The mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, has signed the contracts that will allow the operator of the Stade Vélodrome, Arema, to go ahead with the redevelopment of the stadium.
The redevelopment will, among others, involve the construction of a roof over the stadium that will cover all stands, and the increase in capacity to a total of 67,000 seats. The total project budget is estimated to be €267 million, which includes the development of related real estate programs, such as office building, a shopping mall, and two hotels.
The stadium’s redevelopment will be performed with the perspective of the Euro 2016 tournament that will be held in France and for which Marseille has been selected as a host city. The stadium, opened in 1937, had earlier undergone a major restructuring for the 1998 World Cup. With the upcoming improvements stadium operator Arema furthermore expects the stadium to get awarded UEFA elite status, which will make it eligible to host Champions League finals.
Render: © Arema-velodrome.com.