The city of Madrid has announced plans to resume construction at the site that was once sought to host the swimming events for Madrid’s 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic bids. Per a press release issued by Madrid state’s governing body for swimming (Federación Madrileña de Natación), the initiative is part of a plan aiming to promote health and wellness, following the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Spain’s capital.
According to the press release, the new plan strives to create a ‘Sports City’ capable of both accommodating the local community and hosting high-level competition events. All of this while resucitating some of the late Olympic venues the city had used for its 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic bids.
The plan to resume the aquatics complex’s construction is estimated to cost approximately € 30 million (roughly $ 33 million USD), according to Spanish news outlet El Confidencial. The initial value lied at € 136.7 million (approximately $ 154 million USD), per the report.
In terms of capacity, the facility can initially accommodate 1,900 spectators although that number can stretch up to 4,500 attendees, making the arena eligible to host international meets as well.
The project aims to alleviate the traffic at the Centro de Natación Mundial ’86 aquatics complex – the other 50-meter pool in Spain’s capital owned by the state government. The ‘M-86’ training center was finalized in 1986 to host that year’s summer FINA World Championships and has since served as Madrid’s main venue for swimming events. The only other complex containing a 50-meter pool in Madrid is located in the suburb of Alcorcon.
The aquatics complex would join the Caja Magica tennis venue, which was finalized back in 2009, and hosts the infamous Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament on a yearly basis.
