용산공원 ‘녹지 훼손’ vs 탄천 ‘악취 시설 어디로’…정부-서울시 또 충돌?

Seoul's Office for Reorganization (오세훈) presented an alternative to residential housing supply at Chungmuro Park (용산공원) - the conversion of the Tancheon Water Restoration Center (탄천물재생센터) in Gangnam-gu's Daecheon district. The plan involves creating more than 10,000 housing units and industrial facilities on a 39,300m² plot. While the housing supply would take about 10 years, Seoul claims it can secure a large volume of housing without damaging the national park's green spaces.

The office plans to present this proposal to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) Director-General Kim Yoon-deok on the 26th. On the 25th, the office met with journalists to discuss the proposal to relocate the Tancheon Water Restoration Center to a different location, followed by constructing new housing on half of the existing plot and AI/research and development facilities on the other half, aiming to create a specialized complex for young residents.

The official stated that this proposal is not hastily made, as a master plan was already created two years ago, and the tender process for private contractors is currently underway. Tancheon Water Restoration Center is a wastewater treatment facility located in the Daecheon district of Gangnam-gu, close to Seoul Subway Line 3's Daegu Station and Samsung Medical Center.

The plot size is approximately 39,300m², which is 9,300m² (31%) larger than the housing candidate area within Chungmuro Park, which is around 30,000m². Depending on the development density and industrial facility ratio, Seoul estimates that it can supply over 10,000 housing units. However, the exact housing supply volume and facility handover location are not yet determined.

The first public mention of Tancheon Water Restoration Center as a substitute for Chungmuro Park was during an inter-Korean lunch meeting between Office for Reorganization Director-General Oh Se-hoon and Democratic Party Seoul City Assemblyman Kim Yong-bae on the 22nd. Oh Se-hoon emphasized that he would never compromise on preserving the park and suggested finding other sites to collect housing units if it takes time.

The main difference between the two sites is the nature of the land. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport believes that they can use only part of the existing buildings in Chungmuro Park, such as the military apartments and officers' quarters, for housing development without significantly damaging the park's green spaces.

Seoul, on the other hand, argues that if they allow housing construction on part of this land, it could set a precedent for other areas, violating the "Special Act on Establishment of Chungmuro Park." The government believes that it would be difficult to start the process of returning the U.S. military base and cleaning up contaminated soil, such as Oxyane, within the current administration's term.

The Tancheon plan ensures the preservation of the park's designated area by relocating existing urban infrastructure facilities, which can help compensate for the limited land volume compared to scattered sites around Chungmuro Park, such as Camp Kum, Itaewon Military Command Administrative Office, foreign ministry parking lot, and Seoul Bank offices in Ahjumma-dong.

However, the process of selecting the new handover location for the wastewater treatment facility is expected to face opposition from residents, and no information was provided about the cost of relocation and financing methods. The project's 10-year timeframe also stands in contrast to the need for short-term supply. Office for Reorganization Director-General Oh Se-hoon and Seoul City Assemblyman Kim Yong-bae met for the first time on the 26th morning at a private restaurant in Seoul.

They had only discussed the use of the main body of Chungmuro Park in their first meeting on the 20th. At this second meeting, the focus will be on the specifics of the relocation location, cost, and finalized housing volume, as well as finding points of intersection around Chungmuro Park.