Images: Manchester United
Manchester United has offered a first glimpse of what a rebuilt Old Trafford could look like after an economic report found that the club’s plans to regenerate the stadium district could deliver an additional £7.3bn (€8.76bn/$9.75bn) per year to the UK’s economy.
Yesterday (Monday) evening, United released the initial findings of a report that has been commissioned to explore the benefits of a 100,000-seat stadium as part of a regenerated Trafford Park.
Oxford Economics, an independent global advisory firm, has carried out a preliminary economic impact assessment of the proposals. Initial estimates suggest that the project would create 92,000 new jobs and more than 17,000 new homes, while driving an additional 1.8 million visitors per year.
United has not yet confirmed its plans for Old Trafford but reports have previously suggested that the club has set its sights on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium next to the current ground instead of redeveloping the venue.
The initial findings released yesterday are based on a range of potential development opportunities in the Old Trafford area, including a 100,000-seat stadium, plus new mixed-use developments around the stadium and in the adjacent Trafford Wharfside area.
United posted a two-minute video on its website showcasing how a ‘new’ Old Trafford would look. The video shows how the stadium would anchor a wide-ranging district in the Trafford Wharfside area.
Renderings featured in the video show the exterior of the stadium on a match day. Given the club has not yet finalised its plans, the renderings only show Old Trafford from a distance and do not offer a close-up view of how the stadium might look.
Foster + Partners, which was appointed as the lead architect for the stadium district last week, has helped to shape the proposals for how best to use the land around Old Trafford to regenerate the area into a “powerful driver of sustainable growth” that is centred around a sports, residential, entertainment, business and education campus.
United said there would also be opportunities for further economic impact, with potential changes to the rail infrastructure around Old Trafford. Once finalised, the economic report will inform the final recommendations of the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.
The Task Force, which was formed in March, features Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, World Athletics president and London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe, and former United captain Gary Neville.
Coe said the project represents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to create something special”, while Neville said a new-look Old Trafford would offer a stadium that the “whole of Greater Manchester can take pride in”.
Foster + Partners’ initial remit covers the club-owned land that surrounds the existing stadium. United stressed last week that the stadium itself will not form part of this exercise, with its design to begin once the club has decided on the development options
United has launched a survey for fans to share their thoughts on the future of Old Trafford, with the Task Force set to deliver a final recommendation by the end of the year.
It has been reported that a new stadium would cost United more than £2bn and take six years to complete. United co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has previously set out his vision for a 100,000-capacity stadium that would rival the revamped Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona.
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