Anxious Changwon City "Quickly"... Shinsegae Changwon Starfield "Take Time and Be Careful"

Controversy Over Convenience in Changwon City Council Traffic Impact Assessment Project... Shinsegae Says "Unexpected COVID-19 Variable Emerged"

The planned site for Starfield Changwon, which is scheduled to be built in Jung-dong, Uichang-gu, Changwon City. (Photo by Asia Economy)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Choi Hyun-joo] The construction timeline for Shinsegae Group's shopping mall 'Starfield Changwon,' built on the prime land of the former Army 39th Division in downtown Changwon, is being endlessly delayed.

A Shinsegae Group official said in a phone interview on the 24th, "Unexpected variables such as COVID-19 have caused the process to take somewhat longer than expected," adding, "We are taking time to review the project more carefully to ensure its success."

Contrary to Shinsegae's timeline, Changwon City has publicly declared that the Starfield development will be completed by 2023.

Starfield Changwon faced opposition from local businesses concerned about market disruption but was approved for entry with 71% in favor and 25% against through a public deliberation committee in October last year. This was the first case in the Changwon area to undergo such a public deliberation process. Nevertheless, the actual start date remains uncertain even after a year has passed.

Starfield Changwon Branch Development Plan Timeline. (Photo by Asia Economy)

A Changwon City official commented on Shinsegae's remarks regarding the construction timeline, saying, "Since they intend to proceed with the project, administrative procedures have been carried out, but the specific timing is unknown (even to Changwon City)." He added, "The city finds it difficult to make any presumptions about the project."

Shinsegae purchased 34,000㎡ of commercial land in the Jung-dong district of Uichang-gu, which is being developed into a large apartment complex, for 75 billion KRW after the Army 39th Division relocated in April 2016. Shinsegae plans to build 'Starfield Changwon' here, a complex with eight underground floors and seven above-ground floors, totaling 320,000㎡ in gross floor area.

Meanwhile, at the Changwon City Council's extraordinary session on the 22nd, Councilor Moon Soon-gyu criticized the city for conducting a poor traffic impact assessment for Starfield Changwon. Councilor Moon pointed out that Shinsegae did not accept the installation of a grade-separated interchange costing about 20 billion KRW and accused Changwon City of favoring the developer, raising reasonable suspicions of partiality.