MADRID, 13 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Betis began the information process of citizen participation with 25 groups from the Bellavista-La Palmera District to explain the details of the project for the new Benito Villamarín Stadium, focusing on the environmental impact, mobility, deadlines, works and the administrative process of the plan, and to “avoid misunderstandings,” according to a statement.
In collaboration with the district, the club invited 25 groups to participate in the meetings, including residents of the different neighborhoods in the area, parents of students, merchants, businessmen and environmental groups. Thus, they are representatives of Heliópolis, Pedro Salvador, Los Bermejales, Reina Mercedes, la Raza, el Puerto and Parque del Guadaíra.
The citizen participation meetings started this Monday at the Luis del Sol Sports City. “The club officials are showing the representatives of the associations the details of the project and how it affects the area in terms of environmental impact, mobility, deadlines, works and the administrative process that is being followed together with the Seville City Council,” the entity reported.
These meetings, which will last until March 25, are being led by counselors Ozgur Unay and Carlos González de Castro; the corporate general director, Federico Martínez Feria; and the director of the Stadium project, Javier Doña; in addition to the representatives of the Bellavista-La Palmera District.
“The intention of Real Betis is to minimize the inconveniences that the development of the works and the subsequent use of the Stadium may cause to the residents of the district. The club intends to include in the project the concerns and contributions of these groups together with the administrations responsible in traffic matters, public transportation modalities, cleanliness and security,” the statement added.
The corporate general director of Betis, Federico Martínez Feria, was “convinced” of the club’s “obligation” to “share the project with the neighborhoods” that surround the green and white venue. “Direct communication is very important to avoid misunderstandings or preconceived ideas,” he acknowledged.
“In the first meetings we have encountered the concern of the neighbors about the installation of a supposed shopping center on the plot. The uses are yet to be defined, but preferably they would be hotel uses, offices, health facilities, gyms or similar, but not a shopping center. For us it was a key issue to have this direct relationship with the groups of the district,” he added.
Betis included the completion of the Benito Villamarín Stadium in its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and, already in 2023, it was announced that the joint candidacy of the Cordoban architect Rafael de La-Hoz and the North American studio Gensler was chosen among the seven finalists to carry out the remodeling of the Villamarín is completed.
The renovation of the venue aims to “improve the comfort of its fans and increase the entity’s income” with a new concept that is “more open, modern and will allow the club’s commercial activity to increase, with a design focused on energy optimization.”
To this end, the entertainment and restaurant offering will also be enhanced “on match days and also on days without sporting activity,” to turn the venue “into a large leisure center and event center.”
“All of this is being carried out in coordination with the Seville City Council and the different municipal areas involved, involving the different groups and associations belonging to the Bellavista-La Palmera District in the final model,” concluded Betis.