The Skra Stadium is being renovated in Warsaw

– Renata Kaznowska, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, said during the conference: – The renovation work in Sukra will be divided into two phases. She explained that the first phase includes “fully developing the property, opening Skra to Pole Mokotowskie and making this area available to residents.” She added that there is money earmarked for this in the city budget. The work is to start “as soon as possible”.

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The second stage is the renovation of the main athletics stadium. As Kaznowska reported, “We estimate this investment at 300-400 million.” She recalled the announcement by Prime Minister Morawiecki, who had promised to renovate the main stadium in Skra, and asked him for help. – Let’s do something good together – appealed to Kaznowska.

– It’s impossible to rebuild the Skra without the support of the Sports Ministry and the government – echoed Bowie Leach, councilor, member of the Sports Committee. He announced that he would also speak to members of the Law Council of the Law and Justice Party who, as he indicated, “government representatives in the city council.”

“The first inventory, cleaning and demolition work is under way on the stadium,” said Kaznowska. It also announced that the city would like to give part of the building to residents this year.

Thomas Majowski, Vice President of the Polish Athletics Federation, indicated that he participated in the Skra Stadium 23 years ago. He said – here was the first tartan in Central and Eastern Europe and it was the pride of Polish athletics. He thanked the city that it had fought so tenaciously for this area and that the sport would soon return to the stadium.

The concept of what the new Skra would look like was introduced by Alexander Wadas – Architect, studio representative who won the Architectural Competition for the modernization of Skra. The project includes connecting the area with Pole Mokotowskie. “It is supposed to be a place connected to sport and accessible to all,” he said at the conference. “Not just for competitive sports.”

New facilities will be built on site, including ballistics for athletics, an athletics stadium with the possibility of organizing rugby matches and sports facilities. But also a number of places that hobbyists can use, for example beach volleyball and badminton courts, playground and skate park. “We ran a 1.5 km cross-country track across a large portion of the area, which takes advantage of the diversity of the terrain,” – stated the architect. Instead of destroyed swimming pools, a water tank will be built, around which a portion of the running track, a track for skiers, and piers will be built.

For many years, the city has been fighting with the Skra authorities to regain property on Wawelska Street. In January 2014, the Court of Appeal issued a ruling in favor of the city, not to extend the right of permanent usufruct of the lands surrounding the stadium to a sports club. He argued this with the lack of renovations and the progressive fall of the stadium in poor condition. However, the land was not returned to the city. So, in 2018, Capital City Hall filed a lawsuit in District Court to release the properties on Wawelska Street. A year later, a judgment was passed in favor of Warsaw. After further club appeals, the appeals court upheld the trial ruling. On January 28, 2021, the property finally passed into the hands of the capital’s city council.

In June 2020, during a conference at Skra Stadium, Prime Minister Matthews Murawiecki announced that the country would work to renovate the destroyed stadium. This Skra Warsaw Stadium will soon witness a century. We’ll be implementing this renovation outside of town, Morawiecki said. – If the city donated this stadium with the traditions that were a source of pride for Polish athletes. He added that it could still be the pride of the Poles.

MC, PAP