The Incheon Artists' Hall is slated to be built on the Dream Up Valley site, a youth startup-and-housing project that has been stalled for nine years.
On the 22nd, Incheon city officials said they will relocate Dream Up Valley’s startup functions to space inside the Turtle Base in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu. Construction at that site is underway with a target completion by the end of 2027.
Launched in 2017, the Dream Up Valley project originally planned a mixed-use facility combining youth entrepreneurship and housing at 664-3 Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu, but it encountered multiple setbacks and was delayed for years.
Officials identified habitats of the endangered frog maengkkungi in 2020 and 2021 (designated a Category-II endangered wild species), and in 2022 they confirmed contaminated soil on the site, which further postponed the project.
When plans for youth rental housing were announced, nearby residents also mounted protests. The maengkkungi were relocated to a substitute habitat in Incheon Grand Park in 2023, and authorities are currently monitoring the site to confirm whether the species persists.
Given these circumstances, the city plans to remediate the contaminated soil on the site and then move forward with construction of the Incheon Artists' Hall, a citizen-proposed pledge from the eighth mayoral term.
The city intends to secure cleanup funds through this year’s supplementary budget, complete the design phase, begin remediation in 2027, and finish the cleanup within that year. The remediation cost is estimated at roughly 3–4 billion KRW (approximately $2.25–$3.00 million).
Additionally, the city will commission a feasibility study and basic design for the Incheon Artists' Hall in the second half of this year. After a Ministry of the Interior and Safety feasibility review in 2027 and a central investment review in 2028, the city plans to advance the project. The target completion year is 2034.
The Incheon Artists' Hall will require a total investment of 74.7 billion KRW (about $56.0 million). The facility is planned to span two basement levels and five aboveground stories, with a total floor area of approximately 10,500 m² (around 113,000 sq ft). It will be a mixed-use cultural center featuring a performance hall, exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, workshops, and office space to support artists’ creative work and provide cultural amenities for residents.
A city official said the Incheon Artists' Hall—long a priority for local artists—will replace the aging Subong Cultural Center and strengthen the creative infrastructure for artists.
/By Yejin Park yejin0613@incheonilbo.com
