Becoming the 'second Gangnam'... Nowon Changdong invests Section 7.7 as a base for future industries

Seoul City will invest more than 7 trillion won in project expenses in the “Changdong Vehicle Base” area in Nowon-gu to establish it as an economic center in the Northeast region. In addition to a high-tech industrial complex, a hub space for future industries will be built, such as 'Seoul Arena', the first venue specializing in pop music in Korea.

Seoul announced on the 3rd that it will invest a total project cost of 7.7 trillion won to build future industrial hubs and various infrastructure facilities in the Northeast region. The city's budget will invest 110 trillion won to relocate the Changdong Depot, underground construction and superpark the East Intersection Road, and the construction of a bridge connecting Changdong in Dobong-gu on the west side of Jungnangcheon and Sanggye-dong in Nowon-gu on the east side. Private capital of 6.6 trillion won will be invested to promote the creation of various landmarks. It is planned to build the C-Cube Changdong, a start-up and cultural industry facility completed in July 2023, the Seoul Arena, which is scheduled to open in 2027, and the Changdong Station complex transit center, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2027.

As a core project to change the Northeast region, Seoul plans to relocate the Changdong Vehicle Base to the Propulsion Vehicle Base and build Seoul Digital Bio City, a high-tech industrial complex on the remaining site. The Seoul Housing and Urban Development (SH) Corporation, which will be responsible for implementing the project, will enter a full-scale development process starting next year and is aiming to start infrastructure construction in 2028. If a high-tech industrial complex is built on the site between Jungnangcheon, which has been used as a vehicle base for more than 40 years, and Nowon Station (Seoul Subway Line 4 and 7), the surrounding environment is likely to change dramatically. The Seoul Metropolitan Government expects private capital investment of 3.8 trillion won to create the Seoul Digital Bio City.

On the same day, Seoul held a ceremony to commence test operation of the Jinjeop Depot at Changdong Vehicle Base and began preparations for the relocation. Operation of the Jinjeop Depot will begin in the second half of the year after commissioning until June of next year. The relocation of Changdong Depot, which began operation with the opening of Seoul Subway Line 4 in the 1980s, is the first example of a railway depot relocation outside of Seoul.

Changdong Station (subway line 1 and 4) across from Jungnangcheon is expected to become a transportation center in the Northeast region as the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) -C line, which is scheduled to open, passes. Through the construction of the Changdong Station Intermodal Transit Center, public housing, business, commercial, and transit facilities will be built around the Changdong Station area. The Changdong Civil History Development Project is scheduled to be completed in the first half of next year with a plan to build a commercial, cultural, leisure, and business complex at the top of Changdong Station.

Seoul's plan is to transform the Sanggye-dong area in Nowon-gu into a strategic hub for future industries centered on Seoul Digital Biocity, and the Changdong area in Dobong-gu into a center for cultural and creative industries based at Seoul Arena. The plan is to connect the two areas divided by Jungnangcheon into a single living area through underground construction of the East Intersection Road, superparkization, and bridge construction.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “Seoul declared 'the heyday of Gangbuk again' last year and began drawing a new map of the future of the Northeast region,” and “we will develop the Gangbuk region beyond a 'consumer city' that is biased towards residential functions and an 'industrial city' that fosters its own economic power.”