Scottish Premiership team Aberdeen FC has revealed a new rendering of its proposed new stadium as it asked fans to back the project.
The club is looking to relocate from Pittodrie to a new arena at the heart of a £100m regeneration of the city’s beachfront, with plans having first been publicised in August 2020 after several years of false dawns regarding numerous possible sites.
The new image shows changes to the design previously published, with the stadium now a different shape and joined by a large connected building with a rooftop garden. The stadium also has a glass facade on the side facing out towards the North Sea.
The club said it has been working closely with Aberdeen City Council on the designs and outline business case for a new stadium and community sports complex, incorporating an ice rink and leisure centre. The council’s public consultation on the city centre masterplan revealed that the top two priorities for the citizens of Aberdeen included keeping the club in the beach area and improvements to Union Street, the city’s major shopping thoroughfare.
The club said the outline business case will go before the council in June. It has asked fans to share their views through a club survey and with local councillors, to promote the plans on social media and through the local press.
An Aberdeen FC spokesperson said: “As part of the overall city centre masterplan, the regeneration of the beachfront will improve the connectivity between the city centre and the boulevard. A new stadium as a focal point would be the catalyst for the redevelopment of facilities to deliver a world-class community sports complex, revitalising the beach area.
“With stunning views out to sea, the new stadium could be a beacon of sporting excellence, sustainability and community, attracting fans, citizens and visitors alike. Through collaboration and economies of scale, a new stadium and sports complex are affordable and deliverable for both the council and the club.”
The club has previously looked at relocating to sites in Bellfield, Loirston and then Kingsford, where its new training facility was built. Plans for a £50m (€58.5m/$67.8m) ground with a 20,000 capacity in Kingsford were approved in 2019, but local councillors last year developed plans for a beachfront site that would provide a link to the city centre.
