Feyenoord is reconsidering an old plan to renovate the current stadium, reports RTV Rijnmond. This concerns the renovation plan that was given the title ‘De Nieuwe Kuip’ in 2014. It will be examined whether this plan has principles that can still be used as an alternative for new construction.
The news that the Rotterdammers are once again considering renovating De Kuip will sound like music to the ears of the club’s loyal supporters. It is well known that the hard core of Feyenoord is fiercely opposed to a new home for their club. When it was announced at the beginning of this month that Feyenoord City will not be there (at least for the time being), fans celebrated this exuberantly at the stadium. With the necessary fireworks and a pyre, they celebrated that the construction of a new stadium seems to have come to an end for the time being.
Feyenoord announced at the beginning of November that Feyenoord City cannot be realized at the moment. This is due to the enormously increased construction costs and the announcement by construction group BAM that the plans are currently unrealistic. Because ‘all options are back on the table’, renovation of De Kuip is also back in the picture. Insiders confirm to RTV Rijnmond that the option to renovate is currently only in an exploratory phase. “A decision has certainly not been made yet,” emphasizes the regional broadcaster.
In the plan of seven years ago, the stadium capacity will be expanded to 70,000 seats, while the current Kuip can accommodate just over 51,000 supporters. This would be achieved by extending the current second ring. The renovation plan also includes a roof on the stadium. In 2014, the costs for De Nieuwe Kuip were estimated at 196 million euros, but due to rising costs, this rose to 223 million euros a year later. Given the current construction costs, that amount will have risen even further. Feyenoord did not consider the plan profitable in 2015.
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