Portsmouth unveils £600m plan
26/04/2007 |
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Portsmouth are set to end their 108-year stay at Fratton Park after unveiling plans for a new 36,000-seat stadium yesterday.
The ground, which the club want to build on a 13-acre site adjacent to the city's naval dockyards, will be part of a £600m project involving the construction of approximately 1,500 apartments, as well as restaurants, cafes and other leisure amenities. Under a joint venture with Sellar Property Group, the 20,000-capacity Fratton Park will be demolished, with 750 homes earmarked to be built on the site.
Both the "Waterfront Quarter" project and the redevelopment of the old stadium are subject to planning permission. Applications for the proposed developments will be submitted in the autumn, after consultation with stakeholders.
If given the go-ahead, work could get under way by the summer of 2008, and construction of the new stadium the following year.
The club anticipate the team will be playing in the new stadium by 2011. The Portsmouth chief executive, Peter Storrie, said: "This will be a spectacular stadium, set against the backdrop of the harbour and the English Channel, befitting the club's history.
"The club will be playing a big part in the regeneration of the city and our fans will have the very best in terms of facilities and amenities as well as an excellent viewing experience. Portsmouth Football Club is moving into a new dawn with the backing of the owner, Alexandre Gaydamak, and these are very exciting times for the club both on and off the field," Storrie added.
Gaydamak bought out the former owner Milan Mandaric's remaining shares earlier this year after paying around £16m for a half-stake in the club in January 2006.
The Franco-Russian businessman, who is rarely seen around the club except at matches, has plans for a new training ground at the nearby Fareham to replace Pompey's current accommodation at Eastleigh - deep in the territory of their local South Coast rivals, Southampton.
Storrie said: "The new stadium along with plans for the club's new training ground at Titchfield are proof of where we want Pompey to be - playing at the highest level and in a stadium befitting a top Premiership side."
(Source: Independent.co.uk)
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