Manchester City plans to upscale Etihad Stadium to 60,000 capacity as part of £300m investment

LONDON – English Premier League champions Manchester City are submitting plans to increase the capacity of their Etihad Stadium from its current 53,500 to 60,000, the club said on Tuesday.

An expanded North Stand will be part of a range of upgrades in and around the stadium, including a 3,000-capacity covered Fan Zone, a sky bar, 400-bed hotel and new museum.

City say the proposed developments represent more than £300 million (S$497 million) of investment into east Manchester that could create 2,600 jobs for the local population.

The works would take three years to complete.

“Over several months we have been developing concepts and designs for a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium and are delighted to have now submitted a planning application to Manchester City Council,” Danny Wilson, City’s managing director for operations, said in a statement.

“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.”

City’s stadium, originally built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, is currently only the fifth-largest in terms of capacity in the Premier League with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and West Ham United all bigger.

Last week, the Etihad was included on the list of 10 stadia which would host matches if the Britiain and Ireland’s joint bid for organising Euro 2028 is successful, with the bid quoting a planned new capacity of 61,000.

Since an Abu-Dhabi backed takeover 15 years ago, the area around the Etihad has been transformed.

The Etihad Campus, which comprises the club’s training ground and office headquarters, opened in 2012 and a previous expansion of the Etihad’s south stand was completed in 2015. Reuters, AFP