Tenants of the Lucavsala allotment gardens, who also picketed in front of the Riga City Council, opposed the construction of the stadium in Lucavsala. They call on the Riga City Council to reconsider the idea. The protest was also attended by other people who do not want to see a football stadium in Lucavsala and want to preserve the green areas.
"To preserve the gardens, to preserve the cultural heritage. And what Lucavsala was intended for - an allotment garden area. For a green environment, for a green oasis for families and children. We need [a football stadium] in a different place. We are for football, we have children of our own [..] and we are only for sport and the education of young people. Just in a different place."
"It seems important to preserve the green area in Lucavsala, because there are so few."
"I have no objection to a football stadium. We are trying to emphasize that we need to develop what is already there, not replace it."
"It's not just about a football pitch, it's about any building on Lucavsala. It is a property belonging to the municipality or to the residents of Riga. A green area very close to the center. I personally live in the center, I don't want to drive a million kilometers to go for a picnic or something. We need to build something; we build where there is no green area. This is an exceptional area, with children's playgrounds, skiing, swimming, gardens, picnic areas, dog walking areas. And that just needs to be developed, and that just needs to be done. There shouldn't be any kind of building there."
As reported earlier by LSM, the large plot of land in Lucavsala is planned to be transferred for use to the Latvian Football Federation until the moment when the immovable property is necessary for the local government to ensure its functions, but not longer than for five years. Within five years, the Football Federation must develop stadium construction documentation. Vadims Lašenko, President of the Football Federation, currently estimates the construction costs of the stadium at EUR 50 million.
The end of the project is planned in 2027 at the earliest.
