Featured image credit: San Siro Stadium
Italian construction company Webuild has been asked to deliver a feasibility study in three months concerning the redevelopment of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, in order for it to remain the home of Serie A football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan.
The news was disclosed following a meeting yesterday (Thursday) between Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan; Alessandro Antonello, corporate CEO of Inter; and Paolo Scaroni, president of AC Milan. The purpose of the meeting was to verify a feasibility plan relating to the renovation of the stadium better known as the San Siro.
The meeting was held after Webuild last week declared to the Municipality of Milan that it would be prepared to undertake a revamp of the Meazza, based on the project already presented by architectural studio Arco Associati.
The presentation was made last month in an effort to persuade Milan and Inter to remain at their current home instead of building new stadiums. The project, which will cost around €300m (£256.2m/$324.7m), is being led by Arco Associati.
The plans, which were first reported last month, would see a new-look San Siro feature a capacity of 75,000, 5,000 more than the two venues Milan and Inter are proposing, and around 800 less than the stadium’s current capacity. Inter and Milan would be able to continue playing at the stadium while the redevelopment takes place.
The new-look stadium would also feature commercial spaces, restaurants, bars, suites, wellness spaces and offices. Some 10,000 seats would be reserved for premium seating. Following yesterday’s meeting, the Municipality said: “Webuild SpA will collaborate pro bono, according to the availability in this sense already expressed, with the drafting of a feasibility study which must be delivered in three months.
“The teams will produce guidelines for a possible renovation that will lead to the availability of a more modern and efficient stadium. Following this, the municipal administration and the teams will verify the possibility and ways to proceed.
“The club representatives reiterated the need to protect the possible loss of capacity availability of the stadium during the works. The interventions must therefore be compatible with the calendar of matches, sporting events and entertainment events, in order to avoid economic damage, but above all to maintain an engaging, safe and comfortable experience for spectators.
“The project will consider urban developments in the San Siro area, in particular for its redevelopment. A binding issue, in the forms to be defined, is that the stadium will have to become the property of the teams.”
Sala noted that Inter and Milan will continue to explore existing alternative possibilities, but expressed his hope that the path undertaken at San Siro will “quickly lead to a satisfactory conclusion for all players on the pitch”.
In December 2021, Populous saw off competition from MANICA/Sportium to land the original contract to design a new stadium on land adjacent to the Meazza. Populous’ project, dubbed ‘The Cathedral’, was selected, with the coming weeks having promised the finalisation of the objectives and development process of Milan’s new stadium.
However, the venture became mired in bureaucratic red-tape to the extent that both Milan and Inter, which was due to share the proposed new stadium with its arch rival, are now pursuing alternative plans.
These remain very much the focus of the two clubs. Earlier this month, Milan took another step towards developing a new stadium in the Municipality of San Donato Milanese after completing the acquisition of a package of land for the project.
The land in the San Francesco area had been owned by SportLifeCity, which originally planned the development of a 20,000-seat arena at the site. These plans changed when the club identified the site as its preferred location for a new stadium, with SportLifeCity now 90% controlled by Milan after being acquired in June.
Milan essentially asked for a change in the structures being requested for development on the site and it now has full control of the land. Inter, meanwhile, has set its sights on the Municipality of Rozzano.
Inter is reported to have an option on a package of land for a stadium that is valid until April 30.
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