Seoul to build a start-up and culture complex at Chang-dong area

Seoul to build a start-up and culture complex at Chang-dong area. May. 29, 2018 07:41. yeah@donga.com.
“Chang-dong and Sanggye Start-up and Culture Industrial Complex” will be established by 2020 in the Chang-dong area, which is a typical bed town in northern Seoul.

A 45-story start-up culture complex will be built at 156,263-square meter transfer parking lot in front of Chang-dong Station, said Lee Taek-geun, chief of the north-east division under Seoul’s Regional Development Headquarters Monday, He also released the “Conversion Platform,” which is the design plan of the start-up culture complex by Sia Plan, the architecture firm that has been selected at the international design competition.

According to this design plan, the start-up and culture complex is in a form that connects two buildings that are 45 stories and 17 stories high, respectively. The two buildings will incorporate start-up and creation residence that can accommodate 700 rooms and start-up support area where some 2,500 people can use at the same time. Parking lot, book store and cultural performance facilities will also be created. Start-up and creation residence is expected to be provided as rent or parceled out to those who just started working, one-person youth entrepreneurs, and cultural artists so that they can be able to enjoy star-up and creation activities as well as cultural and leisure activities.

The Seoul city government plans to organize urban restoration RIETs for the Chang-dong and Sanggye area in August to come up with funds from minority investors and embark on the construction of the complex by designating a developer and constructor. The goal is to complete the construction by December 2022.

Some watchers, however, are claiming that Seoul City, which was unable to solve the development project issue of the Chang-dong Station for more than 10 years, is revealing a blueprint just for the upcoming local elections.