It’s called ‘competitive dialogue’. And, for Palazzo Vecchio, it represents the first step to start the expansion of the Padovani rugby stadium which, during the restyling of the Franchi, will thus be able to host Fiorentina matches. On one condition: reach a capacity of 15 thousand spectators. To do this, a few days ago, the Municipality started a ‘competitive dialogue’ procedure, a process foreseen by the new procurement code when one finds oneself having to design from scratch solutions considered innovative, such as the transformation of the rugby pitch in a mini football stadium. The procedure allows Palazzo Vecchio not to provide a tender-based project. But resort to an initial call to arms with which to ask the operators who will participate possible solutions to bring the restyling home. The fixed point for the Municipality is one: to make the stadium ‘modular’, that is, adaptable to up to three configurations that it will assume over time, that is, before and after the works that will concern the Franchi.
The first is to equip it with a permanent covered grandstand with 4,000 seats. The second is to equip it with an open grandstand with a prefabricated structure that can accommodate up to 3 thousand seats. Finally, the most important one for the Viola: expanding the capacity to 15 thousand seats through a maxi temporary grandstand with 8 thousand seats, so as to be able to reach the minimum capacity to host the Serie A and Coppa Italia matches.
All this provided that the three ‘transformations’ of Padovani can be achieved in a short time.
A significant mission for the companies that want to participate. To pull the projects out of the hat which will then be evaluated by the Municipality, the operators have 30 days from the publication of the notice. Then the ‘competitive dialogue’ will start between the companies that will have to define the contents of the projects with the Municipality. Finally the actual race will start.
The total costs of the operation? Thirteen and a half million euros: 7 million and 300 thousand euros for option 1, 960 thousand for option 2 and 4 million and 400 thousand euros for the expansion to 15 thousand seats, i.e. the third option that would allow Fiorentina to remain in Florence during the restyling of the Franchi. It is precisely these last 4 and a half million euros that the Viola club should contribute to in order to guarantee the possibility of continuing to play in Florence.
