North Stand Construction Discussion

[Mr Edward's shoe mirror]

I appreciate your concerns, and I can see where you‘re coming from, but.

The club and Populous have delivered what the fans wanted.

1. A North stand with a large 2nd tier creating a proper home end.
2. A stand large enough to house everything the fans wanted.
3. A new and upgraded City Square/plaza with a roof, additional food and drink outlets, and extra seating and tables.
4. A new and larger souvenir store.
5. A new football museum.
6. A new hotel.


To do all of that and to fit it into the back of the North stand something had to give. And that something is the existing external symmetry of the stadium.

Internally the stadium will look superb with 2 different ends, with the North stand referencing ‘a home end’ due to it’s different design and larger 2nd tier. The roof symmetry will still probably look the same inside the ground? (to be confirmed at the exhibition)

I’ve still got concerns about 2 aspects of the design. The blank wall on the end of the left arm as you look at it from Joe Mercer Way. And the design of the hotel. But until I visit the exhibition and view the proposal in more detail and speak to the people involved in the proposal, I’m trying to keep and open mind about those 2 issues.

Well, it's not really a case of something has to give, that is why we create plans. You can have an option A, B or C.

It's not really a like it or lump it scenario.

There are many fans that attend games that wouldn't go anywhere near the fanzone, they turn up as the players are running out onto the pitch and are away again at the final whistle, and have no interest in taking selfies and half and half scarves or hanging around 3 hours before kick off, but yes an upgrade is required as the current one is a bit tired and flakey. And it is somewhere to create extra revenue from daytrippers/tourists, but it doesn't have to be an 8 storey hotel with all the bells and whistles.

Also, is a hotel really essential? It's not really that close to town. And it is dead on a non match day. Are people going to come out of their hotel rooms for a lazy stroll around an empty car park or sample the delights of Miles Platting? If you were staying over in Mcr for a game or a concert, then you'd be better off staying in town where all the bars, restaurants and shops are, and getting a tram to the game etc. I can't see people coming out of a gig and just going straight to bed, they're gonna want to go into town. Looks like a white elephant for me. I can understand why they build them near concert venues, but on Liverpool waterfront you can walk across the road and you are immediately at all the bars and restaurants, it's all right on your doorstep. I fear the place would be empty a lot of the time, and only occupied in and around home matches or gigs. I just can't see a hotel being a 365 day a year success, especially in that location.

There is a sizeable area where all the other things can be incorporated, without necessarily losing the view of the stadium. And then you have lots of options with the huge area under the new stand which will be vast. It seems a bit like they just want to build a hotel, first and foremost, then add all the other bits in, as a sort of nod to the fans, but essentially, it's just a big hotel shoved in front of the ground, like Ken Bates built at Chelsea in the 90's.

 

[levets]

If you parked just the other side of Princess Road. Quinney Crescent for example, you were away and back in South Manchester before those parked right near the ground had got into second gear. And it was only what, 10/12 minute walk?

Although Christ knows why I’m giving parking tips for a ground that was knocked down 20 years ago.

Being back in South Manchester was no good to me…. I lived in Chadderton. No way to avoid the traffic. Wilmslow Road, was a nightmare, no matter which route I drove home

 

[mancityvstoke]

Well, it's not really a case of something has to give, that is why we create plans. You can have an option A, B or C.

It's not really a like it or lump it scenario.

There are many fans that attend games that wouldn't go anywhere near the fanzone, they turn up as the players are running out onto the pitch and are away again at the final whistle, and have no interest in taking selfies and half and half scarves or hanging around 3 hours before kick off, but yes an upgrade is required as the current one is a bit tired and flakey. And it is somewhere to create extra revenue from daytrippers/tourists, but it doesn't have to be an 8 storey hotel with all the bells and whistles.

Also, is a hotel really essential? It's not really that close to town. And it is dead on a non match day. Are people going to come out of their hotel rooms for a lazy stroll around an empty car park or sample the delights of Miles Platting? If you were staying over in Mcr for a game or a concert, then you'd be better off staying in town where all the bars, restaurants and shops are, and getting a tram to the game etc. I can't see people coming out of a gig and just going straight to bed, they're gonna want to go into town. Looks like a white elephant for me. I can understand why they build them near concert venues, but on Liverpool waterfront you can walk across the road and you are immediately at all the bars and restaurants, it's all right on your doorstep. I fear the place would be empty a lot of the time, and only occupied in and around home matches or gigs. I just can't see a hotel being a 365 day a year success, especially in that location.

