“Vilnius is growing very fast, and the demand for sports facilities is growing too. Therefore, next to/without expanding infrastructure in open spaces, the capital, and Lithuania as a whole, suffers from a great lack of a centre suitable for professional and amateur sports, where it would be possible to train safely all year round and organize international competitions. With the emergence of such a facility, our country would have the opportunity to train high-level athletes in the rapidly popular extreme sports, which are increasingly included in the Olympic Games. The new centre could also accommodate tens of thousands of sports enthusiasts. Active leisure is important in solving the problem of youth employment”, – says Vilnius Deputy Mayor Valdas Benkunskas, who is in charge of sports issues.
According to preliminary estimates, the Extreme Sports Centre could receive up to 50,000 visitors a year. The centre plans to perform activities related to youth employment, non-formal education, and the promotion of extreme sports.
The investment will be carried out by the concessionaire
Under the concession project, a private entity will invest approximately EUR 11.5 million in buildings, field engineering, and infrastructure solutions. Vilnius City Administration will contribute to the project implementation by transferring a public land plot at Tyzenhauzų str., 97, to a private entity that has won an open concession tender. Its total area is more than 4 hectares.
According to the City Council, the property created by the concessionaire in the territory of the Extreme Sports Centre, including the buildings and equipment in them, will be owned by him. The outdoor leisure area placed on the plot will belong to Vilnius City Administration after the end of the contract. However, the contract will also provide for the redemption of assets belonging to the concessionaire.
Vilnius City Administration plans to officially announce the concession tender conditions in the first half of this year. The concession contract with a private entity could be concluded in early 2023.
Construction will be carried out in two stages
In the first stage, the main building and outdoor areas are planned to be installed in the Extreme Sports Centre. The construction of the Olympic Park and hostel will be carried out in the second stage.
The 3,500 sq. m. main building will be dedicated to mountain biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, scooter, parkour, rollerblading, and snowboarding. The building will provide areas for beginners, skill development, warm-up, training, safe descent, parkour, body acrobatics, and acrobatic running, a space with a café for spectators, and an advanced area for bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and roller skates where competitions can be organized.
It is planned to place an active area, recreation, and leisure areas next to the arena. In the outdoor area near the sports centre, there are plans to create a cycling track, a first jump track for beginners, a regular jump area, and fast descent tracks.
In the second stage, an approximately 2,000 sq. m. Olympic Park with space for freestyle and skateboarding of small bicycles (BMX) should appear in the same area. The high-level Olympic sports area would be suitable not only for training but also for the organization of official international competitions. It is also planned to set up a 60-bed hostel for athletes.
Under the procedure provided for in the Investment Law, the idea of the Extreme Sports Centre was proposed to the city by the company SBA Urban.
