It took 8 years! The old city hall in Jia City is restored, lit up tonight and reborn as a cultural landmark

After eight years of planning and restoration, the "Old City Office", a historical building in Chiayi City with a history of over 70 years, was finally lit up tonight. The scene used warm and soft light and shadow to reinterpret this aesthetic landmark with deep cultural and historical heritage and modern tolerance. However, the outsourcing operation of the old city hall has not yet been signed, and the underground parking lot project is still in progress. The city government stated that once the signing points are completed, the best applicant will enter the site for decoration and open to the public for operation in accordance with the investment contract.

In tonight's lighting ceremony, Mayor Huang Minhui led the city government team and distinguished guests from all walks of life to witness the reappearance of this old building's splendor and rebirth.

Huang Minhui said that the old city office was one of the first public buildings in Taiwan after World War II and an indicator of rational modern architecture in Taiwan. It is not only a building with traces of time, but also an important commemorative space that bears witness to the history of local self-government in Chia City. In the future, the city will allow citizens to feel familiarity, intimacy and a sense of belonging, and will also allow friends from out of town to feel the city's most precious cultural warmth and charm.

The Municipal Finance and Taxation Bureau stated that in order to repair and reuse the old municipal office, many attempts to obtain subsidies from the central government failed in the early stage. The municipal government decided to raise its own funds to promote the project. It will set up design funds from 2019 and invest 257.3 million yuan in three years starting from 2022. After a construction period of 1,055 days, the construction Through five major design concepts: elimination, replacement, division, addition, and stringing, the restoration process not only completely retained the original historical features such as the washed stone exterior walls, terrazzo stairs, and wooden doors and windows, but also introduced modern barrier-free elevators and humanized space design, taking into account historical preservation and structural safety, and overcame difficulties to complete the restoration project.

The ROT participation promotion project of the old city office announced the investment invitation on December 26, 2025. For the historical building space on the 1st and 2nd floors, the agreement has been completed with the best applicant Hongsui Xingye Company. The signing is expected to be completed in mid-November this year. Once the signing point is completed, the operator will enter the site for renovation and open to the public in accordance with the investment contract. The third floor is planned as the "Jia Shi Social Innovation Base" to introduce design thinking into urban governance and attract young people to come and realize their dreams.

In addition, in order to relieve the parking demand around the old city office, the underground parking lot project of the old city office is still in progress and is scheduled to be completed in 2028.