AC Milan has officially begun the process that will lead to the construction of its new stadium in San Donato Milanese, a report claims.
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According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), the signing of any agreement is the first formal step of the procedure, the premise for then entering a real operational phase, and a step forward came two days ago.
The Rossoneri signed a preliminary agreement with Sport Life City, the owner of the area on which the new stadium could be built. It is an agreement which is in the private sphere because the San Francesco area is private, and it pertains to the transfer of planning permits relating to the area.
Why San Donato? The area appeals because it is between the beginning of the eastern ring road of Milan and the junction that allows those arriving from the A1 motorway to enter the city, meaning it has high visibility.
This is important from a commercial point of view because the area is seen as the gateway to the city from the south, and therefore could be the first large structure seen by those arriving which makes it attractive to sponsors.
It is also appealing because of its viability because it is on the metro and suburban railway lines. Meanwhile, the mayor of San Donato – Francesco Squeri – confirmed in an open letter that he is welcome to the investment.
“The area of the municipal territory involved is the one called ‘San Francesco’, destined by the urban planning instruments in force to a Supra-municipal Strategic Transformation Area, i.e. a development planning that has a value and an importance not only in the San Donato area,” he said.
“The urban plan known as the ‘Sport Life City’ has a strong and preeminent sporting vocation, expressed by the provision of the construction of an arena for around 20,000 spectators.
“In recent weeks, the request for willingness to evaluate an alternative project has reached the Municipal Administration which, without modifying the building quantities already foreseen on the area, provides for the construction of the A.C. Milan.
“The Administration has made itself available to open a table for the evaluation of the project only when the proposal is implemented accompanied by the relative documentation.
Throughout any bureaucratic process, the Administration undertakes to inform and involve the City Council in its articulations, associations and citizens so that a participatory, documented and shared decision can be reached.”
To move from theory to practice, a variant will need to be approved by the administration and there is no shortage of opposing voices among environmentalists and opposition party adversaries.
Milan also underline that the agreement is neither exclusive nor binding for the future, so Sesto San Giovanni and San Siro remain in the running. In the meantime, however, the club has taken action on San Donato.
