Manchester City seeks stadium revamp feedback
The football club’s proposals are centred around an expanded North Stand, which would increase the Etihad Stadium’s capacity to more than 60,000.
Manchester City has launched a consultation to add 7,700 seats above the existing lower tier of the North Stand. A hotel would also be integrated into the stand, as well as a new club shop and museum. The museum is currently located on the first floor of the existing CityStore.
Plans for 43,000 sq ft of offices are also included to provide coworking space for start-up and medium-sized organisations.
Additionally, a covered fan zone with the capacity to accommodate 3,000 fans is proposed. The area would provide food and drink units and live entertainment.
A club shop, museum, and hotel would be integrated into the North Stand. Credit: via Manchester City
Manchester City also seeks to enhance and expand Metrolink queue facilities in order to safely separate queues and improve circulation. Walking and cycling routes around the stadium would also be improved.
Construction is estimated to take around three years to complete, with the main construction contract to be awarded in September and work to begin in November.
Work should be completed by August 2025, in time for the 2025-2026 football season, with the hotel to follow in 2026.
These proposals come on the 20th anniversary of the club’s move to the Etihad Stadium, and build on feasibility studies undertaken in December.
Manchester City was granted planning permission for the expansion of its North Stand in 2015. At the same time its South Stand was expanded to increase the stadium’s capacity to 54,500.
The project would represent over £300m of investment in East Manchester. Since 2008, Manchester City has overseen more than £700m of private sector investment into the region.
The club recently invested in the Co-Op Live arena, a 23,500-capacity venue, in a joint venture with developer Oak View Group.
The consultation for the North Stand expansion proposals will run until 26 March and can be accessed at mancity.com.
Alternatively, a temporary exhibition space will be available to visit in the Etihad Stadium’s City Square from 4 March.
Consultation events will be held on the following dates:
- 9 March at Beswick Library, from 3pm-6:30pm
- 13 March at the National Cycling Centre, from 3pm-7pm
- 15 March at Church of the Apostles on Ridgway Street, from 3:30pm-6:30pm
As a fan of both City and architecture i’m somewhat underwhelmed. The stand itself is not in keeping with the rest of the bowl and the way it just cuts through the existing curvature of the roof with vertical ends just feels clunky and unconsidered. The covered city square is a nice addition though!
By Anonymous
Doesn’t matter where the money comes from, as long as the money comes. Isn’t that right?
By Unlevelled for balance
I’m not a city fan but can’t help but be impressed by the huge changes and the investment made in this part of the city. All this could merely have been a casino 30 yrs ago if allowed. Don’t care whether red or blue, but Manchester has greatly benefited.
By Anonymous
Great news for the club, it’s supporters, the City of Manchester and the area in general.
What with the Mayfield, Great Ancoats street , the Old Mill St/ Bradford road developments and of course HS2 the whole area between the Etihad campus and the City centre will evolve and improve over the next couple of decades.
The only downside for me is public transport. Not everyone can walk, cycle or catch the metro link to the Etihad or Co-op live Arena as can be witnessed by the number of cars and taxis.
By Peter Chapman
Re Anonymous at 12.22
Totally agree with you about the design.
Manchester City had the opportunity at the concept stage to have a stadium size virtually whatever they wanted.
They could have had a 60,000 plus stadium exactly the same design as the original first looked before expansion.
The club wasn’t in the position it is financially now though then so the powers that be played it safe and went for 48,000.
Hindsight is a great thing though.
By Peter Chapman
Re Unlevelled for balance.
I don’t think too many people are concerned about where the money comes from if it benefits them and the wider area.
I remember all that area when it had a lot of heavy industry then became a wasteland due to cheaper manufacturing overseas.
What Manchester City’s current owners and their predecessors plus MCC is nothing short of a miracle. Long May it continue.
By Peter Chapman
Not sure about the overall look but City and United getting a lot of investment hopefully. It’s Manchester as a whole that benefits though, even though this is just a tiny fraction of what’s been going on.
By James
Let`s be honest the owners are so awash with money even before the last expansion they could have built a complete new stadium with 75-80,000 capacity and used the current one for the ladies.
By Anonymous
The South stand expansion was a different height but in the final drawings they curved the roof down to the existing level. I suspect they’ll do something similar. The drawings by looking at them I suspect won’t be the final design
By Tomo
There’s still nothing around there despite the claim or regeneration, very underwhelming
By Phi
There’s still nothing around there!? …what an odd comment! stadia, velodrome, new arena, housing, transport….you have a strange view of ‘nothing!
By Anonymous
Peter Chapman – I’d guess the roofline will drop and “blend” in like the South Stand and the front line will drop so sound is projected onto the pitch. A complaint that the original roof had was it was designed for athletics and noise dissipation. One over the older aspirations and club mock ups was the extension of the 3rd tier on the East and West stands so the original cable net support can be replaced by a new roof on the whole stadium. Still plenty to come on this site I think
By John0407
the stadium has lost its elegance. It’s now becoming as ugly as old Trafford.
By Yoda
The design is very boxy and basic, and it does not blend in with the existing stadium. the rest of the stadium seems to be showing some aging too. It would be ideal if they could spruce up the concrete exterior somehow and make it more modern.
By Anonymous
Really good for club and area around the ground Really great x
By Anonymous