The football stadium in Hongkou District, the first professional venue of its kind in China, will undergo renovations to become a “football and sports landmark,” along with redevelopment of a nearby commercial street. Hongkou Football Stadium, built in 1999, will be developed into the “world’s top sports arena” as well as a sports-related shopping and recreation center, said Zhao Yongfeng, the director of Hongkou District. “The stadium’s facilities are aging after decades of operation and cannot meet the requirements of a professional football game,” Zhao told an interview with the city’s radio station over the weekend.