Gwangju Dong-gu 'Sangwon Renaissance Project' Kicks Off in Earnest... 10 Billion Won Scale

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jo Hyung-joo] Dong-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Im Taek) announced on the 10th that it will take full-scale steps to promote the 'Commercial District Renaissance Project' worth 10 billion KRW in Chungjang-ro, the largest central commercial district in the Honam region.

After being finally selected last October for the '5th Commercial District Renaissance Project,' a public contest by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Dong-gu plans to invest a total of 10 billion KRW over five years from this year to 2026 to integrate Chungjang-ro and Geumnam (Chunggeum) underground shopping mall into a three-dimensional shopping area connecting underground and aboveground, accelerating the revitalization of the downtown commercial district.

Under the vision of 'Happy Chungjang where Culture Breathes, A.C.E Commercial District!' Dong-gu's strategy is to establish a foundation to reclaim the Chungjang-ro commercial district through three themes: a commercial district with Art, a commercial district with Culture, and a sustainable (Eco) commercial district.

To this end, the 'Gwangju Chungjang Commercial District Revitalization Promotion Team' was recently formed, and various initiatives will be promoted targeting Chungjang-ro shopping street and Geumnam (Chunggeum) underground shopping area, including ▲creation of specialized streets by section ▲Chungjang Film Festival ▲specialized design street ▲media art zone ▲Chungjang specialized market ▲Chungjang Culture Day ▲specialized street festival ▲youth and artisan connected ▲smart shopping platform ▲core store development.

Starting this year, the first year of the project, the 'Chungjang Raon (RA-ON) Festa' will be held throughout Chungjang-ro 1 to 5 ga areas, providing various sales venues and attractions to encourage visits from diverse age groups.

In addition, 'Chungjang Culture Day' will be held focusing on revitalizing the local economy, supporting local cultural artists, small business owners, and residents who have been in a slump due to COVID-19.

Furthermore, to strengthen the self-sustainability and capabilities of merchants, 'Merchant Leader Training and Workshops' will be held, and 'Merchant Innovation University' will be operated to lead changes in merchants' awareness in line with rapidly changing distribution environments and evolving consumer trends, along with providing customized management consulting.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, "The Commercial District Renaissance Project is an important project for the revival of the old downtown commercial district, which has been depressed due to COVID-19 and other factors," adding, "Through full-scale project promotion, Dong-gu, the merchants' association, and private experts will cooperate to do their best to revitalize the entire local economy of Dong-gu and further promote the vitality of Gwangju's economy."

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