villarule123 Posted May 22, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted May 22, 2023 So when is the most likely start date for this? End of next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 12 minutes ago, Chine said: He wasn’t talking about next season he was talking about the one after when the work is supposed to be underway , I suppose no expansion could be a possibility It stands for any season we qualify for Europe though. I can't see NSWE forever postponing the project if we're in Europe. Capacity won't be reduced for next season but supposing we qualify for EL or ECL the following season. Couldn't it be argued that the extra home games would offset the reduction in capacity so it's a good time to do the work? For example 19 league plus say 3 domestic cup games at 42k equals a season attendance of 924k but 19 + 3 + say 6 EL or ECL home games at a reduced capacity of 35k equals 980k season attendance - all during a period where the club has to bite the bullet of reduced capacity at some point. Also, without low pricing, I'm not convinced we'd sell out a 42.6k capacity Villa Park for some EL or ECL games, so a 35k capacity wouldn't be much of a hit for those games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 27 minutes ago, villarule123 said: So when is the most likely start date for this? End of next season? Probably, but it also depends on what you perceive as work on the project. For example demolition of some of the North Stand car park buildings could commence before the end of next season, without affecting attendance capacity in anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chine Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 5 minutes ago, brommy said: It stands for any season we qualify for Europe though. I can't see NSWE forever postponing the project if we're in Europe. Capacity won't be reduced for next season but supposing we qualify for EL or ECL the following season. Couldn't it be argued that the extra home games would offset the reduction in capacity so it's a good time to do the work? For example 19 league plus say 3 domestic cup games at 42k equals a season attendance of 924k but 19 + 3 + say 6 EL or ECL home games at a reduced capacity of 35k equals 980k season attendance - all during a period where the club has to bite the bullet of reduced capacity at some point. Also, without low pricing, I'm not convinced we'd sell out a 42.6k capacity Villa Park for some EL or ECL games, so a 35k capacity wouldn't be much of a hit for those games. That all sounds sensible, I guess we will see what they come up with. With Brookvale due to fully open next month it would be nice for the project to continue towards the Stadium. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 1 hour ago, Chine said: That all sounds sensible, I guess we will see what they come up with. With Brookvale due to fully open next month it would be nice for the project to continue towards the Stadium. The plan is definitely to create a walkway straight from the new Academy going under the railway via a new underpass on the Aston side of Witton station to join the currently 'dead end' of Station Road that then comes out directly facing the back of the new North Stand and the Villa Live 'boxpark'. Hopefully with good paving, lighting, signage and a few trees etcetera, it should feel like an increase towards a Villa Park campus rather than just a standalone stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa82 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 1 minute ago, brommy said: The plan is definitely to create a walkway straight from the new Academy going under the railway via a new underpass on the Aston side of Witton station to join the currently 'dead end' of Station Road that then comes out directly facing the back of the new North Stand and the Villa Live 'boxpark'. Hopefully with good paving, lighting, signage and a few trees etcetera, it should feel like an increase towards a Villa Park campus rather than just a standalone stadium. This is part of phase two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Just now, villa82 said: This is part of phase two. What is defined as phase two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa82 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 5 minutes ago, brommy said: What is defined as phase two? phase two is the walkway under the train line and increasing capacity at the Holte end and DE stand. The increase has been mentioned several times, but no details beyond an increase of 2-3 thousand spectators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 22 minutes ago, villa82 said: phase two is the walkway under the train line and increasing capacity at the Holte end and DE stand. The increase has been mentioned several times, but no details beyond an increase of 2-3 thousand spectators. I remember now - details of phase 2 were very sketchy. I wonder if phase 2 will definitely happen, let's say in the next 5 years, or whether it'll be 'kicked in to the long grass' to be considered only when the D.E. stand is replaced, which could be decades away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted May 22, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2023 6 hours ago, villa82 said: phase two is the walkway under the train line and increasing capacity at the Holte end and DE stand. The increase has been mentioned several times, but no details beyond an increase of 2-3 thousand spectators. Phase two doesn't include the tunnel under the train line - it's included in the renders for the phase 1 project and it's something the club are very much pushing for - but it's not part of phase 1 or phase 2 because it won't be the clubs project - it'd have to be a project for the rail authorities working in conjunction with the council - it's not in the Villa Park phases. