A year on from Everton officially moving in on site at Bramley-Moore Dock and the progress made on the club's new stadium has been remarkable. The Blues' future 52,888 capacity home remains on schedule to open in the 2024/25 season after 12 months of dramatic transformation on the Mersey waterfront site.
Since their arrival, Everton's contractors Laing O'Rourke have completed the arduous process of draining the dock, filling it with fluidised sand, laying the foundations and now erecting the first above ground steel and concrete structures. Liverpool City Region team have told central government that once completed, it will provide a £1billion boost to the local economy, create 15,000 jobs, help attract 1.4m visitors and act as a catalyst for major change in the Liverpool Waters and Ten Streets parts of the city.
Here’s a look back at Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock timeline to date.
March 11, 2016
Having purchased his initial 49.9% controlling stake in Everton, Farhad Moshiri pledges to tackle the club’s stadium issue. He tells the ECHO : “We will also be looking at the best options in relation to our stadium.
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“Goodison Park has served the club extremely well but we need to make sure the club has a suitable stage to perform on for the future. We will review the best options and how to finance, especially as it is likely to cost a little more than the £3,000 it apparently did back in 1892.”
October 14, 2016
Club officials, including Mr Moshiri, Bill Kenwright, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, plus Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson and architect Dan Meis, visit proposed stadium sites at Stonebridge Cross in Croxteth, and the waterfront Bramley-Moore Dock in Vauxhall.
November 7, 2016
With supporters pushing for the Mersey riverside option, Mr Moshiri declares that the club has “taken soundings from fans” and “In our mind, we know where we want to go. We are committed.”
February 2, 2017
Mayor Anderson says Everton’s proposed Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium could play a part in the city’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
March 23, 2017
Everton’s Land Purchase Agreement for Bramley-Moore Dock is sealed with club signing an initial “heads of terms” agreement to acquire the site from Liverpool Waters developer Peel for a fee believed to be £22.5million.
March 31, 2017
Liverpool council agrees a deal to help Everton build their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. The council’s cabinet agreed to act as an effective guarantor for the club’s plans by setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle to attract investment.
The announcement comes at the city of Liverpool – having previously planned to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games – attempts to be awarded the 2022 Games with the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium the centrepiece to their bid.
September 7, 2017
Liverpool loses out to Birmingham in their bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, ensuring that Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium will not need to incorporate a temporary athletics track.
November 23, 2017
Everton exchange contracts for the Bramley-Moore Dock site, signing an agreement to secure a 200-year lease on the proposed site of their new stadium.
January 24, 2018
Everton reveal 11 Key Principles that will shape their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock - and the future of Goodison Park. They are - Our Fortress; A new home for Everton; A platform for growth; The People’s Club; An iconic landmark for Liverpool; Easy to get to, easy to get home; A legacy for Goodison Park; Respecting heritage; Harnessing the environment; Embracing technology; The right deal for Liverpool.
April 2, 2018
Speaking in a series of fans’ workshops with Evertonians at St Luke’s Church next to Goodison Park, stadium architect Dan Meis reveals the Blues plan to build a large home end based on Borussia Dortmund's 'Yellow Wall' at their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Emphasising Everton’s commitment to make the new stadium a “fortress” – retaining and amplifying Goodison Park’s intimacy and atmosphere, the American declares his desire to create the “greatest home ground in English football”.
June 7, 2018
Mayor Anderson suggests for the first time that Liverpool City Council may not lend Everton the money it needs to build a new stadium with the club potentially looking elsewhere for financial assistance.
August 13, 2018
Everton name Colin Chong as Stadium Development Director to spearhead the club's move to Bramley-Moore Dock. Mr Chong is a construction industry specialist whose CV lists a number of major projects including redevelopment work at Old Trafford and the building of Wigan's DW Stadium, as part of 35 years in the trade.
November 15, 2018
Everton embark on what they describe as “one of the most important processes” in their 140-year history with the start of the formal public consultation on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
December 20, 2018
Everton reveal they are proposing a capacity of 52,000 for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock but the projected figure could increase to 62,000 in the future.
February 12, 2019
Everton's proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is given “more than a vote of confidence” with key results revealed from the first public consultation process. Over 20,000 people took part in the club's first stage of public consultation with 94% of respondents agreeing that the waterfront site is an appropriate place for Everton to build a new ground.
Of the 20,168 people who responded nearly 2,000 were non-Everton supporters yet the bulk of those fans were still in agreement over the club’s move to Bramley-Moore Dock.
July 25, 2019
Everton unveil Dan Meis’ stunning designs for their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Meis Architects propose to use “traditional” brick, glass and steel with the use of brick on the outside ensuring the ground looks at home in the dockland setting.
