Pilatus Arena: Lucerne paves the way for the sports hall
The realization of the sports and event hall "Pilatus Arena" is getting closer. The Lucerne city parliament has decided to sell a 13,000 sqm plot of land near the Allmend to Eberli Sarnen AG, which plans to build the indoor sports hall there.
The city-owned site is located on Kriens soil. There, the municipal parliament had already laid the foundation for the project by approving the construction of an 80-meter-high high-rise building as a shell use. In particular, apartments will be built here. The project is based on the Swissporarena on the Allmend.
According to current estimates, the total investment amounts to over CHF 200 million, of which the sports hall cost around CHF 30 million. The arena is financed by contributions from the canton (CHF 4 to 6 million from the Swisslos sports fund) and the federal government (CHF 3 million from the National Sports Facilities Concept NASAK), by private investors and by the use of the shell on the site.
There was unanimity in parliament that the Lucerne region needs a sports hall. However, there was criticism that the city had not held an investor competition. On February 28, the Lucerne electorate will decide on the land sale. If everything goes according to plan, the Pilatus Arena will open in fall 2019. (ah)
