Ondrej Nepela Arena Taking Shape for 2011 World Ice Hockey Championship
Bratislava, May 10, 2010 (BratislavaGuide.com) - The Ondrej Nepela Stadium in Bratislava, Slovakia, which will host the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, showed off reconstruction progress to the media on Thursday, May 5.
Officials responsible for the reconstruction announced that works were progressing according to schedule despite unusually cold weather earlier in the year. By June, the outside facade should be in place from the street Trnavska and Tehelne pole swimming pool side.
Following major controversy over whether to build a new arena or upgrade the Ondrej Nepela Stadium the decision was made to rebuild the stadium originally constructed in 1958.
The capacity will be raised to over 10,000 spectators (from 8,350) and all facilities will be upgraded. Two new training rinks will be added.
The reconstruction is scheduled to be completed by Christmas 2010, well in time for the May 2011 championship. The other venue for the championship in the Steel Arena stadium in Kosice.