Villa Park redevelopment

[trekka]

On 15/04/2021 at 07:46, villan-scott said:

I propose a name change too. Birmingham Villa. Amirite?!?!

[The Fun Factory]

Not really news but in the  Birmingham Mail Preece again uses the word expansion rather than redevelopment for the North Stand.  If/when the club make another update I think we need to look carefully at the phrasing. To me expansion means just adding seats probably in the corners of the existing stand, whereas I would see redevelopment as a complete knock-down and rebuild job.

Perhaps they are looking at the cost/benefit analysis of any possible work. The advantage of just adding the corners I presume would be cheaper and that you could keep the existing north stand  or at least parts of it open with the building work.  The disadvantages is that you are keeping a old tired stand with cramped facilities. Any work would require the roof to be removed  which would be quite a big job regardless if the stand is then demolished or refurbished.

Making a very rough comparison if this was done as a expensive option then it might be something like the quadrants at Old Trafford which has loads of corporate facilities and 8,000 extra seats, or the cheaper option like the corners that have been filled in Bramall Lane which added a couple of thousand to the capacity.

I guess it is all tied into the proposed demolition of the academy and villa village building. The back of Villa Park is a huge area. Maybe they are thinking of building something separate from the stand to include further corporate facilities and then just to add some seats in the corner as a cheaper option. This is entirely guesswork so I could be completely wrong. I shall watch with interest.

Edited April 30, 2021 by The Fun Factory

[Dave-R]

1 hour ago, The Fun Factory said:

Not really news but in the  Birmingham Mail Preece again uses the word expansion rather than redevelopment for the North Stand.  If/when the club make another update I think we need to look carefully at the phrasing. To me expansion means just adding seats probably in the corners of the existing stand, whereas I would see redevelopment as a complete knock-down and rebuild job.

Perhaps they are looking at the cost/benefit analysis of any possible work. The advantage of just adding the corners I presume would be cheaper and that you could keep the existing north stand  or at least parts of it open with the building work.  The disadvantages is that you are keeping a old tired stand with cramped facilities. Any work would require the roof to be removed  which would be quite a big job regardless if the stand is then demolished or refurbished.

Making a very rough comparison if this was done as a expensive option then it might be something like the quadrants at Old Trafford which has loads of corporate facilities and 8,000 extra seats, or the cheaper option like the corners that have been filled in Bramall Lane which added a couple of thousand to the capacity.

I guess it is all tied into the proposed demolition of the academy and villa village building. The back of Villa Park is a huge area. Maybe they are thinking of building something separate from the stand to include further corporate facilities and then just to add some seats in the corner as a cheaper option. This is entirely guesswork so I could be completely wrong. I shall watch with interest.

Perhaps they may just add corners to the north, as you say that's expanding, but then I spose the other stands would then of been mentioned because the corners attach to them.

 

 

[thabucks]

You cannot just attach new corner stands to the Holte or North Stand due to the goal post construction of these stands. The roof supports would require removal and the roof supported by other means. You could add seats to the corner of the Trinity Road stands but not a full corner - What Spurs have done would be relatively easily achievable and leaves space for a New North Stand 

[DaveAV1]

When we do redevelop part or all of Villa Park, I don’t think that the cost will be a major factor. It’s not included in FFP and so that won’t restrict us. 
 

NSWE aren’t giving the impression of trying to do anything that they’ve done so far on the cheap. They’re interested in doing everything properly. So when it comes to our home I doubt they’ll be interested in shopping at B&Q. They’ll want to make a statement. 

Villa Park is unique, I’d like to think that they will want to keep it unique. Some of the new stadiums, Spurs, Arsenal etc, whilst being quite impressive, they’re hardly unique. Everton’s proposed new stadium really is impressive and unique. Ok it has a spectacular location but I’d like to think that we can achieve something equally spectacular that people will want to see in it’s self. 
 

A spectacular Villa Park with perhaps an indoor arena linked. The NIA is looking tired and has had ownership issues for years, largely down to profitability. There’s an opportunity here with the right, imaginative investment. If,  as I believe, NSWE want to have a long term legacy both on and off the pitch then I think in time we could see something amazing. 

[OutByEaster?]

11 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

The NIA is looking tired and has had ownership issues for years, largely down to profitability. 

Utilita Arena Birmingham please!

It's only ever had one owner and up until the pandemic was outperforming its larger sister at The NEC by a distance.

There's definitely scope in Birmingham for a venue with a capacity of 3-4,000 though, and especially if that venue were able to operate as a sort of box park arrangement when not operating as an Arena.

 

 

 

[The Fun Factory]

39 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

A spectacular Villa Park with perhaps an indoor arena linked. The NIA is looking tired and has had ownership issues for years, largely down to profitability. There’s an opportunity here with the right, imaginative investment. If,  as I believe, NSWE want to have a long term legacy both on and off the pitch then I think in time we could see something amazing. 

I would on board with that with the only caveat is that we have to re-sign John Fashanu so he could shout Awoooga at random intervals  throughout every home game.

[sidcow]

NIA had a massive refit only a couple of years ago didn't it? 

I don't see them spending a penny more on The North Stand unless they knock it down and properly rebuild it.

