The family that refused to take part in the stalled Wenlin Yuan urban renewal project in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) yesterday said it will participate in the negotiation platform proposed by the Taipei City Government to resolve disputes over the project, adding it will stand firm on its demand for the construction firm involved to rebuild their houses on the site.
Hau held a closed-door meeting at Taipei City Hall with the Wang family last night in a continuing effort to address the issue. In the meeting, seven members of the family said they expected the negotiation platform to resolve the disputes, and that the city government would stay neutral on the issue.
“We will attend future negotiation meetings, and the mayor promised to discuss the list of civil groups on the negotiation platform when they are ready. Our demand for our houses to be built on the site remains,” Wang Ching-chuan (王清泉), a member of the family, said after the meeting.
The negotiation platform was proposed by incoming Taipei deputy mayor Chang Chin-oh (張金鶚), a real-estate expert who will assume his new post on Monday.
He said the city government will form a negotiation platform and invite civic groups to serve as mediators between the Wangs, the 36 households who took part in the project and the construction firm.
Taipei City Government spokesman Chang Chi-chiang (張其強) said it would ensure that the opinions of all parties concerned, including the Wangs, would be addressed at the negotiation platform.
“The mayor met with the Wang family to learn more about their concerns. We expect that the three parties involved will reach a consensus through negotiations,” he said.
Construction of the apartments has been stalled since the city government dismantled two apartments owned by the Wangs in March last year, sparking a protest by the family and anti-urban renewal activists.
The city government, after many failed efforts to help the parties find common ground on the issue, will have the deputy mayor launch the negotiation platform and seek to facilitate the project.
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