Passed Environmental Impact Assessment After 15 Months... Construction Expected Next Year
Residential and High-Tech Industry Functions Around GTX-A Yongin Station Area
The 'Platform City' project in Bojeong-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do is expected to gain momentum. With the environmental impact assessment, which had been a stumbling block for the project, now passed, construction is anticipated to begin as early as the first half of next year.
Environmental Impact Assessment Passed After 15 Months
According to Yongin City and industry sources on the 12th, the Platform City development project recently passed the environmental impact assessment conducted by the Hangang River Basin Environmental Office of the Ministry of Environment.
The 'Platform City' development project is an urban development initiative to build residential, advanced knowledge and manufacturing industries, commercial, and office functions on 2,757,186㎡ around the GTX (Great Train Express) A line Yongin Station area in Bojeong-dong, the metropolitan area. The project is being promoted by Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation (GH) and Yongin Urban Corporation with 95% and 5% stakes, respectively.
The Hangang River Basin Environmental Office notified that it would reflect in the project plan the matters agreed upon with the city, including protection of the green area on the ridge of Hannam Jeongmaek, securing and expanding green corridors, relocating residential and industrial sites to reduce noise impact, and incorporating environmental standards for advanced manufacturing industrial sites.
The environmental impact assessment had been considered the biggest challenge for the Platform City development project. GH and Yongin Urban Corporation began consultations after submitting the draft environmental impact assessment report in May last year, but failed to reach an agreement, dragging on for 15 months. However, recently, Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il personally intervened to request cooperation from the Ministry of Environment, and through active consultations between both parties, a smooth agreement was reached, according to the city.
Following this environmental impact assessment, the city plans to undergo a traffic impact assessment next month and complete the remaining assessments such as educational environment and underground safety evaluations. Afterward, it will proceed with the review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Readjustment Committee and the Urban Planning Committee within the year, obtain implementation plan approval, complete compensation in the first half of next year, and begin construction.
Complex Development of 10,000 Housing Units + Advanced Knowledge and Manufacturing Functions
The Platform City development was concretized through the 2018 Yongin Urban Basic Plan. It was designated as an urban development zone in January 2021, and by the end of that year, compensation plans for land and fixtures were announced.
According to the city, the current compensation progress rate is about 60%. A representative from Yongin City's Platform City division said, "There are no major difficulties in the overall compensation process, so it is expected to be completed by the first half of next year," adding, "Construction could begin as early as the first half of next year."
The Platform City will include a total of 10,416 housing units: 4,870 residential-commercial complex units, 5,392 apartment and other multi-family housing units, and 154 single-family homes. Although the planned number of units is not very large, the location is considered prime as it connects directly to the new town living areas via Bojeong Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, with Bundang New Town and Pangyo New Town to the north.
Notably, 446,431㎡, accounting for 16.2% of the total site, will be developed as industrial land. The city plans to attract advanced knowledge and manufacturing industries to this area. Considering its proximity to Samsung Electronics' Giheung Campus, the city also aims to actively attract semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) related companies.
Meanwhile, the city is reviewing plans to designate 300,000㎡ around GTX-A Yongin Station as a 'Station Area Complex District Special Planning Zone' and promote the project through a public-private partnership.
Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il stated, "Gyeonggi Yongin Platform City is a crucial project that will lead Yongin's future growth by combining advanced industries such as semiconductors with commercial, office, and cultural functions to create a complex self-sufficient city," adding, "We will do our best to ensure smooth project progress."
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