Hongkou Stadium set for major renovations
at the stadium along with a swathe of stores selling sports products, according to the district government.
“The stadium is targeted at becoming a landmark for Shanghai’s football culture and spirit,” Zhao said. It will also become a sports industry cluster with global influence, he added.
Public sports activities, such as half-court basketball, jogging and orienteering will also be held in nearby Luxun Park.
Some urban redevelopment projects will be carried out on the stadium’s nearby Sichuan Road N., once one of the most popular commercial streets in Shanghai in the 1980s and 1990s.
The street has lost its former popularity and bustle in recent years thanks to the rise of online shopping.
Construction on a key commercial complex covering about 200,000 square meters will soon kick off in the north part of the road. Some historical buildings will be preserved and incorporated into the project, the government said.
The Hongkou government has also organized a league among traditional business operators along the street to jointly upgrade and develop the area.
“The Sichuan Road N. will become a consumption hub where consumers can dine, be entertained and shop,” Zhao said. “It’s not an easy mission to restore its former glory but we have the determination.”
Furthermore, many nearby historical and cultural sites will also be highlighted to attract visitors to the Sichuan Road N. area, the government said.
Historic venues, mainly along the road, will be renovated to showcase China’s revolutionary and cultural history from the 1930s.
The area near the commercial road has 57 historic sites. They include the Memorial Site of the 4th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the League of Leftist Writers Museum, and homes of renowned writers and intellectuals from the turn of the previous century.
The old league building is tucked away on Duolun Road, which during the 1920s and 1930s was home to a community of famous writers and artists, many of whom joined the league.