“Go Red Star, Go Bauer…” In front of a platform filled with an audience of guests and a lawn covered with a thick snowy white coat, Karim Bouamrane, the mayor of Saint-Ouen, punctuates his speech with these unifying words .
“It’s teamwork,” he emphasizes, shaking the hand of Red Star president Patrice Haddad.
This new stand with 4,794 seats has already vibrated during the victory of Red Star, National leader, against Orléans (2-1) on Friday January 12.
But this Thursday was its official inauguration.
“We are halfway through the project, we are very proud to be on time and also proud to have shared it together with the different stakeholders, the club, the city, the department, the State,” underlines Yoann Choin-Joubert, CEO of the Réalités group, the promoter of the project which bought the dilapidated stadium in 2021 after being the winner in 2019 of the Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris competition.
“We didn’t build the Eiffel Tower but we are happy”
“This inauguration is both symbolic and concrete,” smiles Patrice Haddad.
The emotion was before.
But when we all find ourselves here this evening, we can't help but let the images of the past pass by.
It's been a very long road.
The stadium was slated for demolition but we succeeded in this bet.
It's just a stand, we didn't build the Eiffel Tower but we're happy.
Land in Paris is complicated, and the subject of the stadium will be a subject for many clubs in Île-de-France.
We are resolved.
It was a dream to play at home.
Now that we have the content, we will work on the container.
This offers us real perspectives.
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The symbolic laying of the first stone of the Bauer Box, an extension of the 30,600 m2 stadium which was also to take place this Thursday, was finally canceled.
But it is this real estate program which will mark the specificity of this new Bauer which will be completed in the first quarter of 2026. This is also a first for a stadium recently built in France.
“What is exciting about the project is this mix between an urban and sporting program,” continues Yoann Choin-Joubert.
This stadium, which will ultimately only be used for around twenty matches per year, will also be a place open to residents 7 days a week. The stadium is not a tower of Babel in the city but it serves the city.
The north stand will be an integral part of the box and the space will be shared.
A stadium is very expensive and the economic space will serve as the lifeblood of the project by financing it.
Without the Bauer Box, we could not finance the renovation of the stadium, and without the stadium, the Bauer Box made no sense.
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Shops, bars, restaurants, offices, housing…
In total, 190 million euros will be invested in the construction of the Bauer Box, and 50 million in the renovation of the Bauer stadium.
On 30,600 m2, the Bauer Box will combine shops, bars and restaurants, a sports and health area, offices, housing, and a place to host events.
The Réalités group should set up its Ile-de-France headquarters there and also bring in a large higher education school.
“We are on the right track,” says Karim Bouamrane.
We say what we do, we do what we say.
This stage is hope and shared happiness.
It shows that in a city like ours, beauty and excellence can be shared by everyone.
We didn't want an exclusive stadium.
It was important to have social pricing and no naming.
The stadium is a locomotive for completely developing the city and transforming it so that everyone benefits.
That is the most important.
It allows those who live on the outskirts to maintain hope compared to those in the city center who have access to everything.
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When finished, the stadium will have 10,000 seats in the four stands.
But there are possibilities of extension for the East Stand if Red Star one day climbs into Ligue 1. In the meantime, the atmosphere should still be festive this Friday (7:30 p.m.) against GOAL FC for the 18th day of the National.