Gangdong-gu Cheonho 3-dong, Myeongil 1-dong, and 4 Other Dong Office Complex Developments Saving 92.7 Billion KRW

Cheonho 3-dong, Myeongil 1-dong, Amsa 1-dong Complex Development Including Swimming Pool Construction... Seongnae 2-dong, Myeongil 2-dong, Dunchon 2-dong Large-scale Project Integrated Development Including Startup Support Center Construction

Perspective View of Cheonho 3-dong Public Office Complex Development

Aerial View of Myeongil 1-dong Complex Building

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is simultaneously undertaking the complete reconstruction of six district community centers, which have outdated facilities and limited space causing significant inconvenience to local residents, into budget-saving advanced complex buildings across 17 neighborhood community centers and autonomous halls.

Myeongil 1-dong and Amsa 1-dong community centers have been in use for over 40 years, and there are five other community centers that have been in use for more than 30 years. Due to the characteristics of the old urban area, the facilities of the district community centers are in a serious state of deterioration.

※ Status of aging community centers - Over 40 years: Myeongil 1-dong, Amsa 1-dong - Between 30 and 40 years: Godeok 2-dong, Seongnae 2-dong, Seongnae 3-dong, Myeongil 2-dong, Dunchon 2-dong - Between 20 and 30 years: Cheonho 1-dong, Cheonho 3-dong

Recently, the role of district community centers has been reorganized from simple administrative functions to community hub spaces. There is a growing demand for spaces that can fulfill various complex functions such as sports (swimming pools, etc.), welfare (daycare centers, senior welfare centers, etc.), culture (libraries, etc.), and resident autonomy.

Moreover, since 2021, the Seoul-type resident autonomy councils, where residents themselves identify village issues, reflect them in the budget, and directly resolve them, have been fully operational. However, due to the aging and cramped conditions of the district offices, residents have experienced inconvenience, making prompt renovation urgently necessary.

※ Case study of Gangdong-gu Godeok 1-dong Resident Autonomy Council operation - Six committees with 48 members have identified 10 projects and plan to directly execute a budget of 77 million KRW this year - Projects include “You Are Not Alone Even If You Are Alone” (vegetable garden cultivation), “Used Batteries Become Cuckoo Nests” (installation of used battery boxes), production and distribution of a village guidebook, and promotion of “plogging,” a cleanup exercise that benefits both health and the environment.

Despite these conditions and needs, Gangdong-gu’s 2021 budget is 788.4 billion KRW, of which welfare accounts for 422.6 billion KRW (53.6%).

After excluding basic expenses such as personnel costs, the available funds are severely insufficient, making it very difficult to independently construct new district community centers through local finances alone.

Accordingly, Gangdong-gu is actively exploring, introducing, and promoting project methods that aim to achieve the so-called “two rabbits” ? maximizing budget savings while integrating various functions.

First, Cheonho 3-dong, Myeongil 1-dong, and Amsa 1-dong will be constructed through “aging public building complex development,” a method that newly builds complexes combining public, commercial, office, and residential facilities.

According to the Special Act on Public Housing, this method targets aging public buildings on public property sites and involves collaboration between local governments and public corporations (such as LH and SH). Through subsidies for living SOC and support funds for happy housing development, approximately 41 billion KRW in budget savings can be achieved.

Cheonho 3-dong is being developed in collaboration with LH Corporation, combining the existing community center and Gangdong Comprehensive Social Welfare Center into a complex including a community center, autonomous hall, social welfare center, daycare center, senior citizens’ center, and happy housing (94 units). Construction began this year with a goal of completion in 2023.

Myeongil 1-dong is being developed with SH Corporation, combining the existing community center and youth center into a complex including a community center, autonomous hall, swimming pool, daycare center, and happy housing (160 units). To revitalize Myeongil Traditional Market and alleviate parking difficulties, the underground space of the adjacent Yeomjugol Children’s Park will be developed as a parking lot. Construction is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.

Amsa 1-dong is being developed with SH Corporation, combining the existing autonomous hall and public daycare center into a complex including a community center, autonomous hall, swimming pool, senior welfare center, daycare center, and happy housing. Currently, feasibility studies and basic plans are being established.

Next, Seongnae 2-dong, Myeongil 2-dong, and Dunchon 2-dong will be constructed using the “large-scale integrated development” method. This involves actively collaborating with landowners involved in urban maintenance-type redevelopment projects to integrate and newly build certain spaces within buildings as legally mandated public contributions.

Through such donations, approximately 51.7 billion KRW in budget savings will be realized.

Seongnae 2-dong plans to relocate in 2024 by receiving public facilities as donations from the Seongnae 5 Redevelopment Promotion Zone urban maintenance-type redevelopment project. The community center, autonomous hall, public sports facilities, book caf?, and youth startup support center will be housed from basement level 2 to the 2nd floor of a 42-story mixed-use residential building.

Myeongil 2-dong plans to relocate in 2024 by receiving public facilities as donations from the Juyang Shopping Reconstruction Project. The community center, autonomous hall, and small library will be housed there.

Dunchon 2-dong plans to relocate by receiving public facilities as donations designated as local necessary facilities through the station area revitalization project. The current plan is under consultation with the Seoul City support advisory group.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “We will promptly renovate the cramped and aging district offices through complex and integrated development, co-locating living SOC such as social welfare centers, swimming pools, and youth support facilities to provide residents with high-quality public services. We will also swiftly renovate severely poor facilities such as Seongnae 3-dong to prepare for the full-scale implementation of resident autonomy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.