Suwon Industrial Distribution Center Support Facility Urban Planning Decision: Massive Development Profits for Contractor Only 'Problematic'

The Suwon Industrial Distribution Center support facility building in Gosaeok-dong, Gwonseon-gu, which is nearing completion, has been designated as an urban planning facility despite not meeting the conditions of the urban planning facility decision, resulting in the development area being significantly inflated.

Consequently, there are claims that natural green areas have been severely damaged and the developer and cooperative have reaped substantial development profits.

According to Suwon City, the Suwon Industrial Distribution Center, with a total area of 50,560㎡ in a natural green zone at 7-3, Gosaeok-dong, Gwonseon-gu, and nearing completion, had its designation as an urban planning facility (mart) applied for in December 2004 by the Suwon Distribution Merchants Business Cooperative and DCM Housing Co., Ltd.

Of the entire site, 43% or approximately 21,000㎡ is designated for parking, 20% or approximately 10,000㎡ for green space, and 19.5% or 9,800㎡ for building. The buildings to be constructed on the building site were applied for entirely as sales facilities: 22 buildings for tool/hardware stores (359 shops) with a total floor area of approximately 29,000㎡, and 1 building for support stores with a total floor area of 8,500㎡.

The implementer received the urban planning facility decision (mart: large-scale retail store) with this content in January last year, purchased the area which was mostly fields and forests, received building permission on March 24 of the same year, commenced construction, and is now on the verge of completion.
This facility is currently being sold, and some shops have moved in after receiving provisional approval applications.

However, the support facility is inappropriate for urban planning facility designation within the zoned area (natural green zone). The problem lies in the convenience facilities such as information processing facilities, banks, pharmacies, coffee shops, and PC rooms to be housed in this facility for supporting the business operations of mall tenants.

According to the Rules on the Decision Structure and Installation Standards for Urban Planning Facilities, large-scale retail stores including discount stores and specialty stores are permitted in natural green zones, but marts, department stores, and shopping centers cannot be established. Large-scale retail store types are categorized according to each individual use, thereby blocking similar facility entries.

Therefore, support facilities where various convenience facilities similar to shopping centers such as banks, pharmacies, and others are clustered together cannot be constructed.

Experts agree that in zoned areas, no separate development activity should take place beyond what is explicitly stipulated in the legal urban planning facility decision conditions.

Ultimately, large-scale convenience facilities that are not legally permissible have been constructed in buildings under the name of support facilities after receiving urban planning facility designation as sales facilities.

An official from the City's urban planning department said, "There is no regulation in current law prohibiting support stores from moving in," and "I don't understand why providing support facilities for customer convenience is a problem."

Meanwhile, in natural green zones under current law, sales facilities other than agricultural and marine product public sale venues and municipal-operated agricultural product direct sales centers of less than 10,000㎡ cannot be established. For this reason, some have pointed out that urban planning facility designation was inevitable.