In the 1980s, as Taiwan transformed into an industrial society, land prices soared and construction firms greedily eyed potential bonanzas to be had by tearing down old neighborhoods and putting up modern buildings. Builders swooped in and razed large swaths of old, low buildings, replacing them with new-style apartment buildings and commercial towers. Bopiliao alone was somehow passed over. It remained behind, frozen in time.
1980 年代，台灣進入工商社會，地價起飛，建商覷準老區改建增值的潛力無窮，紛紛搶進，四周的低矮街坊被大舉拆除、改建成新式公寓、商用大樓，只有剝皮寮像是異數般地停滯在都市開發的時間軸上。