Etihad Stadium
Target Capacity: 62,170
Prior Capacity: 47,805
Country: England
City: Manchester
Club: Manchester City FC
Owned by: Manchester City Council
The plans for Etihad Stadium were to upgrade the stadium and extend stands behind the north and south gates. This plan was confirmed in Spring 2013. The expected cost was around 50 million Euros.
The south stands actually began in April 2014 and was completed before 2015-2016. The north stands were delayed. The actual construction work began in Fall 2023. It was expected to be ready for the start of the 2025 season and the whole project to be complete by 2026. The redevelopment program cost 300 million euros.
New buildings would include restaurants, a museum, a new club shop, a sky bar, and a 400-bed hotel.
Overall, this new modern stadium will enhance the experience for fans by providing better amenities, opportunities and sponsorships. The new Etihad Stadium has the potential to impact the team's performance and bring the community together.
At Manchester City, "we are driven by a passionate belief that football can have a positive impact on our communities and empower better lives." (Mancity)
Do you think this renovation will have a positive impact?
Sources: http://stadiumdb.com/constructions/eng/etihad_stadium
https://www.mancity.com/etihad-stadium
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/sections/news/man-citys-300m-stadium-plans-approved-28-07-2023/#:~:text=Work%20on%20the%20stadium%20is,be%20finished%20by%20mid%2D2026.
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After reading this blog about Etihad Stadium I found myself really interested first in how much time it took to plan out this renovation and pursue the reconstruction. I completely understand that as a business reaching the start of these projects take their time but personally I was in shock. It really leads me to be excited about the new stadium and what it'll bring. I noticed that there was a lot of money put into this new stadium, how do you think it'll compete with other stadiums that are near by including Manchester United? Are there any special additions you know of or would add yourself to compete with others?
ReplyDelete-Marissa Martinez
Hi! Thanks for your comment. I think that this new and large stadium will compete with other stadiums nearby including Manchester United. The competition between stadiums often revolves around factors such as location, facilities, amenities, and overall fan experience. The new Etihad Stadium would likely compete with nearby stadiums by focusing on offering unique features and attractions that set it apart from its competitors. I think it is mostly dependent on how the stadium continues after it is re done and revamped. For example, how they host their events/gatherings, community engagement, partnerships and sponsorships, and their sustainability initiatives. By focusing on these aspects, the new Etihad Stadium can definitely compete with nearby stadiums and establish itself as a premier destination for sports and entertainment.
DeleteAlso, this stadium has a larger goal. "Its larger aim is to advance the role of the Etihad, which is owned by Manchester City Council and leased by the football club, as an anchor for the greater community. One key way of seeing that through is by growing tomorrow's workforce, today." (Forbes)
DeleteThis seems like a long project in my opinion to upgrade a stadium. I understand that construction projects almost always get delayed and take longer than they are expected to, but for this project to take over 12 years to complete seems far too long. The seven year gap between completing the south stands and beginning on the north is odd. I am sure that COVID contributed to this delay, but I can help but wonder if there were other factors. Manchester City has also been in trouble with UEFA regarding their Financial Fair Play regulations. Stadium costs are exempt from Financial Fair Play, so I am curious as to how much is being spent on the stadium and how these costs are helping the club stay out of trouble witj UEFA.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that a stadium taking too long on a project will negatively effect the community and the future of the sports team. I think that it will completely disengage the fans from attending events and wanting to follow the team. The future plans and proposals have taken a long time. First, they started with the first phases in early 2000's. Now, they had an identical operation due to take place on the other sides of the stadium. Although, this project was delayed a few years. The club announced it was in the process of figuring out options and further expanding the stadium. I hope this clears up the timeline from our blog. Regarding financial fair play, the FFP rules primarily focus on the financial health and sustainability of football clubs. The costs associated with stadium renovations or construction are typically considered separately from a club's day-to-day operations and player expenditures. I am not exactly sure how the money and financials worked out within Manchester City and the renovated Etihad Stadium, however, I am interested in finding out as well.
DeleteAlthough the expansion of Etihad Stadium seems to be significantly large with roughly 15,000 seats being added, the project duration expecting to span over 12 years seems very inefficient/extreme, especially since the south end of the stadium was able to be completed in only two years. Besides the obvious restrictions the Covid-19 pandemic had on the delay of north end of the stadiums expansion, I'm very curious as to whether the remainder of the postponement was due to financial restrictions or further developmental conflicts. Aside from this, I am also curios on whether the refurbished stadium will have the capability of hosting a variety of sports/events and include any other sort of new sustainable features. Do you have any sort of information on that?
ReplyDelete- Conor Diedrich
Hi Conor. Thanks for your comment! I uploaded a comment above regarding more information for the timeline of the renovation progress. Regarding the remainder of the postponement, it had to do with COVID19. In 2020, they postponed the plans until the long term impact of COVID was known. The refurbished stadium will have the capability of hosting a variety of events. This is due to the large amount of seats and capacity they will be able to hold. The proposal would see an extra 7,900 seats added to the north stand, increasing the stadium capacity to 61,958, as well as a nine story 391-bedroom hotel and a new eight-story building constructed. There is the potential for more people to visit and attend the games and events. It would be a shame if they did not host events and have more fan engagement, or implement sustainable features. There is a huge opening for them to make profit and have lots of revenue from this large stadium.
DeleteThis project is very intriguing as it seems to be quite purposeful and carefully laid out. It is always a good move to increase the capacity of your stadium as this will result in a direct increase in revenue as long as you can sell the tickets and fill the seats. Increasing the size of a stadium can also increase the appeal of the stadium, drawing better and more sponsorship agreements. I am also a fan of the fact that they are also putting an emphasis on improving the area around the stadium by building hotels, museums, and restaurants. This will increase fan engagement and bring greater crowds outside of the stadium, increasing the overall fan experience for individuals traveling to the stadium. Some of the most popular and famous stadiums in the world have incorporated this factor into their stadiums such as Wrigley Field. What are some other things that you believe they can do to draw people to their stadium and increase the overall fan experience?
ReplyDelete-Kyle Forbes
Thank you for your comment. It is interesting to compare other stadiums in the US to the Etihad stadium. I think they can increase fan engagement and draw other people to their stadium and increase the overall experience by being sustainable as well. I think they should incorporate power saving or energy observant systems. They can also factor in better grass or turf. This will bring more people to be a fan of the stadium and support the team.
DeleteIn theory the new Etihad Stadium's makeover sounds like a game-changer, with the upgraded stands, new amenities, and a whole lot of cool additions, but the 12 year wait time seems like a very very long time.
ReplyDelete-Tati Clinton
This blog post caught my eye because of the gap between starting renovations and the expected end date. I wish you elaborate a little bit more on why renovation of the north stands was delayed and why the expected end date is 10 years past when they originally planned on starting it. Before answering the question you posted I would like to know what facilities the stadium had prior to the renovations and how the new restaurants, museum, new club shop, and a sky bar has changed the experiences for the fans and club as a whole?
Delete-Meaghan Stack