Feyenoord Stadium opening suffers setback yet again!

Article posted by Coliseum, December 20^th, 2019

Image: OMA

Feyenoord Stadium – known more by its nickname De Kuip – is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It is for the second time in 2019 that Feyenoord was forced to defer the opening of the new arena boasting capacity of 63,000. It is expected to go on stream no sooner than 2025.

AD.nl / Rijnmond.nl reports that the most pioneering and ambitious stadium project of the Netherlands has again suffered a setback. In March this year, the facility which will be able to fit in 63,000 supporters, was forced to put its opening off from 2023 to mid-2024. Not even a year has passed, and the stadium opening has again been delayed to 2025.

It is hoped that the project would go off the ground in mid-2020. If it gets going, piling work will begin in March 2022. Whether all authorities are on board still seems to be shrouded in uncertainty. The Zuid-Holland Province expressed reservations in context with public interest and legal framework of the project at Nieuwe Maas (in the Dutch province of South Holland).

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AD.nl / Rijnmond.nl also reported that questions are also being raised as to the stadium’s budget, initially set at €365 million. Since delivery of the development has been further pushed to 2025, retaining the price tag does not seem to be a feasible option. Moreover, the ongoing design work and red tapism is proving to be an expensive affair.

Primarily due to cost associated with preparations, recent numbers for Feyenoord Stadium has brought to fore shortfall of €7 million despite 16 percent rise in volume of business.

The management and Boards of Commissioners of Stadium and BVO came to the conclusion in a recent meeting that there is still lot of work left to be done on the stadium front.

The club’s site writes, “The later opening date is due to the extra time required to apply for the necessary permits. More time is also required for the acquisition of land and the relocation of current owners and tenants.”

Notwithstanding the fact that the deadline is being repeatedly postponed, the managements and Boards of Commissioners of Stadium and BVO have reiterated that the work to bring to fruition the stadium plan will be continued with full gusto.

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