Man City feasibility studies on home rejig

Article posted by Coliseum, December 22^nd, 2022

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The Premier League team Manchester City F.C. is to explore the possibility of expanding the capacity of their residence – the Etihad Stadium – to more than 60,000.

‘The National’ stated that the Premier League champions have announced they are conducting feasibility studies into a new development project that would also see a hotel built on site.

The Manchester City Football Club is an English football club based in Manchester, UK, that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark’s, they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894.

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The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of the Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the sixth-largest in England and 10^th-largest in the United Kingdom.

‘The National’ further stated that the work, if it goes ahead, would make the Eastlands venue the fifth in the current top flight capable of holding at least 60,000 after 7,310-capacity Old Trafford in Stretford, England (UK), the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, the 60,260-capacity Emirates Stadium in London, and the 66,000-capacity London Stadium.

The ground’s present limit is 53,400, a figure that was reached after work to add a third tier to the South Stand was completed in 2015.

The latest proposals would see the North Stand extended in an enterprise that also includes the building of a new club shop and museum as well as a hotel. The ‘City Square’ fan zone would also be expanded and covered with new food and drink outlets. A consultation process will take place early next year.

The City already has planning permission to extend the North Stand having obtained it at the same time they received the go-ahead for their South Stand scheme.

A statement from the club read, “Manchester City has today (December 12^th) announced it is undertaking feasibility studies to develop a best-in-class fan experience and a year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium. The feasibility studies consider several connected elements, central to which is an expanded North Stand, which could increase capacity of the Etihad Stadium to over 60,000. Fans and the community are welcome to share any initial views, including what they would like to see at the Etihad Stadium in the future or any matters they would like the club to address, in advance of formal consultations in early 2023.”

The plans are part of a wider program around the Etihad Campus which is also seeing a new 23,000-plus capacity indoor arena, Co-op Live, being built in the vicinity.

The Etihad Stadium was originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games with the City moving into it the following year. The City Football Group has spent more than £700 million on infrastructure in the East Manchester area, including the City Football Academy training complex and community facilities.

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 Newton Investment and Development LLC, 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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