July 26, 2019
Just a day after the renderings were revealed, the club’s second stage of public consultation begins. In an exclusive interview with the ECHO, architect Meis declares: “There has always been that mentality that we're not building a Bentley, we're building a Ferrari. It's going to be new and have amenities but it's a performance building, it's a proper football ground.”
November 13, 2019
Everton's plans for a new stadium receive major public backing as part of a ground breaking second consultation process with results revealed. The Blues received over 43,000 responses to their summer survey about the People's Project (both the move to Bramley-Moore Dock and the legacy for Goodison Park).
Some 96% of people who took part want the project to continue, 98% of all respondents support the design of the 52,000 seater stadium with 99% of Everton fans backing Meis’ July renderings. The second stage consultation reached 2,726 non-Everton fans - 24% of who have on interest in football - and included a 19-day touring exhibition that visited 12 locations across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs.
December 23, 2019
Everton reveal their stunning final designs for their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock as they submit their planning application to Liverpool City Council.
January 14, 2020
Everton reveal they have enlisted the help of two major international banks to secure the majority of funding required to build their new stadium. The club confirm they have been working with JP Morgan and MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) over the past 12 months to assist in finding the private institutions that could lend the club the bulk of the expected £500million construction costs.
It is also announced that Everton have struck a £30million deal with Alisher Usmanov’s holding company USM over naming rights on the club's proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
February 19, 2020
Everton appoint Laing O'Rourke as the contractor for the club's proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
June 24, 2020
Architect Dan Meis confirms he is "not currently engaged" in Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium plans and claims that stepping away was one of the greatest disappointments in his career. He adds: "Let me be clear. I am fully confident that Bramley-Moore will be built. It is both right for the club and the city."
July 24, 2020
Everton are “expected to be awarded” planning approval for their new stadium in October, a major document reveals as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority release their post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.
December 16, 2020
The ECHO reports that Everton are not expected to hear the outcome of their planning application to build a new stadium until early next year. The Blues had been hoping to receive an official answer from Liverpool City Council in December but the local authority being left stretched by the demands of the pandemic means the detailed proposal submitted by the club has yet to be fully worked through.
February 15, 2021
Liverpool City Council release a planning report recommending that Everton's proposed Bramley-Moore Dock stadium be approved.
February 23, 2021
Everton's planning application for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore dock is approved by Liverpool City Council. The local authority held a special planning committee comprised of 11 councillors to unanimously come to their determination on the proposals.
Everton's legacy project for Goodison Park is also unanimously approved.
March 26, 2021
Everton confirm that work at the new stadium can finally begin as Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who has been reviewing the planning permission for the last month, decided not to call the project in further.
June 14, 2021
Everton start preliminary works for their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Specialist firm Boskalis Maritime send a boat out onto the Mersey to carry out various checks on the Dock, including looking for any unexploded devices as well as looking at the state of the Dock wall plus a survey of micro-biological organisms that may be attached to the Dock or living in the water.
July 1, 2021
Everton confirm they will begin work on their new stadium on July 26. Chairman Bill Kenwright said: “We are thrilled to be able to confirm that construction work will commence on our new stadium later this month."
Meanwhile, it's revealed that the enabling works, to prepare the land before the stadium construction begins, are to be paid for by money from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri. The second phase, with which the money the club are looking to secure from the private sector to pay for, will be used for the physical construction of the 52,888 stadium, but may not begin until the end of this year or the start of 2022.
July 26, 2021
On the day the club formally take control of the Bramley-Moore Dock site, Everton Stadium Development Director Colin Chong outlines: "Our intention that we’ll be formally breaking ground on the eastern quayside in the early part of August" while revealing that fans will be able to follow progress on the site through a web cam.
August 10, 2021
Everton announce that they have held a project commencement ceremony at Bramley-Moore Dock to mark the breaking of ground in the construction of their new £500m stadium. Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright said: “This is a momentous day. One that we have all been waiting for. To know that Evertonians and the people of this great city are together with us on this journey is a special feeling.
"Now that the work has commenced we can all watch our magnificent home as it comes to life. I am stating the obvious, but must reiterate that this day could not have happened without Farhad’s continued support on every level and the drive and determination of our CEO Denise, and her team."
September 27, 2021
Everton confirm the operation to re-house the marine wildlife living in the water at Bramley-Moore Dock will be completed by the end of the week. Two floating Cormorant pontoons were also installed in the neighbouring Nelson Dock to provide an alternative habitat for the birds in advance of a start onsite.
October 1, 2021
The infill of Bramley-Moore Dock begins. Some 450,000 cubic metres of fluidised sand from the Irish Sea is to be used to replace the water on the site.
