Paju Unjeong New Town Sewage Relay Pump Station to Be Transformed into Citizen Sports and Cultural Space

Full-Scale Construction Begins on Sannae Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium and Hanul Indoor Table Tennis Hall

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on September 26 that it will begin renovation work on October 1 to transform the existing sewage relay pump station building, located in the retention basin within Sannae and Hanul villages in Unjeong New Town, into the "Sannae Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium" and the "Hanul Indoor Table Tennis Hall." The city stated that construction will be completed by December this year, with the facilities scheduled to open to the public in February next year.

Kim Kyungil, mayor of Paju City, is inspecting the existing wastewater relay pump station building located in the retention basin within Sannae and Hanul villages in Unjeong New Town. Provided by Paju City

Since the sewage relay pump station ceased operations in October 2023, the space had been left vacant. There has been ongoing public demand to convert such idle urban spaces into citizen-friendly facilities. This project is a direct response to those calls from civil society.

In line with the changing urban environment resulting from the expansion and development of Unjeong New Town, the city plans to preserve as much of the original structure as possible while renovating both the interior and exterior to suit its new function as a sports facility, thereby reinterpreting the spatial value of the retention basin.

Paju City expects that these efforts to shed the negative image of the sewage relay pump station-once considered an undesirable facility-and transform it into a space for sports and culture will mark a new turning point in the innovation of urban infrastructure.

The total project cost of 2.7 billion won (1.35 billion won each for Sannae and Hanul) was secured through the third supplementary budget for 2025. The project sites are located at 908 Mokdong-dong (Sannae Village) and 2065 Dongpae-dong (Hanul Village) in Paju City.

Both facilities will be constructed with one basement level and one ground floor. The "Sannae Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium" will feature one court for both badminton and pickleball, as well as two table tennis tables. The "Hanul Indoor Table Tennis Hall" will be equipped with seven table tennis tables and additional amenities such as changing rooms.

Kim Kyungil, mayor of Paju City, stated, "We will ensure that the retention basin in Unjeong New Town, which boasts excellent accessibility, maintains its original disaster prevention function while being reborn as a sports and cultural space that citizens can truly appreciate. This project, which utilizes idle urban spaces, will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life for our citizens."

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