Manchester City unveils plans to expand Etihad stadium and campus

The designs include a covered fan zone, club shop, museum and a hotel all fully integrated into a new North Stand. Credit: Manchester City

Manchester City has announced plans to increase the capacity of its Etihad stadium and expand the wider campus.

Unveiling the idea, the Premier League club said the concept is for "a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination".

The idea appeared to gain traction with fans online, with one commenting: "It's great to see the club continuing to move forward."

However, some rivals suggested the club is unable to fill the existing 53,400 capacity stadium on match days.

Fans and the local community are being invited to share their feedback over coming weeks.

The East Manchester stadium as it currently appears from the air Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Archive/PA Images

The club says it has had a long-held vision to establish the Etihad Campus and the wider area as a "globally relevant and competitive sport, leisure and entertainment destination".

Under the plans, several connected all-weather facilities would be fully integrated into the stadium in Beswick.

They would be centred around an expanded North Stand with one larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier, increasing stadium capacity to over 60,000.

A covered City Square fan zone, with a capacity of 3,000 and a wide variety of food and drink outlets, new club shop, museum and hotel, are also proposed to broaden activities on offer on both matchdays and other days.

The club says it is looking at enhancing existing travel services and developing alternative methods for fans as part of a wider sustainable transport strategy.

In a statement, the club said it has overseen more than £700m of investment into the Etihad Campus and East Manchester since 2008.

Co-op Live, the UK's biggest and most sustainable arena, is due to open on the site in December 2023.

The club says a larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier of the North Stand would increase stadium capacity to over 60,000. Credit: Manchester City

The club states that any training, recruitment and employment opportunities would be prioritised for local people, with plans being explored for a long-term skills academy programme.

Should a planning application be submitted and successfully approved, the constructionprogramme would take place over a three-year period, with works staged to minimisedisruption during the football season.

Fans and the local community can comment on the concepts online, visit a temporary exhibition space in City Square from 4 March 2023 or attend one of three consultation events in the area.