Old Sewage Treatment Plant in Gumi-dong, Seongnam City, Reborn as a Cultural and Leisure Space

Walking Trails and Rest Green Spaces to Open in June
Music Center and Cafe to Open in July

The old sewage treatment plant in Gumi-dong, Seongnam City, which had been neglected for 28 years, will be opened to the public starting this June.

Music Center bird's-eye view. Provided by Seongnam City

Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sang-jin) announced on the 10th that it will first open the walking trails and rest green spaces in June, and plans to additionally operate a music center and cafe in July.

The area to be opened this time corresponds to about 51% of the entire site of 29,041㎡ at 195 Gumi-dong.

The city applied safety design measures to the hazardous sections of the sewage treatment plant, creating a plaza-style entrance that allows easy pedestrian access from the Tancheon Stream side, and is preparing various rest and cultural spaces along with a 330-meter-long walking trail.

Additionally, the existing inflow pump station, which was part of the sewage treatment plant, is being transformed into a multipurpose music center where citizens can freely practice and perform, and the adjacent blower building is being converted into a cafe, creating a space where citizens can relax comfortably and enjoy culture.

In particular, world-renowned conductor and Seongnam City Arts Director and permanent conductor of the Seongnam City Symphony Orchestra, Geum Nan-sae, participated in the construction of the music center to enhance the project's completeness.

Layout plan for the Gumi-dong Sewage Treatment Plant Complex Cultural Town Project. Provided by Seongnam City

The Gumi-dong sewage treatment plant was constructed starting in 1994 and completed in 1997, but operation was halted due to resident opposition during trial operation, leaving it abandoned for 28 years as a facility avoided by residents. In response, Seongnam City has actively promoted the project as a campaign pledge of the 8th municipal administration to transform the old sewage treatment plant site in Gumi-dong into a rest and cultural space for citizens and a cultural and artistic landmark of Seongnam City.

Since November of last year, Seongnam City has begun environmental improvement construction to create walking trails and rest green spaces, and construction for the music center and cafe started on the 4th of this month.

Mayor Shin Sang-jin of Seongnam City said, “This project will resolve the long-standing issue of space utilization for local residents and contribute to enhancing Seongnam City's cultural competitiveness.”