chairman. The identity of Neo could not be verified.

A spokeswoman for Optics Valley, however, said in a written reply to the Post that “it never received a joint letter from the owners”, but acknowledged that it had received complaints from a few owners regarding the project’s “garden landscape, exterior facade, floor tiles in the common area”. She added that it had “replied to each of the owners through property consultants”.

Developed on a site bought in 2017, Optics Valley is a joint venture between Shui On and Citic, China’s largest conglomerate. The mixed development, the largest project in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei provincial, features flats, shops and offices with a combined floor area of 1.28 million square metres (13.8 million sq ft).

Shui On says it has addressed the complaints lodged by flat owners at Optics Valley. Photo: Handout

Flats at the project range from 125 to 240 square metres in size, and start from 2.3 million yuan (US$433,761) and go up to more than 6 million yuan. The spokeswoman for Optics Valley said nearly 60 per cent of the 586 flats had been handed over to their owners since December 16, and that it was on track to meet its delivery schedule.

“We took the matter very seriously, and worked immediately to address the concerns raised by our residents,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

Shui On has several real estate projects in five mainland Chinese cities. It spent US$2.67 billion just a month earlier to snap up three parcels of residential land in Wuhan, swooping in while local developers are struggling to repay their debt.

An artist’s impression of Optics Valley Innovation Tiandi. Photo: Handout

The Optics Valley management team and related district officers met four representatives elected by flat owners on January 18, where they “accepted our explanation and improvement plan. The improvement plan will be completed in March”, the spokeswoman said.

“We have provided contact information to all the owners and welcomed any enquiries. We are committed to providing our customers with high-quality products and excellent service as always,” she added.

This, however, had done little to assuage the owners, who said Shui On had yet to provide detailed plans or the available budget for improvements promised in the landscaping, gardening and underground parking, according to Neo.