Jeongneung Bus Garage in Seongbuk-gu to Be Transformed into a Multi-Purpose Facility with Swimming Pool and Fitness Center

Central Investment Review by Ministry of the Interior and Safety Scheduled for June
Project Cost Reduced Through Efficient Space Planning
Business Feasibility Enhanced by Securing Temporary Garage Nearby

Architectural Concept Diagram of Jeongneung Public Garage, Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Seoul City

The 'Jeongneung Public Garage' in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul is set to be transformed into a multi-purpose platform equipped with sports facilities and a bus parking lot.

On April 21, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has drafted a basic development plan to introduce community convenience facilities, such as sports facilities, on top of the Jeongneung Bus Garage at 771-7 Jeongneung-dong. The city will request a central investment review from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in June, as scheduled, and depending on the outcome, will proceed in earnest with subsequent steps such as design and construction.

The basic development plan, prepared as a result of the feasibility study that began in September last year, maintains the main usage and building scale of the previous project proposal, but improves business feasibility by reducing construction costs by 10% through more efficient space planning and by securing a temporary garage near the site.

This project, fully funded by the city at a cost of approximately 40 billion won, falls under the category of new sports facility construction exceeding 30 billion won and thus requires a central investment review by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The Central Investment Review Committee of the Ministry examines the feasibility of large-scale local government investment projects exceeding 30 billion won prior to budgeting, serving as a mechanism to manage fiscal soundness.

The complex development of the Jeongneung Public Garage has been a longstanding project desired by Seongbuk-gu. In August 2022, the city initially planned to build an underground garage, but revised the plan to keep the garage above ground in response to concerns over electric vehicle charging safety and other risks. The city then submitted the development plan to the Central Investment Review Committee, but was notified in April last year that the business feasibility was insufficient and that the plan required reconsideration. Since then, the city has finalized the intended uses for the complex development through multiple rounds of community feedback and has adjusted the basic plan accordingly.

Looking ahead, the Jeongneung Bus Garage will be redeveloped as a multi-purpose facility with a total floor area of 7,338 square meters, comprising two underground floors and three above-ground floors. The first floor above ground will house the bus parking lot and transportation company offices; the first basement level will include a swimming pool; and the second and third floors above ground will feature a multipurpose gymnasium and fitness center. To prevent safety issues such as fires, the city placed the bus parking lot above ground and separated the routes between the transportation company offices and the community facilities to improve operational efficiency.

Earlier in February, the city held a community briefing session at the Jeongneung 4-dong Community Center, attended by the Seoul Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, the local National Assembly member, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, city and district council members, and over 100 residents, to listen to community opinions. The city expects that this redevelopment of the garage will serve as a catalyst for ushering in a "new era of Gangbuk prosperity" in the Jeongneung area. Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the Jeongneung Public Garage, a site with high hopes for redevelopment, to inspect the current status and called for the project to move forward at a swift pace.

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