The transfer entails that the land will be at the LFF’s disposal until needed by the local government for its operations, with a maximum duration of five years.
During this period,
the Football Federation is obliged to draft plans for stadium construction, with the project not expected to conclude before 2027.
Initial estimations, as conveyed by
LFF President Vadims Ļašenko, to the Saeima Education, Culture, and Science Commission’s sports Sub-Commission, suggests the project’s cost hovers around EUR 44 million.
Ļašenko mentioned that approximately EUR 12 million, constituting just over a quarter of the total expenses, are slated to be covered by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). However, securing additional funding from alternate sources remains imperative.
There has been opposition from garden area tenants against the stadium’s construction in Lucavsala. Aleksejs Čiževskis, representing the ‘Daugavkrasti Gardens’ association, expressed his belief that numerous other locations would be more suitable for the stadium.
He asserted that the Daugava Stadium, classified as a fourth-category UEFA field, suffices for football matches, albeit lacking adequate seating coverage and roofing.
Despite the protest staged by garden tenants outside the Riga City Council premises on Wednesday, the decision was made to grant the Lucavsala land to the LFF for five years.
A visualization by Fiebiger GMBH, a German architectural firm endorsed by UEFA and FIFA, indicates that the multi-functional sports complex’s total area might span less than 119,000 square meters, with the stadium occupying just over 66,000 square meters with a capacity of 15,000 – 20,000.
According to LFF projections, the national football stadium could attract at least 40,000 additional tourists annually, contributing an extra EUR 35 million to Latvia’s economy per year.
Moreover, the stadium is anticipated to host over 35 international football matches annually, along with concerts and other events.
