Leefbaar Rotterdam Blocks New Kuip

The construction of a new stadium for Feyenoord in Rotterdam, seems not going to happen. Leefbaar Rotterdam, the largest opposition party in the city council that a decisive say in this matter, is against the plans. The 14 members of Leefbaar Rotterdam in the council will vote on Thursday unanimously against the construction. Ronald Schneider, leader of the group in the council, announced that on Wednesday night in the television show Toggle & Van den Brink, after the group there spoke earlier that evening about the subject. Too much risk Leefbaar Rotterdam thinks that the municipality risks too much by granting a guarantee of 165 million euro for the construction plans, which are budgeted at almost 400 million euro. According to Schneider, it is also difficult to explain to the people from Rotterdam why a new stadium should be built. The voice of Leefbaar Rotterdam is crucial. Because coalition party D66 is also against the new soccer stadium, the other coalition parties PvdA, VVD and CDA, had to find support outside the coalition to have a majority. Schneider assumes that there will not come a majority and according to him the plans are history. D66 also thinks that the financial risks for the municipality are too big. In addition to the 165 million euro guarantee, the city should spend more than 70 million on land and infrastructure. Not enough space Since 2006, the City of Rotterdam and Feyenoord are working on plans for a new home for Feyenoord in Rotterdam South. The current stadium, De Kuip, doesn’t offer Feyenoord enough space to grow. The new football complex would also offer space for commercial and social events. The earlier decision of D66 not to agree to the new stadium, increased the tension within the coalition. PvdA, VVD and CDA expressed critically about further cooperation with D66.