Facilities worth over 100 mio. DKK: Plans for a new major sports complex
A total area of 160,000 square meters, 110,000 square meters for football, a 2,700-square-meter hall and gymnastics center, 13,000 square meters for krolf…
The list is long, and the budget climbs well beyond 100 million kroner.
KICK – Klarup Sports Center and Cultural House. That’s the name of a new sports and cultural center that, if all goes well, will become a reality in the coming years.
On Wednesday, May 21, Aalborg Municipality has invited residents to a public meeting at Klarup Hall as part of the preliminary debate for the upcoming update of the urban development plan for Klarup and Romdrup.
And here, Dan Kræfting and the rest of the steering group behind KICK intend to strongly promote the ambitious project.
“There is maximum pressure on the facilities here in town. Klarup Hall was the most booked in the municipality before we built a new hall, and it’s still one of the busiest.
On the football side, the Danish Football Association (DBU) recommends no more than 80 members per full-size pitch. We have over 600 members and three pitches – one of which is the main exhibition pitch.
You also can’t find assembly halls or activity spaces available for rent for meetings and parties.
So we’ve started dreaming big – and that’s necessary,” emphasizes Dan Kræfting.
The Vision for KICK
Here is the preliminary plan for KICK – Klarup Sports Center and Cultural House:
The Facility:
Total site area: 160,000 m²
Indoor Facilities:
- Association and cultural house: 1,200 m²
- Café and kitchen: 500 m²
- Fitness center: 600 m²
- Sports hall and gymnastics center: 2,700 m²
- Changing rooms and storage: 1,200 m²
Outdoor Facilities:
- Football pitches: 110,000 m²
- Krolf area: 13,000 m²
- Parking: 7,500 m²
- Outdoor crossfit area: 1,000 m²
- Other areas: 23,500 m²
In addition, the project’s steering group also sees potential for a BMX track and facilities for playing padel.
Depends on the Municipality
The steering group has been working on the project for the past four years.
And there’s plenty of weight behind the plans:
“The pressure on facilities isn’t a positive thing in itself, but it is positive that so many people are willing to help tackle the challenge. The city’s associations are united behind this, so we have more than 2,000 members supporting the project,” says Dan Kræfting.
The plan is for KICK to operate as an independent institution, bringing together all of the city’s associations regardless of size or purpose, according to the project description. Currently, five associations are involved in the push for better facilities: RKG Football, RKG Gymnastics, Klarup Fitness, Klarup Krolf Club, and RKG Football Friends.
However, one crucial player is still missing if the dream is to become a reality.
“It all depends 100 percent on Aalborg Municipality showing clear support. It’s a heavy project, so backing is absolutely crucial,” he states.
The hope is that the new sports center can be established between 2028 and 2030 south of Klarup, but for now, the key is to convince the municipality—especially at the town hall meeting on May 21.
“We’re convinced the municipality will prioritize this project, because there’s a real need for a facility like this—so everyone has a place to play sports, and we don’t end up with an 11-a-side team trying to train on a 3-man pitch. Now we just want to do our part to make sure it’s also treated as a top priority,” says Dan Kræfting, who is looking forward to the meeting, but is even more eager to see what happens after the summer break:
“That’s when the municipality will make its real decision on what they’ll move forward with,” he concludes.
Read more about KICK here.