Following last week’s announcement that Liverpool FC is set to expand Anfield, comes the news that neighbours Everton are, once again, looking for a site for a new stadium as part of wider regeneration plans for the city.
While Liverpool City Council’s cabinet has already given Liverpool FC the green light for an expansion, Everton has lagged behind after proposals for a new 50,000 capacity stadium in Kirkby were rejected by the government. However, the Club is now working closely with Liverpool City Council to identify potential new locations for a higher capacity stadium, and now believes it has identified one particular site which could be the potential new home of Everton football.
Chief executive Robert Elstone confirmed that one site being explored is currently the frontrunner for the eventual stadium.
He said; “The stadium remains a big priority – we’re not ruling out any of the sites that we’ve identified and that the council has presented to us, but there is one site which is getting more attention and has been getting more attention for a number of months.
“It has been worked on very carefully, diligently and in some detail by not only Everton, but by the council and by advisors, planners, architects, designers, cost consultants, regeneration experts and solicitors.”
However, he was keen to point out that no plans regarding a larger stadium are yet set in stone, as the financial situation must first be considered.
He continued; “The board is currently looking not only at this opportunity but also the associated risks and the debt that the Club may well have to take on to deliver this, which may or may not be the right thing to do.
“We wouldn’t be investing what we’re doing without thinking it had a chance of success, and there’s a commitment as always to share information with our fans as soon as we can.”
In the previous plans for Kirkby, which were rejected in 2010, the area would not only have gained a 50,000 seat stadium but also a complex featuring a superstore and further retail units, creating employment and boosting the local economy. Presumably, a similar plan will be undertaken in the eventual location of choice, possibly with a similar budget from the Club of £400 million.
The council has also reaffirmed its commitment to a working relationship with Everton, although pointed out that any financial contribution would be for a wider scheme rather than for the stadium itself.
In a statement, it said; “We must stress that the city council is clearly not in a position to fund the costs of a new stadium.”
“Any investment the council makes would be in a wider regeneration scheme, subject to a sound financial and economic rationale for doing so.”
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