A residential building in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) has been approved for demolition more than a decade after it was first flagged as unsafe by city engineers.
The Neihu Mingyuan Building, on the northwest side of the traffic circle on Gangqian Road, is one of many Taipei buildings constructed with concrete mixed with ocean sand instead of river sand, which is normally used. Sea sand is not considered safe for construction, as it has low compressive strength, and tends to absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
The building was initially identified to be razed in July 2010, and the building’s owner was ordered to vacate the premises before July 29, 2012.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Urban Regeneration Office
However, a legal case delayed the demolition. The building’s tenants in 2015 sought to have Hercci Group reconstruct the property, but they were unable to agree on terms. The residents then worked with Shihlin Development to apply for an extension from the city.
After deliberations, Shihlin in 2018 reached an agreement with 80 percent of the tenants, and announced plans to begin work on Nov. 26, 2020. The city approved those plans, but the building’s owner filed an administrative lawsuit with the Taipei High Administrative Court, which overturned the city’s demolition order.
The city filed an appeal, saying that it was necessary to raze buildings constructed with sea sand to protect the safety of residents. The city won, and on Dec. 6 last year announced that demolition would proceed.
The Taipei City Urban Regeneration Office approved the demolition on Jan. 12, saying it was communicating with residents.
“A small number of households still have doubts and concerns about sharing the burdens of the project and the distribution of property rights,” the office said.
“The city will conduct a rigorous review of the plans to ensure the rights and interests of all sides,” it said.
Mediation meetings with the residents, the building owner and the contractor would be held as necessary, it added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS