President Saakashvili lays symbolic cornerstone at new stadium in Batumi

The President of Georgia laid a cornerstone at the construction site of a new football stadium of being built in Batumi. Mikheil Saakashvili symbolically placed a capsule in the basement of the new stadium with future soccer players. The Head of State spoke about the importance of building a new stadium and noted that that Batumi may host European and world championships in the future.

“The most important thing is to build everything and not let anyone ruin anything. Aslan Abashidze demolished the main part of this stadium; a small part was left so many people wouldn’t gather. Sooner or later Georgia will host European and world championships. Batumi didn’t have a stadium for so long. [Batumi residents] need everything that the residents of any other city would need. A water hub will also be here and every family will have clean water. Sewage will no longer enter the sea. Batumians need employment, but for this Batumi needs to grow. The previous boulevard of Batumi, which is missed by many, was only 1.5 kilometers long. Very soon it will be 18 kilometers long,” noted Mikheil Saakashvili.

A stadium of international standards designed to seat 35,000 spectators will be built at the Adlia Shore, 100 meters from the sea. The project envisions accommodating the nearby territory, creating a water pool around the stadium with walking bridges leading into the stadium. The design belongs to Georgian architect Davit Gogichaishvili, and the construction will be administered by the Zimo Company. The stadium will symbolically host its first match in a year and a half.