City Council blessings for Parma project

Article posted by Coliseum, February 3^rd, 2022

Image: Parma Calcio 1913

Italian Serie B football club Parma Calcio 1913 (Italy) has got a shot in the arm with the City Council giving the thumbs-up to its proposals for the redevelopment of its home venue – Stadio Ennio Tardini. The Council termed the development as a “project of public interest”.

The ‘Parma Today’ stated that with the above decision Parma will be able to go ahead with its stadium redevelopment plans.

Parma Calcio 1913, commonly referred to as Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It currently competes in Serie B, the 2^nd tier of Italian football.

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The 22,352-capacity Stadio Ennio Tardini, commonly referred to as just Il Tardini, is a football stadium in Parma, Italy, located near the center of Parma, between the town center and the City walls. It is the home of Parma Calcio 1913. The stadium was built in 1923 and was named after one of Parma’s former Presidents, Ennio Tardini.

Parma, which was last season relegated from Serie A, and its design partner, Studio Zoppini, unveiled initial plans last year for the Tardini, with the club seeking to transform it into a true multipurpose facility.

Studio Zoppini, an internationally renowned designer architecture firm founded by Pino Zoppini in 1961, is headquartered in Milano, Italy.

The ‘Parma Today’ further stated that Parma’s redecorated home will sit in its present location and will boast a parking lot and few shops.

The above resolution was passed with 20 votes in favor, seven against and four abstentions.

The restyling of the stadium can now begin in the real sense of the term and the financial plans can be drawn out.

Maintained the Deputy Mayor of Parma, Marco Bosi, “The project presented by Parma Calcio is not perfect, but it is a huge step forward for our City. The task of this administration is to seize this opportunity by trying to obtain the best possible stadium. A project that will open up vistas of opportunities for the neighborhood during the week and a stadium which truly beckons on matchdays. Both families and the physically challenged should feel at home in the venue.”

The club added in a statement, “The club expresses full satisfaction with the adopted measure and thanks Mayor (Federico) Pizzarotti, the Deputy Mayor Bosi, the City Council, and all the offices and parties involved in the feasibility study evaluation procedure. We also thank the people of Parma for their continued support for our arena redecoration plans which has been in the planning stage for quite some time. The club continues to work tirelessly towards realizing its venue dreams so that geyser of opportunities opens for the City of Parma and the greater community.”

Discordant note

However, as demonstrated by the vote, there remains opposition to the plans.

Lorenzo Lavagetto, Municipal Councilor for the Democratic Party, said, “First of all we posed a question of legitimacy on the resolution. We have concerns based on the fact that it should be the City Council, and not a resolution of the Council, to vote on it. I presented the request for suspension but it was not accepted. I feel the project should be revisited from an architectural standpoint. I hope that the project can be remodeled in more appropriate terms for the built-up area to create the least possible inconvenience to its residents.”

Added Lavagetto, “Presently, activities take place in the Stadio Ennio Tardini only on Sunday. But, with the reconfiguration plans, events will take place in the facility the whole year through which does not augur well for the community.”

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