There is a sizeable area where all the other things can be incorporated, without necessarily losing the view of the stadium. And then you have lots of options with the huge area under the new stand which will be vast. It seems a bit like they just want to build a hotel, first and foremost, then add all the other bits in, as a sort of nod to the fans, but essentially, it's just a big hotel shoved in front of the ground, like Ken Bates built at Chelsea in the 90's.

There’s a Holiday Inn hotel in Newton On the Heath although I think it’s had lice

 

[eyalluvitt]

General impression I got is that they just don't have the number of trams to spare that city would need to even come close to making it reasonable on a match day. Maybe it'll change for this! This convo was the best part of a year ago so we'll see. Things could have changed.

Luke Shaw calls the shots when it comes to the Trams, we just have to accept that

 

[jrb]

Well, it's not really a case of something has to give, that is why we create plans. You can have an option A, B or C.

It's not really a like it or lump it scenario.

There are many fans that attend games that wouldn't go anywhere near the fanzone, they turn up as the players are running out onto the pitch and are away again at the final whistle, and have no interest in taking selfies and half and half scarves or hanging around 3 hours before kick off, but yes an upgrade is required as the current one is a bit tired and flakey. And it is somewhere to create extra revenue from daytrippers/tourists, but it doesn't have to be an 8 storey hotel with all the bells and whistles.

Also, is a hotel really essential? It's not really that close to town. And it is dead on a non match day. Are people going to come out of their hotel rooms for a lazy stroll around an empty car park or sample the delights of Miles Platting? If you were staying over in Mcr for a game or a concert, then you'd be better off staying in town where all the bars, restaurants and shops are, and getting a tram to the game etc. I can't see people coming out of a gig and just going straight to bed, they're gonna want to go into town. Looks like a white elephant for me. I can understand why they build them near concert venues, but on Liverpool waterfront you can walk across the road and you are immediately at all the bars and restaurants, it's all right on your doorstep. I fear the place would be empty a lot of the time, and only occupied in and around home matches or gigs. I just can't see a hotel being a 365 day a year success, especially in that location.

There is a sizeable area where all the other things can be incorporated, without necessarily losing the view of the stadium. And then you have lots of options with the huge area under the new stand which will be vast. It seems a bit like they just want to build a hotel, first and foremost, then add all the other bits in, as a sort of nod to the fans, but essentially, it's just a big hotel shoved in front of the ground, like Ken Bates built at Chelsea in the 90's.

I don’t do City Square myself as a rule, as I don’t like standing in the cold and rain for most of the season. If I could stand or sit inside a dry and warm City Square with a roof over my head and have a pint, I’d be tempted to go.

You obviously haven’t been to City Square as it‘s not only for tourists and day trippers.(arf!) There are plenty of FOC’s, families, and City fans of all ages who drink, eat, and hang about there before a match. Especially in the Summer and late Spring when the weather is better . That’s a poor generalisation on your behalf of what City Square isn’t

The hotel is 5 minutes away from the NQ and town in a taxi.
The Etihad hotel will cater for concerts, events, conferences, as well as matches.

The Coop Live Arena will remain open after concerts and events until late. There will be ‘32 bars, lounges and restaurants’ inside the Coop Live Arena. There’s no need to go into town if you don’t want to. You can stagger out of the Coop Live Arena and fall straight into your Etihad Hotel bed. There’s no need to stay in a hotel in the city centre.

The proposal is nothing like the 2 hotels at Stamford Bridge. Trust me, I’ve stayed in one of the hotels when City played against Chelsea. Thankfully the Kings Road was just around the corner.



On Saturday why don’t you pop into the exhibition outside the Etihad and find out a bit more about the proposal for yourself?

