The Municipality of Florence has awarded the contract to conduct the redevelopment of the Stadio Artemio Franchi to a consortium made up of the COBAR and SAC Società Appalti Costruzioni companies.
The Municipality fired the starting gun on a tender process to secure a partner to undertake the redevelopment back in November after the executive project drawn up by the Italian division of engineering and design consultancy Arup was approved.
Within the deadline set by the notice, offers were submitted by the COBAR/SAC consortium and CDS Costruzioni. These were subsequently assessed by a judging commission from December 12-15, with the consortium given a score of 86.662 compared to 80.5 for CDS. The contract is worth just over €90m (£77.9m/$98.4m).
Bari-based COBAR specialises in the restoration and renovation of structures that have a protected status, while Rome-headquartered SAC has been working in civil construction, restoration, large industrial and infrastructure projects for more than 50 years.
Work is due to begin at the start of this year on the major redevelopment of the home of Serie A football club Fiorentina, with the project expected to take three years to complete. The contract awarded to COBAR-SAC does not cover all work, with aspects such as the key roof structure for the stadium yet to be decided.
In March 2022, Arup was selected to lead the revamp of the stadium originally designed by renowned architect Pier Luigi Nervi, securing the architectural and multidisciplinary design contract.
The Franchi opened in 1931 and has a current capacity of around 43,000. Arup’s proposal features a roof for the Franchi and new grandstands which will bring fans closer to the pitch. Under the plans, the new capacity of the stadium will be at least 40,000.
The funds that have been approved to date for the project are just over €151.3m. The Municipality said in November that if the overall funding foreseen for the stadium is restored, the company that wins the contract will be able to continue with the project without the need to launch further tenders.
The Municipality owns the historic Franchi and is leading its renovation project. The venture has been met with multiple challenges and in April, the European Commission confirmed that Italy had been barred from directing almost €150m of COVID-19 recovery funds towards major stadium projects in Florence and Venice, €55m of which was destined for the Franchi. If this €55m funding is not restored, other avenues of investment would need to be pursued.
In June, a court dismissed an appeal that was lodged against the redevelopment of the Franchi. The appeal had been filed to the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio (TAR) against the Ministry of Culture, Florence’s superintendence and the Municipality by Fondation PLN Project.
PLN is a non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nervi, who died in 1979. Nervi designed the Franchi, which is considered one of the best examples of European architecture from the 20th century.
Fiorentina will require a temporary home for two seasons whilst the redevelopment of the Franchi takes place, Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella said in March.
