In Riga, on the banks of the Daugava River, Latvia’s largest private sports complex, LNK Sport Park, was officially opened
Situated on the banks of the Daugava River on Lejupes street 5 in Riga, LNK Sport Park, Latvia’s largest private sports complex, was officially unveiled in a festive ceremony. The first phase of the park, opened on this day, covers an area of 65,000 square meters. It includes two natural grass football fields with a total area of 16,448 square meters and a warm-up area with natural turf covering 1,350 square meters. The complex also boasts four modern artificial turf football fields spanning 13,851 square meters, two beach tennis and volleyball courts covering 678 square meters, dressing rooms, parking facilities, and well-maintained grounds.
Mārtiņš Staķis, Chairman of Riga City Council, expressed, “The sound mind in a sound body – this ancient saying is always relevant, and the city is interested in having better and more accessible sports infrastructure. Private investments are particularly important in this economic situation, and promoting an active lifestyle and the development of the sports network are priorities of Riga’s development strategy. With the opening of the new sports park, we hope for even greater success for Riga’s teams and passionate participation in tournaments and competitions,” Staķis added.
With the opening of the first phase of LNK Sport Park, various levels of football competitions can now take place, ranging from the Latvian Football Premier League to national team matches. An additional 15 million euros are planned for the second and third phases.
“I truly hope that the LNK Sport Park project will become not only a venue for professional competitions, which it already is, but above all, it will become a home for many children’s teams and academies, as well as for many supporters and enthusiasts of a sportive lifestyle. All these people will make LNK Sport Park the place we want to see – beautiful, cozy, and comfortable,” emphasized Artjoms Milovs, the founder of LNK Sport Park and Chairman of LNK Industries’ board. He also pointed out that while developing the new sports complex, the developers do not expect a quick return on investment; it will largely be a social project.
In the first phase of LNK Sport Park, 6-7 small football, basketball, beach tennis, volleyball courts will be built, as well as a children’s playground and a café. In the second and third phases, a large grandstand, a multifunctional sports complex with three basketball, futsal, volleyball, and handball courts, as well as athlete accommodations and a sports hall with a recovery complex, will be constructed.
LNK Properties, the developer of LNK Sport Park, has primarily specialized in the development of industrial parks and residential buildings. This makes LNK Sport Park its first sports construction project.
“As the developer of this project, it was important for us to build a high-quality, modern infrastructure that will be used by Riga residents for generations and to learn the construction process of sports facilities ourselves. This is the first sports facility in our portfolio, but certainly not the last. We hope that we can use our experience to build more sports fields and structures both in Latvia and abroad,” said Pāvels Broitmans, a board member of LNK Properties.
During the construction of LNK Sport Park, 31 buildings were dismantled, and a significant challenge was the preparation of the foundation for the field construction, which had to be accurate to within 4 mm. An 18-meter-tall vine, where insects had made their home, was also moved to facilitate the construction of a planned road, while preserving the population of marble crayfish (Liocola marmorata), included in the Latvian Red Book.
After the opening, LNK Sport Park will serve as the new home for daily training and home games for the RFS football club. Māris Verpakovskis, the club’s general director, offered a tour of the new sports complex to the participants of the event on the opening day.