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted May 22, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted May 22, 2023 They will have to get it done before Euro 2028 or they'll probably be dropped as a host stadium. However there have been MASSIVE increases in construction costs this last 6 months. Steel costs have absolutely rocketed. Hopefully this is just down to power and transport costs which should start coming down again in the near future. Quite a few projects have been cancelled or put on hold that should dampen demand, and of course the HS2 slowdown may see less demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa82 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 31 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: Phase two doesn't include the tunnel under the train line - it's included in the renders for the phase 1 project and it's something the club are very much pushing for - but it's not part of phase 1 or phase 2 because it won't be the clubs project - it'd have to be a project for the rail authorities working in conjunction with the council - it's not in the Villa Park phases. Do you know this for sure? I may well be wrong, but that is not how I understand the planning document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted May 22, 2023 Moderator Share Posted May 22, 2023 3 minutes ago, villa82 said: Do you know this for sure? I may well be wrong, but that is not how I understand the planning document. Well, it's definitely described as phase two there, but the club's talk on things is very much "this is phase one with a load of detail and phase 2 something something, mumble, mumble" the most concrete detail I've heard them talk about for phase 2 so far is remodelling the underneath of the Lower Holte End to allow access for lorries to the pitch for installing staging for concerts and the like, they've also spoken about a lot of hospitality improvement as the next phase - phase 2 seems to be a collection of ideas rather than a construction project. In fact, I seem to remember someone from the VP team talking about the capacity increases to the Holte and Ellis as being phase 3 - it's all a bit mysterious beyond the beauty of phase 1. Building the push-through bridge is tricky because the earthwork that the track sits on is an existing building that belongs to an organisation and alterations would be alterations to their property - BCC can push for that and apparently are, Christian Purslow is massive on getting that done and it's a priority for him - but ultimately it'll be down to whether the railway people fancy it or not. I think the club would love for it to be done for phase 1 - but political will and the prevailing winds will decide. It's really important too - that academy facility could be a fantastic addition on matchdays - it's got space for people, for stuff for kids, parking for staff that alleviates some of the other problems - but no one will be overly keen on using it if you've got a long walk around Witton Island to get to the ground - that knock through tunnel is a game changer for us. In terms of the stuff on the Holte End/Doug Ellis corner, I don't actually think it's possible to do anything with the seating without knocking down one of the stands - it's a mystery to me how they're hoping to increase attendance in there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa82 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 «In terms of the stuff on the Holte End/Doug Ellis corner, I don't actually think it's possible to do anything with the seating without knocking down one of the stands - it's a mystery to me how they're hoping to increase attendance in there.» If we are to increase the capacity by two to three thousand, it is too little for us to tear down a stand and build a new one. Holte End is not being demolished, there is probably little to be done about it. Doug Ellis's stand can perhaps be demolished to make more room inside, but then the capacity should also be increased more. Either I think that a little more is built in the height of DE or the corner between Holte End and Trinity Road is built out. Both parts require permits from the city council Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meregreen Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 I’m sure I read somewhere that the ultimate aim was a 60000 stadium. That means a few more than 2 to 3 thousand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 I hope we get an update in the summer as it is coming up to 6 months since we got the planning permission. If the UK gets the 2028 euros in September that will firm up a timetable for completion, or Birmingham won't host any matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 Anyone else concerned with Purslow's departure this will get delayed further? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 3 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: Anyone else concerned with Purslow's departure this will get delayed further? Nah, he's done all the leg work. Maybe having it all set in stone has contributed to his departure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen_Evans Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 3 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: Anyone else concerned with Purslow's departure this will get delayed further? Yes but only because we've already been waiting 26 years! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villarule123 Posted June 12, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted June 12, 2023 You'd hope that it's not going to change anything, but the amount of times getting this new stand has been spoke of by various owners, I get the fear that this is destined to never happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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