Hsinchu City Baseball Stadium renovation controversy

The renovation of the Hsinchu City Baseball Stadium has entered its final inspection phase following a four-year delay. The project involved upgrading the artificial turf, red clay, and drainage systems to professional standards. During the process, officials discovered significant issues, including unauthorized concrete structures and waste buried beneath the field.

Legal proceedings have followed the construction issues. While the Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office cleared former Mayor Lin Chih-chien and other city officials of corruption and bribery charges, four individuals from construction and supervision companies received deferred prosecution. These individuals admitted to falsifying construction logs and inspection reports to hide project delays.

Despite the lack of criminal corruption charges against city officials, the Hsinchu City Government maintains that the engineering remains non-compliant. The city has identified technical flaws, such as improper soil mixtures and a 500-square-meter concrete platform that poses safety and drainage risks. Consequently, the city is pursuing a civil lawsuit against the contractor, Ju-jia Construction, seeking over NT$400 million in damages.