Ichinoseki, Iwate, Japan Begins Private-Sector Interviews on Redeveloping Former NEC Site at JR Station East Exit

Ichinoseki Station East Exit Machizukuri has begun interviews with private-sector businesses regarding how to utilize the former factory site at the JR Ichinoseki Station East Exit in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

The site, formerly the NEC Platforms Ichinoseki Plant that closed in March 2019, covers approximately 83,000 square meters. It had been acquired by Ichinoseki City in Iwate Prefecture.

For its reuse, the plan envisions establishing public and private facilities and a parking lot for sightseeing buses. To create vibrancy in front of the station, they aim to attract a shopping mall, tourism and local-products facilities, and sports gyms, as well as research- and development-oriented offices. To address population decline and create jobs, they also intend to incorporate business incubation functions and are considering incentives to encourage companies to locate there.

Ichinoseki City is a candidate area for construction of the International Linear Collider (ILC), and the city expects a concentration of startups that can leverage data analytics technologies. In addition, because the Ichinoseki National College of Technology (KOSEN), which fosters entrepreneurs while students are still enrolled, is located there, they aim to make use of these locational characteristics to respond to population decline.

The city will enter into an area-management outsourcing agreement with a management and operating corporation and will lend the site to it free of charge. It will collect land rent from private businesses. Construction investment is estimated at about 9 billion yen, with annual consumer spending of about 7.8 billion yen. The city’s net burden for acquisition costs is about 1.9 billion yen, and annual municipal tax revenue is projected at about 110 million yen.

Ichinoseki Station East Exit Machizukuri was established with investment from Ichinoseki City, local economic organizations, and financial institutions. Yachiyo Engineering has been selected as the comprehensive project producer.