The City of Lublin in Poland has selected a consortium to design a multi-functional sports and recreation complex, which will be anchored by a speedway stadium that will seat up to 20,000 spectators.
The City has chosen Poznań-based Kavoo Invest and Wrocław-based Wesoły and Partners Constructions to draw up the project, following a competition process which launched in March.
Design studios were asked to register their interest in drawing up plans for a venue of between 17,000 and 20,000 capacity to Lublin City Hall by April 5. They were said to be asked to adapt an initial concept (pictured) drawn up by Kavoo Invest back in 2019, with the project reportedly set to cost up to PLN200m (£35.9m/€42.5m/$43.1m) to develop.
The City received three proposals for the contract to develop a design and cost estimate documentation, but said two of those did not meet the conditions for participation and were rejected.
According to the guidelines provided to the budding designers, the stadium should accommodate between 17,000 and 20,000 seats. New parkland and recreational space should be included within the overall scheme.
The stadium should come complete with a roof and be designed to accommodate other motorsport and team sports such as volleyball, handball and basketball, as well as athletics competitions.
Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of the City of Lublin, said: “Construction of a multi-functional sports and recreation facility with the function of a speedway stadium is a very complicated process that requires multi-stage preparations.
“According to multiple declarations, it remains one of the City’s investment priorities for the coming years. However, a huge amount of work is required to prepare the investment in such a way that the new building in the future meets both the expectations of the federations, which enable the organisation of competitions at the highest level, and the fans themselves.
“Speedway sport, and its popularity in Lublin, has been a nationwide phenomenon in recent years, which shapes the city’s good image in the country and abroad. In addition, the facility is to be designed as multifunctional, to be used throughout the year for the organisation of other events, including team games competitions.”
The winning consortium has been granted 18 months to draw up the necessary documentation, with the City expecting a response by the first quarter of 2024. The City said various strategies are being explored to fund the project, including through gaining financing from the Ministry of Sport or in the form of a public-private partnership.
A decision on the final construction financing model will be made at a later stage, after the facility designs are developed.
Image: Kavoo Invest
