Suwon Station Area in Maesan-dong Completely Transformed!

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The environment in front of Suwon Station in Maesan-dong has been transformed into a more pleasant space.

Suwon City completed the Maesan-dong Eoulim Center development project and the pedestrian environment improvement project for Suwon Station Mall (former underground shopping street) Exit 11, holding a completion ceremony on December 12.

The ceremony was attended by residents of Maesan-dong and citizens, merchants from merchant associations around Suwon Station, Mayor Lee Jae-jun of Suwon Special Metropolitan City, Vice-chairman Lee Jae-sik of Suwon City Council and other city council members, as well as Gyeonggi Province council members.

The two projects completed on this day were pursued in reflection of opinions from a residents' council composed of merchants and residents from four markets in the Maesan-dong area near Suwon Station.

The total project cost of 7.35 billion won was invested, including 7.1 billion won from the Urban Regeneration New Deal project and 250 million won from the Suwon Station Commercial District Renaissance project.

The Maesan-dong Eoulim Center, created by remodeling an existing building, features a residential community space and youth startup support space. It includes a shared kitchen, educational facilities, a book café, a residents' lounge, and a rooftop garden. Construction began in December of last year and was completed in May this year.

The Maesan-dong Eoulim Center will offer programs such as training for prospective entrepreneurs and startup training and consulting for young people. Programs will be operated with a focus on startup support.

The 'Suwon Station Mall Exit 11 Pedestrian Environment Improvement Project' is an initiative that improved Exit 11 of Suwon Station Mall into a convenient and pleasant space, as complaints about its complicated structure and inconvenient use had been ongoing.

Exit 11, located near the Suwon Station Maesan-ro Theme Street (Rodeo Street), has high foot traffic but was inconvenient to access via elevators and escalators. The elevator, positioned deep between the stairs leading to Exits 11 and 10, was rarely used by people.

The escalator did not connect to Suwon Station's underground shopping street in one go, requiring users to exit at a midpoint between the underground shopping street and the exit and use stairs. The elevator and escalator were not functioning properly.

Through this improvement project, the city installed two elevators (including one for people with disabilities) on the east side and configured escalators (with a two-person boarding width) in both upward and downward directions to connect directly to the underground shopping street in one continuous path.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun of Suwon stated, "The Maesan-dong Urban Regeneration New Deal project, which began in 2018, has reached a turning point with the completion of the Eoulim Center and the pedestrian environment improvement project for Suwon Station Mall Exit 11," adding, "I extend my gratitude to the residents' council for serving as the central hub for resident participation and to the merchant associations for becoming active participants in the urban regeneration project."