Euro 2012 fever
A new stadium for Warsaw is finally becoming reality. Last week saw the deadline for formal applications for a tender for developing an area at ul. Łazienkowska, which was announced at the end of April.
Initially, Warsaw authorities had been expecting a massive surge of interest from potential investors. "Since January I have been answering three phone calls a day on this issue," said Szymon Baranowski from the City Hall Investment Bureau. However, tough conditions laid down by the City mean that only four have made it through to the final round.
In order to qualify, a company had to prove that in the last five years it built at least one stadium with a minimum of 25,000 seats or at least one sports hall with 10,000 seats and managed these complexes for at least three years. In addition, the candidate's income from the sales in each of the last three years cannot be lower than zł.800 million. This knocked all Polish competitors out at the first round, leaving only foreign investors in the game.
Four consortiums have thrown their hats into the ring: Amorim Immobiliaria together with Fundacja CKWS Legia; HBM Stadien und Sportstättenbau GmbH with Wayss und Freytag Schlusselfertigbau; International Trading and Investments Holdings (ITI) with Klub Piłkarski Legia Warszawa and Hochtief Construction; and Max Bögl Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG with Andrzej M. Chołdzyński and Ove Arup and Partners International.
The City's main prize is land, along with zł.200 million and a lease contract for a couple of years. The winning consortium, in turn, has to be financially stable to cover half of the construction costs, including building the stadium and all the necessary infrastructure. It must then provide the project, which will be considered by the city. The contractor will also have the right to exploit the commercial opportunities in the complex. "We are dreaming about a company which turns up with a ready exploitation project for the next 30 years. Then the income from the commercial exploitation will be higher and the investment cost will not burden the City budget," said Baranowski. The new company created by the City and the consortium will function as a public-private partnership.
"This is a great moment for Polish sport," said Jacek Gmoch, the president of CWKS Legia, the day he revealed that his company, in consortium with Portuguese firm Amorim Imobiliara, was invited by the City to take part in the tender for the construction of the National Football Stadium together with a recreational surrounding area. CWKS Legia did not have sufficient clout to enter the tender on its own and had originally considered a bid with a Swiss company and Pekao Development.
CWKS Legia and Amorim Imobiliaria now plan to build a stadium with about 50,000 seats. The consortium is also considering building a retractable roof and commercial objects as part of the complex. "The stadium has to live, and not end up like those haunting objects in Athens," said Gmoch. The Portuguese partner, Amorim Imobiliaria, built sports complexes for the Euro 2004 football championship, among others. "I hope we will be able to use our Portuguese experience in Poland," said Jaime Lopes, the vice president at Amorim, which has a 20 percent share in FC Porto.
Asked about the details, the vice president of CWKS Legia, Janusz Dorosiewicz, only said that there would be a hotel in the neighborhood. He also said the function of the area would not change, whereas the commercial complex will generate the means to maintain the stadium. The stadium itself, if the retractable roof project is accepted, will cost, depending on the standard, EUR 2,000 or EUR 3,000 per seat to maintain.
The ultimate planned capacity of the stadium will only be revealed when the City sets its final conditions. Now it is not known yet whether it will house more or less than 50,000, but to meet UEFA standards for the European championships it will need to break the 50,000 barrier.
CWKS Legia and Amorim assure that should they win the tender work will start in 2006. "From our experience, the construction will last from 18 to 24 months," says Lopes. CWKS Legia is a shareholder in Legia Football Club, as is ITI, which has also submitted a bid in the tender process. The tender commission now has two months to choose the most favorable offers.
Initially, Warsaw authorities had been expecting a massive surge of interest from potential investors. "Since January I have been answering three phone calls a day on this issue," said Szymon Baranowski from the City Hall Investment Bureau. However, tough conditions laid down by the City mean that only four have made it through to the final round.
In order to qualify, a company had to prove that in the last five years it built at least one stadium with a minimum of 25,000 seats or at least one sports hall with 10,000 seats and managed these complexes for at least three years. In addition, the candidate's income from the sales in each of the last three years cannot be lower than zł.800 million. This knocked all Polish competitors out at the first round, leaving only foreign investors in the game.
Four consortiums have thrown their hats into the ring: Amorim Immobiliaria together with Fundacja CKWS Legia; HBM Stadien und Sportstättenbau GmbH with Wayss und Freytag Schlusselfertigbau; International Trading and Investments Holdings (ITI) with Klub Piłkarski Legia Warszawa and Hochtief Construction; and Max Bögl Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG with Andrzej M. Chołdzyński and Ove Arup and Partners International.
The City's main prize is land, along with zł.200 million and a lease contract for a couple of years. The winning consortium, in turn, has to be financially stable to cover half of the construction costs, including building the stadium and all the necessary infrastructure. It must then provide the project, which will be considered by the city. The contractor will also have the right to exploit the commercial opportunities in the complex. "We are dreaming about a company which turns up with a ready exploitation project for the next 30 years. Then the income from the commercial exploitation will be higher and the investment cost will not burden the City budget," said Baranowski. The new company created by the City and the consortium will function as a public-private partnership.
"This is a great moment for Polish sport," said Jacek Gmoch, the president of CWKS Legia, the day he revealed that his company, in consortium with Portuguese firm Amorim Imobiliara, was invited by the City to take part in the tender for the construction of the National Football Stadium together with a recreational surrounding area. CWKS Legia did not have sufficient clout to enter the tender on its own and had originally considered a bid with a Swiss company and Pekao Development.
CWKS Legia and Amorim Imobiliaria now plan to build a stadium with about 50,000 seats. The consortium is also considering building a retractable roof and commercial objects as part of the complex. "The stadium has to live, and not end up like those haunting objects in Athens," said Gmoch. The Portuguese partner, Amorim Imobiliaria, built sports complexes for the Euro 2004 football championship, among others. "I hope we will be able to use our Portuguese experience in Poland," said Jaime Lopes, the vice president at Amorim, which has a 20 percent share in FC Porto.
Asked about the details, the vice president of CWKS Legia, Janusz Dorosiewicz, only said that there would be a hotel in the neighborhood. He also said the function of the area would not change, whereas the commercial complex will generate the means to maintain the stadium. The stadium itself, if the retractable roof project is accepted, will cost, depending on the standard, EUR 2,000 or EUR 3,000 per seat to maintain.
The ultimate planned capacity of the stadium will only be revealed when the City sets its final conditions. Now it is not known yet whether it will house more or less than 50,000, but to meet UEFA standards for the European championships it will need to break the 50,000 barrier.
CWKS Legia and Amorim assure that should they win the tender work will start in 2006. "From our experience, the construction will last from 18 to 24 months," says Lopes. CWKS Legia is a shareholder in Legia Football Club, as is ITI, which has also submitted a bid in the tender process. The tender commission now has two months to choose the most favorable offers.
