On March 14, an explanatory meeting concerning a proposal for establishment of the Gwacheon Culture and Tourism Complex was held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office. 80-plus people from 40 businesses located both in and out of the country attended.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office and Gwacheon city said that the session was held to prepare the guidelines for open competition concerning the selection of the contractor for work. The city of Gwacheon will select the contractor by November of this year and will establish a special purpose company for the project around May of next year.

The said complex, which will be equipped with the functions of shopping, lodging, leisure, and culture, will be formed on the 185,000㎡-sized site near the Gwacheon National Science Museum in Gwacheon-dong, Gwacheon-si. The work is expected to be completed by 2018. With landmark facilities, such as the Seoul Race Park, the Gwacheon National Science Museum, and Seoul Land, located nearby, makes the location of the complex an ideal spot.

Originally initiated by Gwacheon, the project is getting a boost with the support from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office and the Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation through a dedicated task force team that was launched this February. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office expects that the project will serve as a shot in the arm for Gwacheon, which is experiencing difficulties, due to the relocation of the Government Complex to the city of Sejong.

To begin with, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office and the city of Gwacheon will draw up guidelines for the submittal of business proposals concerning the shopping mall and a six-star hotel on an open competition basis.