Etihad Campus, Stadium Development and Collar Site

[petrusha]

The understated class with which the gigantic strides to its realisation have been taken shows me that I am better waiting for the surprise - when the announcement comes the details will dwarf any dreams I might have had, and they'll leave me wide eyed and open mouthed. They'll leave the rest of the football world furious and green with envy. They'll leave Platini with little to do but tear up FFPR and make his peace with City. The future is sky blue.

I have had a stab (see below) but you're right, really. The length of time it's taken hasn't been in line with some of the predictions that were being made 3 or 4 years ago by usually well informed sources, but the one thing I've consoled myself with all along has been that, whatever eventually takes shape, it'll be worth the wait. As you say, when they announce plans, they tend to be more impressive than the likes of us could conceive anyway! :)

As we are seemingly get closer to some sort of announcement about the Collar Site I was wondering what people would like to see there?

Personally I would like (and expect) to see an arena capable of hosting loads of different sports as well as concerts etc.

There will be room for one of the best footy museums where VR is used to recreate all manner of different moments of the clubs history.

And of course it would be great to see a cutting edge tech based theme park too, perhaps something like Marvel or Pixar type stuff.

Plus the cheetah racing, mate, of course! ;)

Seriously, I think the above is pretty much what it's likely to turn out to be. I hope the visitor attraction bit will be something that will attract annual numbers of visitors that are well into eight figures; that'd be a boon for Manchester given that our top attraction now is the Museum of Science and Industry, which draws about 800K per year.

IMO there'll be a flexible arena/exhibition centre that can be reconfigured to hold all different types of events, including mid-level conferences. In other words, it won't compete with but rather will complement Manchester Central and the Arena, but it will be used pretty regularly to ensure even more regular footfall to the site,

Presumably there'll be a hotel, and if they can squeeze in some commercial space, that could be exciting, too. Maybe scope for a prestigious company with Abu Dhabi links to set up a UK/northern European HQ there?

But as BsHR says above, whatever is built, it's likely to be something that's going to make us happy.

 

[petrusha]

Why would you want to get rid of the Apollo? It's by far the best music venue in Manchester, it serves as a middle ground for bands that are too big for the Academy but are too small for the Arena (which by the way is terrible as a music venue). Long live the Apollo!

I know a lot of people criticise the Arena as a music venue but the fact that it is (or certainly was recently - not sure of latest figures) at number 2 out of all comparable arenas in the world for visitor numbers makes it a big Manc success story. Likewise, I think the Apollo has an important place for the reasons you state. But the capacity of the Apollo is only 3.5K according to information I've just found after a quick google.

This is a huge gap and it means that there's definitely scope IMO for somewhere in the middle - for acts who could sell out the Apollo twice over but would struggle to shift even 50% of available seats if they booked the Arena. I suspect we'll see, as I've said, a flexible exhibition venue based in ADNEC in Abu Dhabi (or, if you prefer, London Excel, which is owned by ADNEC), which can be configured to create a hall of around 6K I think. Something similar or slightly bigger (in the range of 7K or 8K) in Manchester would complement the Arena and the Apollo and not detract from them, because acts that look for a capacity of that level tend at the moment to miss out Manchester.

 

[gouldybob]

Why would you want to get rid of the Apollo? It's by far the best music venue in Manchester, it serves as a middle ground for bands that are too big for the Academy but are too small for the Arena (which by the way is terrible as a music venue). Long live the Apollo!

Apollo has had it's day and has a great site to link to the Brunswick development in the area.

I agree with you about the size which is why I said a configurable arena, Leeds can go down to less than 3000 I believe , regarding the Arena I also agree and prefer to go to Liverpool and Leeds if possible as they are smaller but the sound at the Arena and the Apollo are both crap, maybe we can build something that works. Don't get me wrong I've had fun at the Apollo but Manchester deserves better and we can provide it. Apollo RIP... Apollo memories a Cellar Thread. ?????

 

[Rammyblues]

Sad day if the Appollo goes number of top bands I have seen there over the years another bit of history lost but with absolutely fond memories.

 

[gouldybob]

Sad day if the Appollo goes number of top bands I have seen there over the years another bit of history lost but with absolutely fond memories.

Felt the same when lost the Gaumont Cinema (Deep Purple), Kings Hall (The Clash), Electric Circus (Punk Heaven) Free Trade Hall (to many) , The Hacienda, and the Apollo will always have Oasis, Faithless and New Order... But like Maine Road, the memory is in my head, not in a building. Bring on the future.

 

[Zubrman]

Sad day if the Appollo goes number of top bands I have seen there over the years another bit of history lost but with absolutely fond memories.

And I used to go there on a Saturday morning as an ABC Minor, (With a glow in the dark badge.)

Glad memories.

 

[CitizenTID]

Who is blaspheming against the Apollo!? The sound is fine in there and who in their right mind would want it to go?

The Arena besides the shit name it now has, does have poor acoustics but not much you could do about it bar them spending silly money which they won't.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Sad day if the Apollo goes number of top bands I have seen there over the years another bit of history lost but with absolutely fond memories.

Seconded!!

 

[Academica]

Was told tonight that construction on the south stand will be underway by the time we play Cardiff.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Who is blaspheming against the Apollo!? The sound is fine in there and who in their right mind would want it to go?

The Arena besides the shit name it now has, does have poor acoustics but not much you could do about it bar them spending silly money which they won't.

The sound at the Arena is akin to the sound at New Bingley Hall Stafford if anyone had the delight of going seeing the top top bands there in the 1970's. But the sound was shite!! as is the Arena!!