Historic agreement signed for new Maksimir stadium build in Zagreb
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
(Photo credit: Grad Zagreb/Marko Vrdoljak/Zagreb Tourist Board)
Zagreb City, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and the Zagreb Archdiocese have signed an agreement to build a new city stadium in Maksimir.
The Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and Monsignor Dražen Kutleša, representing the Zagreb Archdiocese, signed two agreements on Wednesday, resolving a property dispute over the land where the Maksimir stadium is located, which started back in 1997.
“Today is an important day because after a staggering 27 years, the property dispute has been resolved. I believe that due to the unresolved nature of this dispute, there hasn’t been progress towards building a new stadium, but rather an ongoing reconstruction that was never completed. I am proud that this dispute has been resolved during the term of this city administration,” Mayor Tomašević stated.
(Photo: Grad Zagreb)
These agreements pave the way for the construction of a new city stadium in Maksimir. The agreement between the City of Zagreb and the Government of the Republic of Croatia was adopted by the Zagreb City Assembly in December 2023. Following this agreement, there are no longer any legal barriers to the construction of the new Maksimir stadium.
(Photo: Grad Zagreb)
“We have shown that even the most challenging problems can be resolved in favour of the citizens of Zagreb and Croatia. At this moment, the City of Zagreb is preparing a feasibility study that will define the accompanying facilities alongside the stadium itself, ensuring the commercial sustainability of the investment. We believe that the stadium can be primarily built with private capital, without using funds from the city budget. We expect the completion of the study in a few months, followed by a public urban-architectural competition for the best solution for organising this area. Ultimately, the public tender will also select a private investor for the stadium and accompanying commercial facilities,” Mayor Tomašević concluded.
Maksimir stadium (Photo credit: Marko Vrdoljak/Zagreb Tourist Board)
The construction of the new Maksimir stadium would likely last about two to three years. The stadium would meet UEFA’s highest standards, with 34,000 seats.
