Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) yesterday lauded the transfer of jurisdiction over the defunct Shuinan Airport (水湳機場) from the military to the Taichung City Government, saying it would "drive the development of the city."
"Taichung residents' dream has come true. They will always appreciate the president's benevolent policy in this regard," Hu said during the handover ceremony, which was also attended Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and Minister of Defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽).
Shuinan Airport was built as a military airport during the Japanese colonial period.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The Air Force took over the management of the airport after World War II, establishing a logistic command center and an aviation industrial development center at the site. However, the airport's major facilities were moved to the Chingchuankang Airport (
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) promised Hu in June that the military would complete the removal of the remaining facilities by the end of this year and give the city government jurisdiction over the land's development.
Hu said that since 2004, the city government has drafted plans to develop it into a modern urban center that will house a university, a trade exhibition center, an exclusive residential district and a forest park.
In a separate setting, Chen urged the legislature to pass three amendments that would lead to the merger of Taichung County and Taichung City and promote Taichung into a special municipality that would be entitled to additional resources, budget and personnel.
Taichung residents would be able to elect the first mayor of the municipality of Taichung in 2009 if the legislature passes the administrative zoning law (
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