TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Keelung City Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said Wednesday (Aug. 8) the city will convert the Agenna Shipyard into a hotel within the next year.

Hsieh said the project will preserve the shipyard's original structure to maintain its historical value, per CNA. He added the Keelung City Culture and Tourism Bureau (KCCTB), along with the property owner Taiwan Sugar Corporation, has selected a company to undertake the project.

Hsieh hopes the new hotel will become a key part of the Heping Island tourist area.

KCCTB Commissioner Chiang Ting-mei (江亭玫) said the city plans to establish a ferry service from Guomen Square to Heping Island. Chiang noted the Agenna Shipyard hotel project is undergoing a second review by the cultural heritage committee.

She clarified that the project will preserve the remaining three concrete structures, and the contracted company will submit plans next month.

The Agenna Shipyard, which reflects Taiwan’s colonial history and postwar Kuomintang (KMT) era, was initially a warehouse and dock used for coal exports from the Sijiaoting coal mine, per government archives. The shipyard was later adapted for mineral storage.

The Agenna Shipyard ceased shipbuilding operations in 1987 and fell into disrepair.

In 2016, Taiwan Sugar Corporation's attempt to demolish the site was halted by Keelung City government, preserving it as a tourist attraction. The shipyard gained recent attention when actor Chris Evans featured it in an ad shoot.