Ukraine official: German firm to overhaul Kiev stadium

 The Ukrainian government selected GMP for the reconstruction of Kiev's Olympic stadium over a second shortlist entrant US Foster and Partner, said Ivan Sidorenko, executive director of the Federation of Football of Ukraine, in an Interfax news agency interview.

 UEFA president Michel Platini during a visit to Ukraine earlier this month singled out problems involving the troubled stadium as potential grounds for sacking Ukraine as co-host to the Euro 2012 tournament.

 A plan submitted by GMP and to be accepted formally by the Ukrainian government calls for an overhaul to the 90,000-seater sports venue by the end of 2010, said Ivan Vasiniuk, Ukraine Vice- Premier.

 Blueprints call for a reduction in fan capacity to some 80,000 seats, replacement of Soviet-era bleachers with modern seating, and installation of restaurants and stores common in European stadia, but unknown in Ukraine, the authoritative Dynamomania web site reported.

 Ukrainian media estimates of the job's cost have ranged from 100 to 350 million dollars.

 GMP is a daughter company of the German corporation Hochtief, and is participating in the almost-completed overhaul of a club stadium in the east Ukrainian city Dnipropetrovsk.

 The Monday announcement by Sidorenko and Vasiniuk seemingly ended hopes by Taiwan's Archasia Design Group (ADG Ltd.) to do the Olympic stadium job - despite a declaration in March by officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport that Archasia defeated 19 companies to win the contract.

 Ukrainian officials led by Vasiliuk in June declared Archasia's seeming tender win null and void, citing the Taiwan company's alleged inexperience in building UEFA-standard stadiums, and lack of registration in Ukraine.

 Executives in the Taiwan firm have said they are fully capable of doing the work and intend to sue Ukraine's Ministry of Sport for breach of contract.

 Aside from its general contractor dispute, the Olympic stadium has also been dogged by a long-running conflict between Kiev commercial clans over land ownership near the stadium.

 A partially-built shopping centre next to the stadium must be torn down, to make a renovated Olympic stadium safe to evacuate, UEFA officials have said.

 But demolition of the shopping centre has been stalled since Platini's visit, as the central government, Kiev city hall, and the tycoon owner of the shopping centre have argued fruitlessly over compensation terms and payment for wrecking crews.

 Poland and Ukraine in April 2007 were named co-hosts for the Euro 2012 competition.

DPA