TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei City Government announced on Sunday (June 26) that the rental fee for the Taipei Dome has not been finalized, addressing concerns raised a day earlier by a Taipei City Councilor regarding the high rental price for games at the venue.
The draft proposal put forth by the Taipei Dome contractor, Farglory Group, suggests a rental fee of NT＄1 million per game. Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Wu Pei-yi expressed skepticism about the feasibility of hosting 40 games annually at the Taipei Dome, as outlined in the proposal.
Wu raised concerns about the potential difficulties faced by sports teams in organizing games and events at the venue, which could lead to increased ticket prices and discourage sports enthusiasts from attending.
The rental cost for the Taipei Dome remains considerably higher when compared to other baseball fields in Taiwan. For instance, the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, with a capacity of approximately 20,000, charges a rental fee ranging from NT＄45,000 to NT＄60,000 per game.
The Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium, accommodating around 12,000 individuals, sets the rental fee between NT＄10,000 and NT＄30,000 per game. Additionally, the Tianmu Baseball Stadium, with a seating capacity of about 10,000 people, charges NT＄4,000 to NT＄15,000 per game.
Baseball Writer Lien Hao-chuan highlighted that the rental fee for the Taipei Dome surpasses that of other baseball stadiums due to factors such as increased staffing requirements for maintaining more seats and the higher operational costs associated with the venue's amenities, including large screens that consume substantial electricity.
The Taipei City Department of Sports has requested Farglory to reassess the rental fee and consider lowering it to promote sporting events. In response, Farglory emphasized that the plan has yet to be finalized, and the charging standards for different events will vary to accommodate diverse needs.
The Taipei Dome will likely commence trial operations by the end of this year.