After years of deliberations finally there's a sound plan for one of the last Polish cities still without a stadium scheme. The municipality of Opole expects to break ground on new stadium late into 2019.

Opole has been one of the last Polish cities yet to find a stadium solution. Their current ground is severely outdated. With a metro population of 250,000 people and local club Odra playing in Poland's 2nd league, the stadium on Oleska street seems far insufficient.

Despite efforts in early 2000s to make it a professional ground it's now again in dire need of redevelopment. However, that's not what is planned. Instead, the stadium will be razed and replaced by a different leisure facility, most likely an aquapark.

But before this happens, the city will deliver a brand new stadium in the north-western outskirts. Close to Opole's ring-road and with decent existing parking from neighbouring shopping centre, the selected plot seems to be a good way to go. Most importantly, it offers far better opportunities than the old location, where no additional parking or training facilities could be created.

The new stadium is expected to have capacity of 12,500 to 13,000 seats, all of them covered. The price tag could be around PLN 100 million (€24m), which is a far better deal than what could be erected at the old location. Here at Oleska only up to 6,000 seats could be fitted for PLN 60 million (€14.5m).

Now the city is preparing to launch a design competition for the facility, expected to result in winning concept being revealed in July. Creating detailed documentation should take until early 2019 and, following a tender, groundbreaking should take place by the end of 2019.