Manchester City Football Club has recently applied for planning permission to enlarge the capacity of their Etihad Stadium to over 60,000 seats. Along with the expansion, the club plans to invest £300 million to add a hotel, museum, and various other facilities to the stadium.
The development is set to add approximately 7,000 new seats to the stadium, as well as a covered fan zone, club shop, museum, and a 400-bed hotel.
The inclusion of Etihad Stadium on the list of 10 stadiums to host matches for Euro 2028 last week further highlights the importance of the proposed development. The joint UK and Ireland bid stated that the stadium would have a planned capacity of 61,000 seats.
Danny Wilson, the managing director of operations at Manchester City, said that the club has been working on the project for several months and is now delighted to have submitted the planning application to Manchester City Council. He also highlighted the club’s priority of ensuring the local community benefits from the development, stating that the proposal would create economic and social opportunities, building on the regeneration work that the City Football Group has been doing in East Manchester since 2008.
Since the Abu Dhabi-backed takeover of Manchester City 15 years ago, the area surrounding the Etihad has undergone a significant transformation. In 2012, the Etihad Campus, which includes the club’s training ground and office headquarters, was opened, and in 2015, the south stand of the Etihad underwent a previous expansion.
The proposed expansion of the Etihad Stadium and the addition of new facilities is expected to take the fan experience to a whole new level and make it a year-round entertainment and leisure destination.
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