On August 11, Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) announced that it has officially designated the Noblesse Shopping Arcade, located in Mangwol-dong (73 Misagangbyeondong-ro), as Hanam City's first alley-type commercial district, named "Noblesse Alley-type Commercial District."
An "alley-type commercial district" is a system established under the Special Act on Fostering Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts and Hanam City ordinances. It designates areas where a certain number of small business stores are densely clustered within a specified area, following an application by a merchants' association and a review by the city. Stores within the designated area become eligible to apply for Onnuri Gift Certificate affiliation, which increases consumer convenience and can help revitalize the local commercial district.
This designation marks the first case following Hanam City's amendment of the "Ordinance on Fostering Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts" in April, which relaxed the requirements for alley-type commercial district designation. Under the revised ordinance, the standard for commercial areas was lowered so that clusters of 25 or more stores within 2,000 square meters can apply, and the consent requirement was simplified to more than half of the merchants. As a result, based on the application from the Noblesse Shopping Arcade Merchants' Association, the first alley-type commercial district designation was achieved.
Noblesse Alley-type Commercial District is a 12-story mixed-use shopping complex that houses a total of 70 small business stores, including restaurants, beauty salons, and academies, thus meeting the requirements for alley-type commercial district designation.
Once designated as an alley-type commercial district, Onnuri Gift Certificates (which offer a 10% discount for recharge and a 5% discount for paper certificates) can be used, which is expected to help revitalize the local commercial district and boost the regional economy.
Hanam City plans to continue expanding the designation of new alley-type commercial districts in the future. In particular, the city aims to broaden the usage of Onnuri Gift Certificates by expanding designated areas and will continue efforts to revitalize local commercial districts.
Mayor Lee Hyunjae of Hanam City stated, "I hope the designation of Noblesse Alley-type Commercial District will help revitalize local commercial districts," adding, "We will continue to support small business owners and promote commercial district revitalization by designating new alley-type commercial districts tailored to the characteristics of our region."
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