Plans to build a new multi-purpose stadium in Paris have been dealt a blow after William Delannoy, the Mayor of Saint-Ouen, stated that the land for the project would not be sold in the immediate future and pledged to resume discussions with a firm that lost out on the initial contract.
In June, French development group Réalités won a contract to build the stadium, which would serve as the home of local football club Red Star Paris. Réalités, along with Scau Architecture, Clement Blanchet Architecture and design agency Saguez & Partners, were selected to lead the ‘Bauer District’ venue centred on a facility of between 10,000 and 15,000 seats.
Red Star is one of France’s most historic clubs but currently plays in the third-tier Championnat National. The new stadium would be built on the site of the existing Stade Bauer and there had been plans for it to be completed by 2023.
However, Delannoy has now expressed concerns over the plans. “I cannot afford to implement such a massive project in urban areas,” he said, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.
He added: “My concern as Mayor is to make a stadium with trade around it and not a mall with a small stadium in the middle. I said it this summer and I have not changed my mind.”
Delannoy also said that discussions would resume with architecture firm Wilmotte, which lost out to Réalités when the initial contract was awarded.
For Réalités’ vision to come to fruition, the suburb of Saint-Ouen, which owns the Stade Bauer, would have to agree to sell the stadium to the developers. Le Parisien previously reported that the project would cost €180m (£154m/$199m) and the newspaper said that Réalités has already committed almost €1m.
Yoann Choin-Joubert, chief executive of Réalités, told Le Parisien: “At the moment, we have not received any notification from the Mayor. But if that were the case, questioning such a project, won in due form, and after months of working with the club, seems absolutely incomprehensible to us.”
Image: Réalités
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