Munich's Olympiapark, renowned as the scene of the 1972 Olympic summer games, is set to undergo an expensive renovation.

It is no secret that the 850.000m2 park's overhaul will not be a cheap or fast ordeal, however, recent estimates regarding the expected 19 year project have surpassed last year's by 71 million euro, bringing the grand total of the renovation close to a half billion.

The plans include a complete modernization of the Ice Stadium as well as some of the basic groundwork of the frequently used event and concert hall, the Olympia Stadium. These projects alone are said to be responsible for upping the costs of the 3-digit million Euro project, though no concrete decisions have been made on either measure.

There are also plans on the table to build a new building, namely a multi-functional sports hall to house the Bavarian Basketball team, as well as the EHC Red Bull team. Dieter Reiter of the SPD wants these teams to shoulder a large sum of the costs themselves, should the decision be made to go ahead with the construction of the new hall. So far, no cost estimates have been made for the project.

One of the massive expenses is the roof, the Plexiglas structure that was most recently replaced in the 1990s. The issue will be addressed as of 2020, where an expected 80 million will be put towards exchanging the Plexiglas plates and proofing the structure.

With many different opinions and needs to take into consideration, the half billion-euro budget forecast may very well be exceeded. This budget has been extrapolated over the last 25 years and though hopefuls wish for its accuracy, the city knows that construction does not always stick to the plan.

Olympiapark spokesman, Arno Hartung, defends the expenses, saying that the now 41-year-old park deserves a facelift. He justifies the daunting costs by the amount that was brought in during the Olympics in '72 and how consistently the park is still used today. Not only are there regular concerts and sports events, but also just visitors that amble around daily. With over one million visitors a year, the park should be maintained, says Hartung. Without the restoration, operation of the park would soon come to an end.