The owners of Luna Park stadium have rebuked \u201cabsolutely false\u201d press coverage over the potential demolition of the historic Buenos Aires venue.<\/p>\n
In a press statement issued last Friday, Luna Park SA restated its commitment to preserving \u201cthe historical and cultural value\u201d of the 93-year-old music and sports arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important to emphasise that it is absolutely false that the stadium is going to be demolished, as some media publications have circulated,\u201d it read.<\/p>\n
The stadium\u2019s owners denied claims reported last week, including in the Times<\/em>, that the building will be demolished. They also pushed back against reports that the project won swift approval from the authorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Argentina\u2019s National Commission for Monuments has handled the property since it was declared a National Historic Monument in 2007, legally protecting it from structural modification.<\/p>\n \u201c[This process] was carried out in compliance with all institutional transparency protocols,\u201d the company stressed.<\/p>\n City heritage organisations have expressed concern that the controversial renovations could damage the historic monument that has charmed spectators, famous boxers and Argentine rockstars for nearly a century.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur argument is that today\u2019s Luna Park is un mito<\/em> of the city, in all of its dimensions, both physical and non-physical,\u201d said Fundaci\u00f3n Ciudad Programme Coordinator Mora Arauz.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt deserves to be conserved as it currently is,\u201d with the necessary modernisations, but \u201cwithout reforming its structure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Luna Park representatives argue the structural alterations will restore the venue as a key destination in the city\u2019s bustling microcentro.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those in favour of a renovation say the facility \u2014 which was built in 1932 \u2014 is outdated. Many touring artists opt to perform at more modern venues such as the 15,000-person capacity Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires\u2019 Villa Crespo neighborhood.<\/p>\n The property is co-owned by the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and the Catholic Salesian Society, through Stadium Luna Park SA, and was recently leased to influential entertainment firm DF Entertainment for a minimum of 20 years.<\/p>\n After the death of former Luna Park owner and boxing devotee Tito Lectoure in 2002, 95 percent of the company was left to C\u00e1ritas Argentina and the Salesian Society, and five percent was left to a family member, Perfil<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n The renovations \u2014 although not detailed in the statement \u2014 will benefit nearby businesses, entrepreneurs and cultural programmes, according to Luna Park SA. It pledged to use \u201csustainable technologies and practices to improve energy efficiency, optimise resource consumption and reduce the stadium\u2019s environmental impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n DF Entertainment owner Diego Finkelstein hopes to increase access and ticket sales by expanding the venue\u2019s capacity by 53 percent from 8,500 to 13,000 spectators, according to the plans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe history of Luna Park is a history of transformations, remodels and repurposing, modernising its installations and fixing structural misalignments to prepare it for the future,\u201d the press release said.<\/p>\n Finkelstein\u2019s plans have passed the first phase of approval by the National Commission for Monuments, and now awaits review by City Mayor Jorge Macri and Pope Francis, due to the Catholic majority partnership.<\/p>\n by Zella Milfred<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n