Taipei, Jiang agree on ex-Air Force site reconsideration
By Lauly Li, The China Post
May 30, 2013, 12:03 am TWN
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Taipei City Government yesterday said that it agrees with the premier's suggestion that the details concerning the former Air Force General Headquarters redevelopment project be reconsidered.
The former Air Force General Headquarters is located on Renai Road and is close to two other land development projects: the Huaguang Community, near Chiang Kai-sheik Memorial Hall, and Taipei Academy (台北學苑). The three projects are all set to be turned into mixed-use commercial areas. Also nearby is the Twin Towers development.
In light of this, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday said the three projects are close and share similarities, therefore, the former Air Force headquarters project should be reconsidered.
Deputy Taipei Mayor Chang Chin-oh (張金鶚) held a press conference yesterday afternoon and said the city government shares the same position as the premier, noting that the features of the redevelopment projects should be distinct from each other.
Previously the Cabinet planned to take Tokyo's famous Roppongi District as a blueprint and turn the former Air Force headquarters site into a commercial area with large department stores, offices, hotels, shops, rental housing and the like, with the central idea being to create a city within a city.
Chang said Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) earlier expressed his concerns regarding the Cabinet's previous notion of turning the site into a city within a city, stating that Taipei does not need to have such a number of “Roppongi Districts.”
Chang said that Hau requested that he form a special team to assist the Cabinet with sketching a short- to mid-term development plan for the former Air Force site.
Chang added that while the Cabinet reconsiders the redevelopment project, the Taipei City Government suggests that the government allow Taipei to use the site for two to three years.
In doing this, the city government would spend its own funds should the government allow Taipei to handle the site in the short term, he said.
Chang said the city government wants to create more public spaces for citizens, adding however that the land belongs to the National Property Agency and therefore the city government will respect the government's decision.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/l...ipei-Jiang.htm