WHAT IT’S ABOUT
PROJECT LIV ARENA
The time has come for football in Jakobstad to take it to the next level. The main football ground, the Centralplanen arena (built in 1971), is hopelessly outdated for footballing purposes. This project has the goal of raising a new cathedral for football in the middle of the city. The company behind the project, Oy Jeppis Stadion Ab, is owned by the local clubs FC United, FF Jaro JS, IFK Jakobstad and JBK.
The dream is also to build much more than just a palace for the beautiful game. With its location, the arena will become a rallying point in the urban landscape. Project Liv Arena will become a livingroom for all friends of football near and far, but also cater to users interrested in music, culture and larger events.
JEPPIS STADION AB WANTS TO BUILD:
→ A flexible arena that gives users a sense of quality with high enviromental standards.
→ A tight bowl of a footballground that makes for an intense and almost electric atmosphere.
→ An accessible ground for clubs at many different levels to enjoy.
IN ESSENCE, WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
THE CLUBS IN THE CITY ARE RALLYING AROUND THE FLAG OF JEPPIS STADION AB TO PUT FORTH THE BUILDING OF:
→ An all-seater footballground at the location where Västra plan is currently situated.
→ An arena that meets all national requirements for modern ground.
→ A sustainable arena that will be built in an efficient way with regards to the environment.
→ An artificial turf pitch with measurements that meet international standards.
KEY DATES
THE WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW? SO FAR, THAT IS.
- On 15 November 2021, the City Council approved a 4,9 MEUR loan guarantee for the company.
- An application for a construction permit was submitted to the city of Jakobstad in August 2021.
- On the 13th of August, Jeppis Stadion Ab applied for a building permit from the city of Jakobstad for the building of Project Liv Arena.
- On the 12th of August, Snellman joined the fray as the first “It’s Cool to Care”-partner.
- On the 18th of June 2021, the company building the new stadium decided to gift the name of the stadium to a local charity – from that day forth, the stadium will be known as Project Liv Arena.
- The plans to build a new stadium in Jakobstad got a big push forward, when a government grant for 750 000 euros was given a green light on the 15th of April.
- The website projectlivarena.fi and corresponding social media-channels were launched at the beginning of February 2021.
- The board of the Finnish FA decided to back Jeppis Stadion by submitting an application for 400 000 euros in funding to UEFA on the 1st of February 2021.
- Jeppis Stadion Ab launched a new share issue in November 2020.
- Applications for funding were submitted to both the Finnish FA and AVI at the end of the year 2020.
- A new lease for the lot where Västra plan is situated was signed and approved by the city council on the 28th of September 2020. The lease runs to the year 2045.
- The project was showcased to potential financial partners at the Football Association of Finland (Finnish FA) and the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) on the 12th of August 2020.
- An blueprint for the technical and financial part of the project was initiated in July 2020.
- A letter of intent between the company Jeppis Stadion Oy and the city of Jakobstad was drafted and signed on the 22th of June 2020.