3,216 units on former Jeonbang and Ilshin Spinning site

Units with 84 sq. m. exclusive use area to make up about 79% of supply

A rendering of the All New Champions City complex. [Provided by Champions City Mixed Development PFV]
A rendering of the All New Champions City complex. [Provided by Champions City Mixed Development PFV]

The "All New Champions City," a large-scale mixed-use development project in the newly established South Jeolla-Gwangju Integration Special City, is set to launch residential pre-sales in September.

Champions City Mixed Development PFV — a project financing vehicle whose participants include Shinyoung, Woomi Construction and Humans Holdings — announced plans to begin pre-sales in September for Champions City Phase 1, to be built on the roughly 298,000-square-meter site of the former Jeonbang and Ilshin Spinning factories in Imdong, Buk-gu.

The complex, to be built by Woomi Construction, will rise from three below-ground floors to 49 above-ground floors across 12 buildings, with exclusive use areas ranging from 84 to 214 square meters and a total of 3,216 units. About 79 percent of the supply — 2,534 units — will be the 84-square-meter type, which tends to be the most sought-after among end-user buyers.

The former Jeonbang and Ilshin Spinning site occupies a prime location in central Gwangju. It sits close to major road networks including the Seo-Gwangju Interchange and Mujin-daero, and offers convenient access to existing infrastructure such as Gwangju Station, Gwangju-Kia Champions Field and Shinsegae department store.

The project is being developed as Gwangju's first developer-led mixed-use scheme, with an integrated design approach covering everything from initial planning to brand recruitment. The goal is to create a self-sufficient urban district combining residential, commercial, office and cultural facilities. A central "Urban Core" will link a department store, a luxury hotel and a cultural park via pedestrian pathways.

The complex will connect directly to a cultural park built around the site's industrial heritage. Within walking distance, Hyundai plans to open Hyundai Gwangju — a department store roughly 1.5 times the size of Hyundai Seoul — targeting a first-half 2029 opening.

A large integrated community facility tailored to families is another highlight. Sports amenities will include an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a multipurpose indoor gymnasium and a screen golf range, while a book cafe, study rooms, a daycare center and a shared childcare center will also be provided. A sky lounge and guesthouse are planned for the 44th floor.

The spatial design draws on the concept of neuroarchitecture, with KAIST professor Jeong Jae-seung and design firm Mindbrick Design Lab contributing to the project. The design prioritizes environments that support residents' emotional well-being and psychological stability, with a focus on fostering a sense of community.

Individual units will offer 24 different floor plan types — including wide terraces, penthouse layouts and three-sided open living rooms — allowing residents to choose spaces that suit their lifestyles. The exterior features a curtain-wall facade and specialized landscape lighting across a skyline reaching up to 49 stories, reinforcing the complex's identity as a landmark.

"With the recent launch of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integration Special City and the positive news of major conglomerate investment in a semiconductor mega-project, there is strong interest in the local market," a Champions City official said. "We expect this to become the area's flagship residential complex, benefiting from its mixed-use development in a prime central location and absorbing the future demand that will flow in."

Meanwhile, the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integration Special City — South Korea's first administrative merger of broad metropolitan authorities and a counterweight to the Greater Seoul-centered structure — officially launched Wednesday.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com