English Premier League football club Crystal Palace has appointed Australian construction and real estate company, Lendlease, as its construction partner for the redevelopment of Selhurst Park.
The Sydney-headquartered firm is set to deliver Palace’s long-awaited project which will ultimately see Selhurst Park’s capacity raised from around 26,000 to 34,000. The latest news comes after Palace’s updated planning application for a new Main Stand at Selhurst Park was approved by local councillors in October 2022, paving the way for transformation of the stadium.
Croydon Council’s planning committee first gave the application the green light four years previously, but it was delayed by COVID-19 and the club in August 2022 submitted minor adjustments to the scheme to adhere to new London Plan requirements.
This required fresh approval before planning permission could be granted and any work could begin, together with the signing of Section 106 agreements and approval from the Mayor of London’s office.
Palace first revealed plans to increase Selhurst Park’s capacity from around 26,000 to 34,000 back in December 2017, with the redevelopment of the stadium’s Main Stand central to the project. It had been hoped that work on the project would begin at the end of the 2018-19 season, with a completion date having been set for 2021.
The Main Stand development intends to overhaul Selhurst Park, which has been the club’s home since 1924, transforming the match-day experience and providing new year-round community facilities.
The new five-storey Main Stand, featuring an all-glass front, intends to be a tribute to the club’s early days when it was based in the shadows of the original Crystal Palace on Sydenham Hill.
Under the original plans drawn up by KSS, the new stand’s capacity will increase from around 5,400 to 13,500, with more than 10,700 general admission seats. Improved access will also be provided for disabled supporters, while Selhurst Park’s pitch will be expanded to make it compliant with UEFA regulations, deeming it eligible to host tournament football.
A new Tunnel Club will also be introduced, along with a club museum and community facilities. Supporters’ views from the Arthur Wait Stand will also be improved, while the upper Whitehorse Lane Boxes will be renovated into mixed bar/box use.
The appointment of Lendlease has been made despite the company in May having detailed an 18-month scheme to divest its international construction operation to focus on its most profitable home market, Australia.
Palace last month announced that preliminary building projects relating to the first steps of construction of the new Main Stand at Selhurst Park were underway and progressing well, with a further range of steps being undertaken during the summer period.
As well as this enabling work, the club said it was in the process of “clearing a number of formal barriers” towards commencing construction. This included completing the purchase of six houses located in the local area. Palace said it had also reached an agreement with supermarket group Sainsbury’s over the purchase of a piece of land in the car park, holding an option to acquire.
In tandem with the above construction, Palace said it was finalising the detailed construction drawings and going out to tender for every detailed area, including steel, cladding, bricks and glass materials.
