New Multipurpose Arena Project In Frankfurt Garners Interest From Two Parties

There are "two candidates for the construction of a new multipurpose arena in Frankfurt following the conclusion of the bid deadline on Feb. 8," according to Kathrin Hartmann of SPONSORs. The city "launched a tender for the construction and operation of a new arena between Frankfurt and Offenbach shortly before Christmas." After initial interest from 16 parties, a planning office spokesperson said that at the conclusion of the process "two serious bidders remained." The city "has not yet revealed the names of the two candidates." However, rumors suggest they "are two well-known companies." The new arena is expected to have a 13,000-seat capacity and a price tag of €150M ($167M). Frankfurt-based sports teams Fraport Skyliners (Basketball Bundesliga) and Lions Frankfurt (DEL2) have been pushing for a new arena for years. City officials "will now review the submitted documents and start conversations." There "is no set time frame for the arena construction yet" (SPONSORs, 2/17).