The City of Warsaw has revealed plans to revitalise Stadion RKS Skra, with long-term ambitions to develop a new athletics stadium on the site, along with an arena.
First opened in 1953 as an athletics and football venue, the Skra was forced to close its doors in October 2019 after falling into a state of disrepair. The City reclaimed the stadium in 2021 after a 13-year legal battle and has since engaged in minor repair work so it can again be made available to local residents.
However, the Polish capital has now signed a contract for the first stage of what is intended to be a reimagining of the sports complex in the Ochota district of Warsaw.
Rafał Trzaskowski, City Mayor of Warsaw, said: “We are entering the next stage of restoring Skra for Warsaw residents. The investment cost is almost PLN 52m (£9.71m/€11.34m/$12.19m). There will be an athletics training stadium, zones for throwing sports, a rugby field, changing rooms and sanitary facilities, as well as green and recreational areas connected with Polem Mokotowskim.
“At the same time, for several months we have been working on the second stage of the revitalisation of this space, i.e. the construction of the main athletics stadium for almost 25,000 people.”
The first stage of the revitalisation of the complex will be the responsibility of the winner of the tender – the Tamex Obiekty Sportowe and Gardenia Sport consortium. The contractor is to prepare a detailed concept for the first stage by September, and design documentation by July 2023. Completion of construction works is planned for December 2024, while the occupancy permit should be issued in the first quarter of 2025.
Buoyed by the improving fortunes of top-tier basketball club Legia Warszawa, the second stage of the scheme also envisions a new arena, along with the new stadium on the site of the Skra.
Deputy Mayor, Renata Kaznowska, said: “The development of Skra will be crowned with a sports arena for 6,000 to 7,000 spectators. It will be a home for our Basket Liga runners-up Legia, and more. It will host cups and championships not only in basketball, but also in volleyball.
“We will start designing the arena as soon as the architectural competition for stage two is over, which will include solutions for both the athletics stadium and the arena. A really intense time is set for the former Skra and that is why we regained it after a long court battle.”
Trzaskowski has said “several concepts” are being assessed to finance the project, including a public-private partnership or utilising European Union funding. The City first revealed its vision for the transformation project in May 2021.
Images: City of Warsaw
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