Sports and Concert Complex reconstruction and sports park creation project became the main discussions topic in St. Petersburg’s Civic Chamber
The new sports complex building should look like the previous Sports and Concert Complex, while the area around it will become a year-round active leisure park, intended for both adults and children. There were discussed the urgent issues, related to the investment project implementation on a modern ice arena creation in Moscow region, within the extended meeting in St. Petersburg’s Civic Chamber.
The meeting goal was an open dialogue between the culture and media commission experts as well as historical and cultural heritage and tourist attractiveness preservation commission experts of St. Petersburg’s Civic Chamber with the relevant authorities’ representatives and journalists. The key issues were an open competition as well as an opportunity to build a green area around the sports complex.
Neither the concession agreement terms, nor the current legislation, allowed capital construction in those areas around the Sports and Concert Complex, which will be transferred to the investor, according to Roman Golovanov, Investment Committee Chairman. «A modern park will appear near of the outdoor activities and physical education and sports complex for both children and adults», Roman Golovanov said. «The investor’s goal is to improve the territory and preserve the green spaces».
The Investment Committee’s head explained that currently the city authorities are waiting for potential concessionaires’ requests to participate in the competition on the sports complex reconstruction and the results will be announced after November 20, 2019.
Experts, including those from the urban planning community, were also worried about the future arena’s architectural design solution. Vladimir Grigoryev, Urban Planning and Architecture Committee’s Chairman mentioned the complex building should maintain a «continuity spirit» and correspond to both the district and the city urban planning appearance after the reconstruction.
The competition for the right to sign a concession agreement on the multifunctional sports and leisure complex creation was announced in October 2019. The agreement terms imply St. Petersburg’s Sports and Concert Complex reconstruction to create a modern multifunctional sports and cultural complex and a culture and recreation park in the adjacent territory. The estimated project cost (given the park cost) will be about 24-25 billion rubles. The budget financing will be 50%, but its amount will not exceed 10 billion rubles.
A modern ice arena, consisting of two stands with a capacity of at least 20,000 and 300 spectators should be built by May 1, 2023. The technical conditions stipulate that the sports complex meets the high international requirements of the Continental Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation for facilities for holding world championships. World Hockey Championship in 2023 will become the first major sports event, which will take place in the new arena.
The concessionaire will be determined within an open tender in the manner, prescribed by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005 number 115-Federal Law «On Concession Agreements». The concession agreement term with the investor will be 55 years.