With Old Trafford in desperate need of some TLC, Manchester United have revealed early plans and images for a potential new stadium build.
It’s common knowledge that Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams, has seen better days. Between the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, rumours have been bandied around about whether the stadium would have a complete rebuild or whether it would be renovated and expanded. Now though, it looks like we’re edging towards a definitive answer, after the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, set up in February, reached an initial conclusion that a new stadium build for United would be a more transformative option than redeveloping the existing ground – with a new 100,000-seater stadium reportedly the recommendation.
That has then been followed up by the first images of the stadium plans being unveiled at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Monday, which arrived along with the news that the club has appointed Foster + Partners to create a masterplan for the redevelopment of the land surrounding the stadium.
OK, so this initial image looks like something that you’d go and see your doctor about if you found it about your person. But, despite its gummy visage, an economic report commissioned to explore the benefits of a world-class 100,000-seater stadium as part of a regenerated Trafford Park has found the project could deliver an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK’s economy.
Manchester United have said: “The initial findings are based on a range of potential development opportunities in the Old Trafford area, including a 100,000-seater world-class stadium, plus new mixed-use developments around the stadium and in the adjacent Trafford Wharfside area, which will benefit the local community, attract new residents, increase job provision, and make it a vibrant destination for visitors from Manchester, the UK and all around the world.
"Foster + Partners, lead architects on the Stadium District, has helped to shape the proposals for how best to utilise the land around the stadium to regenerate the area into a powerful driver of sustainable growth centred around a sports, residential, entertainment, business, and education campus."
Watch this space for more developments on this story.
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