Gil-eung-dong, Multi-Function Center Breaks Ground After 21 Years… Kids Café, Fitness, and Health Services in One Building

The dilemma of deciding where to go and for whom during outings with children is a problem shared by many households. If parents take their children to playgrounds or kids’ cafes, they often end up simply waiting; conversely, if adults wish to exercise, they must separately find a place to leave their children. The ‘Gireum Complex Culture and Sports Center’ in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul—whose groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 2, 2026—was promoted to address these concerns within a single building, consolidating four functions—kids’ cafes, indoor sports facilities, community culture centers, and health support centers—into one structure spanning from the second basement level to the fifth floor ¹.

This construction project holds significant meaning as it is being actively pursued approximately 21 years after Zone 7 of the Gireum New Town was additionally designated in May 2005. It represents the first step toward improving the local conditions where large residential complexes were established earlier, while sports, cultural, and health infrastructure lagged behind ¹.

Changes in Daily Life Brought About by Physical Integration

The center will have a total floor area of approximately 8,350㎡ and will be developed on a site area of approximately 2,605㎡ ¹. Seongbuk-gu stated that the facility is configured to allow “generations ranging from children to seniors to utilize sports activities, cultural programs, and health management services within a single space” ¹.

Such physical integration of facilities creates practical convenience through the minimization of travel. For instance, while children are cared for in the kids’ cafe, guardians can exercise in the indoor sports facilities within the same building or participate in cultural programs at the community culture center. Managing blood pressure or chronic disease conditions at the health support center before heading home is also possible during a single outing. However, as the detailed locations on each floor and the method of connecting circulation paths have not yet been finalized and publicly announced, specific circulation paths will be confirmed in future design and operation stages.

Administrative Progress and Future Expectations

The project passed the central investment review in October 2026, completing key administrative procedures necessary for its promotion ¹. The central investment review is a system where the national government examines the fiscal soundness and project necessity of large-scale investment projects by local governments.

Seongbuk-gu Head Lee Seung-ro stated, “As this is a project that residents have waited for a long time, this groundbreaking is a meaningful starting point,” adding, “We will do our best to create it as a space where sports, culture, and health can be enjoyed together in daily life” ¹. Currently, the project is in the early stages of construction, and further time will be required until completion. However, the district anticipates that once the center is completed, residents will be able to enjoy leisure and health management activities close to their daily lives without having to travel far ¹.