Will Asan's 'Clean Net', Neglected for 10 Years, Be Reborn as a Public Convenience Facility?

Since Its Completion in 2013, Never Operated and Now Headed for Disposal
LH: “Considering Uses Such as Small Libraries and Children's Cultural Centers”

Asan City has called for the redevelopment of the now defunct Asan 'Clean Net' into a convenience facility for citizens.

Asan City in South Chungcheong Province has called on LH to repurpose the 'CleanNet' facility?which has remained unused and ineffective for 10 years since its completion?as a public amenity for citizens.

Completed in June 2013 near Tangjeong Station in Asan New Town, CleanNet is an automatic underground waste collection facility built by LH as part of the Baebang and Tangjeong residential development projects. The facility has three basement levels and two above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 293.96 square meters.

When waste is deposited through above-ground inlets, the system uses air pressure?similar to a vacuum cleaner?to transport, collect, and discharge the waste through underground pipelines.

A total of 158 inlets were installed across seven apartment complexes in Baebang New Town, with a 5.3-kilometer pipeline system for waste collection. The project cost 18.3 billion KRW.

Immediately after completion, LH requested Asan City to take over the facility. However, the city demanded that LH cover part of the maintenance and operating costs, citing reduced efficiency due to the downsized Asan New Town project. At the time, annual operating costs for CleanNet were estimated to exceed 1 billion KRW.

After a lengthy legal dispute over ownership that began in 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Asan City in September 2022, bringing the matter to a close.

Since then, LH has only maintained the CleanNet facility, unable to find a viable use for it despite commissioning a study on how to handle the facility.

Recently, Asan City officials visited the Daejeon-Chungnam branch of LH to inspect CleanNet and requested a review of ways to utilize the facility as a space for citizens.

Mayor Park Kyung-gui stated, "CleanNet is located near the heart of the new town, close to Lee Sunshin-daero, Tangjeong Station, and Maegokcheon. Repurposing it as a public space could result in a highly satisfying facility for residents. Since the facility has been left unused for a long time due to legal disputes, causing significant losses to citizens, Asan City and LH should work together to discuss ways to contribute the building for public benefit."

In response, LH commented, "It seems possible to use the facility as a small library, children's cultural center, small cafe, or administrative welfare center, among other community amenities. We will review various options for handling the facility together with Asan City."

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