Renovation of the City Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice will begin in May

Ostrava - Renovation of the Municipal Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice will begin immediately after the end of the 51st year of the Golden Spike athletics meeting in May 2012. The first phase will require an investment of nearly 450 million crowns. For this money, the entire area should be reconstructed and a new eastern stand built. After the complete renovation, the stadium, which will also serve the footballers of Baník, should have a capacity of 15,000 spectators. This was stated today by Martin Štěpánek, deputy mayor of Ostrava.
    The city wants to cover the investment with a loan from the European Investment Bank. It also hopes for a subsidy of 100 million crowns, which it has applied for from the Ministry of Education.
    The city has released the first visualization of the future appearance of the stadium. The design was contributed to by a team led by architect David Kotek. "We were significantly limited by materials. In the end, we used metal beams and a metal shell,” said Kotek, adding that the stadium will be unique in combining the original main stand from 1938, which will be preserved, with the newly constructed section. "We need to fit the timeline between the Golden Spike in 2012 and 2013,” he added.
    In this phase of the renovation, work will affect all sports areas. They will receive new modern surfaces. The facilities will also be repaired, including electrical wiring. The entry objects will also see changes.
    In May, demolition of the eastern stand, which consists of the current standing concrete terraces, will begin. A covered stand will rise in their place. Together with the reconstructed main stand, it will offer a capacity of 13,000 seats. The completion date for the construction is estimated to be by the end of 2012.
    This phase should seamlessly connect to the construction of two smaller stands. However, these will function temporarily until then. The existing facility will be modified, and seats from the Bazaly stadium, where Baník Ostrava currently plays, will be installed on it.
    The city council still does not know when this phase will start. Štěpánek did not even want to estimate how much the construction of the smaller stands will cost. "That is premature at this time. Our goal is to complete the renovation of the stadium into its final form,” he said.
    The Municipal Stadium in Ostrava-Vítkovice was built in 1939. The city prioritized its renovation over the construction of a new municipal football stadium, which would cost nearly 1.5 billion crowns and for which Ostrava lacks the funds.
    Some work is already being carried out at the stadium, with the main part of the renovation expected to start next year. During the reconstruction, the Vítkovice stadium will remain operational, including hosting athletic competitions and football matches.