After 8-Year Standstill, 'Former Police Academy Site Project' Finds Path to Resolution
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] The 'former Police Academy site project' in Eonnam-dong, Giheung-gu, which has been adrift for over eight years, has found a path to resolution.
Yongin Special City announced on the 27th that it has completed consultations with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) regarding the 'Eonnam District public-supported private rental housing supply promotion district (hereinafter, Eonnam District) development project' at the former Police Academy site in Eonnam-dong, Giheung-gu, in a direction that links the development with the construction of a new Dongbaek Interchange and improves nearby traffic conditions.
The framework has been established to construct residential, cultural, and sports facilities on the long-neglected former Police Academy site while improving surrounding traffic.
The Eonnam District development in Yongin was initiated by LH in 2016 with the purpose of supplying private housing on the 903,921 square meters (273,738 pyeong) Police Academy and Justice Research and Training Institute sites in Eonnam-dong and Cheongdeok-dong, Giheung-gu, which relocated to provinces.
The designation of a private housing supply promotion district was announced on December 30, 2016, with the number of households initially planned at 6,626 units. However, the project stalled after facing opposition that the number of households was too large and traffic measures were insufficient, and the site has been left abandoned for a long time.
After the start of the 8th civilian government, the city reached an agreement with LH to reduce the number of households by approximately 20% following continuous consultations. Following the first district plan announcement this month and through the second district plan announcement scheduled for later this year, the city has agreed with LH to reduce the number of households by more than 1,200 units, equivalent to approximately 20% of the original plan, bringing the total number of households to less than 5,400 units.
Regarding land use planning, the original plan designated 0% of available land for support facilities in Yongin; however, the first district plan announcement set approximately 11% of available land as support facility land, excluding basic infrastructure land such as roads and green spaces. By the end of this year, through changes to the district plan, the city will secure additional support facility land, bringing support facility land to 19.8% of available land.
The city also plans to receive approximately 90,000 square meters of land from LH in the center of the project site through donation, on which it will construct cultural and sports facilities for citizens.
Traffic congestion concerns raised by citizens are expected to be largely resolved. Through these consultations, six out of seven metropolitan transit improvement measures consistently requested by the city have been substantively reflected.
Improvements to the Police Academy Intersection and Kkotme Intersection have been reflected in the Eonnam District traffic plan. Regarding the new Dongbaek Interchange construction, LH has agreed to bear 29.5% of the project costs.
To resolve congestion resulting from the new Dongbaek Interchange, the city has expanded Seokseong-ro 301 Road, the access route, from the existing two lanes to three lanes, and Eondong-ro from two lanes to four lanes.
Additionally, a 150-meter section of new road connecting to the Guseong District will be constructed east of the project site, and one additional lane will be added to Seokseong-ro from the end of Mabuk-ro toward Guseong Intersection.
The cost for this road network expansion is estimated at approximately 100 billion won.
A city official said, "This amount is comparable to the scale of general metropolitan transit improvement measures."
The opening of a bypass on National Route 23, improvements to Guseong Intersection, and improvements to Pungdeokcheon Intersection have been substantively reflected in the underground development plans for National Route 23 and National Route 43 according to the Platform City traffic plan, according to a city official. The Sindaeho Lake Intersection improvement project was completed in 2020.
Mayor Lee Sang-il stated, "Consultations with LH regarding the Eonnam District project, which has long been in limbo, have been essentially concluded, providing an opportunity to bring change to the neglected Eonnam District," and added, "The former Police Academy site will be revitalized into a place with well-equipped residential spaces, cultural, artistic, and community sports spaces, parks and green areas, and other necessary support facilities for citizens."
He continued, "I will do my best to ensure smooth project implementation through close consultations with LH so that traffic convenience for citizens can be enhanced through the expansion of the transportation network."