Last August, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new modern stadium was held in the Turan-2 microdistrict of Shymkent. This solemn event attracted the attention of the city's residents and gave great hope for the development of sports and infrastructure in the country. A year later, in August 2025, journalists visited the construction site and examined the current situation. Although the site may seem empty from the outside, in fact, preparatory work, which forms the basis of the project, is still ongoing.

According to the project, the future stadium will occupy an area of 21 hectares and will be a sports facility for 35 thousand spectators. This will exceed the size of the Astana Arena stadium. Such a large-scale project cannot be implemented in a day or a year. Usually, the construction of sports arenas consists of several stages: first, design and estimate documentation is prepared, engineering networks are laid, geodetic works are carried out, and only then the main construction begins.

The site in the Turan-2 district also passes through this same road. Currently, the territory is fenced off, temporary infrastructure has been laid, and a gas system has been laid. Surveyors are measuring points on the ground and leveling the soil. This stage, although it may seem "innocent" at first glance, is crucial for any major construction project. If the preparatory work is not carried out in full and with high quality, the durability of the facility may be at risk in the future.

Some city residents or media outlets are criticizing the slow pace of construction and calling it "empty land." However, from the point of view of land relations, the current state of this site is a temporary process. The land is not being used without a owner or in a chaotic manner, but rather, it has been legally approved for a specific purpose - the construction of a sports facility, and design work is underway. This is an example of rational and planned use of land.

Every year, such projects are implemented in our country at different rates. For example, in the 2010s, the Astana Arena stadium in Astana was built only after several years of preparation. First, project documents were developed, various examinations were conducted, and funding was allocated in stages. As a result, today the capital has a world-class sports facility. Similarly, the stadium in Shymkent will undoubtedly become the pride of sports fans over time.

In 2023–2024, the city often held "Clean Kazakhstan" environmental campaigns and public clean-ups. The main goal of those events was to clean up vacant or garbage-filled areas and turn them into public spaces. Today, the situation is slightly different: the vacant land is not intended for garbage, but for a specific purpose - the construction of a future stadium. That is, if the cleaning work carried out in the past was aimed at eliminating spontaneous garbage, the current step is an important stage on the path to targeted and effective land development.

The Akimat is openly answering questions about the construction. Currently, the main part of the project is the development of documentation, the phased allocation of financing, and the conduct of an expert examination. Although these works are not visible from the outside, they are necessary to ensure the quality and durability of the facility. Representatives of the Akimat noted that the groundbreaking ceremony was held last year in a symbolic nature, and the actual pouring work will begin after all the technical expert examinations of the project are approved. This is normal in international practice.

Land relations are of particular importance in the construction of the stadium. In most cases, vacant land in the city is temporarily abandoned and turns into a garbage dump. However, 21 hectares of land in the Turan-2 area have a specific purpose and are fixed by legal documents. The fate of this land is decided and directed to sports infrastructure - this is the right step for the long-term development of the city.

Similar examples can be cited from Shymkent itself. In previous years, several plots of land were temporarily vacant, but later they were used to build residential buildings, parks, or social facilities. For example, a vacant plot in the Karatau district was given over to the construction of a new school in 2022. In the first years, only fencing and engineering work were carried out there, and later a school was built, and today thousands of children are studying there.

From this perspective, the stadium in Turan-2 is also going through the same path. Although it looks empty today, tomorrow it will become a sports symbol of the city. The fact that the land did not remain unclaimed, and was included in the plan with a specific purpose is the main achievement. At the same time, the akimat's policy of efficient land use is bearing fruit.

In short, although the construction of the stadium in Shymkent may seem slow at times, from a land relations perspective, this is a planned work in the right direction. Like last year's environmental and infrastructure initiatives, this will be implemented in stages. A temporarily vacant lot is not a loss of ownership, but rather the beginning of a larger project. When tomorrow this field turns into a sports arena that will bring together thousands of fans, the value of today's preparatory work will become clear.