TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said Thursday that the city will seek a fair operating plan for the Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadiums and Training Centers.
CNA reported that Huang said the stadium was built by the Tainan City Government and remains city property. He said any baseball team or private company interested in operating the venue must offer reasonable terms.
The main stadium cost NT$1.8 billion (US$55.6 million) to build. Huang said the venue was paid for with public money, so the city must protect the interests of the city’s residents.
Huang said the city is open to different operating models, including leasing and outsourced management. He said the final plan should benefit both the city and the operator.
“Recent games at the stadium showed that baseball is drawing more fans in Tainan,” Huang said. He said average attendance has topped 10,000, which is a positive sign for the sport’s growth, per Liberty Times. Huang added future operations should help keep that momentum going.
The city government said it welcomes talks with teams or private operators interested in running the stadium. It said any cooperation must be based on fair terms, public interest, and better use of the venue, per CTS News.
