City announces renovation plans for stadium

Cuenca mayor Paul Granda has unveiled plans for a $20 million make-over of Alejandro Serrano Aguilar stadium. Although he said some design and engineering issues remain to be resolved, work should begin by mid-2014.

Design for stadium renovations

The project includes a new look for the stadium as well an expansion of seating capacity. The plan also calls for covered seating, improved lighting, and elevated walkways over the street surrounding the stadium.

The announcement of the projects was made Tuesday by Granda and Ecuador’s sports minister Jose Francisco Cevallos. “The city of Cuenca and the national government will share expenses in the project and we will complete financial plans within a few weeks,” Granda said.

Project managers will work with Deportivo Cuenca, the city’s professional football team, and Azuay Sports Federation in planning the project, the mayor said. The stadium will continue to be used for football games and concerts during construction, he added. Track and field events that currently use the stadium will be moved to the city’s High Performance Athletics Center, which is also undergoing reconstruction.

The stadium’s current seating capacity of about 20,000 will be increased to 35,000 once the renovation is complete.