City government, which plans to turn it into a recreational and cultural zone. President Chen Shui-bian, addressing a ceremony for the Shuinan Airport's handover to the city government, said he hopes it can be turned into Taichung's Central Park, surpassing the Hsinyi district where the Taipei 101 is located.
Having solved the funding problems for the removal of the airport facilities, Chen said he was now able to keep his promise that the airport would be handed over to Taichung by the end of the year.
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu from the opposition Kuomintang said the city "will be forever grateful" to the president for his efforts to make Taichung citizens' dream come true.
Hu said the city government's plans for the area include the construction of a big park, an exhibition complex, a university town, a sports stadium and a cultural hall.
He said the handover of the Shuinan Airport marks a crucial moment in the development of Taichung, and it will help turn Taichung into a modernized city.
Apart from Chen and Hu, those attending the ceremony included Vice President Annette Lu and Defense Minister Lee Tien-yu.
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