Taipei has a backup plan if the Taipei Dome is unavailable for the 2017 Universiade, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday as controversy over the construction site continues.
“I have seen the backup plan, but it would be used only as a last resort,” Ko said, adding that Taipei had other stadiums that could be used for the event in case the Taipei Dome was unavailable.
The mayor’s comments came after a public falling out yesterday between the Taipei City Government and Farglory Land Development Co (遠雄建設), which won the bid to construct and manage the site under the administration of former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).
Photo: Yu Pei-ju, Taipei Times
The controversy over the project has festered throughout its construction, coming to a head in April last year after the firm’s attempt to uproot trees next to the site led to a standoff with environmental activists. Activists have since camped out to prevent the trees from being removed.
Following earlier comments by Ko saying that the city was reconsidering its plans, Farglory chairman Chao Teng-hsiung (趙藤雄) on Tuesday said that failing to remove the trees would endanger public safety, because spectators would be unable to evacuate effectively in the event of an emergency.
He added that further delaying the removal of the trees threatened to push back the project’s completion, raising the possibility that it would not be available for the 2017 Universiade, a major international sporting competition.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Ko yesterday said that city officials would meet next week with Farglory to discuss whether a controversial underground tunnel would be opened.
He said that the government is working to “deal with the aftermath” of the project initiated by the previous administration, and that it planned to investigate allegations of inappropriate dealings.
He said that he would seek to preserve reasonable continuity with Hau’s policies and sought to avoid the impression that he was trying to “take out” people associated with the previous administration.
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