TAIPEI, TAIWAN, June 22, 2009 -- The American Institute in Taiwan held a dedication ceremony June 22 at the future site of its new office compound in Taiwan.

All of AIT's Taipei offices, including the American Cultural Center, the Commercial Section, the Chinese Language and Area Studies School, and the Agricultural Trade Office, will be, for the first time, located at one site in a spacious, state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly structure, according to an AIT press release.
Stephen M. Young, AIT Director, spoke of the importance of the building at the dedication. He said, "The close ties between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan are numerous and multifaceted. They are embodied in the travel of individuals between Taiwan and the United States, trade and business relations, our cooperation in law enforcement, in educational and cultural exchange, and our shared embrace of democracy and the free market. The new AIT building that will one day stand on this site will weave together these various strands of our complex, productive, and friendly relationship. In other words, it's not just a building, but rather a focal point of everything that is beneficial to the societies of Taiwan and the United States about our ties.
The total cost of the new compound will be more than $170 million. It will include an office building of approximately 14,000 square meters, a parking structure and support structures.

Design and construction of the new compound will meet the highest standards. Most of the buildings will be finished with natural stone or metal panels on the exterior, with smaller areas of glass curtain wall. The designs include formal landscaping and protection of the existing forest vegetation, most of which will be left untouched.

The compound will be constructed in three stages: rear access road construction, Phase One and Phase Two. Rear access road construction started in March 2009 and will be completed six to nine months after starting. Phase One consists of site clearing and grading, construction of perimeter security systems, vehicular and pedestrian access control facilities, quarters for security personnel, maintenance buildings and surface parking and parking structure. Weston Solutions, Inc., of West Chester, Pennsylvania, has been awarded the $54.4 million contract for this phase. Phase Two will consist of the construction of the new office building, the contract for which will be awarded at a future date.

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