Seongnam City Accelerates Development of Three Idle Sites Including Wirae Story Box

Basic Planning and Preliminary Feasibility Studies Begin for 578 Pangyo-dong and 725 Sampyeong-dong Sites
Wirae Story Box Public Library Feasibility Assessment Passes as Originally Proposed

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province has commenced administrative procedures to transform three long-unused idle sites—Wirae Story Box (594 Changgok-dong), 578 Pangyo-dong (the former vehicle registration office), and 725 Sampyeong-dong (adjacent to Sampyeong Middle School)—into integrated education, cultural, and sports infrastructure for its citizens.

Status of Major Development Projects on Idle Land in Seongnam. Provided by Seongnam City

On April 30, the city began basic planning and preliminary feasibility studies for the sites at 578 Pangyo-dong and 725 Sampyeong-dong. Based on the land utilization plans finalized last year, the city will draw up detailed basic plans and conduct business feasibility reviews. In October, it plans to request a feasibility study in accordance with the Local Finance Act from the Local Investment Management Center (LIMAC) under the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration.

In particular, the site at 725 Sampyeong-dong gained momentum for its project after being selected on April 14 as the final recipient of the Ministry of Education’s first-phase ‘School Complex Facility’ public project. As a result, Seongnam City has secured 29.3 billion won in national funding, which accounts for 50% of the total project cost, and has established the foundation to create a comprehensive facility for education, culture, and sports, including a swimming pool and a library.

The Wirae Story Box site, whose utilization plan was also finalized last year, is similarly accelerating its development. In the first half of this year, the site passed both the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s ‘Preliminary Public Library Establishment Feasibility Assessment’ and the Seongnam City Youth Facility Establishment Review Committee’s evaluation as originally proposed, thereby securing the administrative basis for project implementation.

The city aims to complete the feasibility study for the Wirae Story Box site, currently underway through the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration, by October. Subsequent steps—including investment review, architectural planning, and detailed design—will be carried out sequentially, with the goal of completing the project by 2030 without delay.

A Seongnam City official stated, "We will swiftly develop long-neglected idle sites to resolve chronic local complaints and maximize the value of space utilization. Through thorough schedule management and close cooperation among relevant departments, we will promptly expand high-quality cultural, educational, and sports infrastructure that meets the needs and expectations of our citizens."

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