Palermo – New life from the rubble, the large sports facilities seek the glories of the past
The municipal administration presented the recovery program
of the Fondo Patti building and the baseball stadium
Liza Minnelli stepped out of a helicopter and inaugurated the diamond. Then many years of abandonment and vandalism
Palermo was the capital of volleyball when the Rosanero football team was in crisis and struggling in Serie C
These are the titles of Republicon newsstands today.
The article by Tullio Filippone and Mario Pintagro describes the history of two important sports facilities in Palermo, the Diamante baseball stadium and the Fondo Patti sports hall, which after years of abandonment are about to be redeveloped. The Diamond was inaugurated in 1997 with a spectacular ceremony, in the presence of Liza Minnelli, on the occasion of the 1998 Baseball World Cup. After the World Cup, the facility experienced a period of decline, closing in 2014 and suffering acts of vandalism. The Palasport, however, was inaugurated in 1999 with a volleyball match between Iveco Palermo and Maxicono Parma. This facility also experienced a period of great success, hosting major events such as concerts and sports competitions, but was abandoned in 2008 due to structural problems.
Today, after years of degradation, there is a recovery plan for both plants. The Municipality of Palermo has unblocked the works which, within 9 months, should bring the Diamond and the surrounding sports area back to life. At the same time, an intervention of 8 million euros is planned to rebuild the Palasport. The Municipality has also planned the extraordinary maintenance of the Velodrome named after Paolo Borsellino, which already hosts sporting events such as soccer and American football.
The sports facilities, once symbols of great events and hopes for the city, had fallen into disrepair, but with the new interventions we are trying to give them a second life, with the hope that they can once again host events of importance for Palermo.
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