Warsaw city councilors have approved amendments to the Long-Term Financial Forecast, paving the way for the long-awaited modernization of Polonia Warszawa’s stadium on Konwiktorska Street. More than PLN 832 million has been allocated for the investment.

Long-awaited project finally moving forward

The decision came at the request of Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who emphasized that this marks a breakthrough moment for Warsaw’s sports community. The changes to the city’s 2025–2055 financial plan were approved with 39 votes in favor, 13 abstentions, and none against.

In the coming years, the project will deliver a 16,000-seat football stadium, a basketball arena for 2,000 fans, a Sports Support Center with a climbing wall, and an underground parking lot for around 770 cars. The mayor stressed that the goal is not only to build a modern stadium but to create a comprehensive Youth Sports Center, including the revitalization of Traugutt Park, an area with strong sentimental value for him.

While waiting for major investments in sports infrastructure, football fans often channel their passion into following matches more closely from broadcasts and online, as well as engaging in sports betting. The rapid growth of online sportsbooks and match-tracking platforms, such as 7bet, allows supporters to analyze team performance, compare odds, and place wagers in real time. This enthusiasm keeps fans connected to the action even before they can experience it from the stands of modernized stadiums.

The concept for the new Polonia stadium was first developed in 2018 through an architectural competition won by JSK Architekci. The project was later suspended but revived in 2020 after the club stabilized financially and was taken over by French-Polish entrepreneur Grégoire Nitot. The mayor then reactivated the project under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

© JSK Architekci

Complex process of launching the PPP formula

Building the complex under the PPP model allows the city to transfer part of the financial risk to a private partner, who will both finance and execute the project. The city will begin repayments only after the facilities are completed and operational. Mayor Trzaskowski noted that this approach does not burden the current municipal budget and represents a long-term investment in youth sports development.

Under the adopted financial model, the municipal unit Aktywna Warszawa will manage over PLN 587 million between 2029 and 2052 — the duration of the partnership agreement rather than the construction period itself. The plan also includes selling naming rights (estimated revenue of PLN 106.5 million) and leasing the facilities to the football club (PLN 95.4 million). The total investment cost is PLN 832 million.

Four entities interested in the project

Deputy Mayor Renata Kaznowska highlighted that the PPP procedure is highly complex, requiring extensive financial, technical, and legal negotiations. After several years of preparation, the city is now nearing the final phase and plans to issue a formal invitation to tender.

The invitation will go to four companies and consortia: Acciona Concesiones S.L. and Mostostal Warszawa, Strabag-Projekt, Project Development 4, Korporacja Budowlana Doraco. Contractors will have several months to prepare their bids, and the agreement is expected to be signed in the second quarter of 2026.

© JSK Architekci

Construction divided into three phases, completion in 2031

Kaznowska also presented the construction timeline for the new Youth Sports Center facilities. The first phase, expected to last 24 months, will include the construction of a sports hall, the Sports Support Center building, an underground parking lot, and a courtyard connecting all the new structures. The second phase, also lasting 24 months, will focus on the development of the football stadium itself, featuring three covered stands — west, north, and east — along with the reconstruction of the training pitch facilities known as Sahara. The third and final phase, estimated to take 12 months, will involve the partial demolition and expansion of the west stand, including the addition of a new roof structure. If all goes according to plan, the new Polonia Warszawa stadium will be completed by 2031, marking the most significant sports infrastructure investment in the capital in decades.