Images: Manchester City
Premier League football club Manchester City has today (Tuesday) unveiled concept designs for a proposed expansion of the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium and a 3,000-capacity City Square fan zone.
Fans and the local community have been invited to share their feedback on City’s plans between now and March 26. The update comes after City in December announced that it was undertaking feasibility studies to expand the capacity of the Etihad Stadium from 53,400 to over 60,000.
The plans centre on an expansion of the North Stand with one larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier. The fan zone also forms part of the plans, along with a wide range of food and drink outlets, a club shop, museum, and hotel as City looks to expand its offering on match days and non-match days.
Modest workspace has also been included for use by start-up and medium-sized organisations looking to co-locate and collaborate with the club, City Football Group and Etihad Campus partners.
Additionally, City is exploring match-day travel measures with partners from across Manchester with a view to enhancing existing services. The club is also developing methods for fans to travel to and from the stadium as part of its wider sustainable transport strategy.
If a planning application is submitted and approved, the construction process would take place over a three-year period, with the works to be staged to minimise disruption during the football season.
The North Stand is currently the only remaining Etihad Stadium stand with two tiers, following the addition of 6,000 extra seats and a third tier to the South Stand ahead of the 2015-16 season.
TheStadiumBusiness.com reported in August that City had commenced exploratory work on expanding the North Stand. In August 2020, City said it would consider the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on venues and live events before resuming plans to enhance and expand the stadium, with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak stating that it would be unwise to commit to new projects at that time.
City has played at the Etihad Stadium since 2003, with the facility having been built initially for Manchester’s staging of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Later this year, the 23,000-capacity Co-op Live arena will open near the stadium.
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