Taipei Department of Urban Development Commissioner Lin Jou-min (林洲民) yesterday hinted it is unlikely that work at the Taipei Dome site would be resumed this year as media reports have said.
The Chinese-language Mirror magazine yesterday reported that the Taiwan Architecture and Building Center has held seven meetings to review the Dome complex’s readiness in the case of fire or other situations where an evacuation is necessary.
The center is to hold two more meetings to review the safety of five half-finished structures, with the review process to be completed by Friday next week, the magazine said.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has appointed his chief of staff, Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如), to oversee the city’s negotiations with Dome contractor Farglory Group, with construction suspended since May last year over safety concerns, the report said.
Negotiations between the municipal government and Farglory were previously headed by Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基).
Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Jin-chun (陳景峻) said that he had met with Farglory representatives several times, adding that the meetings had a “friendly” undercurrent.
Chen said that he hoped work at the site would be resumed by the end of this year.
At news conference regarding the city’s West Gateway Initiative, Lin said that reviews of the Dome complex might not proceed as smoothly as the media have reported.
The complex still needs to pass an environmental impact assessment, urban design review and construction and operating license reviews, Lin said.
Asked by reporters whether that meant it is impossible for construction to resume by next month, Lin responded in the affirmitive.
The center yesterday afternoon was reviewing safety standards of a basement connecting the Dome and nearby properties, he said.
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