Manchester City have formally started feasibility studies to explore the potential expansion of the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium, as well as the possible development of a hotel and other entertainment facilities.
City will explore the expansion of the North Stand, which is currently the only one in the Etihad without a third tier for spectators. Any increase in capacity to the North Stand could take the stadium's total from the current 53,400 to over 60,000.
Also covered by the feasibility study will be a new club shop, museum, expanded 'City Square' fan zone with more food and drink outlets, and a potential hotel on site to make the Etihad a 'year-round entertainment and leisure destination.' The current City Square backs onto the two-tiered North Stand, with a separate club shop and museum facing it.
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City last expanded the Etihad in 2015, when 7,000 seats were added to the South Stand with a new third tier added behind the goal. The planning permission for that expansion, approved in 2014, also covers any North Stand expansion, however this new development is only the start of the process to explore whether a further increase in capacity is possible.
The area around the stadium is already being transformed by the building of the Co-op Live arena, which is scheduled to open at the other end of Joe Mercer Way in December 2023 and is backed by City's owners the City Football Group. Transport modelling for that arena included the potential increase in capacity of the Etihad, with the overall aim of the studies to 'develop East Manchester into a world-leading sport, leisure, and entertainment destination.'
City say the feasibility studies are aligned with the Eastlands Regeneration Framework and add that they want to ensure that 'Etihad Campus facilities are a significant source of community, employment, and economic opportunity for the local community and Manchester'.
Fans and members of the local community will be able to share their thoughts on the concepts in early 2023, and initial views can be shared with the club in advance of those formal consultations.
Depending on any total capacity, the Etihad could potentially become the Premier League's second-biggest ground behind Manchester United's Old Trafford. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium holds 62,000, while the Emirates Stadium and London Stadium both hold around 60,000. Liverpool's Anfield Road Stand expansion could take Anfield's capacity to 61,000.
