Summer 2027. This is the new deadline set by the Municipality of Sassari to complete the expansion of the PalaSerradimigni stadium to seat 6,000. Salvatore Sanna, City Councilor for Public Works, explained: "We inherited an already very delicate situation, with two separate grants that made the administrative process particularly complex. The new phase of starting the work presented difficulties: after two unsuccessful tenders, the contract took longer than expected."
The Piazzale Segni sports center has been a truly challenging project. On December 21, 2016, the Sanna Council approved the preliminary technical and economic feasibility study with €4.3 million from Jessica funds, which were insufficient for the expansion. In March 2020, the Sardinia Region allocated another €6 million. With additional funding, the total amount reached €13.5 million.
The construction site opened in June 2020 but was immediately halted by the anti-mafia ban issued by the Prefect of Naples against the Ser.Co.Ge. company. A change of company was necessary, with a very long lead time: the design and construction services were handed over to Imperial, the Roman company carrying out the work on behalf of Conpat Scarl, on September 25, 2024.
It is hoped that the summer of 2027 will truly be the right date for the completion of the work, because from the optimistic and unfounded initial forecasts of 2019, the deadline has been postponed almost year after year by each municipal government.
The question remains over the restoration of the PalaSerradimigni gyms, which housed several Sassari judo, wrestling, boxing, and gymnastics clubs. For six years, they've been forced to wander around looking for alternative facilities (unfortunately not always suitable) to continue their sporting activities.