'Hangang Railway Bridge South End Underutilized Site District Unit Plan'
Public Inspection Notice for Residents for Two Weeks Starting Next Month 1st
Development of Approximately 170,000㎡ Site in Noryangjin-dong Area
Planned as a Hub City Connecting Yeouido and Yongsan
Plan to Create a Second-Floor Space by Installing a Deck Above the Station
Vehicle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Connecting to Yeouido Also Planned
'District Unit Plan for the Underutilized Area at the South End of Hangang Railroad Bridge' Location Map / Photo by Seoul City Hall
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] Seoul city has unveiled a blueprint to transform the area around Noryangjin Station into a new waterfront complex hub connecting Yeouido and Yongsan. The plan aims to develop the space, which has been undervalued due to being blocked by railroads and roads, into Seoul’s own ‘Hudson Yards.’
Seoul announced on the 30th that it has established the ‘District Unit Plan for the Underutilized Area South of Hangang Bridge’ and will open it for public viewing by residents for two weeks from the 1st to the 14th of next month. The core idea is to reorganize the underutilized area around Noryangjin Station into a complex city along the Han River. This can be seen as the realization of the waterfront-centered spatial reorganization, which is part of the ‘2040 Seoul Urban Basic Plan’ announced by Mayor Oh Se-hoon in March.
This district unit plan covers a development area of approximately 170,000㎡ around 2-3 Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu, south of Hangang Bridge. It includes Noryangjin Station, the idle site of the former Noryangjin Fish Market, and the Water Supply Materials Center. Although the area is physically close to Yeouido and Yongsan, land utilization is low due to railroads and roads.
‘Comprehensive Plan for the District Unit Planning of the Underutilized Area at the South End of Hangang Railroad Bridge’ / Data=Seoul City Hall
Through the district unit plan, the city plans to lay a deck over the railway at Noryangjin Station, where land use is limited by the above-ground railway, creating a second-floor space that can accommodate residential, commercial, and leisure cultural functions. A city official stated, “The previously discussed undergrounding of the railway is realistically impossible,” adding, “We plan to develop by covering the railway to create a new aerial platform, similar to the ‘Hudson Yards’ developed over a railway vehicle depot.”
New vehicle and pedestrian infrastructure directly connecting Yeouido and Noryangjin will also be constructed. Although Yeouido and Noryangjin are less than 1 km apart in a straight line, they are disconnected by Olympic-daero and Nodeul-ro, lacking connecting routes.
The plan also includes a waterfront revitalization strategy to turn the Noryangjin Fish Market area into a tourist attraction. Facilities such as waterfront terraces, cafes, and rest areas with views of the Han River, as well as waterfront cultural complexes and water-front attractions along the Han River, will be developed.
To realize this, the city will designate three special zones around Noryangjin Station: the former Noryangjin Fish Market, Noryangjin Station, and the Water Supply Materials Center, to derive creative development proposals.
The ‘former Noryangjin Fish Market site,’ owned by the Fisheries Cooperative, will be promoted through a prior negotiation method. The design plan to revitalize the fish market will encourage mixed-use and waterfront cultural complex hubs, and public contributions from the development will be used to expand infrastructure in the area.
The ‘District Unit Plan for the Underutilized Area South of Hangang Bridge’ will be finalized after a two-week public viewing period and review by the ‘Seoul City Urban and Architectural Joint Committee.’ The former Noryangjin Fish Market site aims to start prior negotiations by the end of this year, with procedures expected to proceed in earnest in 2023.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
