Reports are that Sir Jim Radcliffe is planning a ‘Wembley of the North’ not before time. The issue is whether to rebuild in situ – as per Spurs – or relocate – as per Everton.
It is an issue close to my hearts being so involved with Wembley Stadium and the adjoining land redevelopment. From looking at Man Us, land ownership, unhelpfully penned in by a rail based logistics yard crying out for relocation, there is just about enough space to do a ‘spurs’. whereby they moved the stadium around 150m to a new footprint enabling a phased redevelopment. though one whereby it had reduced capacity for two years requiring playing European games at Wembley. But would you want that. The reduced capacity and cashflow issues hurts Spurs league place during redevelopment, just as it did Arsenal which relocated.
There isn’t really space to redevelop on site without bridging over the Bridgwater canal, unthinkable as the finest achievement of the early canal age. Which leaves relocation.
The obvious place to do so is the Trafford Centre overflow car park – conveniently right next to the Metrolink station here.
As we know from the States and Korea their is great synergy between stadiums and regional shopping centres as they capture spending from the hours before and after the match. There is also space at Trafford Park for integrated public spaces and housing, as per Quintain at Wembley
A joint profit sharing venture between Peel and MU could see the redevelopment of the Trafford Park landholding, and I suggest a Mayoral Development Corporation should be formed to incorporate adjoining land to the west, East and North to create a double waterfront as well as the canal. The metrolink station would form a link via development either side of Alex Ferguson way redeveloping the low value shed and super uly premier in for high value housing and mixed use development. It would have a permanent station on NPR and if my plan for a low cost avoiding an underground station at Piccadilly for what replaces HS2 (now back on the cards with theMayors plan B) came to fruition immediately to the east would be the viaduct connecting to the high speed terminus to Manchester relocated to Salford International Station, with a direct link for international fans to Manchester Station. Indeed the uplift in land values could pay for the viaduct. Time to get master planning Manchester.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions 