According to the contract concluded in the summer of 2021, the arena construction work had to be completed within 19 months from the moment of signing the contract.
“UPB” representatives explained to the LETA agency that this object was not unique – it, like the construction market in general, was affected by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent unprecedented jump in prices and restrictions on the availability of materials.
However, by intensively working together with the customer and designers, a common denominator was found in this very difficult situation, which allows this project to continue.
Together with the client “UPB” they have agreed on putting the “Daugava Stadium” athletics arena into operation by the end of this year, and now the design phase is nearing completion, and the first works on the construction site itself have begun – the area is being freed from the existing engineering networks and structures.
The representatives of “UPB” explain that additional time was required both for the redesign in order to fit into the budget available to the customer and to maintain all the necessary functionality, as well as to supplement the arena with a bobsleigh starting overpass. Also, the agreement with the customer on mechanisms for compensating the price increase was not easy, especially considering that this was a “Design&Build” type contract without fixed prices and volumes of specific materials.
“UPB” is going to start the construction of the athletics arena as soon as possible, as soon as it receives a mark in the building permit on the fulfillment of design and construction conditions.
It has already been reported that on July 1, 2021, the “Daugava Stadium” Culture and Sports Center and JSC “UPB” signed a contract for the development of the multi-functional track and field arena, construction project development, author supervision and construction works.
The total amount of the contract is 8,964,577.27 euros without value added tax. The contract provided for the development of the construction project within seven months from the date of signing the contract and the execution of the construction works within 12 months from the mark in the construction permit regarding the fulfillment of the conditions for starting the construction works. The total term of the contract is 19 months.
The athletics arena with multifunctionality will be intended for training and competitions of athletics disciplines. On the other hand, outside of athletics training times – training and competitions of team sports, including basketball, volleyball, floorball, handball and futsal.
The arena will be built according to the rules of the international athletics association “World Athletic”, which will allow the sports infrastructure, including the surface of athletics runways, to be certified according to the “World Athletic” system and to hold high-level competitions. The building will provide full functionality for the running of athletics training and competitions – the hall will include all the athletics sectors and runways that comply with the rules of “World Athletic” indoor competitions.
For the needs of team sports games, it will be possible to use one or two fields for training processes or competitions in the middle part of the arena athletics, creating the opportunity to install floor coverings suitable for team sports. The arena will also have rooms for fitness, bodybuilding and powerlifting, a gym area and a rock climbing training sector. The room program provides dressing rooms for athletes, coaches and judges, massage rooms, sauna, sportsmen’s rest room and MIX zone, first aid and doping control rooms, room for competition organizers, sports equipment storage rooms and warehouses.
The multi-functionality of the building will provide concerts, exhibitions and events, as well as a gathering place for the participants of the Song and Dance Festival. During the construction works, a “Park&Ride” parking lot and infrastructure for the management and maintenance of the territory will be created.
The territory of the “Daugava Stadium” will be completely renovated by 2022 and turned into a modern cultural and sports quarter in Grīziņkalni. In the first stage of development, the Central Stand was reconstructed, and the South and North Stands were rebuilt. The second stage of development ended with the construction of the ice rink, which was put into operation very recently – on May 14, 2021.
All works are carried out within the framework of the project “Cultural and sports quarter in the vicinity of Grīziņkalns” supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project is implemented by the “Cultural and Sports Center “Daugava Stadium” in cooperation with the Riga City Municipality and VAS “Valsts nekustamie ipsumi”.
The total funding of the project is EUR 88,280,448.61, including ERDF funding from the Ministry of Culture EUR 39,018,522.63, state budget funding EUR 5,389,664.82, municipal funding EUR 1,495,957.79, private funding EUR 1,676,280.31 EUR and ineligible costs EUR 40,700,023.06.