 

[richards30]

The transport issue I get but some wingeing about other stuff like the hotel, new city square being built in to the north stand looks the nuts to me!? Showed it to my mates who are non city fans and all first impressions were huge WOW! Unique as well was mentioned a few times so I think when all CGI’s are shown, views will change again. The hotel will be busy all the time with the new arena opening and people will stay there because of the stadium imo, stadium tours will increase and the two venues side by side will be a huge success.

 

[Mr Edward's shoe mirror]

I don’t do City Square myself as a rule, as I don’t like standing in the cold and rain for most of the season. If I could stand or sit inside a dry and warm City Square with a roof over my head and have a pint, I’d be tempted to go.

You obviously haven’t been to City Square as it‘s not only for tourists and day trippers.(arf!) There are plenty of FOC’s, families, and City fans of all ages who drink, eat, and hang about there before a match. Especially in the Summer and late Spring when the weather is better . That’s a poor generalisation on your behalf of what City Square isn’t

The hotel is 5 minutes away from the NQ and town in a taxi.
The Etihad hotel will cater for concerts, events, conferences, as well as matches.

The Coop Live Arena will remain open after concerts and events until late. There will be ‘32 bars, lounges and restaurants’ inside the Coop Live Arena. There’s no need to go into town if you don’t want to. You can stagger out of the Coop Live Arena and fall straight into your Etihad Hotel bed. There’s no need to stay in a hotel in the city centre.

The proposal is nothing like the 2 hotels at Stamford Bridge. Trust me, I’ve stayed in one of the hotels when City played against Chelsea. Thankfully the Kings Road was just around the corner.

View attachment 70883

On Saturday why don’t you pop into the exhibition outside the Etihad and find out a bit more about the proposal for yourself?

Hey, I agree that City square requires all of the things you mentioned, but it can all be incorporated into a single or 2 storey building, spread over a large area, without a huge hotel on top of it, which totally obscures the view of an iconic stadium.

There are 365 days in a year. How many home matches & gigs be taking place across the entirety of that year? Even if it was one match and one gig per week, which it isn't, that would be 104 nights. Is that enough to keep a massive hotel going?

In this image, it actually looks like the fanzone and shops/bars will be on the ground floor and the hotel is sitting on top of it. For me, it is the hotel which ruins it. The ground floor areas would be fine and would not be an eyesore.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

I hope this means Sunderland will never get Beyonce again.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Hey, I agree that City square requires all of the things you mentioned, but it can all be incorporated into a single or 2 storey building, spread over a large area, without a huge hotel on top of it, which totally obscures the view of an iconic stadium.

There are 365 days in a year. How many home matches & gigs be taking place across the entirety of that year? Even if it was one match and one gig per week, which it isn't, that would be 104 nights. Is that enough to keep a massive hotel going?

In this image, it actually looks like the fanzone and shops/bars will be on the ground floor and the hotel is sitting on top of it. For me, it is the hotel which ruins it. The ground floor areas would be fine and would not be an eyesore.

The will be 27 home games, 6 stadium gigs, 120 gigs in the arena, a dozen ladies games, countless functions at City inc Xmas party season, the velodrome, campus / academy games, tourists wanting to stay near the ground, overspill of weekend Manchester visitors.

The Arena is a game changer. Will become far busier when that opens.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Hey, I agree that City square requires all of the things you mentioned, but it can all be incorporated into a single or 2 storey building, spread over a large area, without a huge hotel on top of it, which totally obscures the view of an iconic stadium.

There are 365 days in a year. How many home matches & gigs be taking place across the entirety of that year? Even if it was one match and one gig per week, which it isn't, that would be 104 nights. Is that enough to keep a massive hotel going?

In this image, it actually looks like the fanzone and shops/bars will be on the ground floor and the hotel is sitting on top of it. For me, it is the hotel which ruins it. The ground floor areas would be fine and would not be an eyesore.

Hotels are not just places to sleep in though. They hold conferences for companies. Business meetings. Events. Maybe accommodation for travelling football agents, players and families who are considering moving to City. Places for international musicians, touring facilitators, lighting, sound and stage managers to meet at and stay over while checking out the co-op live music venue, a place to have a nice meal etc etc. I imagine the surroundings will be developed and it may be a nice place to go before strolling down the canal into town for example.