Among the first wave of new towns, there are two that are close to Seoul but receive less attention. These are Pyeongchon and Sanbon New Town.
While renovation projects are gaining momentum with the support of local governments, domestic fights are said to have intensified since the announcement of the special law for the first new towns.
Reporter Shin Dong-ho went to the scene.
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Magnolia 2 complex in Pyeongchon New Town in Anyang.
It is the first complex in Pyeongchon to be approved for renovation and will begin moving in the second half of this year.
It is called an education mecca, but it is not easy to rebuild old apartments, so they turned to remodelling.
The situation is similar in Sanbon New Town, a 10-minute drive from Pyeongchon.
Instead of reconstruction, remodelling is gaining momentum in some dilapidated complexes.
[Park Hye-jin / Director, Sanbon Forsythia 13 Complex Remodelling Association] The city as a whole is aging, and it’s hard to wait any longer and live in aging housing. Residents who feel the need for maintenance projects have increased their desire to live in new construction. I think it will help improve the living environment if we switch to remodelling, which is doable and business-like, and push it forward quickly]
The reason why remodelling projects are active스포츠토토 in these areas is that the floor area ratio and the proportion of small areas are exceptionally high, making it difficult to secure the business viability of reconstruction.
The average floor area ratio in Pyeongchon (204 per cent) and Sanbon (205 per cent) is higher than that in Bundang (184 per cent) and Ilsan (169 per cent), other first-tier new cities, meaning that there is virtually no additional floor area ratio under the current law.
Local governments’ active support for remodelling projects is also having an impact.
Anyang City has set up a remodeling support team to provide support by covering the cost of safety diagnosis and raising funds for remodeling, and Gunpo City has also opened a remodeling centre.
As a result of this situation, Pyeongchon and Sanbon have the highest number of complexes undergoing remodelling among the 1st New Towns.
[1] However, after the announcement of the Special Act on New Towns, the remodelling market in Pyeongchon and Sanbon was overwhelmed with worries.
Some complexes are showing signs of conflict, with members of some associations advocating for reconstruction, while association leaders and executives are advocating for traditional remodelling, amid concerns that their hard-earned remodelling projects will be disrupted].
Residents are pushing for reconstruction even though they know they won’t get floor area ratio benefits.
[A licensed broker in Pyeongchon neighbourhood: Some residents want to rebuild after the 1st New Town Special Act. Some residents are unhappy. I think we have no choice but to go for remodelling because it doesn’t work well in practical matters. There are many (conflicts among residents). We can’t put it out there, but many people think so internally]
Experts point out that the first New Towns Bill has not made clear the benefits of deregulation, further confusing residents.
There are also concerns that government announcements such as “Hope Advisory” will actually hinder the development of Pyeongchon and Sanbon, which have been going smoothly.