October 19, 2021
Dan Meis, the designer of Everton’s new stadium, says that he will soon be “re-engaged” on the project. The US architect, whose stunning rendering for the Mersey waterfront site were revealed in July 2019, made the shock announcement 11 months later that he was “not currently engaged” in the scheme and that it was one of the biggest disappointments of his career.
However, in an interview with Liverpool-born former professional footballer Neil Danns on BBC World Service, Meis claimed that he will soon be back on board and that it’s a “happy ending.”
October 20, 2021
Everton confirm the piling process has begun, which includes drilling on the 2,500 concrete piles that will provide the building blocks for the structure. Work has initially begun on the foundations for the north and south stands, with piling work expected to continue through until the summer of 2022.
October 22, 2021
Everton confirm the return of Dan Meis to the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium project. The Blues announce that the architect will continue his association with the club's new stadium process as he takes up a new guardianship role.
December 8, 2021
The dock infill, which forms a key part of the enabling works, is completed. The three-month process saw a dredger called ‘The Shoalway’ painstakingly make more than 130 round trips over 20 miles out into the Irish Sea to collect sand.
December 21, 2021
The first above ground structure that will form Everton's new stadium goes up. The giant pre-cast concrete panels and pillars are installed, just prior to the enabling and construction works breaking for Christmas, and are the first structural elements of the North West core, which will incorporate the entrance turnstiles to the North Stand and create support for the entry and exit stairs up to the concourse areas.
March 4, 2022
Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium contractors Laing O'Rourke confirm they "remain committed" to the project following sanctions imposed on Blues sponsor Alisher Usmanov, who had a naming rights option on the ground, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Everton took the decision to suspend their agreements with all of USM, Megafon and Yota earlier in the week but a Laing O'Rourke spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by events in Ukraine and are doing all we can to support our Ukrainian colleagues. We note that Everton has suspended its commercial sponsorship arrangements with three Russian companies, and can confirm that we remain committed to the contract we have signed with Everton Football Club to deliver its new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”
March 11, 2022
An emotional Dan Meis declares Everton are at “the exciting stage” of building their new stadium after the architect set foot on the Bramley-Moore Dock site for the first time since construction began. He said: “It’s so incredibly exciting and very emotional. It’s like being a kid in a toy store and it never gets old.
“It seems a little absurd that it all starts with a little sketch and then hundreds and ultimately thousands of people come together. It’s a giant team of engineers and architects and contractors and a lot of people have put their heart and soul into this stadium, and that’s really touching and just phenomenal.”
March 29, 2022
The Project Engineer of Everton’s new stadium hails the “huge milestone” of the installation of the fourth corner of the Blues’ future home at Bramley-Moore Dock. The first precast concrete wall is been lowered into place in the south east corner of the site, offering a tantalising glimpse of the sheer size of the iconic waterfront build.
Laing O’Rourke Project Engineer, David Jackson said: “This is a huge milestone for us. There are four main cores in the stadium, and we started in the north stand and then in the south west corner and now, finally, the south east corner of the building, which is the final stage of getting up and out of the ground.”
April 13, 2022
Everton sign an agreement with Laing O’Rourke which will lock in construction costs and see the contractor deliver the next and final phase of development of the club’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. The deal follows on from the Pre-Contract Services Agreement (PCSA) signed by both parties in February 2021 and the Enabling Works Contract (EWC), which was focused on delivering the preparatory works at the North Liverpool site, including the in-filling of the dock that was completed in December.
Under the new agreement, Laing O’Rourke will deliver a programme of works which includes the completion of any outstanding enabling works, the full construction of the stadium and public realm, and remedial works to the Grade II listed Hydraulic Tower, which will be brought back into public use.
Everton Chief Executive, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, said: “This is an important agreement at a crucial time for the club and the stadium project. Our agreement with Laing O’Rourke follows on from last year’s pre-contract services and enabling works agreements and brings clarity on the overall costs of our new stadium. We are now able to lock in construction costs, while also benefiting from Laing O’ Rourke’s economies of scale in what is an ever-fluctuating marketplace."
June 2, 2022
Everton announce the foundation piling process on their new stadium site has come to an end after seven months of work. The dock has been completely filled with sand and the foundations consist of 2,768 concrete piles, each around 15 metres deep.
June 24, 2022
Work is ready to begin on the concrete foundations that will support the west stand at Bramley-Moore Dock, the side of Everton's new stadium that will face out towards the Mersey. The first of the concrete ground floor slabs is poured as work commences on the main stands following the initial pre-build of the four cores in each corner.
The erection of the four tower cranes is also timed to tie-in with the super-structure being built on the west and east sides of the stadium. This is predominantly comprised of precast concrete components which are manufactured off site, transported to Bramley-Moore Dock and then assembled by Laing O’Rourke’s specialist team.
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