Parma Calcio 1913 has laid out further plans for a new Stadio Ennio Tardini as it awaits the final green light for the project from Parma City Council and prepares for a return to Serie A.
Parma Calcio last week sealed promotion back to the top division of Italian club football with two games to spare in the 2023-24 Serie B season, and has now updated on stadium plans through the launch of a dedicated website for the project.
The Tardini will be reimagined as a completely covered 20,986-seat stadium, 2,351 of which will be premium seating. The new stadium will come complete with 34 skyboxes and nine lounges, while 20,000 square metres of public open space will be available for use every day. A new football and sports museum has been included, with a 27-month delivery timeline set out for once work on the site commences.
Parma Calcio said: “The new stadium and the surrounding area will be an international example for environmental sustainability. Reduction of emissions, installation of photovoltaic panels, recovery of rainwater and various incentives towards the use of public mobility will become key points of the entire work.
“The new facility will also have an important social significance, as a large public space will be created outside the West Stand dedicated to the city of Parma. Spaces will also be created for the organisation of public events and everyone, regardless of mobility, will be able to access any sector of the stadium and the entire area.
“The new stadium will be a cutting-edge facility and an international point of reference. It will be a stadium dedicated to everyone, there will be offers for the most demanding fans, but the essence that football represents will be maintained – the most popular and inclusive sport in the world which must also remain accessible to all.
“You will be able to experience the matches like never before, immersed in a new, unique and unforgettable atmosphere.”
The Gazzetta di Parma said the City Council is expected to decide by the end of the month on the final issues relating to the project. These concern the duration of the concession and the new urban planning variant which will allow construction of commercial areas. Should the green light be given, the onus will then be on the club to determine when works would begin.
Development work on Parma Calcio’s new stadium is envisioned to begin in June 2025, with a temporary home set to house the club whilst construction takes place, it was revealed in February.
Parma Calcio in September presented “finalised” stadium development plans to Parma City Council for a facility with a capacity of around 21,000. At the time, it was said that the project would cost €140m (£120.6m/$150.5m) and be financed entirely by the club. Under the plans, the Tardini, which first opened in 1923, will be demolished and rebuilt “with the highest international standards”.
In January 2022, Parma Calcio said it would continue work on creating “a unique and historical opportunity” for the city after its proposals for the redevelopment of the Tardini were approved as a project of public interest.
Parma, which was relegated from Serie A in 2020-21, and its design partner, Studio Zoppini, in April 2021 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 thinking for the project. Parma, which is owned by US firm the Krause Group, in February 2021 appointed Milan-based architecture firm Studio Zoppini to redesign its stadium.
