Stadion Nowe Miasto – design description

Why is a modernisation of the stadium in Nowe Miasto needed?

The stadium in the Nowe Miasto district of Wałbrzych was opened in 1926, at which time it was still a German city. After World War II, Górnik Wałbrzych moved into the facility and the stands were expanded to a capacity of around 30,000-40,000 spectators. The stadium is famous for, among other things, the speeches of Adolf Hitler and Lech Wałęsa. The venue also witnessed Górnik's performances in the top flight in the 1980s.

At the turn of 1992 and 1993, Górnik merged with derby rival Zagłębie, and the team moved to Zagłębie's existing venue, Stadion Tysiąclecia. Since then, the stadium in Nowe Miasto was no longer in regular use and was slowly deteriorating.

How did the stadium in Nowe Miasto come to be upgraded?

When were the first plans to modernise the stadium in Nowe Miasto conceived?

In 2011, plans began to revitalise the degraded facility. The prepared project for the modernisation of the stadium in Nowe Miasto envisaged a fundamental improvement of the infrastructure. After reconstruction, the stadium was to become one of the best athletics venues in the country. It also assumed the possibility of a return to the facility for Górnik football players. At the same time, the capacity of the stands was planned to be significantly reduced, although the embankments surrounding the running track were to remain in place.

In 2015, the city's initiative was supported by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, which provided funding of PLN 11 million for the modernisation. Due to the high cost of the project (as much as PLN 51 million), it was ultimately not possible to move forward with the work and the money was returned to the ministry.

What measures were initially taken at the stadium in Nowe Miasto?

After plans for a major upgrade failed, the focus was on smaller works. In 2018, it was necessary to fence the stands, which were deemed to be a safety risk. In 2020, a fundraiser was organised to enable minor upgrades to be made and equipment to be purchased. In 2021, most of the new fencing of the stadium area was completed. In the next phase, the pitch was planned to be replaced.

When did the major upgrade of the stadium in Nowe Miasto take place?

Meanwhile, the city had not yet given up on plans to carry out a comprehensive modernisation. On May 30, 2022, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, Michał Dworczyk, came to Wałbrzych and, at the stadium in Nowe Miasto, announced that Wałbrzych had been awarded 100% of the amount requested by the city (PLN 39.6 million) for the renovation of the facility. The money came from the government's fund Polski Ład. Such a large grant was a breakthrough in the efforts to redevelop the stadium, which at one stage already seemed a distant prospect.

How was a contractor selected to modernise the stadium in Nowe Miasto?

In December 2022, the mayor of Wałbrzych announced that the city already had a design prepared. On March 10, 2023, the tender for the modernisation of the stadium was announced. However, after the opening of the bids on June 15, 2023, it turned out that they significantly exceeded the expectations of the municipality (two willing entities came forward, the cheaper of the bids amounted to more than PLN 62 million, while the city was prepared to spend PLN 44 million). As a result, a day later it was decided to cancel the tender.

However, the city authorities were convinced that the offers obtained in the tender did not reflect the market value and decided to repeat the procedure. The second tender was announced in July 2023. The opening of the bids took place on August 24, 2023; this time four entities came forward, and the cheapest option was presented by Moris Polska, expecting approx. PLN 49.5 million.

This still exceeded the city's budget, but the difference was no longer so significant and two days later councillors voted in favour of allocating additional funds, giving the green light to the investment.

When did the upgrade of the stadium in the Nowe Miasto start?

On October 11, 2023, a contract signing ceremony took place at the Wałbrzyskich Olimpijczyków Athletics Hall. On October 25, the contractor took over the construction site. The redevelopment of the stadium in Nowe Miasto is expected to take two years. De-bushing and necessary demolition is to continue until the end of 2023, and construction work should start in spring 2024.

What are the assumptions behind the modernisation of the stadium in Nowe Miasto?

As part of the modernisation, the facility will receive a new football pitch equipped with an irrigation and drainage system, surrounded by a six-lane tartan running track and athletics facilities. The stadium will also be enriched with floodlight masts, a sound system and CCTV. The facility is expected to meet the conditions for playing in the III Liga (4th football division), as well as the requirements of category IVA of the Polish Athletics Association.

The existing stands will be demolished, but with the retention of the earth embankments, which will be protected against landslides. In the central part of the western embankment, foundations and other reinforced concrete elements will be constructed for the creation of new stands. The new stands will accommodate 3,000 spectators (of which about 40% will be covered), which will be a significant reduction from the old capacity.

The project will involve the construction of a new sports facilities building, a ticket office building and a timing building, as well as footpaths, car parks and a missing section of the fence with entry gates. The scope of work also includes the construction of the technical infrastructure, including all connections, as well as tidying up the existing greenery, making new planting and landscaping.