What was Feyenoord City, the proposed project which would have included the building of a new stadium for Feyenoord on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas as part of a broader redevelopment of Rotterdam-Zuid, and why was the aborted project so controversial? This article seeks to outline the background developments surrounding Feyenoord City in the past several years, ahead of the project’s abandonment announced last Saturday.
General background
Feyenoord have played at De Kuip since 1937; in that time, De Kuip has grown into one of Europe’s most iconic grounds, hosting two European Cup finals and the final of Euro 2000. Originally an uncovered bowl of a stadium, De Kuip underwent extensive renovations in the 1990s, during which a roof was built, luxury boxes were added and capacity fell from 57.000 to 51.000. This limitation of capacity was one of the principal factors in the quest to build a new stadium; though it remains the second-largest stadium in the Netherlands, De Kuip is significantly smaller than the grounds which host Champions League finals today, for which a capacity of at least 63.000 seats is required. Not coincidentally, 63.000 was the targeted capacity for the new stadium intended to arise on the Maas.
Choice of New Stadium
In attempting to realise the club’s ambition of a larger stadium to increase the club’s commercial potential and enhance Feyenoord’s stature both in the Netherlands and abroad, both expansion of De Kuip and the construction of a new stadium were considered. According to Feyenoord City’s official website, the option of renovating the current stadium was turned down, as ‘a viable business case appeared to be unreachable’ for renovation of De Kuip when evaluated in 2014.[i] Feyenoord additionally came to the conclusion, again per Feyenoord City’s website, that continued use of De Kuip for matches during a potential renovation would bring with it safety risks which ‘could not be removed even with extra- expensive- safety measures.’[ii] For these reasons, the club decided in 2017 to focus its energies on the building of a new stadium.
Location
The proposed new stadium, set to be built on the banks of the Maas just a couple hundred metres north of De Kuip, was planned for one of the poorest districts of Rotterdam. Feyenoord City was presented as an opportunity for urban revival in the district of Rotterdam-Zuid, which formed an important component of the Feyenoord City development. On the websites of Feyenoord City and of OMA, the architecture firm responsible for Feyenoord City’s design, the new stadium was depicted as the ‘departure point for and catalyst of’ the broader Feyenoord City development. This development, featuring 3.700 new homes, hospitality and shops among other provisions, was also to be spearheaded by the club; the total costs for the entire development (stadium and surroundings) were estimated to come in at €441 million.
Role of Gemeente Rotterdam
Feyenoord, though the driving party in the development of Feyenoord City, was throughout the entire planning process reliant on the Gemeente (Municipality) Rotterdam, both for definite permission to go ahead with the development of Feyenoord City and for a portion of the financing. The Gemeente agreed to contribute €40 million in shares towards the realisation of the Feyenoord City project, on top of the €60 million paid to purchase the land on which the project was set to be built, and was additionally the party responsible for the granting of permission for the project to be built. One of the greatest stumbling blocks for the Feyenoord City proposals was the Rotterdam Gemeenteraad’s (Municipal Council) insistence that the stadium’s financing be completely in order by the end of 2021, a demand which the club, hindered by the inability to attract investors and the rising costs of raw materials, was unable to satisfy. This demand came after years of division within the Gemeenteraad over Feyenoord City, with several parties having been opposed to the plans from the outset.
This article will be followed by an explainer of why the Feyenoord City project was eventually found to be unviable, and what the consequences are for the club and for Rotterdam-Zuid. Additionally, it is my plan to speak with supporters before the home fixture against PEC Zwolle on 21 November, to find out what supporters think about the cancellation of the Feyenoord City project and what the best way forwards is for the club and the city.
[i] https://nieuwstadion.feyenoord-city.nl/qa/waarom-is-vernieuwbouw-gekozen/, 24.2.17
[ii] ibid
Inthehalfspace 