Construction of Resident Convenience Facilities at Seoul Combined Heat and Power Plant Begins in Earnest

Seoul's First Han River View Community Sports Center Emerges, Standing as the Best Sports Facility Reflecting Residents' Opinions... 'Mapo Saebit Munhwa Sup' Chosen as the Name for the Seoul Thermal Power Plant Ground Park through Citizen Contest

Aerial View of the Seoul Combined Cycle Power Plant Above Ground

Bird's-eye View of Resident Convenience Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced that it will actively promote the construction of the ‘Resident Convenience Facility within the Seoul Combined Thermal Power Plant,’ which will be Seoul’s first Han River-viewing community sports center where residents can engage in physical activities and relax while overlooking the Han River.

To this end, the district will hold a resident briefing session on the construction of the resident convenience facility within the Seoul Combined Thermal Power Plant at the Seogang-dong Community Center on the 27th.

This briefing session will be conducted in strict compliance with social distancing and quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It will be an opportunity for Redbox Architects, the winning firm of the design competition, to explain the current design plans for the resident convenience facility and future progress.

Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A session with local residents and relevant departments to address various questions residents have had about the facility.

The resident convenience facility will be built on a site of 4,119㎡ with a total floor area of 5,009㎡. Based on resident preferences and surveys, the facility will include a swimming pool on the second floor, as well as a bathhouse, multipurpose gymnasium, fitness center, and futsal court spanning up to the fourth floor and rooftop. The project will be constructed with a budget of 30.2 billion KRW.

In particular, the project site’s geographical advantage along the Han River means that users will be able to enjoy physical activities and relaxation while overlooking the river, making it a Han River-viewing community sports resident convenience facility.

To expand the insufficient indoor sports facilities in the area, meet the demand for community sports, and promote residents’ health, the district has been pursuing the construction of the resident convenience facility since 2014 to contribute to the activation and expansion of community sports.

The construction of the resident convenience facility began with the establishment of the construction plan in November 2014, followed by the completion of feasibility studies and basic planning research in March 2016, passing the central investment review in November 2016, signing a land purchase contract for city-owned land in December 2017, holding a special committee on the construction of the Seoul Thermal Power Plant resident convenience facility at the Mapo-gu Council from 2018 to 2019, passing the central investment re-examination in 2020, and signing the design service contract, with the current plan design now completed.

The district plans to accelerate the project aiming to start construction in January 2022 and complete it by May 2023.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Thermal Power Plant, where the resident convenience facility will be located, is undergoing a remodeling project to replace Korea’s first coal-fired power plant, the Danginri Power Plant, with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) combined thermal power plant, underground the facility, and transform the aboveground area into a cultural complex space that produces cultural value.

The first phase of the project, which includes undergrounding the power plant and converting the aboveground area into a park, has been completed, and the second phase, including the creation of the resident convenience facility, a cultural creative power plant, and a plaza, is scheduled to be completed by 2023.

Accordingly, to celebrate the completion and opening of the aboveground park, the district held a naming contest throughout April and finally selected ‘Mapo Saebit Cultural Forest’ as the name of the Seoul Thermal Power Plant aboveground park on May 12.

‘Mapo Saebit Cultural Forest’ embodies the meaning of ‘Saebit’ (new light), symbolizing the supply of new light by producing eco-friendly power through the power plant remodeling; ‘Cultural,’ representing the creation of a landmark connecting the Hongdae cultural area through the establishment of the cultural creative power plant; and ‘Forest,’ signifying the transformation into a forest connecting the city center and the Han River.

The aboveground parkification of the power plant and the construction of the resident convenience facility are expected to provide benefits to residents near Seogang and Hapjeong-dong, who have long suffered due to the power plant, and to somewhat alleviate regional imbalances caused by the lack of sports facilities.

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “With the construction of the resident convenience facility, the insufficient public sports infrastructure in Mapo-gu will be expanded, and with the creation of Mapo Saebit Cultural Forest, a cultural complex space and cultural complex park connecting Hongdae and the Han River will be born. We expect the Seoul Combined Thermal Power Plant area to contribute to improving residents’ quality of life and strengthening urban competitiveness.”

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