The Board of Directors of La Nueva Romareda SL has approved the next stage of construction for the new stadium, as well as the services and supplies for the temporary venue at Parking Norte de la Expo, where work is already in progress.

First phase completed without exceeding the budget

The company has confirmed the completion of phase 1A of the stadium's construction, which began on July 8, 2024. This stage included the demolition of the Cubo building and the Gol Sur stand, as well as adjustments to the eastern access area, previously occupied by the urban planning offices and the press zone. In addition, the foundations for the new Gol Sur stand have been laid, excavation of level -2 under this stand has been completed, and retaining walls and a water reservoir for pitch irrigation have been built. Waterproofing and backfilling were also carried out.

The work was completed under a public tender awarded to the UTE OHLA–Deltapunt 3000 consortium for €3,119,893.34—nearly one million euros less than the maximum budget initially allocated for the project. Supervision was carried out by Idom Consulting, Engineering, Architecture SAU, which has officially signed off on the completion of this phase.

Next phase to start in just a few days

Preparations are already underway for phase 1B, which involves removing excess materials from the site. Last week, the Zaragoza Urban Planning Board granted approval for this next stage, which includes the construction of Nueva Romareda. Work is scheduled to begin in early February, following the signing of the site handover protocol. Phase 1B has been awarded to a consortium formed by Obrascón Huarte Laín SA, Altuna y Uria SA, and OHLA Servicios Ingesan SA, for a total of €124,532,884.36 (excluding VAT, which will be deducted). This represents a 10.09% cost reduction—€13,977,619.60 less than the original budget of €138,510,534. The first step will be building the new Gol Sur stand, followed by the demolition of the remaining parts of La Romareda in July, once the football season is over.

© IDOM | Design of Nueva Romareda

Developing the right commercial model

A tender has also been launched to select a consulting firm that will draft a business plan, analyze financial models, conduct market research, and establish specifications for the future commercial management of the stadium. The budget for this analysis is set at €180,000, with an expected completion timeline of 18 months. Nueva Romareda will not be just a football stadium—it is set to become a major landmark in Zaragoza. The complex will include nearly 20,000 square meters of space designated for commercial, hotel, and office use. However, according to the tender specifications, none of these additional functions can interfere with the stadium’s primary role of hosting football matches and concerts.

The city of Zaragoza, the regional government of Aragón, and Real Zaragoza are all looking for a business model that will provide a steady income stream while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive ambition or unrealistic expectations. One of the main revenue sources for the Nueva Romareda company will be the leasing of commercial spaces, which will span five floors and reach a height of 33 meters. These spaces could accommodate hotels, retail stores, and various service businesses.

The consulting firm selected will assess potential revenue streams and conduct a market study to ensure the profitability of the commercial areas, evaluating competition from nearby shopping centers such as Los Porches del Audiorama and Aragonia. Additionally, the stadium complex will feature a museum, an official club store, a gym, and office spaces to complement its core sports function.

© IDOM | Design of Nueva Romareda

A modular stadium built with cost-efficiency in mind

The board has also approved tenders for the construction of a temporary modular stadium for Real Zaragoza. These contracts cover security systems, sports technology, and TV production infrastructure. The estimated budget for these installations is €450,000, with cost reductions expected through the tendering process. The project is scheduled for completion in eight weeks. To optimize investment, the club has decided to rent rather than purchase certain key pieces of equipment. This includes a LED videoboard, which will cost €99,600 for 24 months, and a sound system, which will be rented for €197,600 over the same period.

Regarding technical systems such as CCTV monitoring, VAR, semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), access control, and communication networks, part of the existing equipment from the current stadium will be reused, saving over €168,000. Additionally, reusing some systems from the temporary stadium in the final venue will generate an additional €132,000 in savings. Further reductions will come from LaLiga, which will provide turnstiles, servers, and network firewalls, covering another €200,000 in costs.