Core Pacific Development Corp. has asked for a change of building use permit for a redevelopment project allegedly granted illegal concessions by former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said Wednesday that Core Pacific Development Corp. had informed the city in a letter of its willingness to place a pause on a controversial 20 percent increase in authorized floor space it obtained for the project.
According to Lee, it will take about three months to complete a change of such permit for the project, which involves building a new office complex named Core Pacific Plaza on the site of the former Core Pacific City shopping mall in Taipei’s Songshan District.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
In a statement, Core Pacific Development Corp. said the permit change was only temporary and that it reserved the right to continue with the development project as originally outlined.
The company’s move came after Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko was indicted last month on charges of corruption in connection with the redevelopment project during his time in charge of the capital from 2014 to 2022.
Prosecutors allege that Ko received bribes to illegally increase the floor area ratio (FAR) for a new building complex on the Core Pacific City site.
The FAR refers to the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the parcel of land upon which it is built. A higher ratio increases a property’s value.
After Ko was indicted, several Taipei City councilors across party lines and former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) called on the Taipei City government to cancel offering the apparent illicit FAR increase for the project by 20 percent.
Lee said the Construction Management Office under the city government’s Department of Urban Development has received a letter from the development company which said it is willing to suspend the move to apply for the 20 percent FAR rewards by filing a change of its building use permit.
If there were any inappropriate implementation, procedures, or application of laws, the Core Pacific City building complex could become an unfinished property project and cause public safety concerns and the city government would enforce a change of building permit, Lee noted.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS