The Last Puzzle of Sillim New Town 'Sillim 1 District' Reborn as a Large Complex with 4,000 Households

Seoul City Urban Redevelopment Committee, Decision on Amendment to Promotion Plan

Location map of Sillim 1 District, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. (Provided by Seoul City)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The last puzzle piece of Sillim New Town in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Sillim 1 District, is being transformed into a large apartment complex with 4,000 households.

On the 7th, Seoul City held the 2nd Urban Redevelopment Committee’s delegated subcommittee and conditionally approved the 'Sillim 1 District Redevelopment Promotion Plan Amendment' for the area around 808 Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, the city announced on the 8th.

Sillim 1 District (223,000㎡) is located between Gwanaksan Mountain and Dorimcheon Stream, in the vicinity of the Seoul National University Venture Town Station on the light rail 'Sillim Line,' and is a representative aging low-rise residential area in the southwestern region. Although designated as a redevelopment promotion district in 2006, progress has been delayed due to local conflicts and unauthorized buildings. In particular, when applying for a plan amendment in 2017, conflicts over the project’s pros and cons surfaced, causing the drafting process to slow down for several years.

Accordingly, Seoul City decided to intervene from the establishment of the redevelopment plan for Sillim 1 District and proceed with a rapid integrated planning method that simplifies the approval process. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon supported this approach during his site visit in September last year.

Since then, the city has focused on creating a feasible redevelopment plan. Initially, unauthorized buildings accounted for 40% of the area, making project conditions poor, but after adopting the rapid integrated planning method, public nature was secured through public rental commercial spaces, and the floor area ratio was increased from 230% to 260%, significantly increasing the number of households. Especially in the northern part of the district, where conflicts among residents were intense, and the Hoam-ro roadside plots, the city and Gwanak-gu directly mediated to induce resident consensus and opened the way for the project. A Seoul city official said, "Through the rapid integrated planning promotion, we were able to quickly decide the promotion plan within seven months from drafting to review."

According to this decision, Sillim 1 District will be reborn as a large-scale apartment complex with 29 floors and a total of 4,104 households (616 public housing units). Alongside the Seoul-style waterfront sensibility city project, Dorimcheon Stream will be restored as a natural stream, and a waterfront park will be created through public contributions along the stream. Four green corridors connecting Gwanaksan Mountain to Dorimcheon Stream will be established, creating accessible connecting streets between nature and the city. To support the resettlement of merchants such as those from Samseong-dong Market, the city secured 74 public rental commercial spaces needed in the area while minimizing donations of roads and parks.

Meanwhile, with the approval of the promotion plan for Sillim 1 District, the last piece of the 'Sillim Redevelopment Promotion District (Sillim New Town)' has effectively been completed. Sillim 2 and 3 Districts have been progressing normally since their designation as redevelopment promotion districts in 2006 and have currently completed management disposition approval.

Kim Seong-bo, Director of the Seoul City Housing Policy Office, said, "This is a pioneering case where the city actively acted as a mediator to resolve complex and intense conflicts among residents." He added, "The redevelopment of Sillim 1 District is expected to improve the residential environment in the southwestern area, expand housing supply, and revitalize the previously stagnant region."

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