Anyang First Street, once regarded as the leading commercial district in southern Gyeonggi, is seeking a rebound through urban complex development. It was once called Anyang's biggest downtown, but after being overtaken by the Pyeongchon New Town commercial district and losing key foot-traffic drivers such as department stores and movie theaters, the plan is to turn the stagnant old downtown into a complex hub centered on Anyang Station.
According to Anyang City on the 22nd, the city is launching the establishment of a convergence-complex development master plan for about 70,000 square meters (about 21,175 pyeong) around Anyang First Street in Manan District. The target area is the core commercial district of the old downtown in Manan, adjacent to Line No. 1 Anyang Station. Anyang City is reviewing ways to reconfigure this area into a complex space that combines residential, commercial, office, cultural, and industrial functions.
Anyang City recently set up a new urban vitality team within the Urban Innovation Division. The unit will be in charge of drawing up a master plan with an eye to designating an urban complex development zone, consulting residents and merchants, and encouraging private-sector participation.
An Anyang City official said, "Anyang First Street used to be the central commercial district of the old downtown, but the district has declined significantly, and many facilities are 40 to 50 years old, leaving a fair number of vacancies," adding, "Anyang Station is a key old-downtown hub with regional transportation conditions, so we need to capitalize on the parts where its potential is not being fully utilized." The official added, "We are preparing to set the development direction together with residents, store owners, and the prosperity association so it can lead to a private project."
Anyang First Street was considered the leading downtown in southern Gyeonggi through the 1990s and early 2000s. With the combination of the privately funded Anyang Station complex, a department store, a movie theater, an underground shopping mall, and a food alley, it grew into a commercial district drawing students and young people. But its stature wavered as the Pyeongchon New Town, created in the 1990s, emerged as the center of the commercial district in Dongan District.
The decline has become more evident recently. Lotte Department Store's Anyang branch, which had been located in Anyang Station, closed in 2019, and early this year Lotte Cinema's Anyang branch also ended operations. On the east side of Anyang Station there are large apartment complexes such as Samsung Raemian, Jugong Tturanchae, Anyang Station Prugio The Sharp, and Raemian Anyang Megatria, but critics say there is a lack of amenities such as big-box stores and movie theaters.
The plan pushed by Anyang City goes beyond simple support for the commercial district and focuses on reorganizing the area around Anyang Station into a complex old-downtown hub that combines regional transportation, daily amenities, culture, and industry. In connection with rail network expansions such as the Wolpan Line, discussions are expected on integrating the underground shopping mall, the rail station complex, and the pedestrian network into one, and three-dimensionally utilizing ground, underground, and aerial spaces. A car-free plaza, shared parking lots, an underground pedestrian and commercial network, and cultural complex facilities are also under review.
Attracting Mirae Industries is also a key pillar. Anyang City plans to examine demand and siting for physical AI-related industries including artificial intelligence (AI), information and communications technology (ICT), content, bio, as well as robots, Autonomous Driving, smart mobility, and digital twin. It will also review strategies to concentrate young entrepreneurs and startups, attract universities, education and research facilities, and bring in anchor companies. It will also look at creating a cultural belt using historical and cultural assets such as the Seoi-myeon office.
If designated as an urban complex development zone, the project timeline will be shorter than with conventional redevelopment. Anyang City will survey resident acceptance and willingness to participate in the project, intentions for land and building equity contributions or in-kind contributions, willingness to resettle or re-occupy, and the potential for rent hikes and gentrification (the phenomenon of existing small businesses being pushed out).
An Anyang City official said, "Redevelopment and reconstruction require forming a promotion committee and establishing a cooperative association, but urban complex development can skip those steps, shortening the process by about one to two years," adding, "We expect it will take roughly two to three years until actual implementation."