Birmingham City’s plans to build a new multi=purpose stadium have taken a step forward after owners Knighthead completed the purchase of land in the east of the city. Knighthead has bought a 48-acre site in Bordesley Park from cash strapped Birmingham City Council and confirmed plans to build a new “world-class” stadium and training ground.
The “Sports Quarter” will be home to facilities for the
men’s, women’s and academy sides and aims to be a “globally recognisable
sporting and entertainment location”.
The land is a former motor racing park and is located less
than one mile away from St Andrew’s, which has been Birmingham’s home ground
since 1906. You can see it from the
railway into Birmingham New Street which runs alongside.
The site had previously been the subject for a proposed
55,000-seater stadium for the football club and Warwickshire County Cricket
Club as part of the Birmingham Sports Village, but this fell through in 2006.
Birmingham’s training ground has been located outside of the
city at the Elite Performance and Innovation Centre, the former home of Wasps
rugby club, following a fire at the Wast Hill training ground in March 2023.
They signed a three-year lease for the centre in December.
The regeneration project will also include community pitches,
a hotel (it is on the Birmingham Airport side of the city) and a commercial
space to support local businesses. The club estimate it will create 3,000 new
jobs.
Shelby Companies, a UK subsidiary of U.S.-based Knighthood
Capital Management, purchased a 45.64 per cent stake in Birmingham and
took full control of St Andrew’s in July 2023. NFL legend Tom Brady became
a minority owner in August.
In an interview on Midlands TV, Blues emphasised that
relegation this season, should it happen, would not affect these plans which
are seen as a decade long project.
There have been problems with the condition of St. Andrews,
the club’s home for over a century in recent years. It is not clear what will happen to the
site, with one stand overhanging a
railway line into New Street making demolition challenging.
Comments
Post a Comment