Berlin Senate approves potential site for Hertha BSC stadium

Image: Olympiastadion Berlin, Tobi 87, CC BY 3.0

Hertha BSC has moved a step closer to finding a new 52,000 capacity home in Berlin’s Olympiapark.

Entwicklungsstadt said that for the first time there is now a clear recommendation for a specific site within the Olympiapark. However, this does not yet equate to obtaining planning permission for the stadium.

A new stadium could be built on Jesse-Owens-Allee, south of the Maifeld. The area currently hosts the Olympic Equestrian Stadium.

Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf of Berlin, Germany. It plays in Bundesliga, the top of the German football league system.

The 74,475-capacity Olympiastadion is a sports stadium at Olympiapark Berlin in Berlin, Germany. It was originally built by Werner March for the 1936 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics, the record attendance was thought to be over 100,000.

The years-long search for a site for Hertha BSC’s new stadium now appears to have reached a crucial milestone.

The “Football Stadium in the Olympiapark” expert commission, appointed by the State of Berlin, considers the plot on Jesse-Owens-Allee to be suitable for stadium construction.

This conclusion is based on assessments conducted over several years by a review group comprising representatives from various Senate and district administrative bodies.

The commission recommends that Hertha BSC should now submit a preliminary planning inquiry to the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district authorities.

Only then can it be determined with certainty under what conditions a stadium on the site would actually be eligible for approval. According to rbb, Hertha has already prepared the preliminary inquiry.
 

Extensive site assessment

The site assessment was extensive. Since autumn 2024, the responsible administrative group has addressed the project across eight meetings.

Key topics included transport links, planning law, noise and emission control, and environmental regulations.

Other factors considered were heritage preservation, the integration of the stadium into the Olympiapark, and issues regarding procurement and hereditary building rights.

Potential impacts on the operations of the neighboring Olympic Stadium also played a role.

Heritage preservation considerations are likely to remain relevant for future planning.

The equestrian stadium is part of the listed Olympic complex; its history dates back to the former Grunewald racecourse.

The site was redeveloped for the Olympic Games in the 1930s. Berlin’s heritage database lists the grandstand building and other parts of the facility as protected heritage.

Furthermore, the site is currently used by organizations such as the Berlin-Brandenburg State Association of Riding and Driving Clubs and the Reitclub am Olympiapark.

It has also hosted events and served other purposes at times. Nevertheless, it currently appears to be the most suitable location for Hertha’s stadium project.

The new stadium is intended to serve as a dedicated football arena with a capacity of up to 52,000 spectators.

Hertha justifies the project by noting that, while the Olympiastadion is suitable for major national and international events, it does not meet the club’s needs for regular league play.

The Olympiastadion currently has a capacity of 73,856. Hertha has played its home matches there since the Bundesliga began in 1963—with the exception of a hiatus in the 1980s.
 

Hertha BSC Must Finance Stadium Privately

Another key issue is financing. Under state guidelines, Berlin is prohibited from paying for site development.

Furthermore, the project must not cause economic disadvantages for Olympiastadion Berlin GmbH. These conditions are explicitly included in the requirements set by the expert commission.

A preliminary planning approval could help Hertha attract investors and develop a viable economic concept.

This is significant because the club intends to finance the stadium privately. Consequently, a reliable assessment of whether the stadium can actually be built is only possible once the legal and economic framework is established.

Entwicklungsstadt further stated that for Hertha BSC, the expert commission’s vote marks the end of a long search for a location; the site on Jesse-Owens-Allee has cleared a crucial hurdle. At the same time, a much more concrete review of the project is now beginning.

The preliminary planning inquiry will reveal the district’s requirements regarding traffic, the environment, noise protection, heritage preservation, and building regulations.

Only a preliminary planning approval would create a more solid framework for these aspects. Hertha BSC’s new stadium project has thus become more concrete—though it has not yet been officially approved or authorized.

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