The procedure for "Niko Dovana" is canceled, how the new Durres Stadium project failed

2026-03-16 16:22:27 / SPORT ALFA PRESS

The procedure for "Niko Dovana" is canceled, how the new Durres

The procedure for selecting the private partner for the revitalization project of the "Niko Dovanën" stadium in Durrës has been canceled, as no bid was submitted during the selection phase of the company that would undertake the development of the project.

"No applicant presented itself on the designated date and time," states the notice of cancellation of the procedure for selecting the private partner, published by the Albanian Investment Corporation in the official project document.

The announcement of the cancellation of the procedure has confirmed that the process for selecting a private partner for the development of the project has ended without interest from companies. The decision means that the project for the revitalization of the “Niko Dovana” stadium will not proceed further at this stage, while the document does not provide any information on whether a new procedure or a second phase for finding an investor will be opened.

According to the project, the “Niko Dovana” stadium in the coastal city would undergo a complete transformation, turning it into a new sports and community complex. The plan envisaged the construction of a modern stadium accompanied by sports facilities, community services and the urban redevelopment of the surrounding area, with the aim of turning this part of the city into a new center of sports and social activities.

The project was selected through an international competition and designed by the Belgian architecture studio "51N4E", in collaboration with "Plan Común", proposing a concept that combined the stadium with public spaces and various functions for the community.

The development was planned to be carried out through a partnership model with the private sector, where the investor would undertake the construction of the stadium and the development of the entire surrounding area. For the drafting of the master plan of the sports complex and the multifunctional development of the area around the stadium, the Albanian Development Fund had signed a contract worth 36.8 million lek (about 344 thousand euros).

The stadium transformation project was presented to the public on March 2, 2023, during a public event attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama. He praised the intervention as an investment that aims to create a new center for sports and youth development in the city, emphasizing that "with the new academy we aim to turn Durrës into a destination for young talents," Rama said during the presentation.

According to the project, the intervention envisaged the construction of a new stadium accompanied by training fields, facilities for the football academy, sports and recreational spaces for the community, as well as service facilities that aimed to turn the stadium area into a modern sports and social complex for the city of Durrës.

The situation does not only affect Durrës, as similar procedures for the development of stadiums in other cities in the country have also been closed due to lack of interest from investors, leaving some of the projects envisaged for the modernization of sports infrastructure in limbo.

For now, the project for the new "Niko Dovana" stadium remains on paper, while it remains unclear if and when another attempt to advance this investment in the city will be resumed. /Amfora