TAIPEI DOME FACING PROTESTS

The controversial Taipei Dome construction project has received a conditional approval from the Environmental Protection Administration, which demanded the BOT contractor, Farglory Group to reduce the construction floor by around 13,000 pings. However, the environmental groups are still unsatisfied with the result, with a plan of filing a citizen suit to stop the establishment.

The land located in the center of Taipei city is the destined location for Taipei Dome. After years of controversial halt due to protests from environmentalists and the opposition from former environmental evaluation committees, the project finally received a conditional approval from Taipei City government's environmental evaluation committee.

The BOT contractor, Farglory Group will have to scale the complex down by around 13,000 pings, which is nearly a measure area of a department store.

After a careful evaluation, Farglory Group decided to carry out the project.

It's necessary for a country to reach the balance between the economic development and the sports-related development.

Weighing the pros and cons of the project, I will make it as a public welfare project.

Based on Farglory Group's plan, it will start the construction of Taipei Dome this October, and it is scheduled to be finished in 2014.

The total investment volume will be increased from 20 to 30 billion NT dollars.

However, environmental groups think that Farglory Group's proposal is different from the original plan, which was to make the Taipei Dome a park for cultural and sports-related activities.

They said that they will file citizen suit to stop the project from being carried out.

"From the construction plan you can see, more than 70 percent of the complex is commercial facilities,

while only 30% of the complex is the major structure of the dome.

But the problem is, this site is originally arranged as the cultural and sports park of Taipei City."

The environmental groups even point out that the huge complex will cause serious traffic congestion in the nearby areas. In response, Farglory Group said that they have made suitable transportation arrangement for the area.

However, the project is still influenced by some unpredictable factors.

The Taipei City Council has also made a decision that the city government should terminate the contract with Farglory if the contractor fails to receive construction license and financing contract by July 2nd.

Meanwhile, environmental groups stress that they will not give up fighting against the project.

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