Naju-si Goes All Out for Selection in Commercial District Renaissance Project

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 12th that an expert on-site evaluation was conducted in the Yeongsanpo area, covering three neighborhoods (Yeongsan, Ichang, Yeonggang), to select the target site for the ‘5th Commercial District Renaissance Contest Project.’

The ‘Commercial District Renaissance’ contest project by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups designates declining commercial districts as commercial revitalization zones and provides comprehensive support to help small business owners and self-employed individuals regain autonomous competitiveness.

If selected as a project target site, a total of 8 billion KRW, including 4 billion KRW in national funds over five years, will be invested. Through this, projects such as ‘commercial environment improvement’ including themed street creation and store environment enhancement, and ‘commercial revitalization’ including specialized product development, promotion, and strengthening merchant organization capabilities will be promoted.

On the day, five external experts listened to the comprehensive project plan at Yeongsanpo Pungmul Market, then sequentially inspected the target areas including the shopping district near Yeongsanpo Bus Terminal in Ichang-dong, Yeongsan-dong’s Skatefish Street, the modern cultural heritage urban regeneration project area, and Yeonggang-dong area (Nonghyup and Railroad Park), before evaluating the project’s appropriateness.

The city plans to designate the three neighborhoods in the Yeongsanpo area (total area 342,555㎡), with 848 stores, as the ‘Yeongsanpo Commercial District Revitalization Zone.’

With the vision of ‘Yeongsanpo’s heyday once again, reborn as the number one destination for skatefish, meat, and food,’ three core goals have been established: ‘local food-based food specialization,’ ‘creating new paths for Yeongsanpo commercial district,’ and ‘building the Yeongsanpo brand of taste and style.’

The Ichang-dong area will create a ‘Meat-Food Street’ linking the nation’s largest slaughtering and processing facilities located in the Innovation Industrial Complex with Yeongsanpo Pungmul Market and the bus terminal section.

Plans also include operating the Pungmul Market Saturday Fresh Market, a multicultural food market, the Yeongsanpo Festival combining the existing Skatefish Festival with meat, and establishing the Yeongsanpo Foodtainment Studio.

Yeongsan-dong and Yeonggang-dong will create distinctive commercial districts based on modern cultural heritage and urban regeneration project outcomes.

They are planning to resolve vacant stores dormant in Skatefish Street, Jukjeon Alley, and Modern Cultural Heritage Street, improve store environments, implement street art, and support attractive startup projects.

By creating a commercial district where hygiene and cleanliness are fundamental, they aim to nurture 80 representative eateries (restaurants, cafes, and accessory shops) in Yeongsanpo and establish the Yeongsanseonchang Riverside Breeze Concert Hall and Yeonggang-dong Music Cafe Town to strengthen regional brand marketing linked with cultural and tourism resources.

The key is the voluntary and active interest and participation of merchants. Consent from merchants and landlords is also an important evaluation criterion for project selection.

The city has so far obtained 93.1% and 94.8% project consent from merchants and landlords respectively, centered on the Yeongsanpo Commercial District Revitalization Promotion Council.

Additionally, through win-win agreements with related organizations such as the Innovation Industrial Complex, Dongsoo and Oryang Industrial Complex Resident Company Representatives Council, financial institutions, and livestock and agricultural organizations, public and private capabilities are being consolidated.

Mayor Kang In-gyu also attended the on-site evaluation to support the project selection.

Mayor Kang said, “We are making an all-out effort to be selected for the Commercial District Renaissance project to restore the Yeongsanpo commercial district,” and added, “I ask the evaluation committee members for their great interest and affection so that Yeongsanpo can be selected as the project target site to revitalize the old downtown economy, which is more difficult than ever due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.”

Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr

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