SSG Landers' minor league ballpark in Incheon's Yeongjong clears legal hurdles, on track for 2027 opening

While the Cheongna Starfield dome project in Incheon has hit a red light for its 2028 opening due to delays in sewer pipeline construction, the planned SSG Landers minor league ballpark at Hansang Dream Island in Yeongjong International City has cleared its key obstacle and is back on track, it has been confirmed.

According to Rep. Heo Jong-sik (Democratic Party of Korea, Incheon Dong-gu and Michuhol-gu Gap), all legal disputes over ownership and contractual matters involving the amusement park site at Hansang Dream Island — the project's designated location — have been resolved, in effect eliminating the uncertainty that had clouded the development.

With the land issue, long the biggest variable hanging over the project, now settled, the development is set to enter full implementation.

The site is an approximately 81,000-square-meter amusement park plot that E-mart acquired through a public auction last year.

The original plan called for a dedicated minor league ballpark for the SSG Landers, but the project's scope has recently expanded to incorporate a mixed-use cultural complex open to the public, going well beyond a simple training facility.

Heo's office said it had held multiple consultations with E-mart since last year, proposing that the ballpark be paired with performance, cultural and leisure functions. E-mart is now conducting a basic development planning study that reflects those proposals, the lawmaker's office said.

The study is understood to include plans for dedicated facilities for the minor league squad alongside indoor and outdoor cultural spaces, amenities for family visitors, and lifestyle and cultural facilities for local residents. The project's scale and facility composition are expected to be further defined once the study is complete.

The project timeline is also being managed on a relatively stable footing. Under the current plan, design work and permitting procedures are expected to allow for completion and the start of operations in 2027.

The Yeongjong minor league ballpark would be more than just a new sports facility. Supporters say it could host professional baseball spring training camps and Futures League games, as well as youth baseball tournaments, recreational sports events and cultural performances, positioning it as a new tourism and cultural hub for Yeongjong International City.

Its proximity to Incheon International Airport is a particular advantage, potentially enabling international sports exchanges and the attraction of overseas training camps — developments that could deliver a meaningful boost to the local economy.