Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Several multinational companies areinterested in developing the area around the Taiwan High SpeedRailway's Taoyuan Station, almost a month before the Bureau of HighSpeed Rail begins to seek developers for the area, bureau officialssaid Sunday.
The companies include several well-known jewelry companies,hotels, shopping malls and amusement parks, said the officials,speaking on condition of anonymity.
The bureau is scheduled to stage a presentation at the end ofJuly or the beginning of August to explain the ground rules for thedevelopment of the commercial and manufacturing zone of the TaoyuanStation area before choosing a developer through public tender.
Noting that the bureau tried in vain to contract developers forthe zone, along with a similar zone at the Taichung Station, threeyears ago, the official said with confidence that the plan willsucceed this time.
The officials said the area to be developed covers 22 hectares,much bigger than the three- and four-hectare plots offered in theprevious attempts.
Furthermore, the officials went on, Taiwan's economy, which wasin the grip of the global financial crisis three years ago, has beenturning the corner and is expected to expand steadily now that thecountry has concluded a trade pact with China.
Under the bureau's plan, the zone in the Taoyuan Station areawill be developed into an international commercial city in view ofthe fact that it is only a 10-minute drive from the Taiwan TaoyuanInternational Airport, which will make it attractive tointernationally renowned businesses.
The officials said the areas around the high speed rail stationswere designed to promote land development around the 345-km railroute that has made cities along its length accessible to each otherwithin a maximum of 90 minutes.
In addition to the Taoyuan Station area, there are four otherareas around the Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi and Tainan stations, andthe authorities hope that commercial and manufacturing zones willmake them the centerpiece of development in their respective areas.
However, none of the commercial and manufacturing zones have beenestablished, except for one at the Hsinchu Station, which has beendesigned by the National Science Council as the location of abiotechnology park.
The areas, with advanced infrastructure -- including opticalfiber broadband networks and major roads linking them to nearbycities -- already in place, will be ideal locations for businesseseyeing overseas markets, according to the officials.
The Taoyuan Station area will be particularly favored, given thefact that a rapid transit system connecting Taipei and the TaiwanTaoyuan International Airport through the station is expected to becompleted by 2012.
(By Maubo Chang)
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