Move or redevelop

Long time lurker, just thought I could add something to the ongoing move or redevelop discussion.

It’s always an interesting discussion on whether to redevelop or move to a new purpose built ground. The cost of knocking down an old stand and building a new one can often be the same as building a new ground.

Briefly…..

Every football fan hates the type of stadium that has all sides identical but the cost savings are enormous. Design one stand and just build it four times. Quick to construct, usually built in an open area where construction equipment can easily get into and around the stadium. The pitch is always the last thing to get done so construction can take place from both inside and outside the stadium. Built with the infrastructure to accommodate this construction (water supply, sewage lines, electricity) and because it’s in an open area it’s possible to build 24 hours a day.

Typically to redevelop just one existing stand, lets say a main stand with offices, changing rooms, meeting rooms, bathrooms, catering and bar facilities etc. works out at just about the same as constructing a new ground. But it also creates many knock on issues. This new stand must comply to all the latest building and accessibility codes. This means larger and more bathrooms, wider stairways between rows of seating, wider exit requirements etc. so if you knock down a stand that holds 4000 people and replace it with a new 4000 seater stand will have to be bigger than the one it replaced. If it runs goal line to goal line the only way we can make this work it to build it taller. A taller stand is hard to pass though permitting because it just takes one disgruntled resident to complain and the whole thing may get scuppered. Any delay in permitting adds to the cost in time and money. The big one though is 99.9% of the time the existing infrastructure is maxed out, old and requires replacing. This new stand needs more water, more electricity and more sewage lines, all costs that people don’t think about in the beginning.

Next is the location of this new stand and the effect streets and existing housing have on the construction process. Can we get cranes, delivery trucks to where they need to be. It’s in a residential area so we can only work 8 hours a day and of that construction is only about 6 hours a day because of the logistics of moving equipment, steel and people to where they need to be.

How do I know this? I’m an architect that works for a large company that specializes in stadium construction here in the USA.

I have just finished working on a brand new 32,000 all seater stadium that took 16 months to build from ground breaking to first game being played (it helped a lot that it is in California and the weather didn’t have any impact on construction). To redevelop just one stand at BP will probably take 18 months if all goes well. To redevelop all four sides will take much longer and at least 4 times whatever the cost was to build the first stand.

Apologies for the length of my post but I hope this helps further the discussion about a new stadium or redeveloping BP. Best wishes for the rest of the season, hope to see you back with us in League 1 soon.

The nth thread on this but here goes - No way would it take 18 months to built 1 stand. Leicester Tigers built the biggest single tier stand in the UK (at that date) in the rugby union close season plus a couple of end of  season games relocated to Leicester City. 10,500 capacity 1,000 place conferencing. Some of the fit-out might not have been fully finished for the first home league game in September but by November it was all done - they beat the Springboks in official opening (absolutely cracking game).

Kit build could be done in even less time. We ain’t got £40 million so a new stadium is not going to happen. My current view would be the best outcome would be, Labour get in - expand consents for safe standing, phased rebuild of the Main and Osmond plus corners filled to about circa 12/13k with a couple of thousand terrace places linking Main to Pontoon.

Know any silicone valley tech millionaires that want to get into a community club?

Quoted from Gaffer58

Know any silicone valley tech millionaires that want to get into a community club?

Preferably ones without neo-Nazi tendencies.

USA Imp - Got myself a new shed - are you any good at putting them up ?

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

The nth thread on this but here goes - No way would it take 18 months to built 1 stand. Leicester Tigers built the biggest single tier stand in the UK (at that date) in the rugby union close season plus a couple of end of  season games relocated to Leicester City. 10,500 capacity 1,000 place conferencing. Some of the fit-out might not have been fully finished for the first home league game in September but by November it was all done - they beat the Springboks in official opening (absolutely cracking game).

Kit build could be done in even less time. We ain’t got £40 million so a new stadium is not going to happen. My current view would be the best outcome would be, Labour get in - expand consents for safe standing, phased rebuild of the Main and Osmond plus corners filled to about circa 12/13k with a couple of thousand terrace places linking Main to Pontoon.

I'm not sure where this £40 million figure has come from. I know JS mentioned it but I disagree. I work with major construction projects and the figure to construct a football ground is way off the mark. Rotherham's ground cost £20m 10 years ago and I do know costs haven't doubled in that time. They didn't fill Millmoor but had the ambition to move and it's benefitted them. I know even £20m is out of our reach at the moment but a new ground can't be discounted in the future otherwise progression for the club will be limited staying at BP.

Quoted from golfer

USA Imp - Got myself a new shed - are you any good at putting them up ?

I'm an old fart, i can draw it up, point and shout but thats about the extents of my tallents.  

I think it is obvious the next few seasons, maybe a decade will be spent repairing the Fenty legacy with safety work and tinkering with minor improvements to the stadium.

Any redevelopment or move has been kicked into the longish grass but no doubt will be looked at again once we have stabilised and restored our reputation within the game.

I think that is fair enough on the proviso we spend enough on squads so we can make league 1 sooner rather than later.

Can't redevelop Blundell Park. Too close to houses all the way round, not enough space and that's if we could get planning permission

Quoted from mimma

Can't redevelop Blundell Park. Too close to houses all the way round, not enough space and that's if we could get planning permission

Buy up the houses behind the main stand and pull them down, rotate the pitch 90 degrees so the Findus stand is behind the goal and that would give you a huge footprint to work with

Only downside to that at 100k each thats 2 million before you even think about pulling them down