Thus began a new era in the history of Ljubljana and Slovenian sport.

The operation is partially funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and the Ministry of Education and Sport. The operation is run under the Operational Programme for Strengthening Regional Development for the period 2007 - 2013, developmental priority: integration of natural and cultural potentials; priority axis sporting-recreational infrastructure.

 

The Stožice Centre, covering 180,000m² and which – after next year's construction of a commercial centre – will have 80,000m² of shopping space as well as 3,800 parking spaces (with 1,280 parking spaces owned by the City of Ljubljana for the Park and Ride system), opened the doors of both its top sporting facilities – a multi-purpose hall and stadium – on 10 August 2010. That day, the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning issued the private partner in the project (GREP, d.o.o.) a Decision on the Testing of the First Phase of Stožice Sports Centre for a nine-month period. It is normal practice with facilities for mass public use to issue a decision on testing, as it is necessary to perform the first measurements of noise and electromagnetic radiation in that period.

On this eagerly awaited day, the inaugural match in the Stožice Centre hall was an international basketball friendly between Slovenia and Spain, while the inaugural match in the football stadium on Wednesday 11 August was an international friendly between Slovenia and Australia. Both games were packed to the rafters with enthusiastic spectators, supporters and prominent public figures.

Thus began a new era in the history of Ljubljana and Slovenian sport, which among both professionals and amateurs alike earned unanimous applause as acquisitions of world-class sporting infrastructure, to be joined next year by the new commercial centre with a unique offer and extensive parking facilities as well as outdoor courts for basketball and volleyball and a roller park. The stadium, which covers 25,000m² and seats 16,100 spectators, is to be used by Olimpija Football Club and the Slovenian national team; the hall, extending over 14,000m² with a capacity of 12,400 will be home to the basketballers of Union Olimpija, ACH Volley volleyball team, Krim handball team and the national teams from various sporting fields.

With a media centre for a total of 300 journalists, both facilities are excellent venues for the greatest spectacles and cultural events to which Ljubljana is to play host in the near future.

Start of remedial work on the abandoned gravel pit: 16 June 2008

Period of intensive construction of the stadium, multi-purpose hall and the new Štajerska motorway – Tito Road: 17 April 2009 – 10 August 2010

Project designer for the stadium, multi-purpose hall and associated infrastructure: Sadar Vuga Architects

Project designer for the roads and other infrastructure: LUZ

Contract value of the investment in the stadium and multi-purpose hall: €97.2 million incl. VAT.