'Espai Barca' dream steps closer to reality

Barcelona have reached a key agreement with the city council in their plans for a €600million redevelopment of Camp Nou.

Officials have given the green light to the club's urban restructuring plan, which is essential to the massive planned update to the LaLiga leaders' stadium and facilities.

The plan will now be presented to the Municipal Council and then the Catalan government for final approval.

"It's a project that will mark the future of our club but also it's a leading project for the neighbourhood and the city of Barcelona," Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Thursday.

"It is a balanced proposal that will integrate what the club and the city need. We can say that Camp Nou will go from being a closed site to an open and friendly one to the public, with green spaces."

The news is a boost to Barca's bid to complete the redevelopment work during the next five years, as per the club's provisional plan.

 

May 26, 2015

'Espai Barca' is intended to include an update to the Camp Nou stadium, the club offices and the surrounding area, as well as new venues for the B team and the club's non-football sports teams.

Camp Nou's refit will include a roof added to provide shelter for all approximately 105,000 seats, as well as a perimeter ring designed to improve access and house VIP boxes and new restaurants, some of which will overlook the pitch.

The Miniestadi will be knocked down and replaced with the Palau Blaugrana, a venue with roughly 12,000 seats that will house the basketball, handball, roller hockey and futsal teams.

The Barca B team will be relocated to the brand new Estadi Johan Cruyff, a 6,000-seater stadium situated just over eight kilometres from Camp Nou. UEFA Youth League and Women’s Champions League matches will also be held at the ground, which is due to be ready this year.

A footbridge will link the Palau with the main stadium and there will be a huge complex built on the concourse beneath, which will include the new club offices, shop and restaurants.

The work is expected to cost €600m, with Barca planning to offset a huge portion of the expense by selling stadium naming rights to a sponsor.

 

April 12, 2018