Yeoju City's New Municipal Office Construction Breaks Ground for '100 Years of Future'

[Suwon Ilbo=Correspondent Eom In-yong] Yeoju City broke ground on construction of its new municipal office on the 26th, marking the beginning of the city's 'future 100 years.'

The city held a historic 'groundbreaking ceremony for new municipal office construction' at the construction site in Gaaop-dong on that day.

The groundbreaking ceremony came after the city established a public deliberation committee and finalized the plan for new construction and relocation to Gaaop-dong through a public consultation process involving deliberative discussion, followed by completion of all necessary administrative procedures. This marks the beginning after three years and nine months of preparation.

We met with Mayor Lee Chung-woo to discuss the groundbreaking ceremony for Yeoju City's new municipal office and the major transformation aimed at opening a 'future 100 years' for Yeoju.

Q&A; follows.

- What is the scale of the new municipal office?

"A total investment of 152 billion won will be made, and it will be built on a 47,000㎡ site with underground 1 floor and 7 above-ground stories. Additionally, parking spaces, which were previously insufficient, will be significantly expanded to 600 spaces, creating an integrated administrative complex that resolves residents' inconveniences by establishing a city hall building, municipal assembly building, and resident convenience facilities, thereby establishing the foundation for providing citizen-centered administrative services.

In particular, we will simultaneously promote a large-scale urban development project of approximately 485,000㎡ in the Yeoju Station area District 2 centered on the new municipal office, creating an opportunity to further expand Yeoju's new central axis."

- What prompted the construction of the new municipal office?

"The current municipal office was completed in 1979 and has deteriorated significantly over the many years that have passed. Due to cramped space, insufficient parking facilities, and a dispersed office structure, citizen inconvenience and administrative inefficiency have persisted.

However, despite these issues, new municipal office construction stalled for over 20 years without progress amid various circumstances, including location selection problems. Therefore, following the start of the eighth civilian administration, with the determination to resolve the new municipal office construction issue, which is Yeoju City's most pressing matter, we decided to promote its construction as the first executive decision."

- What procedural issues arose in the process?

"What was considered most important was the will of the citizens. By establishing a public deliberation committee and going through a process to select candidate sites based on citizens' opinions, we were able to move forward step by step with the new municipal office construction plan within citizens' choice and consensus. Following numerous administrative procedures and preparation processes, we reached today's groundbreaking ceremony."

- It seems this has become a historic starting point in preparing Yeoju's new 100 years, hasn't it?

"The construction of the new municipal office is not simply a project to build a new administrative building. It is a process of creating what is truly open administrative infrastructure that allows closer communication with citizens and enables citizens to naturally experience administration in their everyday lives. Once the new municipal office is completed, the administrative environment that has felt inconvenient up until now will change dramatically. Moreover, the new municipal office built on a 47,000㎡ site will replace the dispersed office structure with a more convenient and efficient arrangement without citizen inconvenience. Additionally, the previously insufficient parking spaces will be significantly expanded from the current 85 spaces to 600 spaces, substantially resolving citizen inconvenience."

- What about the station area development?

"A large-scale urban development project of approximately 485,000㎡ in the Yeoju Station area District 2 will be simultaneously promoted centered on the new municipal office, creating an opportunity to further expand Yeoju's new central axis. Furthermore, rather than the construction of the new municipal office resulting in changes to only one axis of the city, we will ensure it becomes an opportunity for administrative and urban functions to 'expand' beyond merely 'relocating' the office."

- What will happen to the original downtown?

"Based on its unique history and living foundation, the original downtown will gain new vitality through urban regeneration that connects traditional markets, alley commerce, and regional cultural resources. Urban regeneration projects centered on Jeil Market and Changdong area will also be pursued systematically and with momentum to enhance the quality of the original downtown commercial areas and residential environment together. We will steadfastly continue on a path of balanced development where the historical value of the original downtown and the growth potential of the new downtown harmonize, with both axes growing together."

- When will the new municipal office be completed?

"We aim for completion in February 2029, three years from now, and will pursue this without delay, completing it as a symbolic space of open administration where citizens can naturally experience administration in their everyday lives and feel Yeoju City's identity and future vision together."

- Finally, what would you like to say to citizens?

"We will fulfill our responsibility to the end so that this meaningful departure toward Yeoju's future can lead to greater hope and pride in citizens' everyday lives. Above all, safety is the most important matter, and we will make special efforts to strictly adhere to safety protocols in all construction processes to ensure that not a single safety accident occurs.

Furthermore, we will complete this as a symbolic space of open administration where citizens can naturally experience administration in their everyday lives and feel Yeoju City's identity and future vision together."