The facilities inside are so outdated and the crowding borders on dangerous in the corridors. I've done Corporate there a number of times and whilst the food is always great the decor is still living in the 80s. 

It's almost impossible to get back to your table at half time due to the crowding. 

Compared to Trinity Road which I've also been to it is literally light years behind. 

They've already knocked the old executive boxes through to make big new suites.  Without knocking it down I don't think there's much more they can do than a lick of paint. 

[The Fun Factory]

On 12/04/2021 at 16:22, thabucks said:

As per my post a couple up. It would make sense IMO to look at this area of the ground first so any loss of capacity with the north being rebuilt will be somewhat offset ... 

 

You can easily add a few thousand seats in this area and improve the atmosphere and views without continuing the upper tier all the way around. The new north can then be a replica of the Holte or single tier like spuds keeping the appearance of four stands... Never want VP to be a bowl or horseshoe personally 

I am not architect but wouldn't you get some restricted views in expanded corner of the trinity  with the current north stand goalpost roof?

You would also lose the corner flag restaurant.

Edited April 30, 2021 by The Fun Factory

[villa4europe]

I thought the North stand had failed the PLs disability and access rules? And that it would be a ball ache to fix

[OutByEaster?]

20 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

I thought the North stand had failed the PLs disability and access rules? And that it would be a ball ache to fix

The ground had. 

There are a couple of conversions currently in the works, one to move the away disabled fans from where they are currently in the middle of the Trinity Road Stand so that they're with the rest of the away fans and the other to add more disabled spaces to the Lower Ellis near to the Holte End. Those works will bring us into line with legislation (I think).

 

[thabucks]

1 hour ago, The Fun Factory said:

I am not architect but wouldn't you get some restricted views in expanded corner of the trinity  with the current north stand goalpost roof?

You would also lose the corner flag restaurant.

Nor me (I’m just a stadia geek) in my thinking they’d re-profile the corner so it angled towards the pitch/North stand than present and to not fully join the top tier to preserve the four stand aesthetic. Could be a shit brain idea 

[The Fun Factory]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

The ground had. 

There are a couple of conversions currently in the works, one to move the away disabled fans from where they are currently in the middle of the Trinity Road Stand so that they're with the rest of the away fans and the other to add more disabled spaces to the Lower Ellis near to the Holte End. Those works will bring us into line with legislation (I think).

 

I always thought we could get into trouble the countless times we have lost to a late winner from the away side and then a load of them jumping the advertising hoardings in the  LDE and getting onto the pitch. Wonder if we could something to beef up the security. Moat? Electric Fence? Lava? Just throwing it out there.

[DaveAV1]

4 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Utilita Arena Birmingham please!

It's only ever had one owner and up until the pandemic was outperforming its larger sister at The NEC by a distance.

There's definitely scope in Birmingham for a venue with a capacity of 3-4,000 though, and especially if that venue were able to operate as a sort of box park arrangement when not operating as an Arena.

 

 

 

My mistake but I know sponsorship has changed a fair few times. I think it was still Barclaycard when I left Brum almost 4 years ago.  
 

What’s a box park?

[ender4]

45 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

What’s a box park?

It’s either a place you park your box, or it’s a place where boxes go to chill with their mates or take their little boxees.

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, DaveAV1 said:

My mistake but I know sponsorship has changed a fair few times. I think it was still Barclaycard when I left Brum almost 4 years ago.  
 

What’s a box park?

It's a place near Wembley (and other London Suburbs) where a big indoor venue has been created by stacking shipping containers.  Each container is used by a street food operator and the huge void in the middle roofed over so general fun and high jinks can be had. 

Google Villa Fans at Boxpark Wembley.  Great fun in there. 

[DaveAV1]

1 hour ago, ender4 said:

It’s either a place you park your box, or it’s a place where boxes go to chill with their mates or take their little boxees.

And are we allowed to think outside of it?

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, ender4 said:

 it’s a place where boxes go to chill with their mates 

Cool. 

[paul514]

10 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

I always thought we could get into trouble the countless times we have lost to a late winner from the away side and then a load of them jumping the advertising hoardings in the  LDE and getting onto the pitch. Wonder if we could something to beef up the security. Moat? Electric Fence? Lava? Just throwing it out there.

A moat around a pitch would be very cool

[villa4europe]

13 hours ago, sidcow said:

It's a place near Wembley (and other London Suburbs) where a big indoor venue has been created by stacking shipping containers.  Each container is used by a street food operator and the huge void in the middle roofed over so general fun and high jinks can be had. 

Google Villa Fans at Boxpark Wembley.  Great fun in there. 

The need for boxes is a probably not for me

The food service provided though is a massive yes, I'm glad the club paired up with digbeth dining club last season, that kind of thing definitely has a place and imo is the future, clubs doing some sort of pre game thing, they don't need to get you in the stadium 2 hours before kick off if they can get you in some sort of villa owned fan park that's similar to tail gating in yank sports but proper vendors and companies, maybe an issue with supplying booze as part of that 

Doing it every day though? I'm not sure people would travel, digbeth dining club has had to close their actual digbeth location though so could be looking for a new home