Mueez Ajao
– Manchester City have submitted a planning application for a £300m expansion of Etihad Stadium.
– The club want to increase the current capacity of 53,400 to 60,000 by expanding the North Stand.
– Proposals include a sky bar overlooking the pitch and a stadium roof walk experience.
Also Read: Guardiola sends Arsenal message after Man City set up Premier League ‘final’
– A 3,000-capacity fan zone, new club shop and museum, and 400-bed hotel have also been proposed in the application to Manchester City Council.
– The club say the project, which would take three years to complete, would create a “best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination”.
– The planning application follows a consultation with fans and the local community.
– City say the proposals represent more than £300m investment into east Manchester, and could create 2,600 jobs, with priority for people from Greater Manchester.
– There are also plans for new office spaces for businesses that want to work in collaboration with the club and their partners.
– In August, City announced discussions were in a primary phase to expand the two-tier North Stand to three tiers, but their planning application proposes to expand the single upper tier above the existing lower tier.
– “As with all Club developments, ensuring our local community benefit is a key priority and we believe these proposals will deliver long-term economic and social opportunities, building on the regeneration work delivered in east Manchester by City Football Group since 2008,” said Danny Wilson, managing director of Manchester City Operations.
We are delighted to announce a planning application has been submitted for an entertainment destination at the Etihad Stadium.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 18, 2023
– The Etihad was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has been home to the Premier League champions since 2003.
– An expansion in 2015 added 6,000 seats and the ground currently has the fifth-largest capacity of Premier League stadiums.
