Union Berlin now have a clearer route for the Stadion an der Alten Försterei rebuild. Dirk Zingler says expert surveying reports and conservation measures are due to be completed in autumn 2026, with planning approval expected in autumn 2027, a building permit due in winter 2027 and a summer 2029 return expected after an 18-month construction phase.

The build schedule

The capacity rise is the headline figure. The ground is set to go from 22,000 to 40,500, with 32,500 standing places included in the planned design.

Zingler said the club are now able to firm up the planning as feedback comes in from experts and the responsible authorities. He also stressed that accuracy takes president over speed, which fits a project of this scale.

Union are not treating the move as a clean break from the club’s identity. Zingler framed the temporary spell at Hertha BSC's Olympiastadion as an opportunity for supporters to bring family and friends, and to introduce more people to Union while the rebuild is under way.

The football side of the story is steadier than the construction schedule might suggest. Union finished 11th in the 2025 Bundesliga table with 39 points and a -14 goal difference, then opened the 2026 campaign with a recent 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt and a 4-2 cup win at Eintracht Braunschweig.

What comes next at the Alte Försterei

The sequence now matters more than the ambition. Autumn 2026 is the first marker, then autumn 2027 and winter 2027, before demolition can begin between late 2027 and early 2028 and the 18-month build carries the club toward summer 2029.

Hertha's role is practical, even if the local rivalry will not disappear. Hertha also go into the shared-stadium period after a 6-1 cup win over 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and Union’s temporary home is already part of a much larger plan rather than a short-term fix.

For Union, the important change is that the expansion no longer sits in the future tense. The dates are on the table, the capacity target is 40,500, and the club are planning around an eventual return to the Alte Försterei in summer 2029.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →