Five months after a renovation project launched by the Taipei City Government forced Taipei's oldest food market to close, the city government is trying again to revive the market, but the lack of a detailed plan has only generated scepticism among local councilors.
The Jiancheng Circle (
Facing mounting criticism from the local community that the project has seriously damaged the history and culture of the area, the city government has vowed to once again revive the circle, and a public bid for the project is scheduled to be announced on Thursday.
According to Chen Hsiung-wen (
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (
"Local business' opinions will be respected ? But I can't give you a timeline before the new contractor is determined" he said during an inspection tour to the circle.
Local borough chiefs and city councilors from both the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), however, shared their disappointment over the government's passiveness and vagueness in the latest attempt.
"The project failed in the first place because the city government didn't listen to what local residents had to say. The renovated circle lost all its traditional flavor," borough chief Chou Chi-hsian (
KMT Councilor Chen Yu-mei (陳玉梅) and DPP Councilor Lee Wen-ying (李文英) agreed, urging the city government to redesign the building and try to integrate the circle with adjacent attractions, including Ningxia Night Market and the Huaying Business Circle.
"So far we see no detailed plans or objectives from the city government's project. We can only pray for luck for the market," Chen said.
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