Italian Serie B football club Parma Calcio 1913 has said it will continue work on creating “a unique and historical opportunity” for the city after its proposals for the redevelopment of the Stadio Ennio Tardini were approved as a project of public interest.
Parma, which was last season relegated from Serie A, and its design partner, Studio Zoppini, in April unveiled initial plans for the Tardini, with the club seeking to transform it into a true multi-purpose facility.
Under the banner of ‘A Stadium for Parma, inspired by Parma’, the club detailed the current thinking for the project. Parma, which is owned by US firm the Krause Group, in February appointed Milan-based architecture firm Studio Zoppini to redesign its stadium, which has a current capacity of around 27,900 and first opened in 1923.
Parma’s City Council has now voted in favour of a resolution deeming the project to be of public interest, paving the way for the club to present its definitive proposal for the redevelopment of the stadium. The resolution passed with 20 votes in favour, seven against and four abstentions.
The Deputy Mayor of Parma, Marco Bosi, said, according to the Parma Today website: “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 make the Tardini an opportunity for the neighbourhood during the week and a welcoming place on match day, especially for people that are heavily penalised today, such as the disabled and families.”
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, RUP ing. Gadaleta and all the offices and parties involved in the feasibility study evaluation procedure.
“It also thanks the people of Parma for their prolonged support of this initiative, aware of the extraordinary opportunity that the decision from Parma Calcio 1913 offers. The club continues to work tirelessly towards the final project in order to create a unique and historical opportunity for Parma, its people and, more generally, the wider area.”
However, as demonstrated by the vote, there remains opposition to the plans. Lorenzo Lavagetto, municipal councillor for the Democratic Party, told Parma Today: “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 for it. I presented the request for suspension but it was not accepted.
“I believe that the project needs to be changed from an architectural point of view. I hope that the project can be remodelled in more appropriate terms for the built-up area to create the least possible inconvenience for its inhabitants.
“Up to now the Tardini was a Sunday presence. With the new project it seems to us that it will become the protagonist of the area. There is also a need for greater participation from the city. For these reasons we have taken a critical position. We have also made many proposals and we hope that in the future there will be greater willingness to compare.”
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