Dan Meis, the architect behind Everton’s new stadium plans, has seen another of his European projects rejected.
The new Stadio della Roma, Roma’s new stadium, will be rejected by the new Mayor of Rome this week, according to
reports in Italy.
The news is a major blow to Roma after months of negotiations around the stadium – and could spell an end for the project.
The issue around the stadium is be cause it covers just 14% of the proposed development – with the rest featuring shops, hotels,
restaurants and offices. It also includes three skyscraper towers.
However, the new anti-establishment Movimento 5 Stelle party in power in Rome is against the development, saying nobody lives in the Tor Di Valle area and the new development is just ‘real estate speculation’.
According to Football-Italia: “Members of the M5S party have attacked this project as an instance of real estate speculation, claiming there was no point in investing such substantial amounts for a neighbourhood in which almost nobody lives.”
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New mayor Virginia Raggi is expected to follow her party’s recommendation and block the project.
The news will be a blow to Meis Architects, which said the stadium will include a ‘wall of fans’ to intimidate opposing teams, an on-site brewery, training facilities and giant screens in a fan zone to screen away games.
Dan Meis is currently working on plans for a new Everton stadium. However, if the stadium is at the site of the Bramley Moore Dock, the club’s first choice, it is unlikely to face the same issues.
The site already has outline planning permission for residential buildings, while nearby developments in Liverpool Waters will be handled by Peel Holdings.
If the Bramley Moore Dock site is chosen, it is likely Everton will buy the land outright from Peel, meaning nearby developments will not affect the build.
Everton will have to infill the dock and create better infrastructure however, but Liverpool City Council is supportive of the move.