Etihad Stadium leisure destination plans nod

Article posted by Coliseum, July 31^st, 2023

Image: Manchester City

The Premier League team Manchester City F.C. has confirmed that the club’s planning application for the development of a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at their home ground – the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, UK – has been approved by the Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee on July 27^th.

‘Manchester City’ further stated that this follows the club’s fan and community consultation which took place in February and March this year, and the subsequent submission of the club’s full planning application in April.

The Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Manchester (UK) that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as the St. Mark’s (West Gorton), they became the Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. The club’s home ground is the Etihad Stadium in East Manchester, to which they moved in 2003.

The 53,400-capacity Etihad Stadium is the home of the Premier League club Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 55,000, making it the sixth-largest football stadium in England and the ninth-largest in the United Kingdom.

‘Manchester City’ further stated that approved proposals include several connected all-weather facilities, fully integrated into the stadium, centered on an expanded North Stand with one larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier, increasing capacity to over 60,000.

Above the upper tier there will be a sky bar with views overlooking the pitch as well as a stadium roof walk experience.

A covered City Square fan zone, with capacity for 3,000 people and a wide variety of food and drink outlets, a new club shop, museum, workspace, and a 400-bed hotel will also be constructed as part of the club’s development.

It is anticipated that the main construction works will commence onsite in November 2023 which will mean the North Stand itself will be complete and open during the 2025-2026 football seasons.

The hotel, workspace and public realm works, including the City Square, would subsequently be completed by late 2026.

Whilst the capacity of the second tier in the North Stand will be temporarily reduced during construction, the Season Ticket Members and Cityzens Matchday Members with tickets in this area will not be impacted during the 2023-2024 seasons.

The Season Ticket Members in the second tier of the North Stand that will be impacted from the 2024-2025 seasons onwards will be contacted directly in advance of any works taking place to discuss temporary seat relocation options.

The club will, however, share further information with all fans regarding access routes to the North Stand and the Metrolink ahead of the club’s first home match of the 2023-2024 seasons in August, with the City Store having already been temporarily relocated to the City@Home building on the West side of the stadium.

Commenting on the approval of the club’s planning application, Danny Wilson, Managing Director, Manchester City Operations, said, “We are delighted that the Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee has approved the club’s proposals for a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium. This development will not only enable the club to enhance and expand its offering to the fans and visitors on both matchday and non-matchday, but it will also create lasting long-term economic and social benefits for our local community, building on the regeneration work the City Football Group has delivered in East Manchester since 2008.”

Manchester (UK)-based the City Football Group Limited is a holding company that administers association football clubs. The group is owned by three organizations of which 81 percent is majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, 18 percent by the American firm Silver Lake and one percent by the Chinese firms China Media Capital and CITIC Capital.

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