Yongin Special City is resuming plans to build the Bandabi Sports Center, a shared athletic facility for people with and without disabilities that had been stalled by the city council's opposition. Although the project was delayed when the Yongin City Council voted it down in March, the city plans to speed up the effort in consultation with the newly formed council after the June 3 local elections.
As of the 16th, according to Yongin City, the Bandabi Sports Center is slated to be built on the temporary parking lot site of Yongin Mir Stadium in Samga-dong, Cheoin-gu, with a total floor area of 23,700 square meters (about 7,169 pyeong). The center will include a 50-meter, 10-lane swimming pool capable of hosting national-level competitions, more than 2,000 seats, an underwater exercise room, and a diving pool. Various assistive devices and facilities to improve accessibility for people with disabilities will also be installed.
Mayor Lee Sang-il, who became the first Yongin mayor to win a second consecutive term in the June 3 local elections, reiterated his commitment to building the Bandabi Sports Center at an executives' meeting on the 15th. Lee said, "The Yongin Bandabi Sports Center will help break down barriers between people with and without disabilities," adding, "It will be the top-priority matter for cooperation with the newly formed Yongin City Council in July."
Since 2022, Yongin City has drawn up a plan to revitalize Mir Stadium and carried out preliminary procedures, including a feasibility study, to build the Bandabi Sports Center. The total project cost amounts to 98.5 billion won. Of that, 94.5 billion won will come from the city budget, and the remaining 4 billion won will be covered by national funds secured when the project was selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's community-based (disability-type) National Sports Center construction program.
After being selected for national funding, the center's construction plan had been gaining momentum but hit a snag when it was voted down during the first review of the local government property management plan by the city council in March. At the time, council members raised concerns about poor accessibility to the site and potential overlap with existing sports facilities.
In response, Yongin City said it would consider increasing public transit service and expanding parking to improve convenience. Addressing the overlap concerns, the city explained that the Bandabi Sports Center will be differentiated from existing facilities by specialized features such as a swimming pool suitable for elite athlete training and an underwater exercise room.
Local disability organizations agreed with the current site plan and called for swift progress on the project. However, the proposal failed to clear the council review in March. In local political circles, the timing ahead of the local elections prompted political interpretations surrounding the project push.
On the 28th of last month, Yongin City passed an internal review of the local government property management plan and plans to resubmit it to a Yongin City Council special session in July. If the new council approves the proposal, the process to build the Bandabi Sports Center is expected to move into full swing.
During the eighth popularly elected term, Lee has pursued expanding sports and welfare infrastructure for people with disabilities as a key task. In June 2024, Yongin City brought in a Virtual Reality (VR) sports experience center for people with disabilities and students with disabilities for the first time in Gyeonggi Province.
A smart rehabilitation center was installed at the Giheung Disabled Welfare Center, and day care centers for people with disabilities were established at Bojeong Mir Human Center and Dongbaek Mir Human Center, which opened in April this year. For the first time nationwide, the city also introduced a fuel service for vehicles used by people with mobility challenges.
Lee said, "Yongin's population with disabilities stands at 37,757, and demand for sports facilities for people with disabilities is rising," adding, "Let's work together with the newly formed city council to make sure we can build the Bandabi Sports Center."