(RECIFE, Brazil-AFP) – Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht obtained a 30-year concession to build so-called "Cup City" some 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the northeastern city of Recife.
The stadium, one of four being built from scratch, is designed to be a multi-purpose arena that can host trade fairs and conventions as well as sporting events years after the World Cup has been and gone.
Known as Arena Pernambuco, it has been under construction since 2010 at a cost of some $265 million.
Odebrecht plans to build an eco-friendly "smart city" for some 30,000 people, complete with skyscrapers, business and residential areas, parks and a university in a 240-hectare (593 acre) area around the stadium.
"It is the most ambitious project among the 12 World Cup arenas, there is nothing quite like it," said Ricardo Leitao Teixeira, head of Recife’s organizing committee. "It is the only one that goes beyond the construction or upgrading of an arena."
The project will be a tremendous boost for northeastern Brazil, which has long been a poor cousin to the country’s economically vibrant south.
According to Odebrecht’s website, there will be plenty of room for pedestrians and cyclists in Cup City. Almost half the land will be set aside for open areas and public parks, and a vast array of cameras connected to a police central command will provide 24-hour security.
The stadium is being built outside San Lorenzo da Mata, a picturesque town of narrow streets and small shops that looks like a postcard from the past.
Roads between Recife’s hotel area, where most of the visitors will be staying, and the stadium will be broadened, cutting the trip from 90 minutes at present to just half-an-hour.