The "Asllan Rusi" Sports Palace will be given to a private company for development, along with the two adjacent parking lots.

2025-06-17 07:40:00, Aktualitet CNA

The "Asllan Rusi" Sports Palace will be given to a private company for

The Albanian Investment Corporation recently opened the call for the project that aims to revitalize the 'Asllan Rusi' Sports Palace.

The documents accompanying this call also specify the competition area, which within the outlined area includes the current sports building, but also the public parking lot in the front and the parking lot that served as a bus stop behind it.

According to the document, around the competition area, there are several other territories that are planned to be redeveloped with mixed functions and undergo an urban improvement process.

“This program defines the minimum spatial requirements for the design of a multifunctional arena certified by various sports federations (EHF, FIBA, etc.). The arena will host a variety of sports activities and will integrate auxiliary training spaces, VIP/media areas and internal support facilities.

The facility must support international level competitions, flexible use for training and provide media coverage, VIP access and full accessibility. The arena must have a certified capacity of 6,000 spectators. The estimated total gross construction area is approximately 13,500 m² above ground, excluding external spaces such as parking lots and squares,” the document released by the Corporation states.

The project envisages a mixed-use/multi-functional development with a total construction area of ??approximately 26,500 m², excluding parking.

According to the plan, additional functions beyond sports will serve to establish a sustainable development model, which will guarantee not only constructability, but also the dignified and long-term functioning of the Sports Palace, independent of public finances, according to a model where the state becomes an entrepreneur to maximize the potential of its assets.

“It is preferred that parking needs be resolved through underground parking, to preserve the open spaces on the ground floor and to guarantee the visual quality of the landscape on the surface. The proposed development may include, depending on the vision of the design team, functions such as: 65 ? Sports spaces of the Sports Palace ? Commercial and office spaces ? Hospitality functions (e.g., hotel or long-term accommodation units) ? Service-oriented functions (e.g., education, health or community activities) ? Residential accommodation spaces ? Recreational and gastronomic activities,” the document states.

The competition will have two phases where only the qualified candidates in the first phase will be invited to the second phase of the competition through the sending of the Invitation for Proposal. The second phase of the selection of the winning candidate for the contract consists of the submission of a proposal containing 2 (two) parts, the architectural project idea (envelope 1) and the financial offer (envelope 2). The financial offers submitted by the candidates in this phase must meet the basic criterion, which is 40% (forty percent) of the total development area on state property (property of the Municipality of Tirana/Sports Center sh.a.).

The revitalization of "Asllan Rusi" is one of several projects that the government has launched regarding property development in partnership with the private sector. Earlier, the winner was announced for the VOID Tower and the government complex that will serve as premises for several public institutions through the same procedure, while the call for the cadastre and LIFT Tower has been reopened several times but without a winner.

Another project that will follow this model is the "Selman Stermasi" stadium, which already has a winner, or the development of government villas in international brand hotels in Vlora and Velipojë that will carry the "Melia" brand. In these projects, the state will provide the property for development in return for construction land that generates income./ Monitor Magazine