Guri Geonwon public housing site, Galmae transit-oriented public housing district
Guri Mayor Shin Dong-hwa visited the planned Guri Geonwon public housing site and the Galmae transit-oriented public housing district construction site on Wednesday to conduct a "citizen-centered road-checking" inspection.
Shin first toured the planned Guri Geonwon public housing site in the Sano-dong area to assess development conditions and received briefings from relevant city departments on the progress of the district designation process and the steps ahead.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport designated the site as a new housing land candidate on Oct. 29, with plans to supply 14,600 housing units across 1.437 million square meters. Public consultations for the district designation are currently underway, and the project is on track to begin infrastructure construction in 2030 and reach completion in 2035, following the establishment of a district development plan.
Shin directed officials to assess transportation and infrastructure conditions from the earliest stages of development and to ensure that residents' opinions are fully reflected in project plans. Regarding the Guri Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market, he asked that the site location and facility scale be reviewed to secure sufficient operating space for existing wholesale vendors, and that officials explore creating a mixed-use complex linking the wholesale market with commercial facilities for residents' convenience.
Shin then moved to the Galmae transit-oriented public housing district construction site, where he received a progress report from Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), the project operator. The Galmae project covers 797,392 square meters in the Galmae-dong area and will supply 6,320 housing units. As of this month, complex construction is 54.7 percent complete. Shin urged construction officials to pay particular attention to preventing safety accidents during the winter season.
Citing past cases in which delays in infrastructure installation caused inconvenience to residents, Shin instructed officials to closely coordinate with relevant agencies on scheduling to ensure school facilities are in place before move-in. He also asked LH to hold sufficient consultations with affected parties to minimize damage to residents' property rights in resolving outstanding compensation issues.
Shin asked LH to actively discuss ways to expand opportunities for local businesses to participate as subcontractors, on the premise of a fair selection process. He also directed relevant city departments to work with related agencies to develop a comprehensive utilization plan for the land beneath the Gyeongchun Line railway, taking into account residents' convenience and the surrounding landscape.
"We must not treat residents' sacrifices as a given simply because this is a national project. Protecting residents' property rights is what upholds the credibility of public works," Shin said. "The city will cooperate actively in advancing the project. I ask LH to also take an active role in reducing harm to residents and in broadening participation opportunities so that local businesses are not left out."
Guri city plans to continue conducting hands-on field administration by directly visiting major municipal project sites and community livelihood scenes.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
