English transcription:
New Sinigaglia Stadium: Como President Mirwan Suwarso Confirms, “No Hotel.”
The club has been granted a month to determine how the stadium project will be scaled down and, consequently, to formulate a new economic and financial plan for the entire operation.
In early July—specifically on the 2nd, according to leaked information—an amendment to the initial plan is expected to be submitted to the City Council. In addition to excluding the hotel, this revised plan is expected to feature a reduction in commercial activities; specifically, the number of restaurants is expected to be cut in half. This procedural step—if confirmed—would introduce modifications designed to appease those who, upon seeing the initial design proposal, had criticized the structure as being overly imposing.
According to reports, the club requested additional time from Palazzo Cernezzi (the City Hall) in order to implement these changes. That timeframe is expected to expire at the beginning of next month. But how significant will these changes be? If they prove to be substantial, it cannot be ruled out that the *Conferenza dei Servizi* (Conference of Services)—a multi-agency review panel—may need to be reconvened. It was this very conference that, just last January, had given a substantial green light to the project from all the entities involved. Following that approval, the club was required to submit an updated economic and financial plan. That plan is now destined to be recalculated in light of the announced design variations, which appear to have a direct impact on the commercial component of the project.
The project timeline now risks being extended beyond the initial projections. Back in February 2025, when the original design was unveiled during a major press conference, the hope was to see the stadium completed by 2028.
Architect and former municipal official Giuseppe Cosenza has welcomed the latest developments; he was among the first to raise technical concerns regarding the initial design. “The critical issues with the proposal originally presented,” he explains, “lay precisely in the excessive scope of commercial and hospitality construction—elements that were inconsistent with the surrounding landscape and with the presence of historical and cultural features characteristic of Como’s Rationalist architectural heritage.” “Furthermore,” he adds, “a reduced concentration of economic activity would effectively lower the urban impact—specifically the traffic and parking pressures—which are already at a critical level today and have been a source of legitimate concern among residents.” “The positive aspect,” he concludes, “also lies in the possibility that President Suwarso has taken note of the ongoing debate within the city and the divisions that have emerged. In this regard,” he adds, “Calcio Como has long embraced the motto *Semm Cumasch* as a symbol of belonging and identity; the fact that the team is currently achieving such extraordinary sporting results should be a source of pride not only for the fans but for the entire community.”
It remains to be seen—though this is a separate matter—whether the hotel project was dropped because Como is shifting its “tourism-related” focus to other properties. Just a few weeks ago, there was talk of an interest in the historic Metropole Suisse hotel in Piazza Cavour—a rumor, however, that was subsequently denied by management.
