Nuevo Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero – design description

What is the new Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero project, in brief?

The new stadium of CS Herediano, one of the three biggest football clubs in Costa Rica, is being built on the site of its predecessor, which served the team for more than seven decades. The new arena will offer a significantly higher standard and accommodate 12,000 spectators.

The previous stadium was demolished in the second half of 2020. Initially, the new facility was expected to be completed in 2021, in time for the club’s centenary, but that deadline – like several that followed – was not met. Nevertheless, construction work has continued to move forward.

What was the old Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero like?

Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero was built in the second half of the 1940s. It was a football-specific stadium located in the center of Heredia, a city that forms part of the San José metropolitan area (Gran Área Metropolitana).

The stadium belonged to CS Herediano, one of the three strongest football clubs in Costa Rica. Before its demolition in 2020, the venue could hold 8,700 spectators. Next to the eastern stand there was an outdoor swimming pool and the sports hall (Palacio de los Deportes).

When was the new Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero designed?

The idea of building a larger and more modern stadium for CS Herediano had been discussed for a long time, but concrete steps were not taken until 2019, when a design for the new arena by Daniel González was presented.

Construction was initially scheduled to begin in early 2020 to allow completion by June 2021, coinciding with the club’s 100th anniversary. However, the project experienced delays from the start, and demolition of the old stadium began six months late, on July 22, 2020.

When will the new Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero be completed?

The old stadium was demolished over the course of several months, after which construction of the new arena began. The cornerstone of the new facility was laid on November 6, 2020 – at that time, it was expected that the stadium would be ready by the end of 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with objections from the fire department and local authorities, caused work to progress at a relatively slow pace, and subsequent completion dates were postponed.

Construction accelerated from 2024 onward; however, the next projected completion date (end of 2025) is also unlikely to be met.

Meanwhile, the design of the new stadium has evolved. As early as 2020, an updated, simplified version of the plans was published, and on December 6, 2023, the final concept – slightly more elaborate than the previous one – was presented at the Palacio de los Deportes.

A full report on the construction of the new Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero can be viewed on a dedicated page

What does the new Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero project include?

The plan involves the complete demolition of the old stadium and the construction of an entirely new, larger, and more modern facility for CS Herediano. The new stadium will have a capacity of 12,000 spectators, and all stands will be fully covered.

The venue will feature modern amenities, including luxury VIP boxes and an underground parking lot for nearly 500 vehicles. Interestingly, there will be more restrooms for women than for men. The stadium complex will also include a hotel with 121 rooms.