Carmena Approves Real Madrid’s €12.7M Investment in the Bernabéu Area

25 January 2018 – Eje Prime

The Town Hall of Madrid is starting to refloat some of the projects associated with the renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu. Today, the municipal government has approved plans to integrate the stadium into its urban environment, an action that affects a surface area of more than 54,000 m2. The corresponding investment amounts to around €12.7 million and will be borne in its entirety by Real Madrid.

The Executive of Manuela Carmena, which imposed these actions as a condition for the approval of the renovation, says that “this will double the public space available for local residents”. The project includes the elimination of architectural barriers and the introduction of access routes for all kinds of people, as well as improvements that give priority to residents when it comes to parking and which encourage sustainable mobility.

To this end, the club will have to place all of its logistics activity underground. According to Palco23, it will build a large city under the stadium where all of these activities will be concentrated. All of the actions follow the criteria established by the Special Plan for improving the urban environment and the detailed plans for the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which the plenary approved in May 2017. The scope of intervention basically extends from the boundary of the stadium’s plot, which has not been modified, to the official border of the neighbouring buildings. “The intervention has been expanded to some bordering areas to provide maximum homogeneity and functionality to the remodelling operation that is being promoted”, said the Town Hall. Although no timeline has been established, it has been confirmed that the building work on the outside will be coordinated with those happening inside the Bernabéu itself.

A square measuring more than 10,000 m2 will be created on the façade overlooking Paseo de la Castellana, benefitting from the removal of the bus parking lot that currently occupies that site. In its place, gardens and new lighting will be installed. On the other side of the stadium, overlooking Calle Rafael Salgado, a space will be opened with “co-existence traffic and flexible parking platforms”.

Calle Padre Damián and Plaza de Sagrados Corazones, which co-exist alongside the grandstands, will gain space thanks to the demolition of the Esquina del Bernabéu shopping centre, to create a new square. Moreover, the north and south pavements of Calle Concha Espina will be widened, making the whole area more pleasant for residents and pedestrians.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake