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.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
RSS