Zhubei Market Construction Dispute: County Accuses City of Design Changes, City Cites Bureaucracy

Construction of the Zhubei Waterfront Market, also known as the East District Market, has stalled, leading to a public dispute between the Zhubei City Office and the Hsinchu County Government. The conflict centers on who is responsible for the delays.

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The city office's policy changes and multiple alterations have caused administrative procedures to be restarted, making it unreasonable to blame the county government for the delays.

Zhubei Mayor Cheng Chao-fang recently criticized the Hsinchu County Government for its lengthy administrative procedures, stating that many Zhubei construction projects were stuck in the "final mile." In response, the county government issued a clarification, accusing the city office of causing delays through its own policy changes and repeated design alterations. The county government asserted that these actions necessitated restarting administrative procedures, making the accusation of being stalled by the county government unreasonable.

The Zhubei City Office countered that the county government's own process history demonstrates the issue. They stated that obtaining permits for crucial public projects can take over 1.5 years, reflecting the reality faced by local offices. While thanking the county government for eventually completing reviews for the East District Market and Taihe Community Hall after 1.5 years, the city office noted that other projects, like the Shangyi Li Star Basketball Court and Donghai and Beixing Community Halls, are still awaiting permits. The city office emphasized that "lawful administration" should not preclude improvements in efficiency, as prolonged delays in public construction deeply affect citizens eager for the market's completion.

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One crucial public construction project being stuck in the process for a long time affects the citizens who are eagerly awaiting the completion of the East District Market the most.

The county government's production department detailed the project's history, noting multiple design changes, budget increases from 380 million to 550 million NT dollars, and a contract termination in 2023 by the city office. The city office then resubmitted the proposal under a new name in early 2025, invalidating previous urban design and building permit approvals. Despite these challenges and subsequent issues with submitted documents and incorrect information, the county government expedited the review process, issuing the building permit on June 11, 2025.

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The city office not only repeatedly proposed design changes but also increased the project budget from 380 million NT dollars to 550 million NT dollars, and even applied to terminate the contract in 2023.