The Bureau of High Speed Rail (BHSR) on Tuesday said it would focus on the development of properties near the high-speed rail stations in Hsinchu and Taichung in the second half of this year, adding that it would lower land lease fees to attract investors.
Bureau Secretary-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said the agency earlier this month hosted a forum to gauge interest among investors on the bureau’s land development proposals.
The bureau is to list all investment opportunities it would provide in the next six months, with particular emphasis on the development of properties near Taichung and Hsinchu stations, Yang said.
These properties have been reserved for development by private business entities, he said.
Some investors have doubts regarding leasing government-owned land for development, because they are concerned about exposure to greater investment risks, Yang said.
In response, the bureau plans to lower land lease fees, which are to be about 1 percent to 5 percent of the reported land value, he said.
Yang said the bureau plans to reduce land lease fees if the official land value is too high, taking into account the characteristics of different markets to set differentiated plans.
Bureau official Chen Hui-chun (陳慧君) said the agency is scheduled to unveil details of the properties near Hsinchu station in September and for the properties near Taichung station at the end of this year.
The bureau has attracted investors to develop the Hsinchu properties, but it still lacks investment to meet everyday requirements of residents who would live there, such as shopping establishments and restaurants, Chen said.
In Taichung, the city government plans to turn the properties into a sub-city center, Chen said, adding that the city has also expressed the need for a large exhibition hall.
“Taichung is home to a number of machine tool manufacturers, and buyers often need to go and see factories in the city after seeing the products in Taipei. So there is a need for a large exhibition hall near Taichung station,” she said.
The bureau has plans for other uses of the Taichung properties, including manufacturers of bicycles, bicycle-related products and sports shoes, Chen said.
The bureau has 178 hectares near eight of the 10 high-speed rail stations at its disposal: Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan.
While the bureau has been most successful in attracting investors to develop property near Taoyuan station, it has not had much success creating interest in land near Tainan station, Chen said.
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