Images: City of Częstochowa
The City of Częstochowa has identified a site that could house a new 15,000-capacity stadium for Polish Ekstraklasa football club Raków Częstochowa.
Earlier this year, the City and club agreed to commence a search to identify suitable land for a new stadium. This led to the launch of a preliminary feasibility study, conducted by the Agraria company, assessing the merits of four different locations.
These included the site of Raków’s current home, the 5,500-capacity Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków which is owned by the City, along with the likes of the Arena Częstochowa speedway stadium. The study has settled on the Elanex site, which formerly housed a large factory complex dedicated to the textiles industry.
This site, which is currently still managed by a liquidator, has been deemed to have the greatest advantages, with a stadium being able to fit without interfering with post-industrial and residential buildings.
The area is said to be well-developed and connected, is located close to the city centre and has significant investment and revitalisation potential. The City has said that constructing a modern stadium on this site would open up new possibilities and the potential of a multifunctional complex, combining the likes of sports and recreation, services and trade.
In this location, the potential implementation of a public-private partnership investment plan is also said to have the greatest chance of success. The study has identified that the cost of developing a new Raków stadium and revamping the site would be approximately PLN335m (£65.87m/€78.06m/$86.19m), rising to PLN443m with the addition of a parking lot.
Approximately five to six years has been targeted for an implementation time, with City authorities and club representatives now set to analyse the preliminary feasibility study. At the same time, the City, as one of the creditors, said it has made another attempt to “unblock” the indebted Elanex site through investment.
It added that further decisions regarding the possibility of starting the investment process related to the Raków stadium may be made if the local government has secured land at the recommended location.
President of Częstochowa, Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, said, according to the Częstochowa NaszeMiasto website: “Today we are not saying whether we will build it with city funds or public-private partnership funds, or whether we will implement this facility with a subsidy.
“We found out how much such implementation may cost, in what time these funds will be needed and what else is necessary to prepare for such a project to be considered. In my opinion, this is such an attractive part of the city that there will be people from private business who will want to invest in this part of the city.”
Piotr Obidziński, president of Raków Częstochowa, added: “This is a very good step forward. Our grassroots estimates confirmed the numbers regarding the stadium’s capacity, and analysis with the architects cooperating with us showed that, as far as the idea is concerned, Elanex is the location that should be chosen.
“The fact that Limanowskiego will become our training base, the heart of the club, and the new stadium should be strictly for matches, be the heart and showcase of the city, all this fits together in terms of concepts and numbers.
“I am not talking about finances, because that probably requires a deeper analysis. We are now waiting for the next steps. It is crucial that specific substantive actions appear behind it.”
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