The former racecourse in Niederrad is now finally history. For the city of Frankfurt has now officially handed over to the German Football Association (DFB) an approximately 15-hectare section of the former racecourse site in the Niederrad district. The transfer of the site took place on Friday, March 15. The corresponding leasehold contract has a term of 99 years. The association wants to build the new DFB and its academy at the site.
DFB President Reinhard Grindel sees the handover and the upcoming construction of the academy as a great opportunity for German football: "By building the new DFB and its academy, we will bring administration and sport together under one roof for the first time. This will create great opportunities for the development of German football, from elite promotion to services for our regional and state associations. After the successful bid for EURO 2024 in Germany, the construction of the new DFB and its academy represents the second flagship project of our association."
DFB Secretary General Friedrich Curtius says: "By taking over the site of the former racecourse, we have set an important course for the future of the DFB. We will be able to take a big step forward as an organisation and create optimal conditions for the association's diverse tasks. I am delighted that we will soon be able to turn our detailed construction plans into reality."
Jan Schneider, Head of the Department for Construction and Real Estate, is relieved that the handover could finally take place: "After long legal disputes with former users of the site, we can finally make the area, which has lain fallow for years, available for a new, attractive use. The DFB's building project is an outstanding project for Frankfurt and will have a nationwide impact." And Head of Sports Markus Frank added: "With the new DFB and its academy, the sports city of Frankfurt is gaining an important infrastructure that will benefit our young footballers, but also Frankfurt's football-loving population. Our anticipation for the 2024 European Championship in Frankfurt is rising!"
Already on Friday, March 8, the DFB had commissioned the Frankfurt-based company "Groß & Partner Grundstücksentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH" as general contractor for the construction of the new DFB and its academy. The development plan has already been approved and the building permit has been issued by the City of Frankfurt without any conditions. All the preparatory construction measures that have been possible for the DFB to date have been carried out. The association plans to complete the new building in 2021. A public park is planned on the further area of the former racecourse.
