Milan's San Francesco stadium plans stalled after court appeal

The development of a standalone stadium in the San Francesco area of San Donato Milanese has been put on hold after the Green Party lodged an appeal with the Regional Administrative Court. Milan's decision to again pursue the San Siro site prompted changes to the Red Bird project, and the American majority owners had already invested €55 million before the Programme Agreement was suspended.

In October 2025 the court annulled the 2021 resolution that rezoned much of the area as green space, rendering the original project unlawful. The judicial halt followed appeals by local residents and the "No Stadium" Committee; in January 2026 the council rejected the programme agreement and stopped development while the municipality awaits further assessments.

Work to clean up the San Francesco site began on 10 June 2024, with grass cutting, rubbish removal and fencing that helped regenerate a zone long plagued by disorder and drug dealing, despite complaints from environmentalists and residents.

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