Etihad Campus, Stadium and Collar Site Development Thread

[Corky]

The reason I suggest is that a certain Spanish gentlemen I have dealings with who was working at city when we did the first stand spoke about viability for the second. If I remember correctly he spoke about an indoor city square or arena which would help justify the cost of expansion. The first stand was effectively made possible by the extra costs of the 93.20 and the tunnel club rather than the extra 6000 seats. He spoke to me saying the corporate was pretty much at its limit so he had to come up with something clever to make the business plan for the other end work.

No one has come up with the actual location for the arena and we could build one that effectively starts (underground like our stadium) at the area where city square is now. I may be wrong with this one but it maybe I am bang on.

The NIA in Birmingham is like that, there are two big 6 a side pitches under it with gym stuff too, but the arena itself would surely need to be away from the stadium. The Spanish are well into their basket ball, but Manchester already has the biggest basketball arena in Europe.

At that end I was expecting a mid-market food offer that any fan could access before and after games, sit down restaurant stuff, as the surveys were trying to test the demand. Unless there was little demand demonstrable.

 

[worsleyweb]

The NIA in Birmingham is like that, there are two big 6 a side pitches under it with gym stuff too, but the arena itself would surely need to be away from the stadium. The Spanish are well into their basket ball, but Manchester already has the biggest basketball arena in Europe.

At that end I was expecting a mid-market food offer that any fan could access before and after games, sit down restaurant stuff, as the surveys were trying to test the demand. Unless there was little demand demonstrable.

You may be correct. Logistics of a Saturday night concert after a 5 o’clock exit from the stadium may not work?

 

[gouldybob]

You may be correct. Logistics of a Saturday night concert after a 5 o’clock exit from the stadium may not work?

Never wind a Saturday, how about a sold out mid week 8pm kick off with a sold out 20k arena. Best part of 80000 hitting the area in about half an hour. Would make one hell of a tram queue. People would be leaving at half time to "miss the traffic."

 

[HelloCity]

If I remember they have talked about a covered City Square at the back of the North Stand when extended, so from Worsleywebs post would the arena be back from the stand but have a covered shared area joining the stand that could be used for both City Square pre games and also arena crowds pre event .

The area behind the north stand is the most important in the whole campus when it comes to people movement.

This will remain completely open as it is now.

I think they might even be moving the City Store when they build the stand just so there’s more room for people due to the extra room the new stand will take up.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

If I remember they have talked about a covered City Square at the back of the North Stand when extended, so from Worsleywebs post would the arena be back from the stand but have a covered shared area joining the stand that could be used for both City Square pre games and also arena crowds pre event .

That would be a great idea.

 

[HelloCity]

That would be a great idea.

It would be disastrous in terms of safety and people movement.

 

[blueparrot]

The area behind the north stand is the most important in the whole campus when it comes to people movement.

This will remain completely open as it is now.

I think they might even be moving the City Store when they build the stand just so there’s more room for people due to the extra room the new stand will take up.

The store will definitely move, but theres open and theres open, it doesn’t mean the arena can’t be built back from the stand and the between bit roofed but sides left open for people movement. I’ve no idea really just putting what is an informed guess from @worsleyweb and what has been suggested previously about cover and enhanced City square.

 

[blueparrot]

You may be correct. Logistics of a Saturday night concert after a 5 o’clock exit from the stadium may not work?

That would apply wherever the arena is on the campus though, I’d expect arena events would be worked around fixtures. Though an issue like the last minute fixture changes would be a problem, actually not even last minute as concerts are booked months in advance, so something like the Leicester change last season to Monday would cause chaos.

 

[HelloCity]

The store will definitely move, but theres open and theres open, it doesn’t mean the arena can’t be built back from the stand and the between bit roofed but sides left open for people movement. I’ve no idea really just putting what is an informed guess from @worsleyweb and what has been suggested previously about cover and enhanced City square.

It does mean it. There’s zero chance of that happening.

There isn’t even close to the space to have an arena behind the North Stand with the need for people to leave the Stadium and get to the trams and down Mercer Way.

You’re looking at an indoor social club in the new North Stand in the area where 93:20 is at the other end, and potentially an indoor drinking area near the Summerbee Bar.

Edit -

Just to put it into context for you. Imagine a building behind the North Stand that’s bigger than the Manchester Arena.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It would be disastrous in terms of safety and people movement.

Presumably there would not be a clash of events ie if there was a concert on a Saturday night City would not be allowed to play at the same time (the police would decide). Wembley arena is just a couple of hundred yards from Wembley Stadium. It holds about 12,500 and the stadium about 87,000. At the Etihad there is a hell of a lot space for exits on those big car parks towards the gas works.
You may be right but what would be good for City is we could have a big covered area for fans to use pre-match as well as a huge increase in corporate seats. If they build a hotel nearby they could market joint football/concert packages to overseas visitors. The current Manchester Arena is past its sell-by-date and when I have been the acoustics have been pretty shit (at least in the cheaper seats)