The City of Essen in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) recently announced the planned expansion of the Stadion an der Hafenstraße, home of the 3. Liga team Rot-Weiss Essen.
‘kicker’ stated that to carry out the expansion work the four currently open corners of the stadium will be partially closed. In addition, the infrastructure skirting the stadium will be partially expanded or upgraded.
The Stadion an der Hafenstraße, known as the Stadion Essen until 2022, is a stadium in Essen, Germany. Located in the borough of Bergeborbeck it has a capacity to accommodate 20,650 spectators. It serves as the home stadium of the 3. Liga team Rot-Weiss Essen.
The Rot-Weiss Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). The club plays in the 3. Liga, the third tier of professional football in Germany.
‘kicker’ further stated that the construction work is expected to start by July 1st, 2026. The expansion work price tag has been pegged at circa €29.4 million. Since almost €4.7 million of this will be claimed as the input tax the actual financing requirement is approximately €24.7 million. This financing will be phased in over the years 2025 to 2027.
Of particular note is the new lease agreement over the property management between the City of Essen and the Rot-Weiss Essen. It offers impressive flexibility and initially covers the third division in which Essen will also compete in the 2025-2026 seasons.
The lease agreement provides for a shorter term of a maximum of five years. A reduced fixed lease is also considered an advantage in return for a higher variable lease. The contracts are to be signed by March 2026 – this is a prerequisite for starting the tender floating exercise and awarding the construction contract.
Geyser of Opportunities
For Marc-Nicolai Pfeifer, head honcho of Rot-Weiss Essen, the above is good news – “We are very pleased that together with the partners involved we have succeeded in finding a fair, viable solution over the Stadion Essen expansion that minimizes risks and, if successful, will open up geyser of opportunities for the stakeholders involved as well as for the local residents. The long, intensive discussions have resulted in a strong joint outcome.”
Concluded Pfeifer, “We are confident that this jointly developed proposal will also receive the approval of the powers that be.”
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