A final plan for the redevelopment of Luzhniki Stadium, which will host the 2018 World Cup final, will be ready by September, said Moscow’s mayor.
Having removed all the market stalls inside the stadium, the city hall now wants to modernise Luzhniki’s swimming pool and build a new ice-rink. It also hopes to give the sports complex a cultural function by building a concert hall there.
The cost of the redevelopment is estimated at $1.5 billion, though some experts have revised this figure downwards.
The largest in Russia, Luzhniki is considered an elite stadium worldwide. Apart from the World Cup final in 2018, it will host the World Athletics Championships in 2013.