Beijing is soliciting plans from the international community to protect the site of Beijing Coking Chemical Factory, the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning announced on Friday.

The core 45-hectare area of the factory is expected to become a park, according to the locally-based Jinghua Times.

The chemical factory, built in 1958, was once a key provider of coal gas to the capital city. It was originally located to the southeast of the city proper, and has long been a source of air pollution.

The factory moved its site to Tangshan city in Hebei province in 2006.