Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu said moving the military’s Arsenal 205 away from Kaohsiung’s city center will allow more space for economic development. Han, along with a number of senior officials, announced that the move officially started on Wednesday.

Arsenal 205 houses facilities that are responsible of research and development as well as the production of small arms and ammunition for Taiwan’s military. It is located in one of the busiest areas of Kaohsiung, next to the city library, the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center and the Kaohsiung Pop Music Center.

Han said that moving the arsenal to the Dashu District at the edge of the city will take a total of eight years. He also said that the move will allow the new Kaohsiung Multifunctional Commerce and Trade Park to further expand, which will further stimulate growth for the city.