BLUE BEAUTY

BIRMINGHAM CITY are planning to build a stunning new and state-of-the art complex that may end up looking like a ‘spaceship’ — but it will cost them £2billion.

Earlier this year Blues majority ownership group, Knighthead, announced that they had acquired a 48-acre site within a mile of St Andrews.

They have since purchased 12 more acres of land next to the former Wheels site and have taken inspiration from Manchester City’s Etihad Campus. Knighthead plan to create a Sports Quarter that comprises a stadium, training and academy facilities.

There are also plans for office spaces, restaurants and social hubs for the surrounding community.

Co-CEO and Chairman Tom Wagner wants it to be built in time for the 2029-30 campaign, with the overall project costing between £2-3billion.

Wagner told the Birmingham Mail: “My timeframe is lunacy but we’d like to get this completed in five years.

“That is the perfect world if everyone works with us at the same pace we’re willing to work. I’m going to keep saying that even though it makes everyone around me sweat.

“A lot of it is outside our control but that’s the goal.”

But the capacity plans are certainly ambitious.

Early indications suggest that the new stadium will have a capacity of 62,000.

This would make it the eighth-largest stadium in England, 850 seats under the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and slightly more than Anfield, which has 61,276 seats.

It would make the venue suitable for large scale non-football events.

Taylor Swift concerts and NFL fixtures in Birmingham could become a possibility.

As fans gasped at the video shown by Wagner, he said: “I don’t know if we’re going to go with the spaceship look but I think it gives you a strong idea of what our intent is.

“Maybe the most important aspect is this huge promenade where people are coming in because not everyone will be watching the game in the stadium because obviously all 62,000 seats are sold.”

He then joked: “That’s no problem.

“But there’s a lot of activity in the offices and all of this (pointing to offices) will be built with the tenant in mind — we’ve already had inbound calls from people looking to partner with us on this.

“We want something that fits in the community and critically it’s important that this doesn’t look like a blight on the skyline of Birmingham and that it fits within the context of the city and more importantly, the neighbourhood.

“There’s a lot to be done here but all of this is in keeping with our broader objectives.”

Last season, the Blues struggled to regularly sell out St Andrew’s which only has a capacity of 29,409.

Despite their best efforts, the club were relegated from the Championship after flirting with League One for several seasons.

The new base is within walking distance of the city centre and Knighthead have said that the “world-class Sports Quarter” will create 3,000 jobs. — Sun.